Product Description

Stephen Malkmus has never made a record that covered nearly as much stylistic ground as this nor, it could be argued, has Stephen made an album until now that packed as much of an emotional (not nearly trashy enough for some) wallop. "Cold Son," "Out of Reaches" and "We Can't Help You" are amongst the more gorgeous, contemplative songs Malkmus has recorded, though we should stress a) there's no shortage of dark humor scattered through RET and b) Malkmus remains a sh*t-hot guitarist (ridiculously so).

Track Listing

1. Dragonfly Pie
2. Hopscotch Willy
3. Cold Son
4. Real Emotional Trash
5. Out Of Reaches
6. Baltimore
7. Gardenia
8. Elmo Delmo
9. We Can't Help You
10. Wicked Wanda

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #698 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-04
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
If you've never heard Stephen Malkmus, you might want to begin with one of the more accessible of his four solo albums, be it the self-titled debut or 2005's watertight Face the Truth. But if you're familiar with his individual work or that of his former band, Pavement, Real Emotional Trash will settle right in as the next chapter of the eccentric Portlander's prolificacy. Leading the Jicks this time is ex-Sleater-Kinney drummer (and backing vocalist) Janet Weiss, who--while she never lets loose to pound her skins to oblivion--does manage to reel in the band on extended jams like that of the intricate "Elmo Delmo," a bluesy murder yarn called "Hopscotch Willie," or the sprawling 10-minute title track. Malkmus's guitar fixation tends to overshadow his roguish, pop-sharp song craft this time around, with fewer catchy choruses and more axe-driven bypasses, save for the peculiar "Cold Son" and the joyful live-show staple "Gardenia." Then again, Trash's capriciousness and experimental willingness are what gave Malkmus an audience in the first place--and what promise to keep it coming back for more. --Scott Holter

Album Description
As the frontman and primary songwriter of Pavement, Steve Malkmus crafted lazy, supremely catchy Art-Pop that defined the Slacker/Indie genre. As a solo artist, Malkmus hasn't exactly tightened up, but his music emerges from grander, more expansive sonic terrain. Real Emotional Trash, Malkmus' fourth solo album, kicks off with "Dragonfly Pie" and immediately finds him in guitar-hero mode, slashing out disjointed riffs and shreds. Elsewhere, Stephen Malkmus' Classic Rock fixation is on full display, channeling George Harrison via the guitar solo on "Hopscotch," while the album's centerpiece, the 10-minute-plus title track, has the feel of Richard Thompson and Fairport Convention at their most epic (think "A Sailor's Life"). His music has grown far too complex and cerebral for him to be called a slacker anymore.

Customer Reviews

Very good, very different
Really like this CD a lot. Very different. Meanders around in styles, some great guitar licks and entertaining songs. Give it a listen, might take a few times through to really appreciate it but it is a very solid disc.

SM & the Jicks never disappoint
As an aging Silver Jews/Pavement fan, I was reluctant to get on board with SM & the Jicks, but was pleasantly surprised. The songs are all catchy, sarcastic, and musically brilliant. I'll pull out the Pavement records when I'm feeling nostalgic but all of the SM & the Jicks CD's are currently on heavy rotation in my house.

A man in love with his guitar.
Real Emotional Trash is a good album. It's not easy to listen to and like it at first but SM is not exactly fast-food, right? So, give it a chance and you won't regret it.
"Dragonfly Pie" starts off with a slow fuzzy riff that sounds like Black Sabbath with Lou Reed on vocals. Distortion is all over the speakers, the rhythm is odd and menacing. But things are never quite what you are expecting with SM and suddenly the song changes to a waltz coupled with a little falsetto jingle only to start it all over again. Meanwhile Malkmus takes every break to pull out a wicked guitar solo. Welcome to planet weird. This is very much Pig Lib territory - and that's a good omen.
Unfortunately "Hopscotch Willie" fails to deliver. It has a tropicalia-cool melody but the song doesn't change much. Instead, it drifts into a monotonous guitar jam to the same lounge rhythm. After 6 minutes I thought that this one is going to be so-skipped.
The title track has been slayed by critics more often than not but for me is the strongest song in the album. This is one of those moments where SM stops fooling around and sounds serious. It also sounds as if SM was aiming for something special, should I say grand? with this song. This may sound corny but the song, on its 11 minutes, sounds always earnest and honest, kind of low key epic, but never pompous.
"Gardenia" is another high note on the album. Like "Shady Lane" or "Carrot Rope", it comes as a breath of fresh air and, with its glorious 3 min, it's the only straight pop song on the record.
The good thing about SM, besides being a really hot guitarist, is that even when his music starts drifting or sinking under its own weight, right when you are starting to loose it, he always comes with something brilliant and unexpected that wakes you up. Listen to "Elmo Delmo" and get what I mean.
What makes this album not as good as Pig Lib or Face the Truth is that there is not enough of that pop ingredient that SM mixed so cleverly in songs like "Oyster" or "Vanessa From Queens" that were melodic, catchy, weird and challenging. Off course there's plenty of challenge in Real Emotional Trash and SM albums are usually growers but this is a demanding album and I'm not sure if in the end it will pay off completely. One thing that really pays off is SM's guitar playing. The man is better than ever. And a lot of time it's his guitar playing that saves the day on this album. The last song "Wicked Wanda" ends up with an epic solo and as the last note squeaks I can't help but to think of the Smashing Pumpkins. What about that?
Just one more thing. Janet Weiss, the woman that shares the position of best drummer in rock with Dave Grohl, is in the band now. So, please, turn up the drums.