• News

• All

Jul 12, 2018 By Christopher Roberts Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Find It At: {article-find} {name} {/article-find}

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks released a new album, Sparkle Hard, back in May via Matador. Now they have shared a new video featuring Malkmus performing the album’s “Solid Silk” on acoustic guitar on a couch. Brook Linder directed the relaxed and intimate clip. Watch it below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates and their recent Saturday Sessions performance of the song on CBS This Morning.

In February the band led by the former Pavement frontman shared a brand new song, “Middle America,” which is featured on the new album (and was one of our Songs of the Week and was also featured in our Soundtracking the Resistance music and politics column). Then when Sparkle Hard was announced in March they shared its next single, “Shiggy,” which was also one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared another new song from it, “Refute,” which features the guest vocals of Kim Gordon (formerly of Sonic Youth). They also shared Sparkle Hard: The Movie, a 10-minute documentary on making the album, among other things.

Sparkle Hard is the band’s seventh album and the follow-up to 2014’s Wig Out At Jagbags. The band features singer/songwriter/guitarist Malkmus, along with Mike Clark (keyboards), Joanna Bolme (bass), and Jake Morris (drums). Malkmus started writing the album in 2015. All the demos were recorded in one day in April 2017. Then recording of the album started in May 2017. Chris Funk of The Decemberists produced the album, which was recorded in Halfling, a new studio in Portland managed by Funk.

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Tour Dates:

7/17/18 - Petaluma, CA - Mystic Theatre
7/18/18 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
7/19/18 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy
7/20/18 - San Diego, CA - Casbah SOLD OUT
7/22/18 - Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
7/23/18 - Albuquerque NM - Launchpad
7/25/18 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
7/26/18 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
7/27/18 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
7/28/18 - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard
7/29/18 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
7/31/18 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
8/1/18 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
8/3/18 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
8/4/18 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
8/5/18 - Portland, OR - Star Theater
10/5/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre - w/ Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.