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Feb 20, 2019 By Christopher Roberts Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Stephen Malkmus, erstwhile Pavement frontman, is releasing a new solo album, Groove Denied, on March 15 via Matador. Now he has shared another song from it, “Rushing the Acid Frat,” via a trippy video. Robert Strange and James Papper directed the animated clip, which you can watch below, followed by Malkmus’ upcoming tour dates.

The song title is inspired by Malkmus’ memories of a specific student fraternity at the University of Virginia, which he attended. The frat, as a press release says, had more of a “Grateful Dead druggy tie-dye” vibe than a typical frat house. In the press release Malkmus says he sees the song as the soundtrack to a “Star Wars bar scene in such a frat…it’s kinda 12-bar but gigged with psych lyrics.”

Groove Denied is billed as Malkmus’ his first ever electronic music album, although “Rushing the Acid Frat” is hardly a dance music song. It’s also his first solo album since 2001, although he released a new album, Sparkle Hard, just last year with his band Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks. Previously Malkmus shared a video for Groove Denied‘s first single, “Viktor Borgia.”

As Malkmus has said in various interviews, Matador weren’t exactly keen to release the album at first (hence its amusing title), but were up for it if he recorded and released a more guitar-based album first (thus Sparkle Hard). Groove Denied was mainly written in Berlin, but mainly recorded in Oregon.

Malkmus had this to say about “Viktor Borgia” in a previous press release: “Yes, I was thinking things like Pete Shelley’s ‘Homosapien,’ The Human League, and DIY synth music circa 1982, and also about how in the New Wave Eighties, these suburban 18-and-over dance clubs were where all the freaks would meet - a sanctuary.”

Malkmus had this to say about the album as a whole: “The electronic music side of the album, I wanted it to be sonically pre-Internet.”

Stephen Malkmus Tour Dates:

April 30 - New York NY @ 92Y In-Conversation with Vanity Fair’s Michael Hogan
May 1 - Toronto ON @ The Great Hall ^ #
May 2 - New York NY @ The Kitchen ^
May 3 - Somerville MA @ Arts At The Armory ^ # - SOLD OUT
May 4 - Ardmore PA @ Ardmore Music Hall ^ #
May 5 - Washington DC @ Union Stage ^ #
May 7 - Austin TX @ 3TEN ACL Live ^
May 8 - Chicago IL @ Art Institute Of Chicago - Fullerton Hall ^
May 10 - Portland OR @ Doug Fir Lounge ^ - SOLD OUT
May 11 - Seattle WA @ Columbia City Theater ^
May 14 - San Francisco CA @ Swedish American Hall ^ %
May 15 - Los Angeles CA @ Lodge Room ^ % - SOLD OUT
May 16 - Los Angeles CA @ Lodge Room ^
May 30 - Barcelona ES @ Primavera Festival *
May 31 - Nimes FR @ This Is Not A Love Song *
June 6-9 - Helsinki FI @ Sideways Festival *
June 14-16 - Mannheim DE @ Maifeld Derby Festival *
June 19 - Paris FR @ La Gaîté Lyrique *

* denotes w/ The Jicks
^ denotes Malkmus solo
# denotes Eleanor Friedberger supporting
% denotes Mary Lattimore supporting

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