Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks Are Making Music at Crescent Ballroom

Seventh album, Sparkle Hard, showcases Malkmus' wordsmithing skills.

July 18, 2018

Stephen Malkmus. Courtesy of Billions

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

If you had to sum up Stephen Malkmus’ music with one expression, “whatever’s clever” would be right on the money. The singer and songwriter, currently on tour with his band the Jicks, has been known for his genius wordsmithing for years. He’s been skillfully turning sharp and funny phrases he started the band Pavement back in the late 1980s. It was in 1992 when that band released their debut, Slanted and Enchanted, and Malkmus’ sardonic wit was cemented as one with the ability to slay.

Pavement was also instrumental in the lo-fi indie rock boom of that decade. The Jicks got going in 2000, around a year after Pavement threw in the towel. Going strong ever since, the band released their seventh album earlier this year, Sparkle Hard. A dynamic group of tracks, it glows with hooky appeal. The poppy nature of songs like “Bike Lane,” however, can’t lighten the subject matter. In that case, the tune is about the 2015 murder of Freddie Gray by Baltimore police. True to the group’s history, catchy and steadfast tracks often transcend between mild, plodding rock and more aggressive riffs.

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks are scheduled to perform at 8 p.m. on Sunday, July 22 at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue. Tickets are $24 to $33. Visit crescentphx.com.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Amy Young is an arts and culture writer who also spends time curating arts-related exhibits and events, and playing drums in local bands French Girls and Sturdy Ladies.

Contact: Amy Young