Who the hell is Stephen Malkmus? He’s that kooky guy from the band Pavement who planted seeds of the “indie rock” genre. Nourished by trendiness and commercialization, indie rock deformed for the worse in critics’ eyes when it turned “indie pop,” with clichéd musical styles, embodied by hipsters who listen to “The Fray” and buy expensive Urban Outfitters clothing while scorning corporate business.
Before all this marketing, musical pioneers created something original. The roots of low-fi indie rock live on, especially in one man. Stephen Malkmus will rock off your leg warmers this chilly January as he swoops through Eugene with Portland-based band the Jicks.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are showcasing their most recent release “Face the Truth” as they travel the West Coast. The band mixes influence from country to disco, while playing up Malkmus’ trademark voice singing idiosyncratic lyrics.
Indie rock’s newer projects tend to be a melting pot of musicians from past bands. The Jicks followed suit by introducing former Sleater Kinney drummer Janet Weiss after the leave of John Moen, now a full-time Decemberists band member.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks played with Radiohead on its “Hail to the Thief” tour, presenting tasteful warm-ups to Thom Yorke’s crooning. In a smaller venue, the band will rock the house Stephen-Malkmus style: quirky and cool.
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