Range Life (Music. The Midwest. More.): Stephen Malkmus

Once we patch up my brother's deer-ravaged car, the hole in our wall, and Ryan's ripped vest (all casualties of New Year's), we're setting our sights on prettying this blog. Last week over shots of tequila, yes, shots of tequila, we devised many seemingly fabulous ideas -- and sorted out some crucial issues concerning God and foreskin. I won't share any of that with you now, but suffice it to say Range Life is going to look damn good in 2008.

Recent random thoughts, which I shall now purge blog-rant style:

Did anyone else know that the drummer who joined Stephen Malkmus on stage at the Pitchfork Music Fest was none other than former Pavement member Bob Nastanovich? (Good find, Backdrifter.) Do I smell a reunion? Oh well, I'll settle for Real Emotional Trash, Malkmus' fourth solo album (which has a title that sounds more suited for a Sonic Youth album.) SonicRyan has pointed out that this is Malkmus' second solo album with the Jicks, which is good news for fans of Pig Lib who didn't quite get into the self-titled record or Face the Truth (I still stand by the latter...) Need I remind everyone that Janet Weiss has joined the Jicks?

TENTATIVE EDIT: If Wikipedia is to be believed, Face the Truth is technically Malkmus' only solo album. Wiki-legend has it that Malkmus wanted to release his first post-Pavement album under The Jicks moniker alone, but that Matador urged/compelled/coerced him to use the power of his own glorious namesake. Not sure what this means for the upcoming album...

Apparently Radiohead is including stickers inside the In Rainbows CD packaging, a la Beck's The Information. This sounds fun and all, but doesn't In Rainbows already sound enough like a little kid's coloring book? (The title, dammit, not the album!! Don't thumb your nose at me.)

P.S. At our New Year's party, a good friend and fellow rabid Radiohead fan got the number of a girl who journeyed solo to Chicago to see the band this summer (That's right, Jenny, you were able to snag that single ticket, while we were unable to buy two at that same moment. I've forgiven you.) Anyway, let's hope love blossoms between those two, and then we can increase our ever-growing Radiohead nerd orgy!

For months there I was listening to nothing but 2007 releases, trying to hammer out my top 25, leaving few stones unturned. Well, just when I was about to swear off all music from 2007, a handful of albums are weaseling their way into my ITunes. Currently I can't get enough of Yeasayer, a band that sounds like TV on the Radio meets Grizzly Bear meets my grateful ears. I've heard the track "2080" about nine million times in the past few weeks, and it never gets old. Because of an album like this that didn't make our cut (it received just one lowly point out of a possible 100), my New Year's resolution is to listen to more music. If you know me, you know music is pretty much all I talk about anyways, so I will probably end up becoming a hopeless music junkie within the next year. AND I'M OK WITH THAT.

I'm signing off for now. Come back soon and check out some big changes on the site. And good luck putting together the pieces of your raucous New Year's.

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