The rumors are true: The “rejected” electronic album that Stephen Malkmus has been telling everyone about will see the light of day on March 15th, when it’s released on Matador Records. But Groove Denied is not a full-blown plunge into EDM or hiptronica. In fact, there aren’t any purely instrumental tracks on the album. Every song is precisely that: asong, featuring Malkmus staples like an artfully askew melody and an oblique lyric. Groove Denied is Stephen playing hooky from his customary way of going about things, jolting himself out of a comfy routine. As Malkmus commented recently in a recent video interview, “It’s kind of funny to mess with stuff you’re not supposed to mess with.”
The first taste of Stephen’s new groove can be sampled today, with the release of single “Viktor Borgia,” and its accompanying video starring Stephen alone in a dance club — until he turns into a digital avatar and dance-battles the digital avatars of a Random Businessman and a pony-tailed pop-star named Ariana.
The title playfully merges the name of the comedian-pianist and the ruthless dynasty of Italo-Spanish nobles. With its stately melody and the almost-English-accented vocal, the coordinates here are early Human League or even Men Without Hats. “Yes, I was thinking things like Pete Shelley’s ‘Homosapien’, the Human League, and DIY synth music circa 1982,” says Stephen, adding “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.”
Stephen will embark on a solo tour, sans Jicks, in May. The newly announced run of dates can be found below.
Groove Denied Tracklisting:
1. Belziger Faceplant
2. A Bit Wilder
3. Viktor Borgia
4. Come Get Me
5. Forget Your Place
6. Rushing The Acid Frat
7. Love The Door
8. Bossviscerate
9. Ocean of Revenge
10. Grown Nothing
Tour Dates:
Jan 23 – Chicago IL @ Metro *
Jan 25 – Brooklyn NY @ Brooklyn Steel *
May 1 – Toronto ON @ The Great Hall ^
May 3 – Somerville MA @ Arts At The Armory ^
May 4 – Ardmore PA @ Ardmore Music Hall ^
May 5 – Washington DC @ Union Stage ^
May 7 – Austin TX @ 3TEN ACL Live ^
May 10 – Portland OR @ Doug Fir Louge ^
May 11 – Seattle WA @ Columbia City Theater ^
May 14 – San Francisco CA @ Swedish American Hall ^
May 15 – Los Angeles CA @ Lodge Room ^
May 30 – Barcelona ES @ Primavera Festival *
June 14 – Mannheim DE @ Maimarkt-Gelände *
June 19 – Paris FR @ La Gaîté Lyrique *
* denotes w/ The Jicks
^ denotes Malkmus solo
