This was on the 'Fork today - it more than deserves a thread...

Silver Jews Recording With Malkmus

Zach Vowell reports:
So we know that a mere reissue of Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain isn't enough to fill the gigantic slacker hole that the band's demise left in your life. However, there is one bright spot-- the Silver Jews are still recording (or is it recording again?), long after their Matador counterpart's demise. And though the process is way too embryonic to start talking about tracklists and release dates, much less album titles, the basic (and pretty fucking exciting) facts are confirmed by Drag City: Stephen Malkmus, Steve West, and Bob Nastanovich are on board to help David Berman with his latest masterpiece. This piece of news substantiates what rampant rumors have speculated ever since Malkmus posted the following on his website: "Nashville is unseasonably warm-- there are termites in my computer that adds things to the dialog". Not that he's not usually cryptic as hell anyway. American Water fans everywhere were baffled by everything after "Nashville", but that city, that city conjured up such sweet possibilities. Consider the possible the actual.

The curate's egg that is the indie rumor mill also named Will Oldham as a participant, but, according to Drag City, that mysterious "Prince" cannot be nailed down as a collaborator (though we agree with the mill that he would fit in perfectly). But don't fret-- Mike Fellows, another American Water vet, has been involved, as well as Cassie Berman. The provocative list continues with ex-Jesus Lizard axe handler Duane Denison, Nashville mainstay Bobby Bare, Jr., Bare's (and Olham's, Lambchop's, and Calexico's, for that matter) collaborator Tony Crow, Chicago vocalist/scenester AZITA, and drummer/vocalist Brian Kotzur. Note also that the rumors intimated this could be the Jews' last album; with an all-star cast like this, it could be the final hurrah.


Personally, I prefer the non-Malkmus DC Berman records, but "American Water" and "Starlight Walker" are damn fine records, and all four of his stack up admirally against that stupid SJ side project Pavement. Still, I'll take any Berman I can get - This better not be his last album but, if it is, he'd better f-in' tour so that I can follow him up the coast for a few days...
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I dub this righteous.

I'll give it a 10.0 already. American Water is one of my all-time faves and it's partly because of that friction between Berman and Malkmus. Didn't Berman previously say he'd never work with him again? Hehehe, and I've always enjoyed SM's guitar playing too. And those backup vocals. And the fact that it sounded almost like a Pavement album, but not really.

Count me in!

i never noticed the tension on record...i always thought it was kind of a joke, the idea of a real animosity btwn the 2.

also thumbs up.

KPH

flashback to an illustrated CMJ spread on Sonic Youth

"WE ARE WALNUT FALCON!!!!!!!"

this makes me happy.