Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are a rock band consisting of Stephen Malkmus… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are a rock band consisting of Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar), Joanna Bolme (bass, vocals), Mike Clark (keyboards) and Jake Morris (drums). The band has released seven albums: "Stephen Malkmus" (2001), "Pig Lib" (2003), "Face the Truth" (2005), "Real Emotional Trash" (2008), "Mirror Traffic" (2011), "Wig Out at Jagbags" (2014) and "Sparkle Hard" (2018). Malkmus was the lead singer and primary songwriter for Pavement.

The Jicks formed in 2000 in Portland, Oregon, United States, almost immediately after Pavement's 1999 "hiatus" began. The group's first record - which had a working title of Swedish Reggae - was simply called Stephen Malkmus. It was released by Matador Records on February 13th, 2001. At least a few of the songs were proposed Pavement songs before the group disbanded.

The group made their official live debut at New York's Bowery Ballroom only a few weeks before their first record was released. Around this time, Pavement's auxiliary percussionist Bob Nastanovich began acting as The Jicks' manager.

Pig Lib was the name of the band's second record, which was released in 2003. The songs had a much looser yet darker feel, and the band sounds more comfortable playing with one another. Malkmus has since expressed regret in some of the decisions he made with putting certain songs on this record. The album received decent reviews, gaining 3/5 stars from Allmusic and an 8.0/10 from Pitchfork Media.

For the first several years of The Jicks' existence, no Pavement songs were ever played live. Then on May 23, 2003, spontaneously and without notice, the band opened the evening's show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with "Summer Babe" from Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted album. What followed was a complete set of Pavement tracks in the chronological order that the band originally released them, playing roughly two-three songs per album. This concert has been dubbed by fans as The Milwaukee Show.

Notably, The Jicks opened up for Radiohead on the band's North American tour in support of their album, Hail to the Thief.

Face the Truth, credited only to Malkmus, came in 2005 to ecstatic reviews, many of them claiming a return to Wowee Zowee-type form. Most of the album was recorded by Stephen alone in his basement, although each member of the Jicks play on at least one song on the record. The band toured only a small amount behind this record, partially due to the fact that Malkmus had a new child.

On October 2nd, 2006, it was reported by Pitchfork that Janet Weiss, drummer of Quasi and the defunct Sleater-Kinney, had officially joined the band, replacing founding drummer John Moen, who left to be the drummer for The Decemberists.

On March 4th, 2008, their latest album "Real Emotional Trash" was released.

In 2011, shortly after recording their fifth album, it was announced that Janet Weiss had left the band. She was replaced by Jake Morris, formerly of Joggers.

On August 23, 2011, the album "Mirror Traffic" was officially released to generally positive reviews.

Ramp of Death
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Before we were on our way
Up the ramp of death
I could say that you moved me
In many rich directions, good and bad
A mall on a weekday
The null experience
Piece it together
It showers you with oceans of the past

And there's no time to breathe
Get back
And start avoiding me
Or stop avoiding me

If you're minus please listen
Don't abuse the trust
Take all of your engines
And concentrate on giving good advice
The scars on the raindrops
The presence in the pores
Of a grapefruit rind
Will cause you to regress
And fall into a rhythm you can't hack

Until it's time to leave
Get back
And start avoiding me
In a flash
There is no time to be
Get back

And stop avoiding me
Or start avoiding me

Overall Meaning

The song Ramp Of Death by Stephen Malkmus is a cryptic and enigmatic journey through the emotions and experiences of the singer, as he navigates the ups and downs of a relationship. The first few lines set the scene for the rest of the song, as the singer describes his journey up the "ramp of death" with his partner. This metaphorical ramp "showers you with oceans of the past", suggesting that the relationship is burdened with unresolved issues and emotional baggage. The singer reveals that his partner has had a profound effect on him, both good and bad, and that he feels pulled in opposite directions by her.

As the song progresses, the singer becomes more agitated and frustrated, as he implores his partner to listen to him and not abuse his trust. He warns her to "take all of your engines and concentrate on giving good advice", implying that she is too focused on her own interests and needs rather than supporting him. The reference to "scars on the raindrops" and "presence in the pores" suggests a deep emotional pain that the singer is struggling to deal with, as memories of past hurts and traumas resurface.

Ultimately, the singer can no longer cope with the instability of the relationship and begs his partner to stop avoiding him, either by leaving or by facing their issues head-on. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they speak to universal themes of love, loss, and the complexities of human relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Before we were on our way
Before we set out on our path

Up the ramp of death
On a dangerous and risky journey

I could say that you moved me
You had an impact on me

In many rich directions, good and bad
Your effect was both positive and negative

A mall on a weekday
A dull and unexciting experience

The null experience
An unfulfilling and empty experience

Piece it together
Try to make sense of it

It showers you with oceans of the past
It overwhelms you with memories of the past

And there's no time to breathe
There's no room to relax

Get back
Retreat

And start avoiding me
Stay away from me