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.
Us
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make some sense of present tense alright
Take our time with what we find and fear it
Don't you know there's someplace else that we can go
Billions of trees to climb
I don't really know your taste in ceilings
I don't know the rpm you rev
But for now I think I'll keep on reeling
It never ever ends
We're locked in to talking a lariat knot to a Cree
A walk in the cotton a rebel attempted to ski
We're locked in to talking I'd rather you not than agree
To walk in in cotton a rebel attempted to ski
On gypsum slacks, you can't do that
Streaking through the ferns in Allegheny
Chatting up a panda in a bar
Well I like wearing slippers when it's raining
This attraction bleeds into a thirst, like it always does, here
The song "Us" by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks is an introspective piece about the struggle to make sense of the present and the desire to escape to somewhere else. The opening line "I wish we could get our act together" sets the tone for the song - a yearning for a sense of cohesion amidst the chaos. The first verse muses about taking our time to understand what we fear, and not being content with staying in one place when there is a whole world to explore.
The chorus is repetitive, with Malkmus singing "This adventure needs a little game, my friend / It never ever ends". The sense of eternal wanderlust and the need for novelty and excitement is palpable in these lines.
The second verse is more surreal, with references to climbing trees, unknown tastes in ceilings and RPM, and the desire to keep reeling in this adventure. The final verse is equally esoteric, with lines like "On gypsum slacks, you can't do that / Streaking through the ferns in Allegheny / Chatting up a panda in a bar".
Overall, "Us" is a song about the need for adventure and the constant search for something new and exciting, even if it means leaving the familiar behind.
Line by Line Meaning
I wish we could get our act together
I hope we could become organized
Make some sense of present tense alright
Let's figure out what's happening right now
Take our time with what we find and fear it
When we discover something, let's not rush it and be scared
Don't you know there's someplace else that we can go
There are other options for us
Billions of trees to climb
There are countless opportunities to explore
I don't really know your taste in ceilings
I don't understand your preferences and style
I don't know the rpm you rev
I don't know what excites you
But for now I think I'll keep on reeling
I'll stick with what I'm doing for the moment
This adventure needs a little game, my friend
Let's have some fun during our journey
It never ever ends
It feels like this will never stop
We're locked in to talking a lariat knot to a Cree
We are stuck in an impossible conversation
A walk in the cotton a rebel attempted to ski
Trying something new, even if it doesn't work out
We're locked in to talking I'd rather you not than agree
I prefer if you don't pretend to agree with me
To walk in in cotton a rebel attempted to ski
To try something risky, even if it's unlikely to work
On gypsum slacks, you can't do that
We must follow the rules in this area
Streaking through the ferns in Allegheny
Running and exploring in nature
Chatting up a panda in a bar
Having an unlikely conversation with someone
Well I like wearing slippers when it's raining
I have certain quirks that I enjoy
This attraction bleeds into a thirst, like it always does, here
I'm being pulled towards something and it's hard to resist
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Stephen Joseph Malkmus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Money0nion
I was really happily surprised to see this live the last time I saw SM & the Jicks in San Francisco.
@chrisocony
It never occured to me until now but there is a Folk Jam thing going on here, that rambling jambling guitar.