“What I love about music, when you can look at something and be like, "Wow, what's this all about?" You can't really picture what these people look like - is it one guy, or a band making music in a garage?” PeopleLooksGuyBandWowGarage Author:Stephen Malkmus
“You don't realize that when you're young, and you're surprised there's a lot of people at your gig - you just think it's general British-press hype.” PeopleThinkingYoungRealizingPressesBritishGigsHype Author:Stephen Malkmus
“If you have no shame, and it’s your goal to get people into bed, how much higher could your success rate possibly be?” PeopleIfsGoalHigherBedShameRate Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I just don't think people listen. I mean, they can't listen to a whole album closely without checking their iPhone or wanting to skip to their favorite song, or putting something else on, practically. That's why the zone out is a good thing.” PeopleThinkingMeanWholeSongGood ThingsAlbumsZoneIphoneSkipFavorite Song Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I think it's just entertainment for people that are interested in the form. To sing along to and be psyched by.” PeopleThinkingFormEntertainment Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Most people want to be seen or heard. You want to shine. That's my way of shining.” PeopleWayWantHeardShiningMy Way Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I was a kid, I loved music, that was our social thing. That's what we bonded on. That's what my Saturday nights were, looking to see what bands were playing. And some of those people were the coolest people ever. I want to participate in that. And I hope other people feel that and they're like, "Yeah man, this is part of it, this is why I love music."” PeopleMenWantFeelsKidsNightSocialBandYeahSaturdayMusic LoveSaturday NightI Love Music Author:Stephen Malkmus
“There's no reason to stop. Who knows what's around the bend? To participate, meet new people. It's mostly other musicians and people like you, or anybody I meet who's in this, that keeps me going.” PeopleKnowsReasonLike YouMusicianNo ReasonMeeting New PeopleAround The Bend Author:Stephen Malkmus
“It's hard to think back. I didn't even know I was going to do it, make actual records. But I was always making up songs, once I figured out that you could do it. I think it's pretty much the same, but there's less urge to get it moving out there. There was a time when it seemed like it was really super important to the audience and now it's just medium-important for people to like us. But that's okay.” PeopleThinkingKnowsImportantHardMovingSongAudienceRecordsOkayMediumsUrgesMaking UpMoving Out Author:Stephen Malkmus
“My wife says that I changed people's lives or ways of thinking and that I should always be proud and grateful. If I'm dismissive of what we do sometimes, a little bit, she's like, "I was a fan, you changed my life," or whatever. That's what she says.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayShouldLittlesSometimesBitsWifeFansChangedProudLittle BitGratefulMy WifeBe ProudWay Of ThinkingChanged My LifeYou Changed Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Things tends to often [consolidate] like Disney. It's the same with music. There's Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young and Patti Smith. There's these three people that everyone seems to agree on. No matter what they like, they seem to like those three.” PeopleMatterSeemsYoungThreeNo Matter WhatAgreeSpringsteen Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I know the world doesn't need maybe another of [a particular type of song] - the same thing again - but you can't help yourself. And some people like it, but you kind of know in your heart that it's a lesser version of what you've done before. But maybe it has a good tempo, or it feels fresh, but it's still not.” PeopleKnowsWorldNeedsFeelsHeartKindStillsDoneHelpingSongParticularTypeVersionsTempoHelp Yourself Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Some people, they've had a lot of fun, even if it was dumb fun and a shitty body of work.” PeopleIfsBodyFunDumb Author:Stephen Malkmus
“There's probably a certain confidence in your voice, or something, that is validated. You know what I mean? I'm just imagining if people didn't already say that you were cool, that you'd [have] more doubt in what you're doing. That's not so conscious, but that's part of my cosmology now.” PeopleIfsKnowsMeanCertainVoiceDoubtConsciousCosmology Author:Stephen Malkmus
“What we're doing now, it's usually more based on records that I've bought or a projection of what I can do well now and the inner dynamics of playing with the people I'm playing with, Janet Weiss and Joanna Bolme, what we come up with. What works for us doesn't, like, have that much relation to the past.” PeopleWellsI CanPastCan DoRecordsRelationCome UpProjectionDynamics Author:Stephen Malkmus
“You know, it's people's lives, so as you get a little older, your own life narrative, I guess, invades a little more. It's not like we're traveling in separate buses to each show. It's a labor of love, so we just do it because we like it. Maybe someone's gonna move, or not want to go on a tour for some reason - that could happen, I guess.” PeopleKnowsWantLittlesReasonShowsHappensMovingGoes OnLaborNarrativeBusJust Do ItLabor Of Love Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Everyone wants to be loved, generally. If you released a record and nobody said anything, if you didn't get any feedback from people you don't know, i.e. the press, you'd be sort of upset. To me, any press is good press.” PeopleIfsKnowsWantSaidRecordsPressesUpsetFeedback Author:Stephen Malkmus
“We care if people like what we did. If you're just making records for yourself, why put them out and do all these interviews and do touring? I'm a huge music fan, and this is what I do with my artistic time. It's all I really do, except hang out with my family. I value human relationships, and it's a way for me to interact with the world and feel like I'm part of something.” PeopleWorldCareValuesMy FamilyArtisticHanging OutHuman RelationsHuman Relationships Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I'm sort of socially inept, so music is my way to connect to people. It's a means of socializing and having a life. Otherwise I wouldn't bother. I would just make home recordings and play them for myself. And that's not really healthy.” PeopleMeanHomeHealthyMusic IsMy WayBother Author:Stephen Malkmus
“It's sort of irritating now - people always ask me, "You're a dad, and how's fatherhood?" If Bob Dylan or Neil Young had a kid, it didn't seem like it made them a different person. It didn't make you old right away.” PeopleDifferentKidsDadAsk MeFatherhoodDylanIrritating Author:Stephen Malkmus
“When you do a cover it's a way to get attention clicking on something. At the Quiet Music Festival, The Jicks did this Nirvana song, very unrehearsed and not important, but then all the websites were like, "They covered Nirvana!" People like covers of famous people.” PeopleImportantSongAttentionQuietWebsite Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I'm not sure if you can blame everything on the American way of life, but the United States are big. So, if you have a lot of people there, the percentage of stupid people is bound to be higher.” PeopleIfsWayStatesBigsUnitedUnited StatesStupidHigherBlameBoundsNot SurePercentagesStupid PeopleAmerican Way Of Life Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I guess the majority of people who want to ban certain musicians are the ones who are so proud of everything America stands for.” PeopleWantAmericaCertainProudMusicianMajorityCornyBans Author:Stephen Malkmus
