“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
“I feel the most natural thing is for music to come that way because it's sort of like poetry. Though I do think with poets that I like, like Charles Olson or Ezra Pound, they were rewriting constantly, until the poem becomes a diamond.But with music I don't really feel that way.” ThinkingWayFeelsNaturalPoetPoundsDiamondRewritingNatural Things Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I'm thinking, I'm singing like Ozzy Osbourne, but I don't sound like him enough, ever.” ThinkingEnoughSoundSinging Author:Stephen Malkmus
“With lyrics for me, it's usually musically-based. It's not really poetry- or writer-based. It's rock-based. It doesn't mean that I'm aping rock lyrics, but I'm writing from a music standpoint. I'm thinking more of music heroes, if they're in my mind. Not William Blake or John Ashbury. Sometimes maybe I thought of him a little bit. Or Wallace Stevens. I don't even really fully understand either of them.” IfsThinkingWritingMindMeanLittlesSometimesBitsRocksHeroLittle BitStandpointBlake Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I've wanted to not play as much. I would like to just sing now. Even though I don't think I'm a great singer, I wouldn't mind just - not being a frontman, per se, but singing and not playing.” ThinkingMindPlayWantedSingingSingers 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
“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
“If you'd rather learn how to ride a horse or something, I would say do that. That'll keep you out of trouble. You would think a band would get you in trouble, but I think it's the opposite.” IfsThinkingTroubleBandOppositesHorse Author:Stephen Malkmus
“When I see four young kids in a band, I think, That looks really fun, no matter how shitty they are. You develop your own thing, and get excited about your band name. It's all so harmless.” ThinkingLooksMatterKidsYoungNamesFunFourBandExcited 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
“I want to do some different kind of songs, but say I want to do riffs, but I don't come up with any riffs that I really think are great. Then I can't do a riff album. I'm more of a song, melody person.” ThinkingWantKindPersonsI CanDifferentSongCome UpAlbumsMelodyDifferent Kinds Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I hated it so much as a child. I just didn't like it when punk bands went metal, it really bothered me. It was happening left and right in the 1980s. It started I think with D.C. bands - G.I., Soul Side, they went metal. Right at that time, R.E.M. was coming out, these more kinda feminine bands, and I was more drawn to that than to go metal. And you remember MTV, with the bad metal. But even Metallica, it just wasn't my direction.” ThinkingChildrenSoulRememberLeftSidesBandHappeningsHatedFeminineComing OutMetalsPunkBotheredMtvMetallicaLeft And Right Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I would just imagine there's a criticism for just about everything, if you want to take something down. No one's invincible. The Jicks are a work in progress and we don't think everything we do is the bee's knees or something, we're just trying our best to get turned on by what we're doing.” IfsThinkingWantTryingImagineProgressCriticismKneesBeesInvincibleWork In ProgressTrying Our Best Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I think most musicians know if they make the same record twice, even if they say they don't.” IfsThinkingKnowsRecordsMusician Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I think the focus of the media changes. At the moment the more electronic stuff like trip-hop was the flavor of the month, just a little while ago. It all depends on the angle, from which point of view you see it.” ThinkingLittlesMomentsStuffViewsFocusMediaMonthsDependsPoint Of ViewHopsAngleFlavorFlavor Of The Month Author:Stephen Malkmus
“If you want to be negative about the whole thing you can say all guitar bands after the Beatles were just a waste of time because the Beatles were the best. I think it's far better to give new records a try.” IfsThinkingWantGivingTryingWholeRecordsBandWasteNegativeGuitarWasting Time Author:Stephen Malkmus
