Wednesday Music News

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks are releasing their seventh album, Sparkle Hard, on May 18 via Matador. Today, Malkmus has shared a new short documentary from director Brook Linder titled Sparkle Hard: The Movie, about the making of the album. Glimpsing into Malkmus’ life, we see the former Pavement frontman partake in a number of interesting activities like playing tennis and riding horses, as well as playing music with the Jicks. Linder said the short film was inspired by a performance Malkmus gave at the 2007 Pitchfork Festival. "The set was mostly Malkmus and an acoustic guitar, and it was so raw and funny and vulnerable and felt rare and weird. I wanted to capture that side of Malkmus somehow – to grab the mundane details of his life – and it turns out they’re as enigmatic as he is." Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks will stop by Seattle near the end of their tour on Saturday, August 4 to play the Neptune. [ Rolling Stone ]

Wye Oak released their sixth studio album, The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs, last month via Merge. Today, the duo has shared a video for one of the early singles “It Was Not Natural.” The eerie clip was directed by Dan Huiting, with frontwoman Jenn Wasner explaining it like this: "This song is about pulling the threads that hold the fabric of our world together. In our new video we have created a visual representation of a truth discovered in this process-that sometimes it is the most mundane things that are strangest of all." Wye Oak will play Neumos on Sunday, July 15. [ Under the Radar ]

Local powerpop trio Dude York have revealed a self-described “rambunctious new digital single” titled “Moon.” The single is the first we’ve heard from the band since their EP of original Christmas songs, Halftime For The Holidays. No word on whether the track is a taste of a new forthcoming album. Dude York is currently on a European tour but will be back home in time to play Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday, July 20. [ Stereogum ]