“Champagne Supernova (Live)” – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (Words/music: Noel Gallagher, live at the Cat’s Cradle, 11 November 2001)  From his days fronting Pavement, Stephen Malkmus has a legendary reputation in the world of alternative rock.  Over time, his reputation evolved, particularly to include the guitar heroism on his recent solo albums, but in general Malkmus is known for his sarcasm, his way with words, and his disjointed songs.  He also has a tremendous sense of humor and an acute sense of the absurd, and from the first Pavement album through his most recent solo release, his songs contain numerous non-sequiturs, nonsensical digressions, and surrealist images.  Part of digesting a Malkmus recording is deciphering his skewered viewpoint and appreciating the humor. Malkmus’ playfulness takes centerstage on this recording of his band covering Oasis’ overblown epic.  Appropriately, Malkmus’ version teeters between mockery and reverence, ultimately striking the proper balance between the two.  As a card-carrying Oasis fan (and someone who gets upset when radio stations fade out before the guitar solo), I will still acknowledge the ridiculousness of “Champagne Supernova,” both in its extended arrangement and its lyrics.  Malkmus twists the lyrics both to mock the original (hence the reference to a Coke can pipe) and reflect on the drug-laden mid ‘90s that helped birth the song.  Despite this mockery, Malkmus giddily declares the lead guitar his “favorite part” before playing the lick perfectly.  Yes, it’s overblown and absurd, but that’s part of the song’s charm, and Malkmus capitalizes on the song’s character.  Sure, he’s tossing off lines about being a “natural Englishman” and about ecstasy “raining from the sky,” but he’s also staying faithful to the song’s arrangement.  It’s this blend of admiration and absurdity that not only captures Malkmus’ interpretation of the song, but Malkmus’ legacy as well.  Ultimately, one appreciates this cover similar to one of his songs – while the humor might be more exaggerated here, it’s foiled by solid musicianship and a respect for the source material.

More on Stephen Malkmus: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

Look at these cuties 💕

“Their lives will be full of misery, but their legacy will be of great importance.”

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Wanted to repost this since the original post was uploaded via mobile and was such a shitty quality.

20 million project

I’m throwing this in here for my ‘birthday posts’ because I was really happy with it :)

Awwww