Exlaim! asks Stephen Malkmus questions. Stephen Malkmus responds. Magnet thinks this is a good idea and also asks Stephen Malkmus questions. Malkmus answers those as well. And if you need more sage wisdom from the Malk-man, I direct you to these previously posted pieces from Chart, CMJ, Chart (again), Flagpole and Paste. Even Questionable Content pays tribute. Bask in the Malkmus. Bask in his dapperness. Bask.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Blogcritics considers the ouvre of Malkmus’ old outfit, Pavement. And if you were hoping for a 10th anniversary deluxe edition of Wowee Zowee this year, sorry to disappoint you but there will not be one – not in ’05, anyway. Maybe next year.

By the way – how is SM’s new album, Face The Truth? I have the first two and like them alright – I never really feel the urge to listen to them, but when I do I enjoy them well enough. Here’s a track from the new album, courtesy of Matador. It seems to have a little more kick than the stuff on the first two albums but I haven’t decided if that makes it better.

MP3: Stephen Malkmus – “Baby C’Mon”

Billboard has a much more detailed breakdown of what to expect from the Billy Bragg reissues and box set coming out September 20. The clarification provided pretty much assures me that the box is something I want to have – those bonuses sound sweet. It’s sure to be a pricey item, but that’s why God invented Boxing Day sales!

Billboard also previews Death Cab For Cutie’s Plans, out August 30.

My Morning Jacket has had the release of their new album Z pushed back a couple of weeks until October 4.

PopMatters hails Colin Meloy as champion of the “faggy” outsider. Meloy and his Decemberists are once again at the Phoenix on October 13 with Cass McCombs supporting.

The East Bay Express examines the 33 1/3 series of books. Via Coolfer. I haven’t read nearly as many of these as I’d like. I wonder if the library has them?

More comic creator interviews – Londonist talks to Warren Ellis and Comic Book Resources chats with local boy Bryan Lee O’Malley, creator of Scott Pilgrim. Volume three is due out in December! Huzzah.

I’ve selected the winners for my Doves contest – if you won, you know already. If not, well, I’m sure your life is still fulfilling in some way. You will soldier on. I expect I’ll be running more contests in the future, so stay tuned. They will certainly require more effort that this one though, oh yes. I will have my entertainment value.

After a day like yesterday, it was great fun to arrive home after work to find traffic snarled around my block in all directions. Turns out the police had cordoned off the entire street in front of the block directly north of mine for some reason they weren’t at liberty to divulge. It couldn’t have been too big a danger since there were only two bike cops standing watch and they were letting people walk by and I was free to go into my apartment, but still – unnerving. This actually happened a few years ago when anthrax scares were all the rage – the building across the street from me is a government facility, hence the potential target-ness of it. I don’t really see what terrorists would stand to gain from disrupting the Ontario drivers license renewal process, but I can’t let that deter me. If I’m willing to drive with a license that has my incorrect address on it, the terrorists have won.
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