STEPHEN MALKMUS & JICKS - Real Emotional Trash

Chockful of cocksure strutters but careful to fold in its share of pop flair, the Jicks (with new drummer Janet Weiss) continue to do a commendable job of integrating that modern mercury sound (like Lou Reed, Malkmus is another frontman whose guitar-slinging abilities remain largely unsung) with the '70s rave-ups that SM clearly holds so dear, even reelin' in the years on "Gardenia", or so it goes. Anybody who can identify the 'heavy' Can-Rock LP cover cut out and pasted into the back page of the booklet collages can roll backstage (the maple leaf on the drawn large lady's drawers is under there, I swear).