Traditional Techniques

Malkmus breaks out his 12-string acoustic guitar and touches on half a century of folk-rock reference points on his new album. Of course, this is Stephen Malkmus of Pavement and those great records with the Jicks, so this might be rootsy but it's also fresh, unpredictable, infectious and imaginative: "ACC Kirtan," "Xian Man," "The Greatest Own in Legal History," "Cash Up" and more tracks made with Matt Sweeney, Spooner Oldham and the Decembrists' Chris Funk. Vinyl! Matador.