Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Share New Single ‘Refute’ Featuring Kim Gordon

Matador Records will release a new Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks LP Sparkle Hard on May 18. The band shared “Refute,” a new single from the upcoming album that features guest vocalist Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth.

The follow-up to 2014’s Wig Out At Jag Bags was recorded at Halfling, the newly established recording facility in Portland, Oregon. Frontman/guitarist Stephen Malkmus was joined by keyboardist Mike Clark, bassist Joanna Bolme and drummer Jake Morris and enlisted The Decemberists’ Chris Funk to produce the 11-tracks on Sparkle Hard.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Malkmus revealed that if Kim Gordon declined to add vocals to “Refute,” he was going to ask Lorde for whom he recently performed a favor. Malkmus further described the “Refute” collaboration with Gordon, stating:

I wrote that song. It’s a country song, and I was playing with country tropes in my mind—imagining tight jeans and trucks—and filtering them through something more modern. Kim is a friend and she just said, “I think the lyrics are funny, I’ll do it.” She’s really inspirational—she’s always doing stuff.

Here’s “Refute”:

Listen to the prior shared single “Shiggy” below:

And stream the previously shared single “Middle America”:

Sparkle Hard Tracklist

1. Cast Off
2. Future Suite
3. Solid Silk
4. Bike Lane
5. Middle America
6. Rattler
7. Shiggy
8. Kite
9. Brethren
10. Refute
11. Difficulties – Let Them Eat Vowels