Malkmus is back! Stephen Malkmus and his band the Jicks made their big return to the stage (and played a few new songs) last week in Portland, and now they’ve announced plans for their excellently titled new album Wig Out At Jagbags. Here’s what Malkmus has to say about the album in a statement:

Wig Out at Jagbags is inspired by Cologne, Germany, Mark Von Schlegell, Rosemarie Trockel, Von Spar and Jan Lankisch, Can and Gas; Stephen-Malkmus-imagined Weezer/Chili Peppers, Sic Alps, UVA in the late 80’s, NYRB, Aroma Charlottenburg, inactivity, Jamming, Indie guys tring to sound Memphis, Flipper, Pete Townshend, Pavement, The Joggers, The NBA and home life in the 2010’s…

“Lariat” is the loose, scrappy, ebullient first single, and its video, directed by Leblanc + Cudmore, is a sort-of lyric video in which a charming young lady, in an apartment full of very serious people, translates the lyrics into French. I don’t know why it works, but it does. Here’s the video and the Wig Out At Jagbags tracklist.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Planetary Motion”
02 “The Janitor Revealed”
03 “Lariat”
04 “Houston Hades”
05 “Shibboleth”
06 “J Smoov”
07 “Rumble At The Rainbo”
08 “Chartjunk”
09 “Independence Street”
10 “Scattegories”
11 “Cinnamon And Lesbians”
12 “Surreal Teenagers”

Wig Out At Jagbags is out 1/7 on Matador. As a former resident of Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, I’m extremely curious what a rumble at the Rainbo would even look like.