STONED DIGRESSIONS

On Real Emotional Trash, the fourth solo-with-a-band album he’s made since Pavement turned to dust, Stephen Malkmus spends more time satisfying his hankering for wavy-gravy guitar-god jams than he does indulging our desire for catchy indie-rock tunes. Sitting in your living room, you might find it’s easy to miss the tunes, but from the Bowery’s stage, the Trash material should take on the triptastic life it was designed to lead—especially with former Sleater-Kinney bash-and-crasher Janet Weiss behind the kit (and especially after you’ve had a few beers). Another plus: would-be hits from Malkmus’s other solo-with-a-band discs (request “Jenny and the Ess-Dog,” whose charms haven’t faded a bit). Opener John Vanderslice, in addition to being a prolific producer, is one of indie rock’s deepest thinkers: When he writes a song about war, you don’t have to remind yourself to pay attention.
Mon., March 31, 8 p.m., 2008