Terror Twilight June 8, 1999

Pavement’s extraordinary fifth album is their first recorded on 24 tracks and the first produced by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead’s OK Computer, Beck’s Mutations). The result is a spacious, detailed sound bigger than any previous Pavement record. The guitars are crystalline, the highs and lows clearly separated.

“Pavement have evolved from garage-rock pranksters to the most surefire band on the planet.” —Rob Sheffield, Details

The varied Terror Twilight layers soaring vocal melodies over Ringo Starr tempo changes, blues jams with the swing of the Groundhogs, and early 70s classic rock tropes from Don McLean to the James Gang. No mere compendium of influences, this album’s awareness of rock history lends it epic proportions. One could compare it to Loaded or Abbey Road for its effortless juxtaposition of the ordinary and the bizarre, for placing a warmhearted pop song like “Spit On A Stranger” next to the ominous Black Sabbath-inspired epic “The Hexx.” It sounds simple and natural, the work of musicians who listen to records and think.

“Pavement stands as the finest rock band of the ’90s.” —Robert Christgau, Village Voice

By far their most solid and coherent album to date, Terror Twilight still contains the classic Pavement elements: a countryish, folky roots-rock shamble foundation, cryptic lyrics and the occasional two-second blast of white noise. Bigger production, greater variety, and a higher level of emotional investment elevate this album above its immediate predecessors. Prepare to be blown away.

“Is Pavement the greatest rock band of all time?” —Matt Diehl, Request

Brighten the Corners February 11, 1997

WORD: Is there a smarter American rock band than Pavement? Hard to imagine. It’s been said that literature sacrificed itself back in the 60s so that rock could grow. That’s when poetic kids picked up guitars. That’s when the rock song turned sneaky, erudite and sublime on occasion, and the novel began overstating the obvious, except in rare instances. From Pavement’s earliest four-tracks (see: Westing (By Musket and Sextant) to the phenomenal Brighten the Corners (see: enclosed), they’ve been writing and recording great, picturesque, spooky, wacked-out, tear-jerking soul music that finesses American experience like nothing else on record, in print, on film, or in art galleries. Take it from an awestruck novelist who’s prone to overstating the obvious. Pavement aren’t just America’s most literate band, they could be its finest living writers, I mean in addition to their songs being wildly catchy and unpretentious and all that.

STORY: Two years ago, Pavement were playing a club in Atlanta. A good friend of mine who adores them attended the show, and brought along a cassette of some music she’d made, hoping to pass it to one of the band members. She’d been having a weirdly obsessive daydream: Pavement would meet her, take the tape, slip it into the deck on their tour bus later, flip out, phone Matador and force them to give her a record deal. Stephen Malkmus or Mark Ibold or Spiral Stairs would produce her first platinum album, fall in love with her, and they’d become a sort of happier Courtney and Kurt to the budding post-grunge generation. Anyway, during one of those classic brief, what-the-fucking-hell Pavement set lists, Stephen Malkmus spotted my friend at the foot of the stage. She held out the tape which he grabbed and shoved into his back pocket. She was ecstatic, rocking out, when, maybe five minutes later, Malkmus executed a tricky chord change, and accidentally fell on his ass. She froze. Pavement kept playing, oblivious. Malkmus got to his feet, reached into his pocket, pulled out the mangled tape, threw it down on the stage and, to the cheers of the audience, gleefully stomped it to smithereens. Thus her little tragedy became a piece of Pavement’s magic. She’s fine by the way, and can’t wait to tell her grandchildren.

QUESTION: Has Steve Malkmus’ friendship with Elastica’s Justine Frischman and Blur’s Damon Albarn saved England from Brit-pop? See Blur’s new, very Pavementy single “Beetlebum” (straight in at #1 on the English charts.)

PROOF: Slanted and Enchanted, the most deliriously beautiful debut album of the pomo rock era. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, which needs no introduction. Wowee Zowee, a stupidly misunderstood display of tensile strength that’s destined to go down in history as Pavement’s White Album. Brighten the Corners, the band’s most exquisite, sweet, multiplicitous, downright gorgeous album yet -- a record so fine and fresh that it might just single-handedly save rock from trip hop.

— Dennis Cooper

Pacific Trim 7"/CD5 February 27, 1996

This limited-edition (of 5,000) EP contains brand-new Pavement songs recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis. The CD5 has three songs, the 7" has four. It’s your call.

“Father to a Sister of Thought” June 27, 1995

The second single from ‘Wowee Zowee’ features the whispery pedal-steel ballad “Father To A Sister of Thought” backed with two non-album tracks. “Kris Kraft” is a lolloping bass-driven romper, the kind of song you might have heard at your mother’s sock-hop if you grew up in Czechoslovakia. “Mussle Rock In The Midst of Transition” is a singalong teen anthem with the singalong chorus part removed.

“Rattled By the Rush” March 30, 1995

“Rattled By the Rush” is a rousing and extremely slow guitar anthem (from ‘Wowee Zowee’) that both sends up and revels in the roasting juices of rock history from Nat “King” Cole to Honor Role. With two unreleased tracks on the 7", three on the CD. From the ‘Wowee Zowee,’ “Rattled By The Rush” contains two non-album tracks.

Wowee Zowee April 11, 1995

The 3rd (or 4th) album by Pavement is a thoughtful and challenging work, certain to thrill & confound the hundreds of thousands of rock fans previously enraptured by ‘Crooked Rain’ and ‘Slanted & Enchanted.’ Recorded at Easley County Jail, Memphis, Pavement speak out for the first time since their incarceration. Here, as Pavement wait to be judged, we hear the human side of these musicians and public figures as they respond to some of the more than three dozen letters they have received. Here at last Pavement talk about their innocence, their ex-wives and their children. They discuss their feelings about the media, justice, religion and racism. American icons long before the events of ’94 brought them notoriety and an invitation to “The Tonight Show,” this is your chance to hear Pavement’s very personal message.

“Gold Soundz” June 19, 1994

Second single from ‘Crooked Rain’ includes non-LP tracks “Kneeling Bus,” “Strings of Nashville” and “Exit Theory (Edit)” (all songs on both formats: 7", CD5).

“Cut Your Hair” January 7, 1994

The surprise hit "Cut Your Hair" (yes, the one with the gorilla outfit) from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, with non-LP b-sides "Camera" and "Stare" (all songs on all formats: 7", 12", and CD5).

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain February 14, 1994

The record was made on the 8th floor of some New York squat, 1992. There was a battered engineer and a white label tape machine in the corner. They left it running and sometimes they played it back and sometimes they liked it and kept it to present to their elders: The Knights of the Turntable, who spent the better part of 120 Minutes deciphering their gauzy phantom power parables.

Watery, Domestic EP November 25, 1992

There’s not much point in writing a real Pavement bio. Either you know the story or you believe what you read in Melody Maker, it makes no difference to us. So here’s four songs recorded at Louder Than You, and, in lieu of any additional grandstanding, answers to questions we’re usually asked about Pavement.

Q: What’s the deal with Gary?
A: Like Galileo, Tesla or LaRouche in their time, Gary Young is frequently misunderstood in his. The tone of this question is so offensive and presumptuous there’s no way we can really answer it.

Q: Have Pavement signed to a major label?
A: Why do you care? Why are you so obsessed with something that has so little to do with what the band sounds like? And suppose they do sign with a major, does that automatically mean they’re successful? Or a failure?

Q: Why are these answers so defensive?
A: I’m sorry, I’ve been having a difficult time lately. Things seem to be falling apart in my personal life. I can’t seem to stay focused on my job and I tend to last out at those around me.

Q: Will Pavement be touring the USA soon?
A: How the fuck should I know? What do I look like, Mr. fucking-know-it-all? Maybe Pavement are tired, maybe they feel like doing something other than entertaining the likes of you. Or maybe not, ask thier booking agent or somebody.

Q: Do Pavement need a manager?
A: Do you need a punch in the nose?
There are many other questions, but most of them involve spelling and math and I’m not so hot at either.

— Gerard

“Trigger Cut” August 14, 1992

The hit from Slanted plus two unreleased tunes.

Slanted and Enchanted April 20, 1992

1902, Formed in Stockton, CA... 1989 “Slay Tracks” debut 7" impressed a large gang of tastemakers, among ’em Leeds’ Wedding Present who went on to cover “Box Elder”... 1990 “Demolition Plot J-7” 7" EP topped critic and barber polls, was heard by millions in a popular Christian Slater star vehicle... 1991 “Perfect Sound Forever” 10" and subsequent East Coast tour solidified Pavement’s rep as a hard band to reach on the telephone... 1992 ‘Slanted & Enchanted’ CD is purchased by many Volvo owners... 1993 gig at Jerry Brown inaugural ball goes “smashingly well” according to Melody Maker journalist... Everything beyond that is hazy; there is too much phlegm and dust on the crystal ball, please call back later.