Pavement

Mixing cacophony and elegant pop, Pavement was arguably the most popular and influential "lo-fi" indie-rock band of the '90s. By the time of its breakup in 2000, the group had worked with big-name producers and traded detuned guitars and sci-fi sound effects for low-key sophistication. Pavement began in late 1988/early 1989, when primary songwriter Stephen Malkmus and longtime friend Scott Kannberg decided to self-release a single. The resulting 7-inch, Slay Tracks: (1933–1969), cost $800 and received favorable notice in the alternative press. Augmented by 40-ish ex-hippie Gary Young, who owned the studio where they recorded, they continued to churn out smartly barbed 7-inch and 10-inch EPs for the Drag City label, which compiled these efforts as Westing (by Musket and Sextant).

In 1991 the trio completed Slanted and Enchanted, which sold over 100,000 copies and appeared on many critics’ 1992 top 10 lists. Mark Ibold, bassist for New York noisemongers the Dustdevils, and Bob Nastanovich, a college chum of Malkmus, joined the bicoastal crew in time for its initial tours, although they weren’t integrated into the studio lineup until the sessions for Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Pavement’s early, sloppy performances often found Young on top of the drum kit rather than behind it. In 1993 he was replaced by Steve West.

Riding a wave of ecstatic press and still signed to indie powerhouse Matador Records, Pavement unveiled the more listener-friendly but still experimental Crooked Rain (#121, 1994), which yielded the catchy single “Cut Your Hair.” But the quirks of the sprawling, wildly varied followup, Wowee Zowee! (#117, 1995), irked new fans who were expecting hook-filled consistency.

Produced by Mitch Easter, Brighten the Corners (#70, 1997) was the first largely subdued Pavement album. Terror Twilight (#95, 1999), overseen by Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck), slides further into maturity with hints of country and ’70s soft rock. Malkmus’ cryptic lyrics and nasal, wavering voice remain the only links with the past.

Throughout the ’90s, Malkmus, Nastanovich, and West backed poet/guitarist David Berman in the Silver Jews. Malkmus and the Seattle indie band Silkworm also recorded as the Crust Brothers. Ibold sat in with Free Kitten, a band led by Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and ex–Pussy Galore guitarist Julia Cafritz. Young, who reunited with Pavement as a guest on a 1999 single, released a loopy 1995 solo album. Using the name Marble Valley, West completed two fractured works of his own. In early 2001, several months after Pavement announced its dissolution, Matador issued Malkmus’ solo debut. Slow Century, the Lance Bangs documentary released in 2002, compiles a detailed history of the band’s career along with a complete collection of their music videos.

from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)