Pavement were three friends from California: laconic singer Stephen Malkmus, guitarist Scott Kannberg, and unruly hippie drummer Gary Young, who would hand out free cabbages at gigs before being fired from the band a year later – allegedly for drink-related misdemeanours.
The band had built up a hipster mystique through their singles, but they caught a post-grunge tailwind with their debut LP, Slanted and Enchanted (1992), to become the decade’s paradigmatic college rock band.
Slanted – recorded in seven days in Young’s garage studio for just $800 – triumphed through a slackly chaotic pop sensibility and Stephen Malkmus’ lyrics, which could break your heart without giving you the faintest idea what they were about.
The album became one of the most influential American albums of the 1990s. Its fuzzy recording style can be heard in the music of Nirvana, Liz Phair, Beck, The Strokes and The White Stripes.
Gary Young died on 17 August 2023, aged 70.
Stephen Malkmus (SM)
Vocals, guitar Scott Kannberg (Spiral Stairs)
Guitar, vocals Gary Young
Drums Jason Turner
Drums Mark Ibold
Bass Steve West
Drums, vocals Bob Nastanovich
Percussion, vocals
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