Biography of Pavement

With their fractured songs, unexpected blasts of feedback, laconic vocals, cryptic lyrics, and defiant low-fidelity, Pavement is one of the most influential and distinctive bands to emerge from the American underground in the '90s. For several years before their first full-length album, the group had been releasing a series of singles and EPs on small, obscure labels. During this period, Pavement was essentially a studio project featuring guitarists/vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg.By the time of Pavement's first album, 1992's Slanted & Enchanted, Malkmus and Kannberg had added drummer Gary Young to the lineup. Slanted & Enchanted took the world of rock criticism by storm; before the album was even available promotionally, critics were lavishly praising it. Initially, the band's following was based more on the press instead of word of mouth, but soon word began to spread on the street as well as in the magazines. During 1992, a permanent lineup of Pavement was established, as the group added bassist Mark Ibold and percussionist Bob Nastanovich.Before Pavement recorded their second album, the band kicked Gary Young out of the group, due to his erratic behavior and performances; he was replaced by Steve West. Pavement's second album, 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, saw the band toning down its extreme sonics for a laidback record that emphasized songs over sound. The album helped the band consolidate its position as alternative stars and critic's darlings, as well as expanding their cult; they charted in the lower reaches of Billboard's Top 200 Album chart and had an alternative rock hit with "Cut Your Hair."The following year, Pavement released their third album, sprawling Wowee Zowee, which debuted higher than Crooked Rain in the charts without the benefit of an alternative radio or MTV hit single on the level of "Cut Your Hair." In the summer of 1995, the group toured with Lollapalooza. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine