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pavement

 
Dictionary: pave·ment   (pāv'mənt) pronunciation
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n.
    1. A hard smooth surface, especially of a public area or thoroughfare, that will bear travel.
    2. The material with which such a surface is made.
  2. Chiefly British. A sidewalk.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: pavement
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Durable surfacing of a road, path, court, patio, plaza, airstrip, or other such area. The Romans, the greatest road builders of the ancient world, built their roads of stone and concrete. By AD 75 several methods of road construction were known in India, including brick and stone slab pavements, and street paving was common in towns. Smaller cobblestones began to be used for European paving in the late Middle Ages. The 18th – 19th century saw the development of pavement systems (e.g., macadam) that used light road surfaces of broken or crushed stone. Modern flexible pavements contain sand and gravel or crushed stone compacted with a bituminous binder (e.g., asphalt or tar); such a pavement has enough plasticity to absorb shock. Rigid pavements are made of concrete, composed of coarse and fine aggregate and portland cement, and usually reinforced with steel rod or mesh.

For more information on pavement, visit Britannica.com.

English Folklore: pavement
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A well-known game or superstition of 20th-century children is to avoid stepping on the cracks between the paving stones (or even on cracked stones) of the pavement. There is a wide variety of predicted consequences. Treading on a crack could bring general bad luck, predict how many pieces of china you would break, or even mean that you would have a black baby. Alternatively, bears or snakes will chase you. Opie and Tatem give the first known reference as c.1890. Several responses to our 1998/9 Superstitions Survey related a current children's belief that stepping on a ‘three-drain’ (a drain or manhole cover in three sections) is particularly unlucky.

Bibliography
The full bibliography list is available here.

  • Opie and Opie, 1959: 220-2
  • Opie and Tatem, 1989: 300
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: pavement
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pavement, the wearing surface of a road, street, or sidewalk. Parts of Babylon and Troy are believed to have been paved; Roman roads were noted for their durable stone paving. Cobblestones were common from late medieval times into the 19th cent. A pavement known as macadam road, introduced in England in the 19th cent., is still used today; it consists basically of compacted layers of small stones cemented into a hard surface by means of stone dust and water (water-bound macadam). However, the main pavement surfaces in use today are bituminous/asphalt coverings and concrete. Desirable qualities in pavements include durability, smoothness, quietness, ease of cleaning, and a nonslippery surface. The requirements conflict to a degree, so no one material is ideal in all respects. The foundation of a pavement must be crowned, or slightly arched, for rapid shedding of water; it must be strong enough to withstand heavy dynamic loads, but capable of responding to temperature changes. In the bituminous macadam pavement, the foundation is macadam, upon which a bituminous material that penetrates at least 2 in (5 cm) into the foundation is poured, forming an impervious binder. In the bituminous-mixed macadam pavement, a mixture of crushed rock, ground glass and other additives, and bituminous binder is spread over a macadam foundation and rolled into a compact mass. The two other pavement types use a concrete road slab as a foundation. In the sheet asphalt pavement, a binder course and a wearing course are laid over a concrete foundation. The binder course, whose function is to prevent creepage of the upper course, is composed of broken stone and asphalt cement. The wearing surface is a mixture of fine sand, filler, and asphalt. By far the most common type of pavement for heavy use is rigid concrete. The first concrete pavement was laid in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1894. A modern highway will have a 6 in (15 cm) base of concrete, on top of which 3 in (7.5 cm) of steel-reinforced concrete will be laid. Pavements that must withstand only pedestrian traffic may use brick or wood-blocks, set in a 1 in. (2.5 cm) bedding of sand, cement mortar, or mastic. For ornamental pavements, see mosaic ; tile.

Word Tutor: pavement
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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: n. - Walk consisting of a solid, compact area for pedestrians; Material used to create a solid, compact surface in an area.

pronunciation Whenever Richard Cory went down town, We people on the pavement looked at him — Edwin Arlington Robinson

Artist: Pavement
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Pavement

Group Members:

Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold, Bob Nastanovich, Stephen Malkmus, Gary Young, Steve West

Similar Artists:

Sentridoh, Lou Barlow, Guided by Voices, Beck, Sebadoh, The Seymores, The Apples in Stereo, East River Pipe, Grifters, Thinking Fellers Union Local #282, The Little Ones, The 88, The Movies, Panty Lions, Kid Dakota, Golden Shoulders, The Ants, Irving, Ben Kweller, AM/FM, NoahJohn, Marmoset, Hefner, The Glands, Neutral Milk Hotel, Further, Jason Loewenstein, Boyracer, Blumfeld, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Tindersticks, Helium, Silkworm, Liz Phair, The Palace Brothers, New Radiant Storm King, Superchunk, Half Japanese, Blur, Yo La Tengo, Beat Happening, American Music Club

Influenced By:

R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Fall, Thurston Moore, J Mascis, Meat Puppets, Cheap Trick, Swell Maps

Followers:

Surf City, Women, Absentee, Times New Viking, Sam Champion, A. Graham, Dan Solero, Brando, Oranger, Spool, Track Star, Nada Surf, Archers of Loaf, Fluf, Trumans Water, Sammy, Poison Control Center, Germans, Awek, Dappled Cities, Muggabears, Ulysses, Gerling, Honey Is Cool, The Plastic Constellations, Things In Herds, Foxymorons, Matt Suggs, The Warm Jets, Blithe, Drummer, Free Energy [Rock], Cymbals Eat Guitars, Girls, Yawwn, Televised Crimewave, The Heligoats, Embarrassing Fruits, Murder Mystery, Stepsonday, The Dead Trees, Fight Like Apes, Champion Kickboxer, Rademacher, Virgin of the Birds, Port O'Brien, Juhu Beach, The Golden Revelry, Dubious Ranger, The Henry Clay People, No Age, Creeping Weeds, Los Campesinos!, Pablo, St Deluxe, Prosser, The Foundry Field Recordings, Hymns, The Phoenix Foundation, Evangelicals, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, Tapes 'n Tapes, Coffinberry, The Teeth, Spinto Band, The Sixfifteens, Icewater Scandal, The Narrator, Life in Bed, Matthew Friedberger, Gwendolyn, Roy, Ambulance LTD, The Double, Magnetic Health Factory, The Dudley Corporation, Herman Düne, Underground Railroad, Piebald, Hood, Sportsguitar, Urusei Yatsura, Sone, Garageland, Gomez, Pony, Spoon, Versus, Feral Children, American Princes, Thanksgiving, Sorry About Dresden, I Come to Shanghai, Dananananakroyd, The Lovely Feathers, Stoley P.T., Okay Paddy, Otasco, Marjorie Fair, Coastal Drag, The Unicorns, The Broken Family Band, Bottom of the Hudson, Spy Island, Joy, Ill Lit, Chris Barth, Brain Rakes, Black Lipstick, Bedbug, The Von Bondies, The Onlys, The Rosenbergs, The Benjamins, The Impossible Shapes, Fourth Quartet, Custard, The Tyde, Go Robot, Go!, Marmoset, Beachbuggy, Seafood, The Mendoza Line, Yatsura, Built to Spill, Havergal, Clor, Blood on the Wall, The Lights, The Dismemberment Plan, Multiple Cat

Performed Songs By:

Scott Kannberg

Formal Connection With:

The Crust Brothers, Free Kitten, Silver Jews, Marble Valley, Gary Young, Preston School of Industry, Stephen Malkmus
See Pavement Lyrics
  • Formed: 1989, Stockton, CA
  • Disbanded: 1999
  • Genres: Rock
  • Representative Albums: "Slanted & Enchanted," "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain," "Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe"
  • Representative Songs: "Cut Your Hair," "Here," "Stereo"

Biography

With their fractured songs, unexpected blasts of feedback, laconic vocals, cryptic literate lyrics, and defiant low-fidelity, Pavement were one of the most influential and distinctive bands to emerge from the American underground in the '90s. Pavement, along with Sebadoh, were the leaders of the lo-fi movement that dominated U.S. indie rock in the early '90s. Initially conceived as a studio project between guitarists/vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg in the '80s, Pavement gradually became a band during the early '90s. Along the way, their initial EPs and debut album, 1992's Slanted & Enchanted, earned a devoted following of musicians, indie fans, and critics. Before long, the group's aesthetics -- a combination of elliptic, cryptic underground American rock, unrepentant Anglophilia, a fondness for white noise, off-kilter arrangements and winding melodies, songs that frequently had shifting titles, and literate, clever lyrics -- were imitated by underground bands through America and Britain. By that point, Pavement had become an actual band, one with a notorious, acid-fried ex-hippie drummer called Gary Young. Young left the band in 1993 as the band made the move to clean up their sound, if not their sensibility, on 1994's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Their revampment resulted in a near-hit with "Cut Your Hair," but the mainstream decided Pavement were too strange for their tastes and the band decided it preferred the underground, leaving the group as one of the most popular -- and the most influential -- American indie rock bands of the '90s.

Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar) had finished studying history at the University of Virginia and returned to Stockton, CA, when he formed Pavement with childhood friend Scott Kannberg (guitar, vocals) in 1989. Pavement released their first 7" EP, Slay Tracks: (1933-1969), by the summer of 1989. Recorded for 800 dollars at the small local studio Louder Than You Think -- which was owned by Gary Young, a fortysomething drummer who appeared on the EP -- and released on the duo's own indie label, Treble Kicker, Slay Tracks demonstrated sonic debts to the Fall, R.E.M., the Pixies, and Sonic Youth. While there were only a couple hundred copies pressed of the EP, it managed to work its way to several influential people within the underground industry, including British DJ John Peel. Furthermore, the EP, which was credited only to "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs," became something of an enigma, since it was supported by no press releases or information about the band. By the 1990 release of Demolition Plot J-7, the band had begun to forge these influences into its own signature sound. Pavement moved to Drag City Records and added Young as a member during the recording of Demolition Plot J-7, but the band didn't perform any concerts until after the 1991 release of Perfect Sound Forever.

During preparation for their first concerts in 1991, Pavement added bassist Mark Ibold and, in order to bolster Young's shaky timekeeping, a second drummer named Bob Nastanovich, who had attended college with Malkmus. The new lineup appeared on the band's first full-length album, Slanted & Enchanted, although the group didn't record any of the album as a full band; instead, it was pieced together by Malkmus and Kannberg. Before it was released on Matador Records in the spring of 1992, Slanted & Enchanted created extremely good word-of-mouth praise; before the album was even available promotionally, critics were lavishly praising it in the press. Initially, the band's following was based upon critics and fellow musicians, but soon word began to spread on the street as well. Pavement supported the album with their first national tour, and while it didn't reach many cities, it became notorious for the band's sloppy sound and Young's grandstanding. He would greet the audience at the door, shaking their hands; he would perform handstands during the show; he would hand out salads at the door; he would occasionally collapse drunk. Young was asked to leave the band during 1993; his last release with the group was the EP Watery, Domestic, which was released in the fall of 1992. He was replaced by Steve West, a friend of Nastanovich. After West joined the band, the band's early EPs were compiled on Drag City's 1993 collection Westing (By Musket and Sextant).

Pavement's sound cleaned up somewhat after Young's departure; it was a combination of having a steady drummer and recording in real studios. Some pundits predicted that Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, the 1994 follow-up to Slanted & Enchanted, would be Pavement's breakthrough into the mainstream. To a certain extent, it was. The album debuted on the U.S. charts at 121 and "Cut Your Hair" became a Top Ten modern rock hit and MTV hit. But despite the album's overwhelmingly positive reviews, Crooked Rain simply expanded Pavement's cult dramatically, confirming their status as underground, not mainstream, stars. Following the release of Crooked Rain, Pavement recorded sporadically during 1994; Malkmus and Nastanovich also contributed to Starlite Walker, the full-length debut by the Silver Jews, which was led by their college friend David Berman.

Pavement returned with their third album, Wowee Zowee, in the spring of 1995. More sprawling and eclectic than either of its predecessors, the album proved once again that Pavement were a leader of the underground instead of alternative rock's Next Big Thing. Despite the mixed response Wowee Zowee received from critics -- which sparked a Pavement backlash in the press that continued for the next two years -- most of the group's die-hard fans embraced the album. The band also landed a spot on the fifth Lollapalooza, which featured likeminded artists such as Beck and Sonic Youth. Though it may have been financially lucrative, the gig proved frustrating for the band; sandwiched in the middle of the main stage's bill, Pavement found themselves playing to fewer people than they might have, had they headlined the second stage.

The group began 1996 with the release of the Pacific Trim EP and spent the rest of the year recording their fourth album with producer Mitch Easter. Released in early 1997, Brighten the Corners was seen as a return to the group's more accessible, Crooked Rain-like sound; it was greeted with positive reviews and debuted at number 70 on the American charts. After extensive touring in the U.S. and worldwide, Pavement took a break for the first half of 1998. That summer, among the bandmembers' off-duty activities, both Malkmus and Kannberg performed solo gigs: Malkmus introduced new Silver Jews and Pavement songs at the two L.A. dates he played with Scarnella (Nels Cline and the Geraldine Fibbers' Carla Bozulich's side project), while Kannberg played drums with Half Five Quarter to Six (an impromptu '80s cover band featuring other San Francisco-based musicians) at a charity event called One Night Stand. Kannberg also started his own label, Pray for Mojo (later renamed Amazing Grease), which featured bands like the psych-pop combo Oranger.

That fall, Pavement regrouped and recorded Terror Twilight with producer Nigel Godrich, whose intricate, polished style graced albums by Natalie Imbruglia, Beck, and, most famously, Radiohead. That group's guitarist, Jonny Greenwood, played harmonica on the album's sessions. When Terror Twilight arrived in the summer of 1999, it won uniformly positive reviews, but its bigger, cleaner sound and lack of any Kannberg songs made it feel suspiciously like a disguised Stephen Malkmus solo album. The Major Leagues EP did feature songs from Kannberg -- which he recorded with Gary Young at Louder Than You Think -- but this did little to dispel the breakup rumors Pavement had been dodging since Malkmus' solo gigs, in which he admitted that the bandmembers' desires to live outside of Pavement could spell the group's end. He announced that the band was indeed finished at their November 20, 1999, date at the London Brixton Academy: with a set of handcuffs hanging from his mic stand -- which he said symbolized being a part of a band -- Malkmus thanked Pavement's fans "for coming all these years."

However, the official word from the band and Matador Records was that Pavement were merely on hiatus. But, in the spring of 2000, word got out that both Kannberg and Malkmus were readying solo projects: Kannberg's, named the Preston School of Industry, reunited him with Gary Young; Malkmus' was initially called the Jicks, then rechristened Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, and included drummer John Moen, formerly of the Dharma Bums and the Fastbacks, and bassist Joanna Bolme, who had also worked with the Minders. An interview with Malkmus in the November 2000 issue of Spin confirmed Pavement's breakup for once and all. Ibold, West, and Nastanovich also stayed busy during the group's "hiatus": Ibold started his own label, West toured and recorded with his project Marble Valley, and Nastanovich maintained his horse-racing tip sheet Lucky Lavender. Late in 2000, it was announced that Malkmus' solo album -- which had the working title of Swedish Reggae -- would be known simply as Stephen Malkmus, and that he and the Jicks would tour in the spring of 2001 with Elastica's Justine Frischmann joining on as an additional guitarist and Nastanovich as their road manager. Kannberg and his group also began playing dates in early 2001.

Despite the band's somewhat confusing and frustrating end, Pavement helped steer the course of '90s indie rock in a consistently intelligent, unpredictable -- and even fun -- direction. In late October of 2002, Matador released a massively expanded version of the seminal Slanted & Enchanted. The version contained an astounding 36 bonus tracks ranging from an entire live performance to revealing B-sides. A retrospective double-DVD set entitled Slow Century was welcomed concurrently. Matador then released a similarly expanded edition of Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in 2004 and Wowee Zowee in 2006, all the more confirming Pavement's legacy as indie rock trailblazers. In 2009 the band announced a series of 2010 benefit shows in New York City's Central Park and the U.K.. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Wikipedia: Pavement (band)
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For other uses, see Pavement.
Pavement
Origin Stockton, California
Genres Indie rock, lo-fi
Years active 1989–1999
(Planned reunion: 2010)
Labels Drag City, Matador, Big Cat, Pony Canyon, Domino
Associated acts The Crust Brothers, Ectoslavia, Free Kitten, Gary Young's Hospital, Marble Valley, Preston School of Industry, Silver Jews, Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
Members
Stephen Malkmus
Bob Nastanovich
Scott Kannberg
Steve West
Mark Ibold
Former members
Gary Young
Jason Fawkes

Pavement is an American indie/alternative rock band. Although they experienced only moderate commercial success, they achieved a significant cult following[1] and were one of the most popular and influential lo-fi rock bands of the 1990s.[1][2] The group remained signed to an independent label throughout their entire career. The group disbanded in 1999, but plans a reunion tour in 2010.

Contents

History

Beginnings and Slanted and Enchanted

Pavement formed in Stockton, California in 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg, known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs", respectively. Their debut EPs were extremely lo-fi releases titled Slay Tracks (1933-1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever. They were recorded at Louder Than You Think, the home studio of Stockton local and former hippie Gary Young who also played drums on the recordings. Upon first hearing the duo's songs, Young was quoted as saying, "this Malkmus idiot is a complete songwriting genius".[3] After the release of Slay Tracks, a new drummer, Jason Fawkes,[4] was drafted to replace Young both live and in the studio. However, after just one tour and a handful of recording sessions, when it became apparent Fawkes and Malkmus did not get along well, Fawkes was soon ousted and Young reinstalled.[4]

Pavement's most obvious influence during this time was English rock band The Fall, although Kannberg stated in a 1992 interview that he preferred The Replacements to The Fall.[5] The Fall's primary member, Mark E. Smith, would often angrily claim through the years that Pavement was a "rip-off" of his band[6] and that they didn't "have an original idea in their heads".[7] However, some of the other members of The Fall have been quoted as saying they liked the band.[8]

Around 1992 Pavement became a full-time band, with the addition of bassist Mark Ibold—who had been one of the band's first fans—and extra percussionist Bob Nastanovich to help Young keep time. Their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, was released commercially in 1992 after copies had been circulated on cassette tape for nearly a year. Though the percussive influence of The Fall was still pervasive (as was that of English post-punk band Swell Maps), many of the songs also exhibited a strong sense of melody. The following year, the band released the EP Watery, Domestic, which represented a balance between their earlier and later styles.

Gary Young's departure and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

During the Slanted & Enchanted tour Gary Young's eccentric behaviour included his handing out cabbage and mashed potatoes to fans at the door of the venue, doing handstands, running around the venue and stage while the rest of the band was playing and drunkenly falling off his drum stool.[9] At the end of a 1993 tour of Australia, Japan, and Europe, Young left Pavement. The group subsequently held a meeting in a hotel room in Copenhagen during which Malkmus, Kannberg and Ibold remained silent while Nastanovich (Young's best friend at the time) argued with the drummer and informed him that his antics were unnecessary. According to the band, Gary Young quit and was replaced by Steve West (a fellow museum security guard at the Whitney Museum of American Art along with Malkmus and David Berman).[10] West's debut performance was at a Drag City festival in Chicago, 1993.

Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain was released in 1994. The record was more indebted to the classic rock tradition than their debut. The single "Cut Your Hair" was the band's closest brush with the mainstream, and briefly enjoyed airplay on alternative rock radio and MTV. Pavement performed the song on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The lyrics from another single from the album, "Range Life", criticized alternative rock stars The Smashing Pumpkins and the Stone Temple Pilots. Malkmus has insisted over the years that the line is meant to be light-hearted and is sung from the point of view of the aging hippie character in the song—later live versions of the track had the singer substituting "The Spice Girls", "The Counting Crows", or others for "Stone Temple Pilots". In response Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan threatened to drop his band from their slot headlining the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival if Pavement was allowed to play.[11] Corgan and Malkmus would trade barbs through the press for several years afterwards.[12][13]

Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners

The next album Wowee Zowee, released April 11, 1995, covered a wide range of styles including punk, country and balladry across its 18 tracks, which often avoided conventional song structures. On the Slow Century DVD, Malkmus attributed his odd choice of singles to his pot smoking, stating that "I was smoking a lot of grass back then but to me they sounded like hits." Although Malkmus has said in recent interviews that the album is the last "classic Pavement record", Kannberg has voiced regrets about Wowee Zowee. "We made some mistakes on that record... we were kind of pressured into putting out a record a little faster than we were ready to. I mean, I'm totally into the record. It's just if we had another six months to think about it, it would've been much different."[14]

During the tour for the album, Nastanovich stated on the Slow Century DVD, the band would often not work out a setlist before shows, opting for drug and alcohol fueled jams over hit singles. Some of these shows were held during the 1995 Lollapallooza festival, where the incoherent performances received a hostile reaction from many audiences. Footage also on Slow Century show the band being pelted with mud and rocks. The band then left the stage immediately, and dubbed themselves "The Band That Ruined Lollapallooza."

Wowee Zowee was followed up by the EP Pacific Trim, which was recorded with only Malkmus and drummers Nastanovich and Steve West. Their studio time was originally reserved for a Silver Jews recording, but frontman David Berman walked out in frustration and the trio decided not to waste prepaid recording time.

1997's Brighten the Corners, a shorter, mellower and more conventional record than the previous album, was produced by Mitch Easter. Malkmus stated on the Slow Century DVD that the album was an attempt to show audiences that Pavement had more mainstream and classic rock influences than it had previously portrayed. The album contained two of the band's best known singles in "Stereo" and "Shady Lane". It was the only Pavement album to include a lyric sheet and sold better than its predecessors. Despite increased success, the band continued to fragment, with its members focusing more on other musical projects or on raising families.

Terror Twilight

In 1999, the band began work on its final album, Terror Twilight. Bob Nastanovich came up with the title, and has revealed the meaning of it in several interviews: "Twilight Terror is the short span between sunset and dusk; this is considered the most dangerous time in traffic, because half of the people switch on the headlights, and the other half doesn't. It's when most accidents happen."[15] During an interview on the Slow Century documentary DVD, he said that the band was having trouble coming up with names for the record until he put forth Terror Twilight. One of the final contenders was Farewell Horizontal (also the name of a 1989 science fiction novel by K. W. Jeter), and Nastanovich said, "There was no way I was going to be on the Farewell Horizontal tour for the next year."

The band originally planned to self-produce Terror Twilight, renting out Jackpot! Studios in Portland, Oregon. The group stalled though, with Malkmus, Ibold, Nastanovich and (Jackpot! employee and future Jicks bassist) Joanna Bolme usually opting to play Scrabble over getting any sort of work accomplished.[16] Kannberg was especially frustrated over the sessions, particularly at Malkmus' refusal to include any of Kannberg's songs on the album—fan-favorite "For Sale: The Preston School of Industry" and one other song penned by the guitarist were briefly worked on during the sessions, but eventually abandoned.[16] At the end of the initial two week session, very little had been accomplished and it was decided that a producer should be brought in to assist them.

Nigel Godrich, best known for his work with Radiohead, Beck and R.E.M., was hired to produce the album. The group first attempted to record in Sonic Youth's lower Manhattan studio, which Godrich took a dislike to as it was within ear-shot of several practice spaces, and also set up more like a home studio.[17] Godrich eventually convinced the band to move to a more "proper" 24-track studio, where he had previously worked on albums by The Beastie Boys and R.E.M. Though the producer took an immediate shine to Malkmus; Kannberg and Nastanovich were wary of him. Nastanovich believes that though Godrich "took on a pretty substantial challenge and did a good job," that he "focused his attention on Stephen" and produced them "in a way that just sort of had more disregard for the rest of us."[18] Nastanovich also later recalled an awkward incident where it became apparent—about ten days into the sessions—that the producer didn't know the auxiliary percussionist's name. Kannberg, still disillusioned over his songs being rejected by Malkmus, said of Terror Twilight: "It was not fun to do that record from the very beginning. It was the hardest record to make."[18]

Malkmus wrote the entirety of the record, and the recording of the music only featured minor contributions from the rest of the band. The group released one last EP, titled Major Leagues. It features three Malkmus songs, two original Spiral Stairs songs and two covers—"The Killing Moon" by Echo & the Bunnymen and "The Classical" by The Fall—sung by Malkmus.

Final tour and breakup

Pavement embarked on a six month world tour in support of the album, during which time relationships within the group frayed, especially between Malkmus and the other members of the band. Steve West later recalled times on the tour bus where the singer would put his coat over his head, refuse to speak to anyone, and call himself "The Little Bitch". Critics noted that their setlist had started to include a number of their early songs, much like a band playing their greatest hits on a farewell tour. The lead singer's attitude continued to deteriorate as the tour wore on, finally coming to a head during their slot at the 1999 Coachella Festival. During the concert, Malkmus refused (or was possibly unable, due to illness) to sing, effectively turning their set into a mostly instrumental one. Nastanovich called a band meeting after the show, and Malkmus finally confided to his band-mates: "I just don't want to do this anymore."[19]

The group's final concert together was at Brixton Academy in London on November 20, 1999.[20] During the concert, Malkmus had a pair of handcuffs attatched to his microphone stand, and at one point told that audience, "These symbolize what it's like being in a band all these years."[21] After the concert, he confirmed to people at the after-party that Pavement was now done "for the foreseeable future."[21] About two weeks later, a spokesperson for Domino records told NME: "Pavement are retiring for the forseeable future to: 1. Start families 2. Sail around the world 3. Get into the computer industry 4. Dance 5. Get some attention."[20]

In the summer of 2000, Malkmus called Kannberg and told him, "You need to change the website to say we aren't a band anymore. People keep asking me if we're breaking up and you know we're not a band anymore, right?"[19] Kannberg told the singer that he needed to call the other members of the band to inform them that the band was finally breaking up, but Malkmus refused and Kannberg was left with the task of informing them.[19] Steve West later admitted that he never received any official call about the breakup from anyone in the band, and discovered that Pavement had dissolved via the internet. Nastanovich later commented that "There was too much exhaustion for heavy emotion."[22]

Slow Century and Perfect Sound Forever

In 2002, Slow Century, a documentary by Lance Bangs coupled with all of the band's music videos, was released as a 2 DVD set. Included was extensive footage, both professionally shot and taped by fans on camcorders, from the band's earliest shows in 1989 forward. The three final songs from the band's final concert ("Stop Breathin'", "Conduit for Sale" and "Here") are presented at the end of the documentary. Also on the DVD is a hidden easter egg clip from the same show, wherein Malkmus apparently jokingly talks about how the handcuffs attached to his microphone stand "represent what it's like being in a band all these years." A bonus disc with a complete concert in Seattle, Washington, from the early part of the Terror Twilight tour was included on the second disc, as well as several songs from their second to last show.

2004 saw the publication of Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement, a biography on the band written by Rob Jovanovic. Reviews for the book were mixed, with some saying that it contained much of the same information as the Slow Century DVD and expanded very little on it, while others called it a "fond retrospection".[23]

Reunion

There was frequent speculation about the possibility of a Pavement reunion.[24] In a 2006 Pitchfork interview, Scott Kannberg discussed the possibility of a reunion for the band's 20th anniversary in 2009.[25] In a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article, Kannberg echoed the possibility of a 2009 reunion, and mentioned Matador Records' 20th anniversary. Mark Ibold was amiable to the idea; Malkmus, however, stated: "something small in 10 years like the Zeppelin thing sounds good to me."[26]

On September 15, 2009, Brooklyn Vegan reported that Pavement are scheduled to perform multiple benefit show dates in New York City's Central Park beginning on September 21, 2010.[27] Official statements by the band, label, venue and promoter were released on September 17, 2009 confirming the reunion. The announcement included one concert in Central Park and the promise of a tour, but said that the reunion may only be a one-off event. It said, "Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion."[28] Tickets for the first Central Park concert sold out in two minutes,[29] leading to the announcement of three more shows at the same venue.[29]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Scott Kannberg spoke about the band's future: "We’ll do some rehearsing in the new year. The Central Park shows, we’ll probably end up doing one or two of those. There’s festivals and stuff that we’re talking to, like Coachella. After that, anything that happens in the future is in the future."[30]. The band have since confirmed that they will also play shows in Australia with the first confirmed show being in Sydney on 4th March [31], before heading on to the UK and All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Minehead, Somerset (May 14th - 16th), where they will also be curating.[32].

Discography

Main article: Pavement discography

References

  • Jovanovic, Rob (2004). Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement. (Boston) Justin, Charles & Co. ISBN 1-932112-07-3.

Notes

  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Phares, Heather. "Pavement biography". AllMusic. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  2. ^ Pavement biography. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  3. ^ Sullivan, James. "Pavement Gear Up". Synthesis. February 27, 1997. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Jovanovic (2004), p.78–82.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ Perry, Andrew. "Alright?". Select. May 1993.
  7. ^ Herrington, Tony. "Mark E. Smith: Interview". The Wire. September 1996.
  8. ^ Atwal, Sandy. "Fall in a Hole". Imprint. September 30, 1994.
  9. ^ Synthesis : Music
  10. ^ Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origin's CD. Liner notes by Spiral Stairs
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ Daily Bruin article: "Rivalries great fodder for entertainment in music industry".
  13. ^ http://blog.oregonlive.com/popmusic/2008/02/malkmus_to_play_secret_show_on.html
  14. ^ Synthesis : Music
  15. ^ Interview: Pavement / Gaesteliste.de Internet-Musikmagazin
  16. ^ a b Jovanovic (2004), p.177.
  17. ^ Jovanovic (2004), p.179-180.
  18. ^ a b Jovanovic (2004), p.181.
  19. ^ a b c Jovanovic (2004), p.187.
  20. ^ a b "Cracks in the Pavement". NME. December 1, 1999. Retrieved on March 27, 2009.
  21. ^ a b "Cracks in the Pavement". NME. December 1, 1999. Retrieved on March 27, 2009.
  22. ^ The ‘Spray Q&A: Bob Nastanovich (Pavement, Silver Jews, ponies) | Hecklerspray
  23. ^ Amazon.com: Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement: Rob Jovanovic: Books
  24. ^ "Sorry Kids, It Isn't Time to Get Too Excited About This Pavement Reunion Thing Just Yet". Pitchfork Media. March 5, 2008. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  25. ^ "Spiral Stairs Talks Pavement Reissue, Reunion Rumors". Pitchfork Media. September 15, 2006. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  26. ^ Nashawaty, Chris. "Wait... a Pavement reunion!?". Entertainment Weekly. March 5, 2008. Retrieved on March 26, 2009.
  27. ^ BV. "http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2009/09/the_pavement_re.html". Brooklyn Vegan. September 15, 2009.
  28. ^ [3]
  29. ^ a b Pitchfork Media article: "Pavement Add Reunion Shows".
  30. ^ [[Rolling Stone Pavement Reunion Confirmed for 2010: 'It Happened Naturally' Says Kannberg in Exclusive Interview".
  31. ^ http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/20821/FL-Exclusive-Pavement-for-Golden-Plains.htm
  32. ^ http://www.nme.com/news/pavement/47466

External links

v • d • e
Pavement
Stephen Malkmus a.k.a. SM • Scott Kannberg a.k.a. Spiral Stairs • Mark Ibold • Bob Nastanovich • Steve West
Gary Young
Studio albums
Compilations and reissues
EPs
Singles
"Summer Babe" • "Trigger Cut" • "Cut Your Hair" • "Gold Soundz" • "Range Life" • "Rattled by the Rush" • "Dancing with the Elders/Chemical" • "Father to a Sister of Thought" • "Stereo" • "Shady Lane" • "Spit on a Stranger" • "Carrot Rope" • "Major Leagues"
Video releases
Associated acts

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Translations: Pavement
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Home > Library > Literature & Language > Translations

Dansk (Danish)
n. - brolægning, fortov

Nederlands (Dutch)
stoep, bestrating, tegelvormige ordening (tanden/schubben etc.), deel van straat waar auto's etc. rijden

Français (French)
n. - (GB) trottoir, (US) chaussée, surface pavée, (US) dallage

Deutsch (German)
n. - Bürgersteig, Fahrbahn, Pflaster

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - οδόστρωμα ή κατάστρωμα οδού, (Βρετ.) πεζοδρόμιο, πλακόστρωτο, λιθόστρωτο

Italiano (Italian)
marciapiede, selciato

Português (Portuguese)
n. - calçamento (m), calçada (f), pavimentação (f)

Русский (Russian)
тротуар, мостовая

Español (Spanish)
n. - acera, vereda, pavimento, empedrado

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - trottoar, vägbeläggning

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
人行道, 公路

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 人行道, 公路

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 포장 도로, 포장재료, 보도

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 舗装道路, 舗装面, 歩道, 舗装, 舗装材料, 舗道

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) رصيف, طريق مرصوف, رصف, تبليط‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מדרכה, מרצפת, כביש (צפון-אמריקה), שכבת אריחים, חומרי ריצוף, ריצוף‬

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