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Pavement made scrappy, clever and endlessly catchy indie rock, and became one of the defining bands of 1990s indie. Formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 by Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg, they released five albums on Matador before splitting in 1999, then reunited in 2010 and 2022. They are an indie rock band, with lo-fi and slacker rock influences.
| Formed | 1989, Stockton, California, U.S. |
| Members | Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar), Scott Kannberg (guitar), Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), Bob Nastanovich (percussion) |
| Original drummer | Gary Young (1989–1993) |
| Genres | Indie rock, lo-fi, alternative rock |
| Label | Matador |
Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg started Pavement as a recording project in Stockton in 1989, working with drummer and producer Gary Young. Their early singles and EPs led to the debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, on Matador in 1992.
Pavement’s songs are loose and lo-fi but full of hooks, with off-kilter guitars and Malkmus’s witty, cryptic lyrics. They could be noisy and chaotic or tender and melodic, often on the same record.
Malkmus is the band’s singer and main songwriter, and went on to a solo career with the Jicks after Pavement split in 1999. Original drummer Gary Young, who played on the early records, died in August 2023.
Pavement became one of the most influential bands in American indie rock, and “Cut Your Hair” gave them a rare radio hit. A new generation discovered them in the 2020s through “Harness Your Hopes”, a 1999 B-side that became a hit online, and the band toured again in 2022.
The lo-fi debut, with “Summer Babe” and “Here”.
Their best-known album, with “Cut Your Hair”, “Gold Soundz” and “Range Life”.
A sprawling, experimental record, with “Rattled by the Rush”.
With “Stereo” and “Shady Lane”.
The final album, with “Spit on a Stranger” and “Carrot Rope”.
These Pavement songs are on our charts and lists:
Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr., Modest Mouse, Beck, The Shins and Built to Spill.
Pavement are an indie rock band, with lo-fi and slacker rock influences.
Stockton, California. The band formed there in 1989.
“Cut Your Hair” (1994), along with “Gold Soundz” and “Harness Your Hopes.”
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994) and Slanted and Enchanted (1992) are their most acclaimed albums.
The band split in 1999 and reunited for tours in 2010 and 2022.
Pavement bring the scrappy, clever side of ’90s indie to our playlist. Catch it on The Modern Rock Radio Show, check the radio show schedule, or press play on the live stream. Want a specific song? Send a request or dedication.
About this article: Written and fact-checked by The Alternative One editorial team. Last reviewed November 4, 2026. Read our editorial standards or tell us about a correction.
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