Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted

Matador Records

April 20th, 1992.

Pavement, the adored indie rock trailblazing outsiders, released their debut album 'Slanted and Enchanted' on this day in 1992. The bands take on the noisier side of rock, tied in with the auspicious pop elements of their sound, made their formula undeniable to the indie heads and the more casual fans alike. The opening moments of Summer Babe clears the dust - paves the way - for what would become a staple of the indie rock realm.

Stephen Malkmus' speaking in tongues approach to writing material would find fans worldwide in need of a little strange fruit. Pavement supplied said strange fruit in abundance for a decade after this records release, but Slanted and Enchanted is home to the most innocent and purest of these fruits. The calamity of a Pavement album plays out like an amateur in a music store, however this amateurs spirit began perfecting his craft long before birth. What appears to be a train wreck on the surface is actually a perfectly planned and executed piece of organized confusion.

Fun is a major factor to Pavement's ethos. You can play an instrument as well as you wish, but once it detracts from the feeling that one is supposed to feel during a process it becomes more of a search for feeling rather than meaning. Getting caught up in saying something with a specific incline can potentially get in the way of the creative process. Funnily enough the more abstract approach usually leads to more interaction from fans trying to find their own meaning in the music. This type of material speaks for itself in a very roundabout way. Character over comfort. Process over perfection.

Pavement's impact on slacker circles and the overarching music scene in general is hard to deny. Their outlandish take on conventions birthed far too many bands to ever fully comprehend said influence. We're at the stage where an influence of an influence is in play.

Notable Tracks: Summer Babe, In the Mouth a Desert

April 20th, 1992.