August 12 street date. This year we celebrate 30 years of Pavement's debut full-length, "Slanted and Enchanted". First released by Matador Records on April 20, 1992, it remains a truly monumental album - one that defined/ruined a generation and a genre, depending on who you ask. To mark the occasion the iconic album is going to be reissued on limited red/white/black splattered vinyl. In their own way, Pavement changed the face of 1990s rock just as much as Nirvana, at least for those with an ear closer to the ground of the indie scene. In fact, they virtually defined the indie scene for that decade, and "Slanted and Enchanted" was the non-anthem of slacker rock. For years after its release, every hip indie band seemed to imitate their Fall-influenced, off-kilter sound and post-functional, obscurantist lyrical approach. Pavement are set to bring their unique brand of indie-rock back for 2 nights at Toronto's Massey Hall this September.
July 15 street date. Originally released in 1993, Matador Records is reissuing Pavement's "Westing (By Musket And Sextant)" for the first time. Compiling their early material from 1989-1993, the 23 track album showcases the formative years of Pavement before the breakthrough success of their debut. "Westing (By Musket And Sextant)" includes songs from their first 3 EP's, ("Slay Tracks: 1933-1969", "Demolition Plot J-7", and "Perfect Sound Forever") along with the "Summer Babe" single and 2 extra compilation tracks. The new pressing coincides with the recent release of the "Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal" 4xLP box set and the 30th anniversary edition of "Slanted And Enchanted".
April 8 street date. "Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal" is an exhaustive 45-track reissue of the band's much-loved fifth and final album. The new special edition compiles the remastered original album, B-sides, home demos, rehearsal tapes, era-appropriate live recordings, and even the rough tracks from Pavement's scrapped session at Sonic Youth's Echo Canyon studio. Altogether, it features 28 unreleased tracks. The 4xLP and 2xCD editions will include a book with never-before-seen photos and commentary/context from band members Mark Ibold, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Spiral Stairs, and Steve West as well as producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck). The LP will restore Godrich's suggested sequence - which foregrounds the album's headiest songs - while the CD preserves the final track order assembled by the band. Originally released in 1999, "Terror Twilight" marked a departure from Pavement's established operating methods. Which is to say that it was recorded with a big-time producer in an expensive studio. However, for all the talk of "polish" and "precision", it's still very much a Pavement record. And a great one. Like every Pavement album that preceded it, "Terror Twilight" thrills and confounds. Often at the same time. Twenty-two years on, the songs remain moody, strange, and eminently deserving of re-celebration.
April 8 street date. "Terror Twilight: Farewell Horizontal" is an exhaustive 45-track reissue of the band's much-loved fifth and final album. The new special edition compiles the remastered original album, B-sides, home demos, rehearsal tapes, era-appropriate live recordings, and even the rough tracks from Pavement's scrapped session at Sonic Youth's Echo Canyon studio. Altogether, it features 28 unreleased tracks. The 4xLP and 2xCD editions will include a book with never-before-seen photos and commentary/context from band members Mark Ibold, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich, Spiral Stairs, and Steve West as well as producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead, Beck). The LP will restore Godrich's suggested sequence - which foregrounds the album's headiest songs - while the CD preserves the final track order assembled by the band. Originally released in 1999, "Terror Twilight" marked a departure from Pavement's established operating methods. Which is to say that it was recorded with a big-time producer in an expensive studio. However, for all the talk of "polish" and "precision", it's still very much a Pavement record. And a great one. Like every Pavement album that preceded it, "Terror Twilight" thrills and confounds. Often at the same time. Twenty-two years on, the songs remain moody, strange, and eminently deserving of re-celebration.
April 8 street date. Originally released 2 weeks after their final album "Terror Twilight", Matador reissues Pavement's 1999 EP, "Spit On A Stranger", available for the first time on 12" vinyl. Along with the titular "Terror Twilight" single the EP includes 4 B-side tracks, 1 of which being the sleeper social media sensation "Harness Your Hopes" that has since become the most streamed song in Pavement's catalogue. Whether you heard it as a piece of late-1990s fans-only arcana or as the soundtrack to a stranger's dance routine, you can now experience the songs again with the full vinyl release of the "Spit On A Stranger" EP. Don't miss Pavement's upcoming appearances September 26/27 at Massey Hall in Toronto.