pavement is the poster child of 90s indie rock. if you ever see a list of 90s indie rock bands, there’s a 100% chance that pavement is on that list, and it’s probably listed as one of the best of them all. ‘indie rock’, though, is kind of a buzz word, even though i use it often myself. what makes pavement so ‘indie’?
pavement was formed in stockton, ca in 1989, masterminded by singer/guitarist stephen malkmus. while they tried to avoid commercial success, they ultimately were considered a successful indie rock band thanks to malkmus’ distinctive songwriting and spoken-word vocals, noisy guitars, and a certain lazy charm. today, they have a pretty large following, and are best known for their first two albums: 1992’s slanted and enchanted, and 1994’s crooked rain, crooked rain. both of them are considered masterpieces.
the thing is, pavement’s music isn’t what you’d expect from a band so popular and critically acclaimed. their music, like guided by voices, embraces lo-fi (nonexistent) production and refinement. their musicianship feels amateurish. the lyrics and vocal melodies seem like they were created on the spot. but there’s some kind of relatable, irresistible appeal to them, whether that’s their ability to create memorable, catchy songs or make people laugh or cry. “Summer Babe”, i think, demonstrates both.
“Summer Babe”, from slanted and enchanted, hits like a drunk twenty-something deadbeat’s love confession. the distorted, out-of-tune guitars drone along like an aching heart, malkmus’s lyrics don’t make a lot of sense (one of the lyrics is: “protein delta strip”) but they capture the vague idea of seeing someone attractive at a party while knowing you’ll never have the chance to be with them. somehow, pavement can pull off a heart-achingly sad song about unrequited love while still sounding like a stringy mess. and honestly? that’s what makes it sound more genuine, because love and attraction is a total mess. maybe that’s what’s so ‘indie’ about pavement.
i might never understand the likes of crooked rain, crooked rain… but this is a song i’ll listen to for a long time. it’s a great song in some of the weirdest ways possible.
