The Pavement Micro Mini Shuffle: Because Apparently I Have A Micro Mini Amount Of Pavement On My Ipod by Iman Lababedi

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A year after buying my tix to Pavement, and a week away from the gig, I figure wtf, I might as well listen to em for the first time in years.

And, guess what, i’ve got very little on my Ipod (I’ve got tons on my PC but I’m not home).

So first a thought: If Malkmus had been either:
a) greedier
b) smarter
c) less gifted
d) poppier

Pavement would have been Arcade Fire big, in time, maybe ever bigger than that. They have a big sound that plays small and they were always happy to fuck around all over an album.

Anyway, here are the three songs (4 tracks, ones a demo)on my Ipod:

1. Frontwards (From Slanted And Enchanted) – It starts with a buzz saw riff hijacked from a Jesus And Mary Chain before ending in a sorta alt indie heaven with the lead singer declaring in his off beat and cool way “Empty homes, plastic combs, stolen rims, are they alloy or chrome?”.

2. Range Life (From Crooked Rain Crooked Rain) Ok, this is a great song because of:
a) the dream, dream dream ending
b) it’s a great on the road song
c) it is almost out of tune and it isn’t
d) the Smashing Pumpkin’s dis is not just funny it’s accurate, and STP get a cool namecheck.
e) “out on my skateboard the night is just hummin’ and the gum smacks are the pulse i’ll follow …”
d) did I mention dream dream dream?

3. As above, only a demo version off the extended CR2 double. Not as good although his voice is a little more tender, and what’s with “I hope you’ll settle down…”? I think we got a hardened original. Something else was bothering the band and they were singing around it.

4. Rattled By The Rush  (from Wowee Zowee) – Not only is this one of the best named albums ever (I still use the term wowee zowee in conversation) but the rushed and rattled marriage is so off center and the guitar solo like something off an early Bowie album. Best of all: the “Caught my dad crying” resonants longer and harder than Malkmus wanted it to.

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