Meeting Malkmus - a Pavement podcast jD
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Meeting Malkmus - a Pavement Podcast is an obsessive and exhaustive deep-dive into the songs of the seminal '90s indie rock band Pavement.
Working in chronological order according to the date of release, your host jD, takes a song-by-song trip through the Stockton, California group's catalog, from their very first track - You're Killing Me - through their five full-length albums and EPs, including 1992 classic "Slanted & Enchanted," their 1994 breakthrough "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" and their 1999 swan song "Terror Twilight."
In each episode, jD hyper-focuses on one song, describing its sound, deconstructing its lyrics and detailing its context, including cool stories from the band's heyday. The goal of the show is twofold: Fold #1: To help others fully appreciate the works of the world’s greatest indie rock band, and Fold #2: to someday, perhaps meet the podcast's namesake - Stephen Malkmus.
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MMT50 - 231
Today on the show Scott joins jD to talk all about song number 31, don't worry we get to his origin story too!
Transcript:
Track 1
[1:02] At track 32, we have the song, Grave Architecture. Come on in. Sorry.
I was trying to stick that in, yeah. Oh, damn. I stepped on it.
That's okay. I should have prepared you.
What are your initial thoughts of Grave Architecture? This was a funny one that
when you said it to me, I have a long,
like I think I said before, I think the album that I really kind of really felt
like really grabbed me was was wowie zowie and um and yeah this song is like
the come on in like right away like oh yeah,
hey this is westy from the rock and roll.
Track 3
[1:41] Band pavement and you're listening to the countdown,
hey it's jd here back for another episode of
our top 50 countdown for seminal indie rock
band pavement week over week
we're going to count down the 50 essential pavement tracks that you
selected with your very own top 20 ballots i
then tabulated the results using an abacus and an old pair of socks you know
the kind that have toes in them how will your favorite song fare in the ranking
you will need to tune in to find out so there's that this week i'm joined by
pavement Pavement superfan, Scott from North Dakota.
Track 3
[2:19] Scott, how are you doing, motherfucker? I'm doing well, and you, sir?
I am excellent. I'm always excellent when I get to talk Pavement with somebody. Absolutely.
Track 3
[2:29] So tell me a little bit about yourself. So, you know, grew up in Minnesota,
a small town, but not that far from the Twin Cities.
And it's small towns. You don't things come slowly.
And I was I don't want to say a late adopter to pavement, but I graduated in
1996 from high school and I was all about the grunge movement.
You know, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, all of that. And I didn't know much about indie
rock at all or any indie anything until I went to college.
I had heard of Pavement when I was in high school. I had friends who were into
them, but I was so set on grunge that it's like, this is what we're going to listen to.
And I kind of wrote them off at first without hearing them because I for whatever
reason, I was like, oh, Pavement.
It's like going to be heavy, more industrial, you know, maybe like East German
KMFDM or, you know, something really that I might not enjoy.
Yeah. And then I was completely wrong about that.
A friend, a friend had, I was just riding with a friend and he had,
it was right when Brighton the Corners came out and we were just riding in his
car and I was like, what is this?
And he's like, this is pavement. And I was like, no.
Track 3
[3:46] And I was like, this is not what Pavement sounds like. And it literally from
there was just a beeline to the store to pick up everything I could get my hands on.
And, you know, it was, it was, would have been my last, you know,
two years of college, give or take.
Track 3
[4:01] And it was obviously Pavement was up there. And then right at that same time,
Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, all these, you know, other indie bands.
But Pavement was the one that I was just like, oh my God, where has this been my whole life? Oh, yeah.
Track 3
[4:45] On the internet so you just had to go and buy and
see what happened and i picked up
terror twilight which divisive record you know for some people for me absolutely
loved it there's so much same stuff in there that was just jangly and -
MMT50 - 232
On this episode of the Pavement Top 50, jD has a lovely conversation with Zac from Amhearst about his Pavement Origin Story and song number 32
Transcript:
[1:02] Bob, what do you think about Transport as Arranged? Jamie.
I just think that, I think Transport as Arranged, when the record was made in
Kernersville, North Carolina with Mitch Easter,
was just kind of viewed and the feel around it was that, okay,
that's another song that definitely should be on the record.
But isn't the kind of song that it you know maybe should be a single or something
like that it was just it was just a song that was like really solid and good
hey this is westy from the rock and.
Track 3
[1:41] Roll band pavement and you're listening to the countdown hey it's jd here back
for another episode of our top 50 countdown for seminal indie rock band pavement
week over week we're we're going to count down the 50 essential pavement tracks
that you selected with your very own top 20 ballots.
I then tabulated the results using an abacus and gluten.
Just joking, there's absolutely no gluten. Zero.
How will your favorite song fare in the rankings? Well, you'll need to tune
in to find out. So there's that.
This week, I'm joined by pavement superfan man, Zach from Amherst.
Dude, how the fuck are you?
Track 3
[2:21] I'm okay. How are you? I'm great. Thanks for asking.
It's good to be here with you. No, it's great to be here.
Yeah, I'm excited to be a part of this. Well, let's not dilly-dally.
Let's get right to it and go to your pavement origin story.
Yeah, I've listened to a few and sometimes they have really good stories,
but But mine's like, I think I was home from break from college or something.
And, uh, my brother and sister were like playing a mixed tape of things and,
and, uh, cut your hair came on and, uh, yeah.
And, um, and it was apparently it was being played on their radio station all the time.
So, uh, you know, and so at the time we would just constantly make copies of
whatever. So I had like crooked rain, uh, just sort of stuck in my car forever and just wore it out.
Track 3
[3:16] Um, but you know, it was kind of in the mix and then it was really more,
uh, wowies, always when it kind of took off, um, for me, um,
that was the first tour I saw them like that was, uh, you know,
but, um, so you got to experience it in real time.
Yeah. A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. Not quite slanted. And so I'm not,
I'm not that. No, but, but wowies alley. That's, that's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah.
Um, so, so, um, on that tour, when you went to that tour, what, what were you thinking?
Track 3
[3:48] Well, I, so I, you know, I was, I was just obsessed with going to shows and seeing bands.
Um, and, uh, I was pretty psyched to get a ticket from Ohio originally.
Okay. And, uh, so I was pretty psyched to get a ticket in Cleveland,
which was still like two hours away from where I lived.
Um, and I was taking my little sister and, uh, yeah, it was just,
we were really excited. My dad even went along because he was worried about
taking my, I don't know, 14-year-old sister to the big city.
So yeah, I got to see them with Come and Dirty 3 in the Algorra Theater or Algorra
Ballroom, one of those in Cleveland.
Track 3
[4:34] But yeah, I just listened to Pavement nonstop
at at the time and um yes yeah
just it's like one of those like that's how
i always picture them they're just that's that night um and
i've seen them plen -
MMT50 - 233
This is so fucking cool. Bob Nastanovich joins me this week to talk about a whack of shit including song 33!!!!
Transcript:
1:00] Loretta Scars. Alex from Portland, how are you feeling about Loretta Scars?
It's a great song. I've got all kinds of thoughts on it, but it's on Flannid
and Enchanted, which is a great album. it's,
Slanted and Enchanted is the least varied album in my opinion like,
most of the songs on it are kind of of one vibe and this is definitely no exception
I think it's a great vibe I enjoy it Hey this is Westy from the Rock and Roll Band.
Track 3
[1:40] Pavement and you're listening to The Countdown Hey it's It's JD here back for
another episode of our top 50 countdown for Seminole indie rock band Pavement.
Week over week we're going to count down the 50 essential Pavement tracks that
you selected with your very own top 20 ballads.
I then tabulated the results using an abacus, a bicycle pump,
lotion, and some biscuits for Kevin, my homemade from uni.
How will your favorite songs fare in the rankings? Well, you'll need to tune in to find out.
So there's that. This week we're joined by
pavement superstar bob fucking nastanovich
bob what is up no
okay cool and you're aren't you a toronto person
sure am yeah how are things
there bright blue sunny skies today
about five degrees celsius so that's
like spring weather for us especially yeah that's nice
yeah we've got I don't
mean to show you up Jamie but it's 63
degrees Fahrenheit here with a light breeze and a bright sunshine oh man here
in Paris Tennessee you know like a typical winter day here is kind of gray and
44 but it's especially nice.
Track 3
[3:03] Today which is pretty awesome that sounds about right
that sounds like good you know good walking weather
so yeah how are you doing all right with this
project so far so good i'm like
like people are lining up to do it uh like
i'm caught up through march uh i've
got to do some interviews this week with people so
basically people seem to be like i
was like i don't know how people respond to a top 50 that
they have to listen to every week but i
don't know my numbers are good and um like good
for me you know yeah they'll get into it yeah i
think so and like just a little bit of water cooler debate right
what's that bud just a little
bit of water cooler debate yeah exactly you
know like what if what are you fucking thinking greenlanders like
greenlander was 46 six and
you know people were really pleased that
it made the top 50 but then there's another cohort that are like that's crazy
it should be at least in the top 30 you know or whatever so no that is so weird
i mean i don't um i do know people that love greenlander and i um ineffectively insisted.
Track 3
[4:18] On trying to get
it played live in iceland and that would have been cool yeah and um he we sound
checked it and it sounded just fine for about 70 seconds and malchus was.
Track 3
[4:43] Like i don't want to do that one you know and then um with him you know his attitude was so.
Track 3
[4:53] Sterling in 2022 and 2023 that um you don't and he was willing to play so many,
different songs because in the past like specifically in 2010 um i just think
it's uh i mean i remember his attitude back then was sort of uh.
Track 3
[5:18] It's going back to a more juvenile style of songwriting for him, which is more direct,
but I guess maybe it kind of reminded him of certain aspects of his life.
I -
MMT50 - 234
This week on the program, Alex from Portland talks about his Pavement Origin story with jD before they gab about song 34!
Transcript:
Track 1
[1:00] It's Half a Canyon. Ryan, from Soundtrack Your Life, what are your initial thoughts about this song?
It's a great song. I really like this song.
For some reason, for a long time, I thought this was the last song on Wowie Zowie.
It kind of has that epic, you know? Yeah, it has that epic finale,
you know, with how it ends and just this big jam of chaos.
Hey, this is Westy from the Rock.
Track 3
[1:33] Roll Band, Pavement, and you're listening to The Countdown.
Hey, it's JD here, back for another episode of our Top 50 Countdown for Seminole
Indie Rock Band, Pavement.
Week over week, we're going to countdown the 50 essential pavement tracks that
you selected with your very own Top 20 ballads.
I then tabulated the results using an abacus and a pool cue I broke over my knee in a moment of rage.
How will your favorite song fare in the ranking? You'll need to tune in to find out. So there's that.
This week we're joined by Pavement superfan Alex from Portland.
Alex, how you doing, motherfucker? Fucking great, JD. How are you?
Oh, man, I am stellar right now. I am feeling good. Yeah.
How about you? Feeling good myself. I apologize if my vocal cords crack.
I decided to sing karaoke last night. Oh, nice.
Yeah. What'd you sing?
Rocks Off by the Rolling Stones.
Oh, wow. I went really, really hard in my Jagger mode, too.
So if I sound like a mid-pubescent boy, that's why.
Track 3
[2:50] That's great. Well, what do you say we talk about pavement? I'm so ready.
All right. Hit me with your pavement origin story.
It goes like this. So I am a millennial. I was born in 1990.
So when they were doing their initial, when they were an active band recording
music and touring originally, I was way too young to be a part of it or even know about it.
But how I came to Pavement is, I was 15. This would have been 2005.
We had a local coffee shop where I'm from, a small town in Indiana.
And you would walk down there on a given night, and there would be live music.
It was usually acoustic bands.
And we were there, me and a couple friends of mine.
And we're watching this like i don't
know kind of like weird sort of indie
band they were acoustic but they were still kind of like doing
heavier stuff and they were catchy and interesting and weird
and the lyrics didn't really make any sense and i
was fascinated like at 15 years old the shit was blowing my mind and i was like
hell yeah dude this band's great and i look over and we see Matt the cool kid
and Matt's like this mysterious kind of you know all the boys want to be him
all the girls want to be with him he's shout out to Matt that kid was just the coolest kid in our town.
Track 3
[4:17] And I remember going up to Matt after the show and
saying like man that band we just watched was really
cool and he he takes like you know a probably a
five second drag of a cigarette just goes they're just
ripping off pavement man oh wow
and i uh i had never i didn't know
who that was but of course i'm trying to be cool for cool matt so
i'm like yeah dude totally totally ripping off
pavement yeah they're they're way better so i
i rushed home i open up lime wire
of course yeah i've been pavement into
the search bar and and by the way i did want to
uh i wanted to reiterate something i wrote into
you when -
MMT50 - 235
This week jD is joined by Ryan from the Soundtrack Your Life podcast, to discuss song number 35 on the countdown. Will it surprise you? Download and let me know! jd@meetingmalkmus.com
Transcript:
Track 2
[1:00] Previously on the pavement top 50.
Track 1
[1:02] So there it is track 36 on the countdown is
harness your hopes from the june 22nd release
of the spit on a stranger ep and then
later on the bright in the corner nicene creators edition
reissue chad from
los angeles what are
you vibing with this song talk to me it's funny i i like this i mean let me
preface it with i like this song a lot um is it my favorite pavement song no
you know um it's probably not in my top,
25 or 30 favorite pavement songs but that is that doesn't mean that it's not
a good song it's obviously it's it's a really good song i really enjoy it.
Track 2
[1:51] Hey this is westy from the rock and roll band pavement and you're listening
to the countdown countdown.
Track 3
[1:58] Hey, it's JD here back for another episode of our top 50 countdown for seminal
indie rock band, Pavement.
Week over week, we're going to count down the 50 essential pavement tracks that
you selected with your very own top 20 ballots.
I then tabulated the results using an abacus and 10 metric rulers and a box of rat poison.
How will your favorite song fare in the rankings? Well, you'll need to tune
in to find out. So there's that.
This week, I'm joined I'm joined by pavement superfan Ryan from Soundtrack Your Life.
Ryan, how the fuck are you? I'm doing great.
Excited to talk about pavement. That is good to hear. Yeah, and you came to
the right place then, because that's what we're going to do.
And we'll kick it right off.
We won't mess around. We'll kick things right off with your pavement origin story.
Track 3
[2:48] So I was in high school, and I have an older sister.
I have many older sisters, but
I have one specific older sister who was working in the music business,
and I think she had a big hand in telling me, like, there's more to music than
just what you hear on the radio. Right.
And I don't know exactly how that conversation came up, but Pavement was definitely
one of the bands that she recommended for me.
And in 97 she was working at Capitol Records and Capitol Records co-released
Brighten the Corners I did not
know that yeah so they did a few different albums with Matador they did.
Track 3
[3:38] Um, a couple of the John Spencer blues explosion records. Um,
and they did, I think Liz fairs, white chocolate space egg album.
Whoa. Okay. And so my sister sent me bright in the corner. So I think that was
my first pavement album.
Um, and I think I'd been exploring them, you know, through music videos on MTV.
And, um, I think there was a website called like the pavement internet archive.
That's some guy at some college hosted where like he had like some of the,
uh, BBC sessions and stuff like that. So, you know, since I was on a high school
budget, I couldn't just go out and buy all the records.
So I was trying to figure out how to listen to Pavement without owning anything.
Track 3
[4:21] But, I mean, eventually I got them all, but that's kind of how it all started.
It was a good time to look for free music in the late 90s.
I mean, with Napster and LimeWire and that kind of stuff, it was easy to track
down. Was there a lot of pavement out there on those types of services when you were looking?
I think the albums were out t -
MMT50 - 236
jD is back and this week he's got Chad from Los Angeles in toe to discuss song 36 on the countdown, and to share his Pavement origin story.
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