2nd Feb - Pavement's Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Artist – Album: Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain

Released:  2^nd February 1994

Sounds Like: The acme of indiedom

Any album containing both ‘Cut Your Hair’ and ‘Gold Soundz’ is going to go down well with me. The former is an indie rock anthem, a disparaging look at the commercial, image driven music industry (“I don’t remember a line, I don’t remember a word, but I don’t care, I care, I really don’t care, did you see the drummer’s hair?”) that ironically struck a chord with grunge goons and MTV programmers to become a minor hit. The latter is the chiming epitome of slacker cool, a favourite of legendry DJ John Peel and recently voted the greatest song of the 90’s by popular online music reviewer Pitchfork Media.

These two were the only songs I already knew before listening to this album, but it really was no surprise that the rest of the record managed to emulate their laid back greatness. The wry inspection of the music industry is continued in the (allegedly) Smashing Pumpkins-bashing ‘Range Life’ and the jazzy stylings of ‘5-4=Unity’ almost feels like they’re just showing off their technical chops. Elsewhere, the group dabble in country, rock and pop but they always maintain their lo-fi, alt-rock values.

Essential listening.

Albumaday... rating:   9/10

1.       Silence Kit – 3:01

2.       Elevate Me Later – 2:51

3.       Stop Breathin’ – 4:28

4.       Cut Your Hair – 3:07

5.       Newark Wilder – 3:53

6.       Unfair – 2:33

7.       Gold Soundz – 2:41

8.       5-4=Unity – 2:09

9.       Range Life – 4:54

10.   Heaven Is a Truck – 2:30

11.   Hit the Plane Down – 3:36

12.   Fillmore Jive – 6:38 

Listen to ‘Gold Soundz’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj6QilYg5VA

Also released on the 2^nd February:

1976: Genesis – A Trick of the Tail

Also released on the 2^nd February:

1988: Leonard Cohen – I’m Your Man

Also released on the 2^nd February:

2005: Bloc Party – Silent Alarm