Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | October 26, 2004 | |||
Recorded | Early 1993 – February 26, 1994 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 158:01 | |||
Label | Matador, Domino | |||
Pavement chronology | ||||
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Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins is a compilation album by Pavement released on October 26, 2004. It contains the band's 1994 album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain , in its entirety, as well as outtakes and other rarities from that era, some of which had previously been unreleased.
LA's Desert Origins was released on October 26, 2004, by Matador Records. [1] The album contains a 62-page booklet of liner notes, which contain photographs, artwork, accounts from vocalist/guitarist Stephen Malkmus and guitarist Scott Kannberg (a.k.a. "Spiral Stairs"), and notes Malkmus wrote for Melody Maker about each of the songs on the original album. [2] The liner notes also feature a surreal and sensationalistic "interview" between Matador's Gerard Cosloy and the fictitious "Rob Jurkface". According to Cosloy, he took questions by Pavement's biographer, Rob Jovanovic, changed them slightly, and wrote silly answers for them.
Some of the songs on the second disc ("Flux = Rad", "Kennel District", "Grounded" and "Pueblo") are early forms of songs on 1995's Wowee Zowee .
Shortly after its release, a Matador employee posted corrected info regarding the recording sessions for the previously unreleased tracks on disc two: Only tracks 2 through 8 feature Gary Young on drums. Tracks 13 through 21 were recorded at Gary Young's studio in Stockton, though Gary does not play on them; any drums were played by Spiral Stairs. A further mistake is found in the track-listing on the back of the CD; "Silence Kid" is listed as "Silence Kit", despite the interior artwork showing the correct name in print several times, including written in Stephen Malkmus's own handwriting. Some have pointed out that on Pavement's 2010 tour the song appeared on their set-list as "Silence Kit" (Set list), although it is not clear who typed the list, or if it was done as a joke.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
The Austin Chronicle | [3] |
Blender | [4] |
Christgau's Consumer Guide | [5] |
Cokemachineglow | 96% [6] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+ [7] |
Pitchfork | 10/10 [2] |
Rolling Stone | [8] |
Spin | A+ [9] |
Tom Hull | A− [10] |
LA's Desert Origins received very positive reviews from critics with Spin highlighting the consistency of the extra tracks. [9]
Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, California, in 1989. For most of their career, the group consisted of Stephen Malkmus, Scott Kannberg, Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums), and Bob Nastanovich. Initially conceived as a recording project, the band at first avoided press or live performances, while attracting considerable underground attention with their early releases. Gradually evolving into a more polished band, Pavement recorded five full-length albums and ten EPs over the course of their decade-long career, though they disbanded with some acrimony in 1999 as the members moved on to other projects. In 2010, they undertook a well-received reunion tour, followed by another international tour in 2022–24.
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
Stephen Joseph Malkmus is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Pavement, and as a solo artist.
Slanted and Enchanted is the debut studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 20, 1992, by Matador Records. It is the only Pavement album to feature drummer Gary Young.
Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain is the second studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 14, 1994, by Matador Records. The album saw the band move on towards a more accessible rock sound than that of their more lo-fi debut Slanted and Enchanted and achieve moderate success with the single "Cut Your Hair". The album also saw original drummer Gary Young replaced by Steve West. It was a UK Top 20 hit upon release, although it was not so successful in the US charts.
Wowee Zowee is the third studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on April 11, 1995, by Matador Records. Most of it was recorded at Easley Recording in Memphis, Tennessee, where some members of the band had previously worked on Silver Jews' 1994 album Starlite Walker. The album showcases a more experimental side of the band, marking a return to the clatter and unpredictability of their early recordings after the more accessible sound of their 1994 studio album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Its eclectic nature ranges from mellow yet distorted melodies to noise and punk rock, while the lyrics generally explore humorous and cryptic themes. At nearly one hour long, Wowee Zowee is Pavement's longest studio album, filling three sides of a vinyl record. Side four was left blank.
Brighten the Corners is the fourth studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on February 11, 1997, by Matador Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
Terror Twilight is the fifth studio album by the American indie rock band Pavement. It was released on June 8, 1999, on Matador Records in the US and Domino Recording Company in the UK.
Slay Tracks: 1933–1969 is the debut EP by American indie rock band Pavement. Pavement—at that time, a duo of just its two founding members Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg (guitar)—recorded Slay Tracks with producer and future member Gary Young (drums) during a four-hour session. Pavement self-released the EP as a 7" vinyl record on the band's own record label Treble Kicker in 1989. The music of Slay Tracks was influenced by indie and punk rock bands such as Swell Maps and The Fall, and many of the lyrics were inspired by life in the band's hometown of Stockton, California.
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks is an American rock band consisting of Stephen Malkmus, Mike Clark, Joanna Bolme, and Jake Morris. Malkmus was the main singer and songwriter behind the influential 1990s indie rock band Pavement.
"Cut Your Hair" is a song by American rock band Pavement from their second album, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. It was written by Pavement songwriter and lead singer Stephen Malkmus. The song snidely attacks the importance of image in the music industry. In one verse, Malkmus sarcastically recites a fictitious ad looking for a musician to join a band: "advertising looks and chops a must/ no big hair".
Christopher Scott Kannberg, known professionally as Scott Kannberg and Spiral Stairs, is an American musician best known for being a founding member of the indie-rock band Pavement serving as guitarist and occasional lead vocalist. He also headed the band Preston School of Industry, and has been a solo artist.
Westing (By Musket and Sextant) is a compilation of the early EPs and singles by American indie rock band Pavement. It features all the tracks from their first three EPs, Slay Tracks (1933–1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever, as well as the single mix of "Summer Babe," its B-sides, and two compilation tracks.
Gerard Cosloy is an American music industry executive.
Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition is a compilation album by Pavement released on November 7, 2006. It contains the band's 1995 album, Wowee Zowee, in its entirety, as well as outtakes and other rarities from that era, some of which had previously been unreleased.
"Gold Soundz" is the second single released from Pavement's 1994 album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. The song did not perform particularly well as a single, failing to chart on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart, where their previous single, "Cut Your Hair", peaked at number 10. All the B-sides from both versions of the single are included on the reissue Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: LA's Desert Origins.
"Range Life" is a song by American indie rock band Pavement, the third single from their 1994 album Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain.
The discography of Pavement, a Stockton, California-based indie rock group, consists of five studio albums, five double-length reissues of the albums, one compilation, ten extended plays, and thirteen singles. This list does not include material performed by members or former members of Pavement that was recorded with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Silver Jews, Preston School of Industry, Free Kitten, The Crust Brothers, or any other associated solo or side projects.
Quarantine the Past: The Best of Pavement is a compilation album released by Pavement on March 8, 2010, to coincide with the band's reunion. The title of the compilation references a lyric from the 1994 song "Gold Soundz", which is the first song featured on the compilation.
"Summer Babe", also known as "Summer Babe (Winter Version)", is the debut single by the American indie rock band Pavement. It was first released as a 7" single (listed and described as an EP at the time) by Chicago's Drag City Records on August 23, 1991, titled Summer Babe. It was their only single on the Drag City label before the band moved to New York–based Matador Records. The songs on the Drag City single would later be included on the Drag City compilation Westing (By Musket & Sextant), and on Matador's Slanted & Enchanted: Luxe & Reduxe. The song didn't enter the U.S. Billboard charts.