Pavement was a 1990s american indie-rock band. Although they experienced only moderate commercial success, they achieved a significant cult following, and their music has been a major influence on many bands of the late 1990s and beyond. They are largely considered as one of the first rock bands of the current age to gain a moderately wide degree of success without the support of a major label. In effect, the band gave rise to a deluge of indie rock bands who have succeeded on that same premise.
Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg, known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs." Their debut EPs, Slay Tracks (1933-1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever, were recorded at the studio of drummer Gary Young and consisted of lo-fi songs highly influenced by The Fall.
Around 1992 Pavement became a full-time band, with the addition of bassist Mark Ibold - who had been one of the band's first fans - and extra percussionist Bob Nastanovich, a fellow museum security guard with Malkmus and David Berman. Most of their songs from this point onward were written by Malkmus, with Kannberg granted only one or two per album. Their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, was released commercially in 1992 after being circulated among critics and tastemakers for nearly a year, and became an instant indie classic. Though the percussive influence of the The Fall was still pervasive (as was that of English post punks the Swell Maps), many of the songs also exhibited a strong sense of melody. The following year, the band released the EP Watery, Domestic, a compilation of singles which represents a balance between their earlier and later styles.