The article reflects on Pavement, a band emblematic of the 1990s indie music scene, characterized by their indifferent attitude towards success and a unique style marked by linguistic explorations over typical themes of rebellion. Their bandleader, Stephen Malkmus, and friend Scott Kannberg formed Pavement in California, producing music that resonated with teens seeking authenticity. Despite initially appearing out of step with prevailing trends, Pavement's authenticity and unpretentiousness left a lasting impact, challenging listeners to embrace their interests on their own terms, even as the music industry evolved.
Their style became synonymous with their bandleader, Stephen Malkmus, who sang with a kind of deadpan cool, unimpressed by the world around him.
What made Pavement so out of step with its time was its seemingly indifferent attitude toward success, modeling the possibility of being accepted on your own terms.
Malkmus and his childhood friend Scott Kannberg had grown up in Stockton, California, a city that would have felt much farther from Bay Area cosmopolitanism.
The first EP by Pavement was praised in a circuit of small fanzines, marking the band's emergence with little sense of the legacy they would create.
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