A lo-fi bunch of rockers with a hi-fi reaching sound, Pavement laid the foundation for all of the noise pop of the nineties. Started by childhood buddies Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg in Stockton, California, just as glam rock was saying goodbye and alternative was making its way into the music world, Pavement began its decade-long trek around the globe.

While the quintet never quite made it to many radio stations' Top 40 lists, the early indie rockers did manage to build an impressive following of fans -- so much so that just a few years after the outfit disbanded, the documentary Slow Century was released, providing those downtrodden fans with some post-break-up comfort that retraced Pavement's path toward alt-rock stardom.

That path ended with this eleven-track farewell record, Terror Twilight. Said to be slightly more emotional than the previous releases from these warbling boys and significantly shorter in length, Terror Twilight packages up the best of this band's wide-ranging talents into the perfect end-of-an-era album.

Album opener Spit On A Stranger has a distorted introduction followed by front man Malkmus' laid-back, hipster vocals that will lull you right into Folk Jam , where Pavement's folksy side really shines through.

Tracks like Platform Blues feature clouded, atmospheric sounds that reflect the influence of producer Nigel Godrich -- who worked on every Radiohead album since OK Computer -- and show a new sonic direction for the band.

Ultimately, though, their all-American rock influences and scathing lyrics (like Cream Of Gold 's "You were stitched up venom and I was the cursed from the Vedic" and the closing track's impish dialogue) level things out and bring Pavement down to a more indie-pop level.

Pavement's ten-year stint followed a versatile road of sound and style, culminating in this very complete and endlessly replayable final work.

Additional Tracks:
Major Leagues
...And Carrot Rope