Matador Hecklers Choice: Big Gums and Heavy Lifters - A Pavement Collection

Hard to believe we made it, but here we are. A sold-out reunion. Gold records. A critically-lauded feature film. Stockton, CA’s finest are once again seated atop the throne and Pavement is the biggest band in the world, North America, the coastal United States. And yet, we get the sense there’s still a lot of people who don’t know who the hell they are. Thus, Matador Records will release ‘Hecklers Choice,’ Pavement’s second-ever “best of” compilation. Look, it’s been more than a decade. Back when Quarantine the Past came out in 2010, TikTok wasn’t a thing. This newly revamped track-list accounts for any/all viral sensations that have emerged hence (“Harness Your Hopes”) while continuing to rep the timeworn tunes that have remained playlist and mixtape staples for in-the-know-types across generations. Pavement are Mark Ibold, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg, Stephen Malkmus, Bob Nastanovich and Steve West. Among the most beloved acts to come out of the American underground in the 1990’s, the band released five era-defining albums – Slanted And Enchanted (1992), Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994), Wowee Zowee (1995), Brighten The Corners (1997) and Terror Twilight (1999) – before disbanding in 1999. Pavement’s 2022 reunion saw them headline Primavera Sound and perform sold-out multi-night runs in Los Angeles, New York, and London.