Portal:Alternative music

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Alternative rock (also called alternative music or simply alternative) is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s (see Timeline of alternative rock). The name "alternative" was coined in the 1980s to describe punk rock-inspired bands on independent record labels that didn't fit into the mainstream genres of the time. As a specific genre of music, alternative rock consists of various subgenres that have emerged from the indie music scene since the 1980s, such as grunge, indie rock, Britpop, gothic rock, and indie pop. These genres are unified by their collective debt to the style and/or ethos of punk, which laid the groundwork for alternative music in the 1970s.

Though the genre is considered to be rock, some of its subgenres are influenced by folk music, reggae, electronic music and jazz among other genres. At times alternative rock has been used as a catch-all phrase for rock music from underground artists in the 1980s, all music descended from punk rock (including punk itself, New Wave, and post-punk), and, ironically, for rock music in general in the 1990s and 2000s.

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David Lovering is an American musician and magician. He is best known as the drummer for the alternative rock band Pixies, which he joined in 1985. After the band's breakup in 1993, Lovering drummed with several other acts, including The Martinis, Cracker, Nitzer Ebb and Tanya Donelly. He also pursued a magic career as The Scientific Phenomenalist; performing scientific and physics-based experiments on stage. When the Pixies reunited in 2004, Lovering returned as the band's drummer.

As a drummer Lovering was inspired by bands from a variety of genres, including Rush and Steely Dan. His musical style while in the Pixies was highly acclaimed by critics. Author Ben Sisario described him as the "great unacknowledged anchor" of the band, and stated that his unique influences gave "a precision and versatility essential to following Black Francis's songwriting quirks". However, since the band's breakup, Lovering has received fewer critical accolades for his musical output.

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Slay Tracks (1933-1969) is the debut extended play by the American indie rock band Pavement. Pavement, then consisting of founding members Stephen Malkmus (guitar, vocals) and Scott Kannberg (guitar), recorded Slay Tracks with producer and future member Gary Young (drums) during a four hour session. The EP was released as a 7" vinyl record on the band's own record label Treble Kicker in 1989. The music in Slay Tracks is influenced by indie and punk rock bands, including Swell Maps and The Fall, and many of the lyrics are inspired by life in the band's hometown of Stockton, California.

Although only 1000 copies of Slay Tracks were pressed, the EP became an underground hit, largely due to a cover of its second track, "Box Elder", by English band The Wedding Present. It was met with generally positive reviews from critics, though most of its initial reviews were from independently produced zines. The songs on Slay Tracks would later appear on the 1993 compilation Westing (By Musket & Sextant), reaching a wider audience than the EP's limited initial release. The release of Slay Tracks was significant to Pavement's signing to Drag City Records, and later to Matador Records.

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Credit: alexis

Elliott Smith's last-ever New York City performance at Lit on 2003-01-29.

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