DOWNLOAD: Spiral Stairs - Maltese Terrier (MP3)

Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg of Preston School of Industry and Pavement (who are reuniting) is set to release his first album as Spiral Stairs on October 20th. That record, The Real Feel, will be released by Matador in the US and Domino in the UK. The first MP3, "Maltese Terrier" (or "Maltese T" as its listed below in the tracklist), is posted above. There'll also be a single for the song "Stolen Pills," out a week before on October 12th.

The whole album is produced by Jon Auer (of the Posies and Big Star, the latter of which has a show in NYC on Nov. 18th) and guests include Preston School of Industry/Posies guys Matt Harris and Darius Minwall and BSS' Kevin Drew (though he's not listed as a contributor below).

Spiral Stairs will be playing shows in the coming months. Currently, there's the Treasure Island Festival in San Francisco on October 18th, and a handful of West Coast shows around that, where they'll be opening for Bob Mould (who hits NYC in early October with Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson opening). No NYC date yet.

Album art and credits for the new disc, and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Spiral Stairs (mem. Pavement) - new album soon, MP3, shows"

the pavement outside Summerstage in 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

Typically for Pavement, the decision to get back together was made in a lackadaisical way. Says [Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg], "Steve [Malkmus] and I just had a conversation on the phone, and we'd never talked about it before at all. We've talked over the years, but the subject never came up. Then our agent asked us about these New York shows, so we went around to everybody in the band, and they said, 'Yeah, the time is right. If everybody's ready to do it, then we'll do it and see what happens.' There was no real impetus -- it just kind of happened naturally."

Right now, there's only one gig booked, a benefit at Central Park Summerstage on September 21, 2010. Says Kannberg, "We'll do some rehearsing in the new year. The Central Park shows, we'll probably end up doing one or two of those. There's festivals and stuff that we're talking to, like Coachella. After that, anything that happens in the future is in the future." [Rolling Stone]

UPDATE: a 2nd show was added after this pre-sale sold right out.

DOWNLOAD: Pavement - Rattled By The Rush (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pavement - Heckler Spray/In The Mouth Of A Desert (live @ the Palace) (MP3)

"Scott Kannberg, aka Spiral Stairs, says that Pavement will reform in an interview for the new issue of Loud And Quiet, out this weekend (Jan 10th).

There's been talk of Pavement reforming for quite some time but, in a Loud And Quiet exclusive interview with Scott Kannberg the guitarist told us, "I don't see why not, you know, it could be a fun thing to do, go and play your favourite songs every night!"

Confirming that "everything's fine now" amongst him and his ex-band members, Kannberg went on to say, "2009 would be our twenty-year anniversary too, so that'd be a good time to do it, but I think that's too soon, it might have to be pushed back later."

That news might come as a disappointment to those that have believed rumours of Pavement playing Coachella Festival this year but on that subject Kannberg mentioned that the band have not totally ruled out the Californian festival, providing their booking agent hears the right price. "Coachella keep asking our booking agent," said the guitarist "but our booking agent's pretty strong, you know, he's waiting for the right number I think."

In the feature that celebrates the US indie troupe, Kannberg also spoke about life in the band and how they might even release some unheard, rare material once their final album, 'Terror Twilight', receives the re-mastering treatment that all other Pavement albums have been given over the last few months."
[Loud and Quiet]

but Emily and the guy from Pavement did.....

Emily Haines & Kevin Drew @ Webster Hall (CRED)

Scott Kannberg (spiral stairs) & BSS @ Webster Hall (CRED)

The covered a Pavement song with Scott. A set list that Dirk is 'pretty sure' about, below...

Continue reading "J Mascis didn't show - BSS @ Webster Hall, NYC - pics"