Taking sides: Pavement vs. White Stripes

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Because they both sound quite american, but also seem pleasingly anglophile. although, with Pavement its obviously genuine, whereas the white stripes seem to have developed it a bit more recently - and possibly a cynic might suggest it was good investment, but that is just me being mean.

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:11 (twenty-three years ago)

For me, i choose pavement. However, the white stripes are one of those bands that are growing on me, esp with the new long player

― Robin Goad (rgoad), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:12 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes, because their work just has more quality as a whole. Pavement has it's moments, but some songs are just weak. They never hold my attention for one entire album.

― zilverberg.tk (zilverberg.tk), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement by about 18 furlongs, and I'm not even that keen on them. CRCR is a top album of nice odd pop songs and smart lyrics; The White Stripes just seem like retro-fixated hockey bullshit blues-rock hics to me, I can't be doing with them.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:33 (twenty-three years ago)

pavefuckingment, is there even a need for a debate?

― Esquire1983 (esquire1983), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement, what with them not being rubbish and all that.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 2 May 2003 08:58 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes, since I like the bands they rip off more than I like the Fall.

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Friday, 2 May 2003 09:53 (twenty-three years ago)

pavement,of course. great tunes, funny lyrics too, even if malkmus' style can grate after a while. i like "slanted and enchanted" and "terror twilight" best. "slanted..." is to me what "garage rock" *should* sound like - raw, poppy, full of energy, but never as one-dimensional as the press-touted garage rock bands of the moment.

the white stripes are nothing special, in my opinion. i'm not going to use the "we've heard it all before!" argument against them, as i like plenty of backward-looking guitar music, but they sound quite ploddy to me. "fell in love with a girl" is the only really catchy pop song they've produced, everything else is just cock-rock.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 2 May 2003 10:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement; no comparison.

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 2 May 2003 10:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"fell in love with a girl" is the only really catchy pop song they've produced

Listen to 'Hypnotize' of their latest album, about as catchy as you can get (except for 'fell in love with a girl' that is)

― zilverberg.tk (zilverberg.tk), Friday, 2 May 2003 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes are a fine rock and roll band, but they just can't come close to Pavement's greatness. Very few rock bands come close to being as good as Pavement.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 2 May 2003 12:37 (twenty-three years ago)

As long as we're indulging in blanket statements: The White Stripes, because they rock and they don't suck.

― Neudonym, Friday, 2 May 2003 13:13 (twenty-three years ago)

The inherent flaw in Dom's otherwise fine argument is that Pavement ARE rubbish.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Good God. Pavement, all the way. I've never found the White Stripes all that interesting -- though I will sing along to the super-catchy "Fell in Love With a Girl" if it comes on the car radio. Despite having a distinct sound, you could always count on Pavement to mix it up: on Wowee Zowee you've got everything from weird two-minute punk songs to sad, pedal-steel-inflected country numbers. "Rattled by the Rush" even sorta sounds like Led Zep's "Dancing Days." Plus, single-note riffs are classic.

I'm not even sure why I'm bothering: this is between one of my favorite bands evah and one of the most overhyped acts of the last few years.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:10 (twenty-three years ago)

taking sides: overhyped vs overamped

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:12 (twenty-three years ago)

pavement hands down. if the stripes (nothing against them) dysappear tomorrow i won't be surprised. pavements' number of albums alone beats out the stripes. they're easier to sing along to too.

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:15 (twenty-three years ago)

they are equal, both petering out after about two albums.

― jack cole (jackcole), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone who picks the White Stripes is a moran.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Can someone tell me why we're comparing these apples and oranges bands to begin with? The "anglophile" thing is pretty common, I think. It's not much to go on.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement is the finest band of the '90s. The Stripes are just another band that the kids seem to be enjoying these days.

― William R Henderson (Cabin Essence), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Can someone tell me why we're comparing these apples and oranges bands to begin with?

Yeah, I always wonder why there are so many disparate Taking Sides. Wasn't there just a Stereolab vs. Queens of the Stone Age one? I love Stereolab, and I like QOTSA more than I thought I would, but I can't even begin to compare the two.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:56 (twenty-three years ago)

maybe that's part of the fun.

― dyson (dyson), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement are less rubbish then White Stripes.
Speaking of Pavement, I need a haircut.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:10 (twenty-three years ago)

I like Pavement, but sometimes their songs just sound so friggin retarded. I love the White Stripes. They've got great variety and sound like they mean it, the music that they play, whereas many times Pavement sounded like their songs were smarmy English-major injokes set to really neato-misquito guitar riffery.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:37 (twenty-three years ago)

Besides, Pavement doesn't exist anymore, whereas the White Stripes do.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Taking sides: Elliot Smith vs. Booker T. and the MG's
Taking sides: Syd Barret vs. Ani DiFranco
Taking Sides: Captain Beefheart vs. The Sea and Cake
Taking Sides: Sonic Youth vs. Outkast

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:53 (twenty-three years ago)

See, dave q does these taking-sides-with-artists-that-you-wouldn't-normally-take-sides-on threads, but his cracked sick genius finds amazing ways to make it something to make you really go 'hmmm'.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 2 May 2003 16:58 (twenty-three years ago)

White Stripes are at least more consistent than Pavement. For every GREAT Pavement moment, there are like three or four complete wastes of time.
The WS, less so. Though I haven't (and amn't really inclined to) heard Elephant.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 May 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

"They've got great variety and sound like they mean it, the music that they play, whereas many times Pavement sounded like their songs were smarmy English-major injokes"

this is one of the reasons i prefer pavement.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 2 May 2003 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Great variety. Huh. That must be why they've made the same album four times.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 2 May 2003 17:14 (twenty-three years ago)

ie, i like that pavement are smart alec-y, and make quips to avoid expressing their emotions.

one similarity : both have made at least one record with no bass.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 2 May 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

White Stripes are at least more consistent than Pavement. For every GREAT Pavement moment, there are like three or four complete wastes of time.

Wow. I'd say pretty much the opposite. I can't think of a band more consistent than Pavement, but I'd probably like the White Stripes a lot more if they could make at least one album that doesn't have filler.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:08 (twenty-three years ago)

BATTLE OF THE NO BASS PLAYAS -- Who will come out of the treble alive?

White Stripes vs. Flat Duo Jets vs. Cash Money vs. JSBX vs. Ativan vs. Tony Williams Lifetime vs. Thurston Moore/William Hooker vs. The Cramps

― earlnash, Friday, 2 May 2003 18:44 (twenty-three years ago)

vs. White Hassle vs. Doo Rag vs. the Black Keys vs. who the fuck cares, really.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:45 (twenty-three years ago)

vs. The Doors

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:47 (twenty-three years ago)

I think Pavement is probably better or more important or something...but I listen to the White Stripes more.

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Saturday, 3 May 2003 03:23 (twenty-three years ago)

so has anyone mentioned the white stripes opening for pavement yet?

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 3 May 2003 03:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Nickalicious's explanation above is otm.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 3 May 2003 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

They've got great variety and sound like they mean it, the music that they play, whereas many times Pavement sounded like their songs were smarmy English-major injokes

yeah but this is a false dichotomy. We smarmy English major types "mean" our injokes as deeply as all these raw-emotion types mean whatever unexamined nonsense they're on about. That the feelings we express by means of our in-jokes aren't bombastic doesn't make them any less genuine.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Saturday, 3 May 2003 19:24 (twenty-three years ago)

J0hn Darn1elle you are so OTM.

― Carey (Carey), Saturday, 3 May 2003 20:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement, coz that guy Bob always seemed pretty cool.

― jel -- (jel), Saturday, 3 May 2003 20:38 (twenty-three years ago)

pavement cos slanted and enchanted is better than anything the white stripes have done or ever will do. i wish my name was "spiral stairs".

― di smith (lucylurex), Sunday, 4 May 2003 01:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Someone make a "Westie/Meg Can't Drum" connection and then call it a night, OK?

― Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Sunday, 4 May 2003 01:43 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement, but ONLY because they went further away from their influences then WS.

WS generally has catchier songs, and ironically, both of them seem to be influenced by a lot of the same things-- old country, punk... their interpretations are just really different.

I don't really accept that weak "BUT THEY REALLY MEAN THEIR JOKES" arguement, though.

― David Allen, Sunday, 4 May 2003 03:18 (twenty-three years ago)

I've never got the fall/pavement comparison. I heard a few Fall songs and they were just kinda noise with a gruff guy singing/shouting.

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 4 May 2003 11:25 (twenty-three years ago)

harry pussy

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 4 May 2003 11:31 (twenty-three years ago)

jel - a handful of early (gary young era) pavement tunes are virtual 'rewrites' of fall tunes, the comparison doesn't apply so much to later stuff - more fogerty than smith as time went on. I do hope noone's tossed out any claims of 'originality' on pavement's behalf - they certainly 'borrowed' alot more than the occasional bob seger template in their day.

― James Blount (James Blount), Sunday, 4 May 2003 13:21 (twenty-three years ago)

"I don't really accept that weak "BUT THEY REALLY MEAN THEIR JOKES" arguement, though."

i disagree strongly - wisecracking, smart alec-ishness: it's all as genuine and interesting to observe as someone howling in their pained wail and beating furiously at their guitar. there is more than one way of communicating emotion, it doesn't always have to be done with 100% clarity.

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Sunday, 4 May 2003 14:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Can we please stop pretending The White Stripes are really really influenced by Sonny Boy Williamson and Loretta Lynn and just admit that they're a Pixies clone already?

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 4 May 2003 14:22 (twenty-three years ago)

uh.
no.

― dyson (dyson), Sunday, 4 May 2003 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

I heard a few Fall songs and they were just kinda noise with a gruff guy singing/shouting.

Woohoo! Nothing wrong with that!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 May 2003 15:24 (twenty-three years ago)

(thanks James!)

yeah, Ned, nothing wrong with that!

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 4 May 2003 16:08 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes get old fast. Way to make the same album four times over. And way to not have a bassist. Sheesh. Pavement has an original sound. They are THE '90s band. I'm surprised people still care about The White Stripes.

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Sunday, 4 May 2003 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

yadda yadda yadda riffage riffage riffage faux-Mexican voice yadda yadda yadda

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 4 May 2003 22:27 (twenty-three years ago)

'way to not have a bassist'!

― James Blount (James Blount), Sunday, 4 May 2003 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

haha!

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 4 May 2003 23:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Geddy Lee was unavailable.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 4 May 2003 23:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement. Because their songs were better.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 5 May 2003 12:02 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes would surely benefit from having a fretless bassist. : )

― Patrick South (Patrick South), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:48 (twenty-three years ago)

What I meant by my consistency, is that the WS work within a comparatively narrow formula. Whereas Pvmnt often floundered in their looseness, though sometimes that's exactly what made them great.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:53 (twenty-three years ago)

so maybe Pvmnt's better, since, y'know, they took chances.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

haha!

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 5 May 2003 19:21 (twenty-three years ago)

Havn't seen White Stripes, but it seems that they'd offer a bit more engaging live show than the comme ci, comme ça energy of Pavement.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 5 May 2003 19:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Am I the only person here who never got into Pavement even a little bit? There were maybe 2 songs on Slanted I didn't mind. There was one guitar bit on Crooked Rain that I thought was kind of interesting. Not that I have any great love for the WS - they're OK when I hear them - but they don't sound like they're going out of their way to sound like shit. I don't know whether that makes them better or worse.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 5 May 2003 19:53 (twenty-three years ago)

Actually I probably would take "Fell In Love With a Girl" or "You're Pretty Good-Looking For a Girl" over anything I know by Pavement so maybe they win this.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 5 May 2003 19:55 (twenty-three years ago)

The White Stripes dress better.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Also true. As if there was even any question.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Monday, 5 May 2003 20:01 (twenty-three years ago)

They're both horrible bands because as Nate mentioned, neither of them have good drummers and we all know that the rhythm section of a group is crucial for greatness.

― Stiv (Stiv), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:51 (twenty-three years ago)

stiv didn't get nate's joke

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 03:59 (twenty-three years ago)

and we're all better off for that

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 04:04 (twenty-three years ago)

++pavements' number of albums alone beats out the stripes

i am confused. pavement broke up. the entire premise of this thread is rather dud.

my picks: the fall, white stripes, pavement.

― kephm, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 18:28 (twenty-three years ago)

I can't believe this is even a debate. Pavement by miles. And I LIKE the White Stripes.

― Brandon Gentry (Brandon Gentry), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 18:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree that Pavement is the better band, but I disagree
with the people who lump White Stripes with the Strokes,
Vines, and other overnight media sensations. The White
Stripes were doing their own thing years before it became
cool.

― Squirl Plise, Tuesday, 6 May 2003 19:00 (twenty-three years ago)

for example - touring with pavement in 99

― James Blount (James Blount), Tuesday, 6 May 2003 20:21 (twenty-three years ago)

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