Pavement

It's always a shame when one of your favourite bands packs it in, especially when the outfit had many years left in them. But if there's something good to come out of sudden break-ups it's the anticipation of career retrospectives and anthologies. Pavement have now released this fantastic documentary, directed by Lance Bangs, that also contains their video catalogue and a second disc containing multiple-angle shows from 1999 — one from Seattle and another from Manchester. The real treat lies in the main feature though — the condensed but definitive Pavement documentary. Using a lot of hand-held footage, photographs and interviews over the band's ten-year career, this production is appropriately lo-fi. The history includes the band's early years with former drummer Gary Young and his drunken antics, their rise with Matador records, their puzzled re-telling of their Lollapalooza slot. There isn't much talk about the end of Pavement, which is good, considering the DVD paints an image of five good friends making great music. All the great videos are there as well, including three alternate versions and the making of "Gold Soundz" in which the band runs rampant in Santa suits. The live disc is like an added bonus to an already impressive package and could easily have been sold on its own. Top notch all the way. (Matador/Plexifilm)