What band is from Stockton?
The music on Slay Tracks was written entirely by Malkmus, and he stated his influences on the record included Chrome, Swell Maps, and The Fall. The songs on the EP drew comparisons to the likes of R.E.M., Pixies, and Sonic Youth by Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Heather Phares of AllMusic. Radio static and noise are prominently used on the EP, techniques which are characteristic of the lo-fi and noise pop genres that Pavement are frequently associated with. According to Malkmus, "We decided to use static as the third instrument. .... It was pretty exciting to be so experimental." Young played drums on "Box Elder" and "Price Yeah!", and frequently improvised. Malkmus played drums on "Maybe Maybe", while both Malkmus and Kannberg drummed on "She Believes"."You're Killing Me", the longest song on the EP at three minutes and 20 seconds, is an example of the impact punk rock had on Pavement. The song features fuzz effects, repetitive lyrics, and no percussion or drums. "Box Elder", an ironic song about someone wanting to move to Box Elder, Montana, was considered by Gerard Cosloy to be an example of Malkmus's "honest, direct, and simplistic" lyrical style, and features greater influence from pop music than the rest of the EP. "Maybe Maybe" features distorted guitars and indiscernible vocals, and "Price Yeah!" has a sound typical of hardcore punk. The band's hometown of Stockton inspired the band's lyrics and sound. Malkmus stated that "There's something empty about Stockton. I wanted to convey that in our music." Malkmus told Melody Maker in 1992 that "Pavement was originally a pathetic effort by us to do something to escape the terminal boredom we were experiencing in Stockton."
Pavement