The Greatest American Rock Band Bracket!
First Round, Indie/Grunge/New Wave Division
Pavement (8) vs. Blondie (9)
Slacker-rock daredevils versus the New Wave vanguard
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Pavement:
"Pavement is perhaps the defining American indie rock band of the 1990s, the group that captured the slacker zeitgeist of the alt rock era. Standing detached from the tumult of grunge, Pavement seemed laconic, sometimes lazy, as they threaded their love of underground American rock and British-post punk, dressing their winding melodies with squalls of feedback and shambolic rhythms. Pavement released a series of EPs that were foundational texts in the lo-fi movement of the 1990s before breaking through to the college rock mainstream with their 1992 debut. Pavement always felt more at home on the fringes of the mainstream, but their deep influence was apparent in generations of indie rock bands in the 21st century." --Allmusic.com Popularity
Influence:
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Blondie:
"Blondie is perhaps the quintessential new wave band: An art-pop group who made the leap from punk to the Top 40, polishing their spiky curves while simultaneously broadening their musical purview beyond trashy AM pop to encompass disco, reggae, and hip-hop. They brought underground sounds into the mainstream with a sly, knowing wink and the incandescent star power of Debbie Harry, the lead singer who co-led the group with guitarist Chris Stein. Blondie's blend of girl-group pop and garage rock first took hold in the U.K, but when the group collaborated with glam producer Mike Chapman, they crafted Parallel Lines, a sleek modernist masterpiece. " --AllMusic.com Popularity
Influence:
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