A one-of-a-kind man with a one-of-a-kind music career deserves a one-of-a-kind documentary. And that movie deserves a one-of-a-kind soundtrack. The man in question is Gary Young, a true original in life and behind the drum kit, who, when he was approaching the ripe old age of 40, joined twenty-somethings Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg (Spiral Stairs), thus becoming the original drummer as well as producer for soon-to-become indie royalty Pavement.
The movie about his wildly unlikely story is Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement, a SXSW winner with a psychedelic heart and special contributions from…puppets. So here’s the soundtrack, at last: selections from Gary Young’s singular, dexterous rock ’n’ roll life sitting next to original music composed by Edward W. Dahl (Jodorowsky’s Dune) and Noah Georgeson (Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Cate Le Bon).
The days of hardcore punk and post-punk are well represented by The Authorities, The Fall of Christianity (the Stockton rebels that struck a chord with a teenage Spiral Stairs), Hot Spit Dancers and CRLLL. So is Gary’s final brush with fame: the merry chaos of Hospital, his post-Pavement nearly-solo venture mostly remembered for improbable MTV favourite ‘Plantman’.
Pavement themselves make memorable appearances throughout the record with ultra-rare live tracks, as well as something quite special: a Gary Young-penned oddity, with Gary on vocals accompanied by his old friends Scott and Stephen, recorded for the movie shortly before Gary’s passing in August 2023.
Proudly resistant to genres and conventions, the Louder Than You Think soundtrack is as complex, fun, puzzling and ultimately lovable as the alcohol-fueled hippie who helped define the sound of all things lo-fi, indie rock and slacker in between headstands.
This clear Pink Vinyl edition features IPR’s custom die-cut Unipak style gatefold jacket with artwork based on the original film graphics, including a six-page folding insert with rare photos, essays by Jackson Griffith and Kelly Foley, lyrics, and musicians list. Includes download card with a unique code for a free digital download of the album.
Tracklist
Side A
- Wink & A Nod – Edward W. Dahl
- Achtung! – The Authorities
- Feed ‘Em to the Lions – Fall of Christianity
- Later Than You Think – Hot Spit Dancers
- Sparkle / Bloom Padding – Edward W. Dahl
- LSD – The Authorities
- Orchard / Drama in the Clean Room / Malice in the Chalice – Noah Georgeson
- No Sex – CRLLL
- Distribution / Cushion of Sense – Edward W. Dahl
Side B
- Glacial Victory – Noah Georgeson
- Baptist Blacktick (Live May 19, 1992) – Pavement
- Lions (Linden) (Live May 19, 1992) – Pavement
- Summer Babe (Live May 19, 1992) – Pavement
- Refrigerator Light / Laptop Tanktop – Gary Young & Noah Georgeson
- Dread in a Dreadful Place – Noah Georgeson
- Plant Man – Gary Young’s Hospital
- Birds in Traffic – Gary Young’s Hospital
- Please Be Happy (For Us) – Gary Young & Pavement
- Appropriation Mix – Noah Georgeson
