Pavement: Slow Century

This is an easy picture to critique. It's not well shot. It's not well edited. And on DVD, it's difficult to navigate the menu.

That said, this is essential viewing for anyone interested in alternative rock. Pavement was the quintessential slacker band, bar none. SLOW CENTURY captures them in all their unadorned glory, boldly sacrificing tuning and practice for their special brand of magic. The live shows are somewhat chaotic as a result, but anyone familiar with the band would expect no less.

Of course, you also get a collection of Pavement music videos, which offer unpretentious fun, start to finish.

In an era of antiseptic rock and American Idol posturing, these guys are the real thing.