Pavement - Stereo

What this video is

Released in January 1997 as the lead single from Brighten the Corners, 'Stereo' arrived at a pivotal moment when Pavement were navigating the widening gap between underground indie credibility and mainstream alt-rock visibility. The single was released on Domino Records (UK) and Matador Records (US), two labels that defined the era's indie infrastructure. NME ranked it the 15th best song of 1997. The song's lyrical…

Why it matters

A defining artifact of mid-90s American indie rock and slacker-rock, 'Stereo' and its video encapsulate the aesthetic and philosophical tensions of the Matador Records scene: high musical intelligence wrapped in deliberate amateurism. The video's experimental, prop-driven concept approach…

The director

John Kelsey is a music video director active in the mid-to-late 1990s indie rock scene. He directed multiple Pavement videos including 'Father to a Sister of Thought,' 'Firecracker,' 'Rattled by the Rush,' and 'Stereo,' making him the primary visual…