David Pajo (born June 25, 1968) is an American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres such as

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

math rock Math rock is a style of progressive and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush as well as 20th-century minimal music composers such as Steve Reich. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (includi ...

, post-rock, electronica,

folk rock Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...

and

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...

. Though a multi-instrumentalist (including guitar, bass guitar, banjo and drums), he is best known for his guitar work, most notably with

Slint Slint was an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986. The band consisted of guitarist and vocalist Brian McMahan, guitarist David Pajo, drummer and vocalist Britt Walford, Todd Brashear (bassist on ''Spiderland''), and Etha ...

. He is currently a member of Gang of Four.

Career

A native of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, Pajo played with three Louisville hardcore and hardcore-inflected bands in his early career. The first band in which he played was called

Obscene Routine An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin ''obscēnus'', ''obscaenus'', "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Such loaded language can be us ...

, after which he performed as guitarist in

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

, but it was with Solution Unknown that he made his first recording. He rose to prominence, however, for his work with the influential post-rock band

. Since the breakup of Slint, Pajo has seldom held positions in other bands for very long, moving from one to the other quite often. As a result, he has contributed to many line-ups, playing and recording with

Will Oldham Joseph Will Oldham (born January 15, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and actor. From 1993 to 1997, he performed and recorded in collaboration with dozens of other musicians under variations of Palace (Palace, Palace Flophouse, Palace Br ...

, The For Carnation,

Tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like oth ...

Stereolab Stereolab are an Anglo- French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repeti ...

Royal Trux Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, reuniting in 2015 but disbanded once again in 2019. It was founded by Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals). History While still a teenager, Hagert ...

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

, Bush League,

Zwan Zwan was an American alternative rock supergroup that was formed by Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin, lead singer/guitarist and drummer of The Smashing Pumpkins respectively, after they disbanded in December 2000. Other members included bassi ...

, Peggy Honeywell,

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are compl ...

, and

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...

. He has also performed and released music as a solo artist using various monikers, as Aerial M, M, and most notably, Papa M. Among his 7" and splits with various bands, he has released (as Aerial M) 1997's ''Aerial M'', and (as Papa M) 1999's ''Live from a Shark Cage'', 2001's ''Whatever, Mortal'', and 2003's ''Hole of Burning Alms''. In February and March 2005, he joined his old bandmates from Slint, Britt Walford, Brian McMahan and Todd Brashear for a reunion tour, and in April released his first solo album not bearing a pseudonym, simply entitled ''Pajo''. The follow-up to ''Pajo'', entitled ''1968'', was released in August 2006. Around the middle of 2005, he helped to form the band Dead Child, with Todd Cook (from Shipping News, Retsin, The For Carnation, and Aerial M—and who also played guitar on the 2005 Slint reunion tour), Michael McMahan (from The For Carnation, Starkiller, and Phantom Family Halo—and who also joined Slint on the reunion tour), and Tony Bailey (from Anomoanon, The Party Girls, Verktum, Lords, and Aerial M). In 2009, Pajo joined the

on the tour for their third album, '' It's Blitz!'' He was confirmed to perform as Papa M at the ATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York in September 2010. In June 2010 it was announced that he would be joining the band Interpol as a tour member.Breihan, Tom (2010)
Interpol Set LP Title, Enlist Dave Pajo
,

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

, June 4, 2010, retrieved 2010-06-06 He left the tour early on February 27, 2011. On February 12, 2015, Pajo attempted suicide after posting a lengthy suicide note on his personal blog. He survived this attempt after EMS members were able to rescue him. On May 1, 2020, it was revealed that David Pajo was a member of a recording project/band called Household Gods that also consisted of

Vern Rumsey Vernon Emmry Aldo Rumsey (January 24, 1973 – August 6, 2020) was an American musician. He rose to prominence as the bassist for the band Unwound. He generally played a Fender Jazz bass. He was also a recording engineer who has worked with ban ...

Unwound Unwound is an American post-hardcore band. The band was formed in 1988 in Tumwater and Olympia, Washington by vocalist/guitartist Justin Trosper, bassist Vern Rumsey and drummer Brandt Sandeno, and was largely based in Olympia throughout the 1 ...

, Conan Neutron of Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends and Replicator and Lauren K. Newman (LKN) of Palo Verde and LKN Band. On March 25, 2021, Pajo participated in a group article for the 30th anniversary of Spiderland for ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

''. On October 18, 2021, it was revealed that Pajo would be playing as a member of the Gang of Four on a 2022 North American Tour.

Discography

As a part of a band

;With Solution Unknown: * '' Taken for Granted EP'' (1986) * ''

Karen LP Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

'' (1987) * '' Louisville Sluggers Compilation EP'' (1988) * '' Atskoo'' (1996) ;With Bush League: * ''Fetor EP'' * ''Sicko EP'' * ''Discography'' (1994) ;With

: * ''

Tweez ''Tweez'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Slint and the only studio recording released before their disbandment. It was originally released on the label Jennifer Hartman Records in 1989 as the only record put out by the label, wh ...

'' (1989) * ''

Spiderland ''Spiderland'' is the second and final studio album by the American rock band Slint. It contains six songs played over 40 minutes, and was released by Touch and Go Records on March 27, 1991. Slint's lineup at the time of recording comprised ...

'' (1991) * ''Slint'' (EP) (1994) ;With

: * ''

Movie Star EP A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

'' (1990) * '' Old Man on the Bridge'' (1991) ;With The For Carnation: * ''Fight Songs'' (April 6, 1995) ;With

: * ''

Joya Joya may refer to: * ''Joyà'', a Cirque du Soleil show in Riviera Maya, Mexico * ''Joya'' (album), a 1997 album by Will Oldham * Joya (drink), a Mexican fruit soda brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company * Joya (singer), a R&B singer * Joya, India, ...

'' (1997) * '' I See a Darkness'' (1999) * '' Ease Down the Road'' (2001) ;With

: * ''

Millions Now Living Will Never Die ''Millions Now Living Will Never Die'' is the second studio album by American post-rock band Tortoise (band), Tortoise. The album was released on January 30, 1996 by Thrill Jockey. The album's title is a reference to a phrase used in the Jehovah ...

'' (January 30, 1996) * ''

TNT Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reagen ...

'' (March 10, 1998) ;With

: * '' 3-Song EP'' (1998) ;With

: * '' Mary Star of the Sea'' (January 28, 2003) ;With Peggy Honeywell: * '' Honey for Dinner'' (May 20, 2003) ;With Household Gods: * '' Palace Intrigue'' (June 5th, 2020)

As a solo artist

;M is the Thirteenth Letter: * ''Safeless / Napoleon'' (1995) * ''Vol De Nuit / Witchazel'' (1996) ;Aerial M: * '' Aerial M'' (August 25, 1997) * '' M Is'' (1997) * '' Vivea'' (1998) * ''

October October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôc ...

'' (1998) * '' Post Global Music'' (January 26, 1999) ;Papa M: * '' Travels in Constants Vol. 5'' (1999) * '' 1999 Tour Single'' (1999) * '' Live from a Shark Cage'' (October 25, 1999) * '' Papa M Sings'' (2001) * '' Whatever, Mortal'' (2001) * '' Songs of Mac'' (2002) * '' Three Songs'' (2002) * '' One'' (2003) * ''

Two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

'' (2003) * ''

Three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

'' (2003) * '' Four'' (2003) * '' Five'' (2004) * ''

Six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

'' (2004) * ''

Hole of Burning Alms Hole of Burning Alms is a compilation album by Papa M, a moniker of American multi-instrumentalist David Pajo, collecting various singles and unreleased tracks released between 1995 and 2000. It was released in the United States by Drag City, and ...

'' (February 24, 2004) * '' Highway Songs'' (2016) * '' A Broke Moon Rises'' (2018) ;Pajo: * '' Pajo'' (June 28, 2005) * ''1968'' (August 22, 2006) * '' Scream with Me'' (February 24, 2009) ;Evila: * '' Hexes'' (December 2009)

References

External links

*
David's blog

Deathrockstar's interview

Drag City

Black Tent Press
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pajo, David American musicians of Filipino descent Living people Drag City (record label) artists 1968 births Zwan members American alternative rock musicians American rock guitarists American male bass guitarists American rock bass guitarists Math rock musicians Post-hardcore musicians Post-rock musicians Musicians from Louisville, Kentucky Rock musicians from Kentucky Slint members Guitarists from Kentucky Guitarists from Texas 20th-century American bass guitarists Tortoise (band) members The For Carnation members 20th-century American male musicians King Kong (American band) members Western Vinyl artists