David Pajo (born June 25, 1968) is an American musician. He has played a wide variety of music, loosely fitting into several other genres such as

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

math rock Math rock is a style of Alternative rock, alternative and indie rock with roots in bands such as King Crimson and Rush (band), Rush. It is characterized by complex, atypical rhythmic structures (including irregular stopping and starting), cou ...

post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It 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 re ...

and

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

. 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 music, rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1986 after the dissolution of two local bands, Squirrel Bait and Maurice. It initially consisted of guitarist-vocalist Brian McMahan, guitaris ...

Career

A native of

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, 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, after which he performed as guitarist in Maurice, but it was with Solution Unknown that he made his first recording. He rose to prominence for his work with the influential post-rock band

. Since the breakup of Slint, Pajo 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 Brothers, Palace Son ...

, The For Carnation,

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

Stereolab Stereolab are an English people, Anglo-French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's sound incorporates repetitive motorik beats with the use of vintage electronic keybo ...

Royal Trux Royal Trux was an American alternative rock band active from 1987 to 2001, and again from 2015 to 2019 consisting of Neil Hagerty (vocals, guitar) and Jennifer Herrema (vocals). History While still a teenager, Hagerty joined Washington D.C. g ...

King Kong King Kong, also referred to simply as Kong, is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. The character has since become an international pop culture icon,Erb, Cynthia, 1998, ''Tracking Kin ...

, Bush League, Zwan, Peggy Honeywell,

Yeah Yeah Yeahs 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 compleme ...

, and

Interpol The International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL (abbreviated as ICPO–INTERPOL), commonly known as Interpol ( , ; stylized in allcaps), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and crime cont ...

. 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. In mid-2005, he helped to form the band Dead Child, with Todd Cook (from Shipping News,

Retsin Retsin was an American indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock mus ...

, 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 magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

, 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 of Unwound, 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. The magazine was first known fo ...

''. Pajo joined

Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...

for their 2022 North American Tour.

Discography

As a part of a band

;With Solution Unknown: * ''Taken for Granted EP'' (1986) * ''Karen LP'' (1987) * ''Louisville Sluggers Compilation EP'' (1988) * ''Atskoo (Full Discography CD)'' (1996) ;With Bush League: * ''Fetor EP'' * ''Sicko EP'' * ''Discography'' (1994) ;With

: * ''

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

'' (1989) * '' Spiderland'' (1991) * ''Slint'' (EP) (1994) ;With

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

: * '' Joya'' (1997) * '' I See a Darkness'' (1999) * ''

Ease Down the Road ''Ease Down the Road'' is the seventh studio album by American musician Will Oldham, and the second under his moniker Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. It was released on Palace Records on March 19, 2001. Domino Recording Company also released a UK limit ...

'' (2001) ;With

: * '' Millions Now Living Will Never Die'' (January 30, 1996) * ''

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

'' (March 10, 1998) ;With

: * '' 3-Song EP'' (1998) ;With Zwan: * '' Mary Star of the Sea'' (January 28, 2003) ;With Peggy Honeywell: * ''Honey for Dinner'' (May 20, 2003) ;With Household Gods: * ''Palace Intrigue'' (June 5, 2020)

As a solo artist

;M is the Thirteenth Letter: * "Safeless" / "Napoleon" (single) (1995) * "Vol de Nuit" / "Witchazel" (split single w/ Monade) (1996) ;Aerial M: * ''Aerial M'' (August 25, 1997) * "M Is" (single) (1997) * ''Vivea'' (compilation EP) (1998) * "October" (single) (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'' (2003) * ''Three'' (2003) * ''Four'' (2003) * ''Five'' (2004) * ''Six]'' (2004) * '' Hole of Burning Alms'' (February 24, 2004) * ''Highway Songs'' (2016) * '' A Broke Moon Rises'' (2018) * ''Ballads of Harry Houdini'' (2024) ;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
*
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