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Pixies

(Redirected from The Pixies)

For other uses, see Pixie (disambiguation).
Pixies<tr style="text-align: center;"><td colspan="3">Pixies:Pixies, pictured early in their career — Black Francis, Kim Deal, Dave Lovering, and Joey Santiago
Pixies, pictured early in their career — Black Francis, Kim Deal, Dave Lovering, and Joey Santiago
</td></tr>
Background information

<tr><td>Origin</td><td colspan="2">Boston, Massachusetts, USA</td></tr><tr><td>Genre(s)</td><td colspan="2">Alternative rock</td></tr><tr><td>Years active</td><td colspan="2">1986–1993
2004–present</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-right: 1em;">Label(s)</td><td colspan="2">4AD
Elektra
Spin Art
Artemis</td></tr><tr><td textalign="top" style="padding-right: 1em;">Associated
acts</td><td colspan="2">The Breeders
Frank Black and the Catholics
The Amps
The Martinis</td></tr><tr><td>Website</td><td colspan="2">http://www.4ad.com/pixies/</td></tr><tr><th style="background: #b0c4de;" colspan="3">Members</th></tr><tr><td style="text-align: center;" colspan="3">Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar)
Kim Deal (bass guitar, vocals)
Dave Lovering (drums)
Joey Santiago (lead guitar)</td></tr>

The Pixies are an American alternative rock music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986.[1] The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and Dave Lovering have been the group's continual members. The Pixies found only modest success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, although never achieving mainstream success with their studio albums.[2]

Their music, heavily influenced by punk and surf music, was, while highly melodic, capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis was the group's primary songwriter and singer and had a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He typically wrote cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as unidentified flying objects and surrealism.[3] References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, physical injury, and incest feature in many of the band's songs and imagery.[4][5]

The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebearer of the alternative rock boom of the early 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them.[6][7] Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies,[8] along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise.[9][10]


Contents

History

Formation

The Pixies' history began when undergraduates Joey Santiago and Black Francis (born Charles Thompson IV) shared a room at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.[11] Santiago soon introduced Francis to the music of David Bowie and 1970s punk rock, and the pair began to jam together.[12] Francis then embarked on a student exchange trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, but upon arriving struggled to grasp the Spanish language.[13] After spending six months in an apartment with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate",[14] he returned to Boston and dropped out of the university with Santiago to form a band.[12][15]

Bassist Kim Deal later joined Santiago and Francis after responding to a classified advertisement Francis had placed, seeking a female bassist who liked both folk music icons Peter, Paul and Mary and the hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü.[16] Deal was the only person to respond, but arrived at the audition without a bass guitar as she had never played the instrument before.[17][18] She claimed her twin sister Kelley Deal had a bass back in Dayton and that she had no money to get it. Francis lent her $50 for the airfare and Deal returned with the bass guitar.[19]

After recruiting Kim Deal, the band tried to get Kelley to join the band on drums unsuccessfully. Kim's husband suggested that they pick up drummer David Lovering, whom Kim had met at her wedding reception.[20][21] They arrived at a name after Santiago selected the word randomly from a dictionary and took a liking to the definition, "mischievous little elves".[12] The group was originally named "Pixies In Panoply", but soon shortened it to "Pixies".[22][23]

Once the band had settled on a stable line-up, they started rehearsing in Lovering's parents' garage in the summer of 1986.[24] After a month of practicing, their first show — named as "possibly the worst gig in the history of rock"[25] by the band — took place at the The Rathskeller, Boston, where they performed early versions of "Here Comes Your Man", "Dig for Fire", and "Build High",[12] which all appeared on later albums or as B-sides.

Record contract and Come On Pilgrim

While the Pixies were playing a concert with Throwing Muses, they were noticed by producer Gary Smith (Fort Apache Studios). He told the band that he "could not sleep until you guys are world famous."[12][26] The band produced an 18 track demo at Fort Apache soon afterwards, known to fans as "The Purple Tape" because of the tape cover's purple background.[27] The recording was funded by Francis' father at the cost of $1000 and took three days to record.[28] The tape was released exclusively as a demo to interested parties, including Ivo Watts-Russell at 4AD and local promoter Ken Goes, who became the band's manager.[12] Watts-Russell nearly passed on the band, finding them too normal, "too rock 'n' roll", but signed them at the persuasion of his girlfriend.[29][30]

Pixies:Come on Pilgrim (1987)
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Come on Pilgrim (1987)

Upon signing with 4AD (the band later claimed they were "the coolest record company to pay on time"),[12] eight tracks from the Purple Tape were selected for the Come on Pilgrim EP, the band's first release. The title was a lyric in the song "Levitate Me", which came from a catchphrase used by '70s Christian folk singer Larry Norman during his live concerts: "Come on Pilgrim, you know He loves you"[12] — Francis once saw Norman at a Christian summer camp.[23] Black Francis would later record one of Norman's songs during his solo career as Frank Black, plus share one concert stage with Norman.

In the EP, Francis drew upon his experiences in Puerto Rico, mostly in the songs "Vamos" and "Isla de Encanta";[31] the album included lyrics describing the poverty in Puerto Rico. The religious lyrics in Come on Pilgrim and later albums came from his born-again Christian days in the Pentecostal Church.

Come on Pilgrim showcased much of the Pixies' variety and set up the beginnings of many trends in their music. It includes two songs partly sung in Spanish ("Vamos" and "Isla de Encanta") and two songs that explicitly mention incest — "Nimrod's Son" and "The Holiday Song" (sample (help·info)). "I've Been Tired" refers metaphorically to sex and rock and roll culture and features a weird sense of humour, and there are three songs with religious references ("Caribou", "Nimrod's Son", and "The Holiday Song"). Beyond lyrical trends, Come on Pilgrim displayed Santiago's erratic leads (as best displayed in "Vamos"), Kim Deal's sweet harmonies (the then-married Deal used the pseudonym "Mrs. John Murphy" on the first few Pixies records, as an ironic feminist joke), and Black Francis's amazing vocal range, from screaming to simple, traditional sung melodies.[32]

Surfer Rosa and Doolittle

Pixies:Surfer Rosa (1988)
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Surfer Rosa (1988)

Come on Pilgrim was followed by the band's first full-length album, Surfer Rosa. The album was recorded by Steve Albini (who was hired by Watts-Russell at the advice of a 4AD colleague),[33] completed in a fortnight, and released in early 1988. Steve Albini later became notable for recording Nirvana's In Utero at the request of Kurt Cobain, who had cited Surfer Rosa as one of his main musical influences, and particularly admired the album's natural and powerful drum sounds — a result of Albini's influence on the record.[34] Surfer Rosa gained the Pixies acclaim throughout the musical world; both Melody Maker and Sounds gave Surfer Rosa their "Album of the Year" award.[12] The success of Surfer Rosa would lead to the band signing with major record label Elektra before the release of their next album.

As with Come on Pilgrim, the band delivered a wide range of song styles. However, sonically and thematically, Surfer Rosa was similar to Come On Pilgrim — from the drum-driven "Bone Machine", that showed a trademark propensity for surreal lyrics,[35] to pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face",[36] "Break My Body", and "Brick is Red". The band included heavier material, such as "Something Against You", with Black Francis' distorted screaming a prominent feature in the song, and Q Magazine later named Surfer Rosa as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time.[37] A re-recorded version of "Vamos" — a song that appeared on Come on Pilgrim — appears on the album. The track, "You Fuckin' Die! (I Said)" (referred to as "Bonus Track" or "Untitled" on most versions of the CD) that appears toward the end of the album is actually an accidental studio recording of Francis and Deal talking amicably and joking, and despite the title of the song, there is none of the tension present between the two that would later drive the band apart.

Surfer Rosa featured popular songs such as "Gigantic" — their first single release and one of the few songs on which bassist Kim Deal sang lead vocals[38] – "River Euphrates", and "Where Is My Mind?" (sample (help·info)), whose most famous performance was at the end of the film Fight Club, and, as a result is one of their best-known songs to date.

After their critically acclaimed album, the band arrived in England to support Throwing Muses on the European "Sex and Death" tour — beginning at the Mean Fiddler in London.[39] The setlist included new songs such as "In Heaven", "Hey", and "Wild Honey Pie", and the tour become notable for the band's in-jokes, such as playing their entire set list in alphabetical order.[6] The aforementioned songs were recorded in a Peel session in July at the BBC and they soon made a second trip to the studios; choosing "Dead", "Tame", "There Goes My Gun", and "Manta Ray" to be recorded. In total, the band recorded six Peel sessions and released an album, Pixies at the BBC, with selected recorded tracks from those sessions.[40]

Pixies:Doolittle (1989)
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Doolittle (1989)

Around this time, the Pixies struck up a relationship with the British producer, Gil Norton. Norton was to produce their second full album , Doolittle (provisionally titled Whore),[12] which was recorded in the last six weeks of 1988 and seen as a departure from the raw sound of Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa. Doolittle had a much cleaner sound, largely due to Norton and the production budget of US$40,000, which was quadruple that of Surfer Rosa.[41] Much of the album's subject matter remained similar to the previous two albums; several song titles seemed to invoke images of bloodshed and mutilation, such as "I Bleed", "Wave of Mutilation", and "Gouge Away".

Doolittle began with "Debaser" (sample (info)), an ode to the 1929 surrealist Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí film Un chien andalou. "Debaser" is perhaps their most highly regarded song; in March 2005, Q magazine placed the song at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. Doolittle featured the prominent single "Here Comes Your Man"; an unusually jaunty and poppy song for the band.[42] It nearly landed the band a mimed appearance on the TV chat show Wogan, which was mocked in the video to the song.[43][44] "Monkey Gone to Heaven", the only Pixies song with a string section, was a Top 10 hit in the UK, reached the Top 100 in North America and still receives regular radio play. Deal's only songwriting contribution to the album was the song "Silver", in which Deal played slide guitar and Lovering played the bass guitar.[45] Lovering sang lead vocals on "La La Love You",[46] an atypical love song from the band.

Like Surfer Rosa, Doolittle was critically acclaimed by fans and music critics alike, and it is perhaps their most popular record; it was certified gold by the RIAA on November 10, 1995.[47] In 2003, the album was ranked number 226 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[48] and placed on Q Magazine's 100 Greatest Albums Ever.[37]

Hiatus

It was after Doolittle that tensions between Deal and Francis came to a head (for example, Francis threw a guitar at Deal during a concert in Stuttgart),[49] and Deal was almost fired from the band. Santiago, in an interview to Mojo, explained:[50]

   
Pixies:Pixies
 Kim was headstrong and wanted to include her own songs, to explore her own world. The way I think Charles [Black Francis] saw it, the band made pizzas, not cookies. Before we made Bossanova, we were even going to fire her, after a gig in Frankfurt, where we found her hanging out in her hotel room, with no intention of playing. But our lawyer convinced us to try and work it out, to give her a warning or something. You know, I blocked that incident out of my head, that was too heavy for me. Kim couldn't believe I'd be party to it but I told her, she didn't seem happy, so why hang around? In the end, Kim realised it was Charles's bag, that he was the singer, but they kinda stopped talking after that.
   
Pixies:Pixies

During the post-Doolittle "Fuck or Fight" tour of the United States (intended to promote the release of the album), the band's hectic schedule (the Pixies had released three albums in two years, as well as constant touring) took its toll on the band members. Near the end of the 1989 tour, in their homecoming concert in Boston, Deal was in a drunken state and Santiago smashed up his instruments and stormed off-stage. On the final tour date (in New York), the band was too exhausted to attend the end-of-tour party the next night and soon announced a hiatus.[6]

During this time, Santiago travelled to the Grand Canyon to "find himself", and Lovering jetted off to Jamaica. Francis bought a yellow Cadillac and crossed America with his girlfriend, and while doing so performed solo gigs in order to raise money for furniture in his new Los Angeles apartment. Deal formed a new band, The Breeders (named after a band she had formed with her sister as a teenager) with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses and bassist Josephine Wiggs of Perfect Disaster. Their debut album, Pod, was released later that year.[51]

Bossanova and Trompe le Monde

Pixies:Bossanova (1990)
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Bossanova (1990)

After Doolittle, Francis began to limit Deal's contributions to the band and began to assert more control over the band's output; the first three records had been partly written by Deal, but when Bossanova was released in 1990, all the original songs were by him. Deal was not pleased, and unilaterally announced an apparent break-up of the band on-stage during the following tour. The Pixies were at the height of their popularity, however, and while headlining at the Reading Festival in 1990, they played a highly enthusiastic version of "Debaser" which has become legendary among fans.

Perhaps owing to Deal's lack of input, the subject matter changed from earlier albums, to a more sci-fi, surreal focus on UFOs and alien abduction[3]. The musical style of the album was inspired by surf-rock, as Bossanova started with a cover of "Cecilia Ann" by The Surftones.

The style of music in Bossanova was a departure from previous albums. For example, songs such as "Havalina" and "Ana" showed a dreamy side to the band, and Francis' vocals were notably more tuneful (although on "Rock Music", he displayed his trademark screaming). "Dig For Fire" was, according to Francis,[52] a Talking Heads tribute, and "All Over The World" was also written in a similar musical style. The lead guitar of Santiago was less prominent, with none of the wilder solos that were present in Come On Pilgrim or Surfer Rosa. The track "Allison" was a tribute to one of Francis' musical heroes Mose Allison (an American jazz and blues artist). The track references space and the universe – ideas commonly explored in Mose's work.

Pixies:Trompe le Monde (1991)
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Trompe le Monde (1991)

The band continued to tour, and, break-up announcements notwithstanding, one more album was to follow. Trompe le Monde, released in 1991, still featured little creative input from Deal and wasn't as immediately well regarded as their first few albums. Before its release, it was rumored that the album drew inspiration from heavy metal,[53] and the band's pre-album release of "Planet of Sound", a heavier song than their usual output, did not quell the rumors.

In the end, Trompe Le Monde expanded on the UFO and sci-fi themes (including a song on space travel, "Planet of Sound").[54] Songs such as "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" and "Lovely Day" were written in a similar style to songs on Bossanova (such as "Havalina"). The album saw the band move in a more popular direction with songs as "Palace of the Brine" (the first time Deal is heard singing backing vocals in the album) and "Trompe Le Monde", and the song "U-Mass" (sample (info)) included the keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman — a move unthinkable in the band's Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa days. The album also featured a cover of "Head On" by The Jesus and Mary Chain. Trompe Le Monde was to be the Pixies last studio album before their breakup.

Following the release of Trompe Le Monde, the band contributed a cover of "I Can't Forget" to the Leonard Cohen tribute album I'm Your Fan and went on a sellout winter tour of the USA, culminating on a TV appearance on The Tonight Show. They then embarked on an uncomfortable tour supporting fans U2 (on their Zoo TV tour) in 1992. However, tensions rose between band members, and, at the end of the year, the Pixies went on sabbatical and focused on separate projects.[55]

In early 1993, Francis announced in an interview to BBC Radio 5 that the band was finished and offered no explanation at the time, unbeknownst to the other members of the band.[56] He later telephoned Santiago and subsequently notified Deal and Lovering via fax, in January 1993.[57] Black later regretted breaking up the band in that fashion, as he did not allow the rest of the band an opportunity to discuss the move.[58]

After the breakup

Black Francis renamed himself Frank Black, and released three solo albums. He then went on to form a band with Scott Boutier, Eric Drew Feldman, Rich Gilbert, David McCaffrey, and Dave Phillips called Frank Black and the Catholics, who released six albums with a more stripped down, country tinge than Black's solo work. In 2005, Black released his fourth solo album, Honeycomb, featuring a mellow, rhythm and blues-styled approach and backing from seasoned Nashville musicians. He released a further double album from the same sessions, Fastman Raiderman, on July 19, 2006.

Deal returned to the Breeders and scored a hit with "Cannonball" from that group's Last Splash in 1993. However, for several years they struggled to produce another album, mainly due to her sister and fellow band member, Kelley's, struggles with heroin. The album, Title TK, finally appeared in 2002, with only Kim and Kelley remaining from the previous Breeders lineup. While on hiatus from the Breeders, Deal formed and recorded with The Amps,who released their only album Pacer.[59]

Lovering went on to become a magician and make occasional appearances as "The Scientific Phenomenalist", performing experiments on stage and occasionally opening for Frank Black and the Breeders.[60] Lovering continued to drum, playing on one of Tanya Donelly's solo albums. Santiago played lead guitar on one of Frank Black's solo albums, and on other albums such as Statecraft, by eccentric indie-rock musician Charles Douglas.[61] He wrote theme music for Fox television, and formed a band called The Martinis with his wife, Linda Mallari. They released their debut album, Smitten, in 2004.[62]

After the band broke up, 4AD and Elektra Records released compilation albums such as Death to the Pixies and Complete B-Sides along with Pixies (The Purple Tape) and Pixies at the BBC.

Reunion

Pixies:The Pixies in concert in Kansas City, October 1, 2004. From left to right, Frank Black, Dave Lovering (back) and Kim Deal. Joey Santiago is probably to the left of the photo.
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The Pixies in concert in Kansas City, October 1, 2004. From left to right, Frank Black, Dave Lovering (back) and Kim Deal. Joey Santiago is probably to the left of the photo.

In the 11 years following the break-up, rumours frequently circulated regarding a reunion. Though Frank Black steadfastly dismissed them, he did begin to incorporate an increasing number of Pixies songs in his sets with the Catholics, and occasionally included Santiago and Lovering in his solo work. In late 2003 a press release from Black's publicist officially confirmed that a reunion would occur in the spring of 2004. The Pixies played their first reunion concert on April 13, 2004 at The Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota, [63] and a warmup tour through the US and Canada was followed by appearances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The band then spent much of 2004 touring throughout Europe, Japan, and the US.

In June of that year, the band released a new single "Bam Thwok" (sample (help·info)) exclusively on the iTunes Music Store, which placed at #1 in the UK download chart in its first week.[64] 4AD released Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies, along with a companion DVD. The band also contributed to the Warren Zevon tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich.

2005 saw the band make appearances at the Lollapalooza and Sasquatch! music festivals.[65][66] The band also played at European events such as the Reading and Leeds Festivals, and in Edinburgh as part of the T on the Fringe music festival. In August, the band performed an entirely acoustic set (their first such set) at the Newport Folk Festival.[67][68]

New album

In July 2005, Black said that the band hopes to record a new album, their first since 1991. "We really want to make a record for the right reasons, whether it is successful commercially or not," Black said.[69] Black reportedly presented a batch of songs to the group for consideration sometime in 2006, but later described them as "too fakey".[70] Though it was widely reported that any new album efforts had been abandoned,[71] Black revealed at a Spanish press conference in July 2006 that the band tentatively planned to continue working on new material, with the caveat that "if it doesn't sound good, we don't put the machine into record",[72] and in October 2006, he announced that the band would start rehearsing and recording an album in January 2007.[73]

Musical style

Although the Pixies' musical style has changed over time, the band is considered to be an alternative rock band alongside similar bands such as the Throwing Muses.[74] The Pixies explored a range of song styles in their songs — although many songs were characterized by Francis' distinctive yowling and lead vocals, with Deal's feathery backing vocals (on songs such as "I Bleed" and "Debaser") and Santiago's erratic lead guitar. The band's sound has progressed from an indie rock sound in Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa, to a more sci-fi, mainstream rock sound, in Bossanova and Trompe le Monde. However, they have experimented with other genres of music, such as surf rock ("Cecilla Ann" in Bossanova), rock ("U-Mass") and pseudo-metal ("Planet of Sound", both in Trompe le Monde).

Influences

The Pixies draw influence from a range of artists and genres; each member came from a different musical background. Francis listened to The Beatles and cited Iggy Pop as his main influence in an interview to Mojo Magazine; and Santiago, as mentioned above, listened to 1970s and 1980s punk (including bands such as Hüsker Dü) and David Bowie.[12] Deal's musical background was country; she had formed a country band with her sister in her teenager years. Folk music has influenced the Pixies; Francis often listened to Larry Norman, and the band famously requested a bassist that was "into Peter, Paul and Mary", a folk trio.

Other media such as film has had an impact on the Pixies; Francis cites surrealist films Eraserhead and Un Chien Andalou (as mentioned in "Debaser") as influences.[12][75] He commented on these influences (which he paid tribute to most in Doolittle), saying he "didn't have the patience to sit around reading Surrealist novels", but found it easier to watch twenty-minute films.[76] He claimed the band members were "surrealists" in an interview to Melody Maker:[77]

   
Pixies:Pixies
 Maybe the avant-garde appeals to people from our economic background, because we're typically rejecting the older meaningful Christian values, but we're still confused as hell.
   
Pixies:Pixies

Composition and songwriting

Most of the Pixies songs were written, sung and composed by Francis, whose songwriting style was characterized by a focus on Biblical violence ("Dead", "Gouge Away"), and incest ("The Holiday Song"). He later commented on this in an interview to Melody Maker:[78]

   
Pixies:Pixies
 It's all those characters in the Old Testament. I'm obsessed with them. Why it comes out so much I don't know.
   
Pixies:Pixies

However, he wrote about other offbeat subjects — such as the sea ("Where Is My Mind?" and "Wave of Mutilation") and nuclear bombs ("Here Comes Your Man"). In the band's early works (the Come On Pilgrim era), he included references to Christian themes ("Levitate Me"). However, as the band's career progressed, he began to focus on sci-fi concepts and themes such as aliens ("Motorway to Roswell") and unidentified flying objects ("The Happening"). Francis continued to explore these themes in his later solo work.

Deal contributed songs such as "Gigantic", "Into the White" and "Silver" and wrote the band's latest composition, "Bam Thwok"; she sung lead vocals on her songs.

Covers

The band also recorded several covers, mostly as a nod to the artist's influence on their work. The band covered "In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator Song)" (from Eraserhead), which was released as a B-side — and covered "Wild Honey Pie" from The Beatles' White Album in a Peel session.

The band covered songs from numerous rock songwriters, Warren Zevon ("Ain't That Pretty At All" in 2004 – their second recording since their reunion), Neil Young ("Winterlong," "I've Been Waiting For You"), Leonard Cohen ("I Can't Forget"), The Yardbirds ("Evil Hearted You"; a version sung entirely in Spanish), The Jesus and Mary Chain ("Head On"), The Surftones ("Cecilia Ann") and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band ("Born in Chicago").

Instrumentation

In terms of instrumentation, the Pixies are a four-piece rock band. Francis, the group's frontman, is the rhythm guitarist and uses either a Fender Telecaster, Fender Mustang, or Fender Jaguar, with either the Marshall JCM 800 or the Vox AC30 as amplification.[79] Santiago, the lead guitarist, is a "strict Les Paul man" (he owns 3 Les Pauls), but also has a Gibson ES-335 and uses a Pearce GR-8 amplifier. Deal, the bassist in the band, plays either a Fender Precision or Music Man Stingray[80] bass and Lovering, the drummer, plays a five-piece white Pro Prestige custom drumkit.[81]

As their career has progressed, starting with "Monkey Gone to Heaven" (from Doolittle), the band have incorporated other, often unusual instruments and experimented more with their sound. For example, "Monkey Gone to Heaven" used a string section. "Velouria" (from Bossanova) had a theremin,[82][83] "U-Mass" featured a keyboard part (played by Eric Drew Feldman) and "Bam Thwok", their latest release, has an organ solo halfway through the song.

Legacy

Although the Pixies produced relatively few albums, they had a great influence on the alternative rock boom of the 1990s that started with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Gary Smith, who produced the Pixies' first recording, Come on Pilgrim, commented on the band's influence on alternative rock and their legacy (in 1997):[12]

   
Pixies:Pixies
 I've heard it said about The Velvet Underground that while not a lot of people bought their albums, everyone who did started a band. I think this is largely true about the Pixies as well. Charles' secret weapon turned out to be not so secret and, sooner or later, all sorts of bands were exploiting the same strategy of wide dynamics. It became a kind of new pop formula and, within a short while, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was charging up the charts and even the members of Nirvana said later that it sounded for all the world like a Pixies song.
   
Pixies:Pixies

Sonically, the Pixies are credited with popularizing the extreme dynamics and stop-start timing that would come to define alternative rock; Pixies songs typically feature hushed, restrained verses, and explosive, wailing choruses.[84] Cover songs and commentary from artists and groups such as David Bowie,[85] Radiohead, U2, Nirvana and critics such as Graham Linehan[9] attest to the appreciation of the band by musicians and critics alike.[86] Bob Mould (from Hüsker Dü, who the Pixies cited as an influence) said he "was a huge Pixies fan" and Thom Yorke (of Radiohead), after being informed of the Pixies plans to play before them at the Coachella Festival, exclaimed:

   
Pixies:Pixies
 No! That's just not right! The Pixies opening for us is like the Beatles opening for us. I won't allow it. There's no way we can follow the Pixies!
   
Pixies:Pixies

Yorke said in the same Coachella Festival that, while at school, "the Pixies had changed my life". Other members of Radiohead have cited Pixies as an influence, and Yorke commented, "If we were all into the Pixies and nothing else, then it would be pretty obvious what the band would sound like."

While touring with U2 in 1992, the Pixies were sent a note from the band saying "Keep digging for fire. We love you." David Bowie, who had inspired Francis and Santiago while they were at university, mourned the band's breakup: "I felt very depressed the day I heard about the Pixies split. What a waste...I could see them becoming huge." This statement echoed many artists at that time who felt the band should have had more commercial success.[9]

The most notable citation as an influence was by Kurt Cobain, on influencing Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", which he admitted was a conscious attempt to co-opt the Pixies' style. In a January 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed:[9][87]

   
Pixies:Pixies
 I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies. I have to admit it (smiles). When I heard the Pixies for the first time, I connected with that band so heavily I should have been in that band - or at least in a Pixies cover band. We used their sense of dynamics, being soft and quiet and then loud and hard.
   
Pixies:Pixies

Weezer (who later covered "Velouria" in the Pixies tribute album, Where Is My Mind?) have cited the Pixies as an influence on their music and Rivers Cuomo (the lead singer), in an Addicted To Noise interview, said that the band "really blew my mind when I first moved to L.A. and started to discover cool music." Damon Albarn (of the band Blur) said: "When we started we wanted to sound like the Pixies."[9] The number of tribute albums recorded gives backing to their position as a major influence in modern alternative rock music.

The Pixies' music, despite never reaching great mainstream popularity, is frequently found in popular culture. Many TV shows, movies, and video games have made use of Pixies songs. The most prominent appearance of a Pixies song was the use of "Where Is My Mind?" as the exit music to the popular film Fight Club.

"I've Been Tired" can be heard in the background in the movie Unbreakable. The movie The United States of Leland features both "Gigantic" and "Hang Wire" as background music. "Where Is My Mind?" has been used in the movie The Weather Man, in an episode of Veronica Mars and the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit "woke up" to the song after a memory reformat and software upgrade.[88]

"Debaser" is featured in the soundtrack for video game NCAA Football 06 (though all references to "slicing up eyeballs" have been edited out), the song is also played during the opening credits of the movie Haiku Tunnel and in an episode of The O.C.. "Tame" was used in a TV advertisement by Smirnoff. "Wave Of Mutilation (UK Surf)" is included on the soundtrack of the movie Pump Up The Volume. Both "La La Love You" and "Here Comes Your Man" are played in the movie Stuck on You. "Here Comes Your Man" appears in the films My Girl, and Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo . "Monkey Gone to Heaven" has been used in the movie Grosse Pointe Blank, and in a Gilmore Girls episode. Pixies' cover of The Surftones' "Cecilia Ann" is played over the opening sequence of Noah Baumbach's 1995 film Kicking and Screaming. "Rock Music" ends the premiere episode of the television series Criminal Minds.[89]

Television appearances and videos

Pixies:A screenshot of the "Velouria" video, with the four band members running down the quarry
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A screenshot of the "Velouria" video, with the four band members running down the quarry

The Pixies appeared on several television shows during their original incarnation, including The Tonight Show and 120 Minutes in the US, and The Word in the UK.[90][91]

Since the band were signed to the small alternative record label, 4AD, at the time of Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa, no videos were released from their first two records. Starting with Doolittle, their first release with Elektra Records, the band released music videos with their singles, but the videos were often simple affairs. For example, in songs such as "Monkey Gone To Heaven", "Head On" and "Debaser", the videos often consisted of the band playing their instruments.

By Bossanova, the band had a developed a severe aversion to recording music videos as Francis refused to lip-sync to them.[92] According to the record label this became one of the reasons that the Pixies never achieved major coverage on MTV.[92]

"Velouria" video

As "Velouria" (their first single from Bossanova) was climbing up the UK Top 40, the band was offered a spot on Top Of The Pops. However, a BBC rule stated that only singles with videos could be performed on the show. To counter this a cheap video was made, the band being filmed running down a quarry.[92]

In the video, ten seconds of footage (the time needed for the band members to reach the camera) is slowed in order to last for the duration of the song.[93] However, the effort in filming the video was in vain; the Pixies did not play "Velouria" on Top of The Pops while the single was in the charts.[94] In fact, the band never appeared on the show.

Awards and achievements

Although the band never gained mainstream recognition in its original incarnation, the band won several awards from music publications and local music awards. For example, they won the Act of the Year award in the 2004 Boston Music Awards.[95] The Pixies also won acclaim from alternative music publications for their records:

Discography

Main article: Pixies discography

Studio records

These are the studio records that were released in the United Kingdom and United States:[99]

TitleRelease DateLabel
Come on PilgrimOctober 19874AD
Surfer RosaMarch 21 19884AD
DoolittleApril 17 19894AD (UK)/Elektra (US)
BossanovaAugust 13 19904AD (UK)/Elektra (US)
Trompe le MondeOctober 7 19914AD (UK)/Elektra (US)

Singles

YearTitleAlbum
1988 "Gigantic" Surfer Rosa
1989 "Here Comes Your Man" Doolittle
1989 "Monkey Gone to Heaven" Doolittle
1990 "Dig for Fire" Bossanova
1990 "Allison" Bossanova
1990 "Velouria" Bossanova
1991 "Planet of Sound" Trompe le Monde
1991 "Letter to Memphis" Trompe le Monde
1991 "Alec Eiffel" Trompe le Monde
1991 "Head On" Trompe le Monde
1997 "Debaser (Studio)" Death to the Pixies
1997 "Debaser (Live)" Death to the Pixies
2004 "Bam Thwok"(Internet single)

Samples

  • Holiday Song (file info) — play in browser (beta)

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  • Where is my Mind? (file info) — play in browser (beta)

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  • Debaser (file info) — play in browser (beta)

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  • Velouria (file info) — play in browser (beta)

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  • U-Mass (file info) — play in browser (beta)

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  • Bam Thwok (file info) — play in browser (beta)
    • "Bam Thwok", iTunes Music Store exclusive release

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    See also

    Notes and references

    1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, All Music Guide. Pixies. Retrieved on 2005-09-10.
    2. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas, All Music Guide. American Alternative Rock/Post-Punk. Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
    3. ^ a b Francis, Black. Lyrics. "The Happening." Bossanova. LP. 4AD 1990.
    4. ^ Francis, Black. Lyrics. "Broken Face." Surfer Rosa. LP. 4AD 1988.
    5. ^ Francis, Black. Lyrics. "Dead." Doolittle. LP. 4AD 1988.
    6. ^ a b c Stephen Thomas Erlewine. Pixies > Biography. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    7. ^ Jacqueline Hodges, BBC (2004-05-03). Rock & Alt Review - The Pixies - Wave of Mutilation. Retrieved on 2006-10-18. “Then along came the Surfer Rosa album where, without realising it at the time, a pre-Nevermind Steve Albini produced the blueprint for grunge and a legend was born.”
    8. ^ Melody Maker (1992-08-29). Kurt Cobain on Pixies and The Breeders. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
    9. ^ a b c d e Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. They Said About the Pixies.... Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
    10. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. Homages to the Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
    11. ^ The university was the theme of the song, "U-Mass", on Trompe le Monde
    12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 4AD. Pixies Profile. Retrieved on 2006-08-13.
    13. ^ His Spanish later improved, and several Pixies songs contained Spanish lyrics, most notably in Come On Pilgrim
    14. ^ The unnamed roommate in question was the subject of a later song, "Crackity Jones", from Doolittle.
    15. ^ Sisario, Ben. Doolittle 33⅓. Continuum, 2006. ISBN 0-8264-1774-4 p. 12-13
    16. ^ Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. "Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies." (2006). ISBN 0-312-34007-9. p. 14
    17. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 15
    18. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 14
    19. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. A Pixies History. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
    20. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 18
    21. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 8-9
    22. ^ Dag Wieërs. Pixies/Debaser — Trivia. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    23. ^ a b Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. Pixies Titles/Names. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
    24. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 9
    25. ^ Pixies - The Band (2001-11-21). Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
    26. ^ Gary Smith wrote a retrospect for the liner notes of the Death to the Pixies compilation
    27. ^ The official profile states 18 tracks were recorded, but only 17 are printed on the Purple Tape
    28. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 16
    29. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 17
    30. ^ An album was later released, entitled Pixies, containing the songs from the Purple Tape that were not later released on Come on Pilgrim. Pixies also contained a new track, "Rock A My Soul", which was never released on any album.
    31. ^ "Isla de Encanta" is an alteration of the island's nickname, "Isla del Encanto" ("Isle of Enchantment").
    32. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 18
    33. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 75
    34. ^ Azerrad, Michael. Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana. Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-47199-8, p. 313
    35. ^ Francis, Black. Lyrics. "Bone Machine." Surfer Rosa. LP. 4AD 1988.
    36. ^ "Broken Face" is another Spanish-themed song, with erratic lead guitar from Santiago and pseudo-falsetto vocals from Francis present in the song
    37. ^ a b Julian White and Q Magazine. A Selection of Lists From Q Magazine. Retrieved on 2006-08-11.
    38. ^ However, "Gigantic" failed to chart in the USA, and only reached #92 in the UK
    39. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 94
    40. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. Pixies Radio 1 Sessions. Retrieved on 2006-09-02. Note the webpage was written before the release of Pixies at the BBC.
    41. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 47
    42. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 118-9
    43. ^ In the video to "Here Comes Your Man", the band open their mouths while the vocals on the song are being sung
    44. ^ 4AD. 4AD — Pixies Profile Page 2. Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
    45. ^ Deal was credited for the first time as "Kim Deal" on Doolittle
    46. ^ The only other lead vocals Lovering sung were on "Make Believe", a B-side
    47. ^ RIAA - Gold and Platinum searchable database. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
    48. ^ Rolling Stone Magazine (2003-11-18). The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Retrieved on 2006-08-23.
    49. ^ Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 132
    50. ^ HELLO GOODBYE 9: JOEY SANTIAGO & THE PIXIES. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
    51. ^ 4AD — Pixies Profile (page 3). Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
    52. ^ The Pixies: Quotes. Retrieved on 2006-08-27.
    53. ^ Trompe Le Monde reviews. Retrieved on 2006-08-20.
    54. ^ Francis, Black. Lyrics. "Planet of Sound." Trompe Le Monde). LP. 4AD 1991.
    55. ^ During this time, Deal returned to the Breeders, who released their EP Safari.
    56. ^ NME (1993-01-23). PIXIES' BOSSA SAYS IT'S NOVA!. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
    57. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 7
    58. ^ Scully, Alan (2005-06-01). Once more, the Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-08-22.
    59. ^ The Amps: Pacer. Retrieved on 2006-09-19.
    60. ^ David Lovering—Scientific Phenomenalist. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
    61. ^ Charles Douglas - STATECRAFT. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
    62. ^ The Martinis. Retrieved on 2006-09-13.
    63. ^ Pixies : Minneapolis Fine Line Music Cafe. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    64. ^ Pixies top UK download chart. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    65. ^ Weezer Rock Lollapalooza:Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    66. ^ Sasquatch! Music Festival Lineup Announced. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    67. ^ Pixies Unplug for Newport Folk Festival. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    68. ^ Pixies Supported By Idlewild At 'T On The Fringe'. Retrieved on 2006-09-10. Also has a complete list of the band's summer 2004 tour dates
    69. ^ Pixies to Make First Album in 14 Years. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
    70. ^ Gary Graff, Billboard (2006-06-19). Black Bags Penning Pixie-Esque Songs. Retrieved on 2006-10-09.
    71. ^ Pixies Will Never Record Again. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
    72. ^ Pixies to Play with New Material. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
    73. ^ NME. Pixies to begin work on new album. Retrieved on 2006-10-25.
    74. ^ The Pixies - Profile and Biography. Retrieved on 2006-09-30.
    75. ^ Pixies - Debaser. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    76. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 29
    77. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 27
    78. ^ Sisario, 2006. p. 18
    79. ^ guitargeek. guitargeek: Frank Black of the Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-09-10.
    80. ^ Bill Leigh, Bass Player (11 2004). Bass Player — The Pixies' Kim Deal. Retrieved on 2006-09-01.
    81. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. Instruments Played by the Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-08-29.
    82. ^ susykat (05 2004). Theremin-mania!. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.
    83. ^ A theremin is an uncommon instrument in alternative rock
    84. ^ For example, a Pixies documentary loudQUIETloud, is named after their trademark dynamics.
    85. ^ Bowie later covered the song Cactus from Surfer Rosa in his album, Heathen
    86. ^ PIXIES SELL OUT Live-In-Concert DVD. Retrieved on 2006-09-09.
    87. ^ BBC Entertainment — The Pixies: Rock's comeback kings. Retrieved on 2006-08-11.
    88. ^ Refreshed and Ready to Rock and Rove. Retrieved on 2006-09-17.
    89. ^ References to the Pixies. Retrieved on 2006-09-11.
    90. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. Pixies TV appearances. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    91. ^ Matthew Broszkowski. pixies video downloads. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    92. ^ a b c Frank, Ganz, 2006. p. 140
    93. ^ Jean-Michel Biel, Christophe Gourraud. The Pixies In Video. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    94. ^ Andy Barding (2004-06-07). The Pixies And Me. Retrieved on 2006-10-17.
    95. ^ Ken Capobianco - The Boston Globe. Music Awards celebrate songs, not celebrities. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    96. ^ Sounds List. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    97. ^ Melody Maker Lists The '70's & '80's. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
    98. ^ Note that both Melody Maker and Sounds are both defunct
    99. ^ Dag Wieërs. Pixies/Debaser - Timeline. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.

    Further reading

    Pixies
    Black Francis | Kim Deal | Joey Santiago | David Lovering
    Discography
    Studio albums and EPs: Come on Pilgrim (EP) | Surfer Rosa | Doolittle | Bossanova | Trompe le Monde

    Pixies at the BBC | Complete 'B' Sides | Pixies (The Purple Tape)

    Singles: "Gigantic" | "Monkey Gone to Heaven" | "Here Comes Your Man" | "Velouria" | "Dig for Fire" | "Planet of Sound" | "Alec Eiffel" | "Head On" | "Debaser" | "Bam Thwok"
    Compilation Albums: Death to the Pixies | Wave of Mutilation: Best of Pixies
    Related bands
    The Breeders | Frank Black and the Catholics | The Amps | The Martinis

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