The Pixies
The Pixies, pictured early in their career — Black Francis, Kim Deal, David Lovering, and Joey Santiago.
Background information
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock
Years active	1985–1993 2004–2007
Label(s)	4AD, Elektra, Spin Art, Artemis
Associated acts	The Breeders, Frank Black and the Catholics, The Amps, The Martinis
Website	www.4ad.com/pixies/
Members
Black Francis Kim Deal David Lovering Joey Santiago

The Pixies^[1] are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music 4AD is a British Independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still Elektra Records is a now-dormant American Record label owned by Warner Music Group (WMG and from 2004 on operating under WMG's Atlantic Records spinART Records is a now-defunct Independent record label. Based in New York, artists that released music under the spinART banner include The Apples in Artemis Records was a New York -based Independent record label, founded in July 1999 by former Chairman / CEO Danny Goldberg The Breeders are an American Alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Throwing Muses ' Tanya Donelly The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus they first began touring as " The Martinis are a rock band formed in in 1993 The band consists of Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago and his wife Linda Mallari Kimberly Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American Singer, Songwriter and Musician, best known as the bassist of the David Lovering (born December 6 1961 is an American Musician and magician. Joey Santiago (born Joseph Alberto Santiago on June 10 1965 is a Filipino -American Guitarist and Composer. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of A musical ensemble is a group of two or more Musicians who perform instrumental or vocal Music. ^[2] The band disbanded in 1993 under acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering have been the band's continual members. Joey Santiago (born Joseph Alberto Santiago on June 10 1965 is a Filipino -American Guitarist and Composer. Kimberly Ann Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American Singer, Songwriter and Musician, best known as the bassist of the David Lovering (born December 6 1961 is an American Musician and magician. 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. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[3]

The Pixies' music was heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, was capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Surf rock is a style of music that originated in the USA that mixes elements of Surf music and Rock music, and partially due to the number of Mexican Francis was the band's primary songwriter and singer and had a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both He typically wrote cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, physical injury, and incest feature in many of the band's songs. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Incest refers to any sexual activity between closely related persons (often within the immediate family that is illegal or socially Taboo.

The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebearer of the alternative rock boom of the 1990s, though they disbanded before reaping any of the benefits this might have brought them. ^[4][5] Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies,^[6] along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. ^[7][8]

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. The University of Massachusetts Amherst (otherwise known as UMass Amherst, Massachusetts, or UMass) is a research and Land-grant university in ^[9] Santiago soon introduced Francis to the music of David Bowie and 1970s punk rock, and the pair began to jam together. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. ^[10] Francis then embarked on a student exchange trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, but upon arriving struggled to grasp the Spanish language. San Juan (saŋ hwaŋ (from the Spanish San Juan Bautista, " Saint John the Baptist " is the Capital and largest municipality in Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} ^[11] After spending six months in an apartment with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate",^[12] he returned to Boston and dropped out of the university. ^[10][13] The two spent 1984 working in a warehouse, with Francis composing songs on his acoustic guitar and writing lyrics on the subway train. ^[14]

The pair formed a band in January 1985. Bassist Kim Deal joined Santiago and Francis two weeks later^[15] 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. Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous Peter Paul and Mary (often called PP&M) are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the Hardcore punk (now usually referred to as simply hardcore) is a subgenre of Punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s For other uses see Husker Du. Hüsker Dü was an American Alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis-St ^[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. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the ^[17][18] She claimed her twin sister Kelley Deal had a bass back in Dayton and that she had no money to get it. Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961, in Dayton, Ohio, United States) is the lead guitarist of The Breeders and the Francis lent her $50 for the airfare and Deal returned with the bass guitar. ^[19] The trio started rehearsing in late 1985 in Deal's apartment, "because the old lady upstairs couldn't hear. "^[20]

After recruiting Kim Deal, the band tried to get Kelley to join the band on drums unsuccessfully. ^[21] Kim's husband suggested they hire drummer David Lovering, whom Kim had met at her wedding reception. ^[22][23] They arrived at a name after Santiago selected the word randomly from a dictionary and took a liking to the definition, "mischievous little elves". An elf is a creature of Norse mythology. The elves were originally imagined as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming ^[10] The group was originally named "Pixies In Panoply" ("Things on Fire" was considered),^[24] but soon shortened it to "Pixies". ^[25][26] Once the band had settled on a name and stable line-up, they moved rehearsals to Lovering's parents' garage in the summer of 1986. ^[27][28] Their first show—named as "possibly the worst gig in the history of rock" 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". The Rathskeller (known as The Rat for short was a Kenmore Square Live music venue in Boston Massachusetts that opened in 1974 " Here Comes Your Man " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the fifth track on their 1989 album Doolittle " Dig for Fire " is an Alternative rock song by the Pixies from their 1990 album Bossanova, and also a single released ^[10]

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). Throwing Muses are an Alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997 when its members began concentrating Gary Smith is an Entrepreneur, record producer and artist's manager known for his work recording albums by Alternative rock musicians since the mid-1980s at Fort Apache Studios is a New England recording studio internationally renowned for Alternative rock sessions produced there since 1986 He told the band he "could not sleep until you guys are world famous. "^[10] 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. The Purple Tape is the name given by fans to the Pixies ' original 17-track demo tape recorded at Fort Apache Studios in March 1987 by Gary Smith, The recording was funded by Francis' father at the cost of $1000 and took three days to record. ^[29] 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. The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a Magnetic tape sound Ivo Watts-Russell (born 1954 in Northamptonshire, England is the founder and president of the English indie record label 4AD. 4AD is a British Independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still ^[10] Watts-Russell nearly passed on the band, finding them too normal, "too rock 'n' roll", but signed them at the persuasion of his girlfriend. ^[30][31]

Upon signing with 4AD (the band later claimed they were "the coolest record company to pay on time"),^[10] eight tracks from the Purple Tape were selected for the Come on Pilgrim EP, the band's first release. Come On Pilgrim is the debut release from the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released on the British Independent record label The title was a lyric in the song "Levitate Me", which came from a catchphrase used by '70s Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman during his live concerts: "Come on Pilgrim, you know He loves you"^[10]—Francis once saw Norman at a Christian summer camp. Larry David Norman ( April 8 1947 &ndash February 24 2008) was an American musician singer songwriter and producer Summer camp is a supervised Program for Children and/or Teenagers conducted (usually during the Summer Months in some countries ^[26] 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"; the album included lyrics describing the poverty in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of 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"). Come On Pilgrim is the debut release from the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released on the British Independent record label Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African 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. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) 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. Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range &mdash the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce ^[32]

Surfer Rosa and Doolittle

Come on Pilgrim was followed by the band's first full-length album, Surfer Rosa. Surfer Rosa is the first full-length album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British Independent The album was recorded by Steve Albini (who was hired by Watts-Russell on the advice of a 4AD colleague),^[33] completed in a fortnight, and released in early 1988. Steven Frank Albini (born July 22, 1962) is an American Audio engineer, singer songwriter Guitarist, and music journalist 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. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. For the Nirvana album see In Utero. In utero is a Latin term literally meaning "in the Uterus " ^[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. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Sounds was a British Music paper, published weekly from October 10, 1970 &ndash April 6, 1991 ^[10] The success of Surfer Rosa would lead to the band signing an American distribution deal with major record label Elektra before the release of their next album. Elektra Records is a now-dormant American Record label owned by Warner Music Group (WMG and from 2004 on operating under WMG's Atlantic Records

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. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 ^[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 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. " Gigantic " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, co-written by bassist Kim Deal and Frank Black and sung by Kim Deal " Where Is My Mind? " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies. Fight Club is a 1999 American feature film adaptation of the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, adapted by

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. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[39] The tour also took them to the Netherlands, where the Pixies had already received enough media attention to be headlining the tour. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Francis later recalled: "The first place I made it with the Pixies was in Holland. Holland is a region in the western part of the Netherlands. A maritime and economic power in the 17th century Holland today consists of the Dutch provinces of "^[40] The setlist included new songs such as "In Heaven", "Hey", and "Wild Honey Pie", and the tour became notable for the band's in-jokes, such as playing their entire set list in alphabetical order. An in-joke (also known as an in joke or inside joke) is a Joke whose Humor is clear only to those people who are "inside" a social Set List is the second live album by Dublin -based rock band The Frames. ^[4] 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. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004 known professionally as John Peel, was an English Disc jockey, radio In total, the band recorded six Peel sessions and released an album, Pixies at the BBC, with selected recorded tracks from those sessions. Pixies at the BBC is a compilation of live BBC radio sessions by the American Alternative rock band Pixies. ^[41]

Around this time, the Pixies struck up a relationship with the British producer, Gil Norton. Gil Norton is a British Record producer known for his work with such bands as Pixies, Echo and the Bunnymen, Foo Fighters, Norton was to produce their second full album, Doolittle (provisionally titled Whore),^[10] 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 is the second Studio album from the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in April 1989 on 4AD. 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. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[42] Much of the album's subject matter remained similar to the previous two albums; several song titles seemed to evoke 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 a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the first song on their 1989 album Doolittle. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Luis Buñuel Portolés (22 February 1900 &ndash 29 July 1983 was a Spanish -born Filmmaker and naturalized Mexican who worked mainly in Mexico Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11 1904 &ndash January 23 1989 was a Spanish Catalan Surrealist Un chien andalou ( An Andalusian Dog) is a 1928 short Surrealist film made in France by two Spanish auteurs the Aragonian "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. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 Doolittle featured the prominent single "Here Comes Your Man"; an unusually jaunty and poppy song for the band. " Here Comes Your Man " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the fifth track on their 1989 album Doolittle ^[43] It nearly landed the band a mimed appearance on the TV chat show Wogan, which was mocked in the video to the song. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to ^[44][45] "Monkey Gone to Heaven", the only Pixies song with a string section, was a Top 10 modern rock radio hit in the US, reached the Top 100 in the UK and still receives regular radio play. " Monkey Gone to Heaven " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies and is the seventh track on their 1989 album Doolittle Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a Rock music format found on American commercial Radio. Deal's only songwriting contribution to the album was the song "Silver" (co-written with Francis), on which Deal played slide guitar and Lovering played the bass guitar. Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the Guitar. The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the ^[46] Lovering sang lead vocals on "La La Love You", an atypical love song from the band.

Like Surfer Rosa, Doolittle was acclaimed by fans and music critics alike, and it is perhaps their best-selling record; it was certified gold by the RIAA on November 10, 1995. A music critic is someone who reviews Music (including printed music performances and recorded music and publishes writing on them in books or journals (or on the internet In 2003, the album was ranked number 226 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published ^[47] It also 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),^[48] and Deal was almost fired from the band. Santiago, in an interview to Mojo, explained:^[49]

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 took its toll on the band members; the Pixies had released three albums in two years, as well as constant touring. Near the end of the 1989 tour, during their homecoming Boston concert, Deal was in a drunken state, and Santiago smashed up his instruments and stormed off-stage. After the tour's final date in New York, the band was too exhausted to attend the end-of-tour party the following night and soon announced a hiatus. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[4]

During this time, Santiago travelled to the Grand Canyon to "find himself", and Lovering jetted off to Jamaica. The Grand Canyon Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Francis bought a yellow Cadillac and crossed America with his girlfriend (due to an aversion to flying), and while doing so performed solo gigs in order to raise money for furniture in his new Los Angeles apartment. Cadillac is a Brand of Luxury vehicles owned by General Motors. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West 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. The Breeders are an American Alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Throwing Muses ' Tanya Donelly Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966, in Newport Rhode Island) is an American Grammy -nominated Singer songwriter and Guitarist Throwing Muses are an Alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997 when its members began concentrating Josephine Wiggs is an indie/alternative rock musician noted for her work with the bands Perfect Disaster The Breeders, and Dusty Trails. Their debut album, Pod, was released later that year. Pod is the debut Album by the American Alternative rock band The Breeders, released on the Independent record label ^[50]

Bossanova and Trompe le Monde

After Doolittle, Francis began to limit Deal's contributions to the band and assert more control over the Pixies' 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. Bossanova is the third album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English Independent 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. " Debaser " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the first song on their 1989 album Doolittle.

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. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Alien Discussions Proceedings of the Abduction Study Conference. The musical style of the album was inspired by surf-rock, as Bossanova started with a cover of "Cecilia Ann" by The Surftones. Surf rock is a style of music that originated in the USA that mixes elements of Surf music and Rock music, and partially due to the number of Mexican In general, the style of music in Bossanova was a departure from previous albums. Bossanova is the third album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English Independent 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,^[51] a Talking Heads tribute. Talking head Talking Heads was an American New Wave band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991 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). " Allison " is an alternative rock single released by the American band Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis for the band's 1990 Mose John Allison Jr (born November 11 1927) is an American jazz pianist and Singer. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression The track references space and the universe – ideas commonly explored in Mose's work.

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 was not as immediately well regarded as their first few albums. Trompe le Monde is the Pixies ' fourth and final full-length studio Album, released on September 23, 1991 through the 4AD Before its release, it was rumoured the album drew inspiration from heavy metal,^[52] and the band's pre-album release of "Planet of Sound", a heavier song than their usual output, did not quell the rumors. " Planet of Sound " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the second track on their 1991 album Trompe le Monde

In the end, Trompe Le Monde expanded on the UFO and sci-fi themes (including a song on space travel, "Planet of Sound" and "Motorway to Roswell" about an alien vacation gone bad). Spaceflight is the use of Space technology to fly a Spacecraft into and through Outer space. " Planet of Sound " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, and is the second track on their 1991 album Trompe le Monde ^[53] 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" and "Trompe Le Monde". The songs "U-Mass" (sample (info)) and "Alec Eiffel" included the keyboardist Eric Drew Feldman—a move unthinkable in the band's Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa days. Eric Drew Feldman is an American keyboard and Bass guitar player The album also featured a cover of "Head On" by The Jesus and Mary Chain. The Jesus and Mary Chain are an Alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1984 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 Starring Johnny Carson. Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter A tribute album is a recorded collection of Cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions I'm Your Fan The Songs of Leonard Cohen By is a Tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was a late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the ''Tonight Show'' franchise from 1962 They then embarked on an uncomfortable tour supporting fans U2 (on their Zoo TV tour) in 1992. The Zoo TV Tour (also called ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was an elaborately-staged multimedia Concert tour by Irish rock band However, tensions rose between band members, and, at the end of the year, the Pixies went on sabbatical and focused on separate projects. ^[54]

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. BBC Radio 5 was for three years and eight months a BBC Radio network that carried sports children's and educational programmes ^[55] He later telephoned Santiago and subsequently notified Deal and Lovering via fax, in January 1993. Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar" i ^[56] Francis 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. ^[57]

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. Honeycomb is the eleventh Studio album by American Alternative rock musician Frank Black, released in July 2005 on Back Porch He released a further double album from the same sessions, Fastman Raiderman, on July 19, 2006. A double album is an audio Album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold (especially records and Compact Discs. Fast Man Raider Man is a solo double album by Frank Black of Pixies fame released in 2006.

Deal returned to The Breeders and scored a hit with "Cannonball" from that group's platinum-selling Last Splash in 1993. The Breeders are an American Alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Throwing Muses ' Tanya Donelly Last Splash is the second album by Indie rock band The Breeders, released August 31, 1993 (see 1993 in music) However, for several years they struggled to produce another album, mainly due to her sister and fellow band member, Kelley Deal, and her struggles with heroin. Kelley Deal (born June 10, 1961, in Dayton, Ohio, United States) is the lead guitarist of The Breeders and the Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative While on hiatus from the Breeders, Deal formed and recorded with The Amps, who released their only album Pacer in 1995. The Amps were an indie-rock band from Dayton Ohio. Formed by Kim Deal in 1995 after The Breeders went on hiatus they first began touring as " Pacer was The Amps ' only LP It was released on October 31 1995 ^{[58] [59]} A new Breeders album, Title TK, finally appeared in 2002, with only Kim and Kelley remaining from the previous Breeders lineup. Title TK is the third album from the American Alternative rock band The Breeders.

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. David Lovering (born December 6 1961 is an American Musician and magician. ^[60] Lovering continued to drum, playing on one of Tanya Donelly's solo albums. Tanya Donelly (born July 14, 1966, in Newport Rhode Island) is an American Grammy -nominated Singer songwriter and Guitarist Santiago played lead guitar on one of Frank Black's solo albums, and on other albums such as Statecraft, by indie-rock musician Charles Douglas. Alex McAulay (born January 20, 1977 in Seattle Washington) is an American Novelist. ^[61] Santiago also wrote theme music for Fox television, and formed a band called The Martinis with his wife, Linda Mallari. The Martinis are a rock band formed in in 1993 The band consists of Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago and his wife Linda Mallari The Martinis are a rock band formed in in 1993 The band consists of Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago and 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. Death to the Pixies was the first Pixies best-of compilation released by 4AD in the UK and 4AD/ Elektra in the USA to commemorate Complete 'B' Sides is a compilation record by the Pixies. It features the B sides for all their 6 UK singles from the 1980s and 1990s and one U The Purple Tape is the name given by fans to the Pixies ' original 17-track demo tape recorded at Fort Apache Studios in March 1987 by Gary Smith, Pixies at the BBC is a compilation of live BBC radio sessions by the American Alternative rock band Pixies.

Reunion

The Pixies in concert in Kansas City, October 1, 2004. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " From left to right, Frank Black, David Lovering (back) and Kim Deal. Joey Santiago is not present on photo.

In the 11 years following the break-up, rumors 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 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 U. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " S. and Canada was followed by an appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly known as Coachella) is a three-day (formerly a one or two-day annual music and arts festival organized by Goldenvoice The band then spent much of 2004 touring throughout Brazil, Europe, Japan, and the U. S.

The 2004 reunion of the Pixies was the subject of the 2006 documentary, LoudQUIETloud.

In June 2004, the band released a new single, "Bam Thwok" (sample (help·info)) exclusively on the iTunes Music Store. " Bam Thwok " is a 2004 download-only single by the American Alternative rock band Pixies. The iTunes Store is a software-based online Digital media store operated by Apple Inc The song reached number one in the British download chart. The UK Official Download Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the Music industry. ^[64] 4AD released Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies, along with a companion DVD. The band also contributed a rendition of "Ain't That Pretty At All" to the Warren Zevon tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich. Warren William Zevon (January 24 1947 &ndash September 7 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American rock Singer-songwriter and Musician Enjoy Every Sandwich Songs of Warren Zevon is a Tribute album released in 2004 to the late Warren Zevon by many famous musicians

2005 saw the band make appearances at the Lollapalooza and Sasquatch! music festivals. Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Sasquatch! Music Festival is a music festival held annually at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George Washington. ^[65] 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. Edinburgh ( ˈɛdɪnb(ərə Dùn Èideann) is the Capital of Scotland and is its second largest city after Glasgow. In August, the band performed an entirely acoustic set (after a warm-up acoustic set in Albany, New York) at the Newport Folk Festival. Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County. The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk -oriented Music festival in Newport Rhode Island, which began in 1959 ^[66][67]

The band continued to make appearances through 2006 and 2007, culminating in their first-ever appearances in Australia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. By early 2008, however, following abortive attempts to record a new album,^[68][69][70] Black began stating in interviews that the reunion was over. ^[71]

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. Throwing Muses are an Alternative rock band formed in 1981 in Newport Rhode Island, that toured and recorded extensively until 1997 when its members began concentrating ^[72] 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 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 with Mojo Magazine; and Santiago, as mentioned above, listened to 1970s and 1980s punk (including bands such as Black Flag) and David Bowie. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 James Newell Osterberg Jr (born April 21, 1947) better known by his Stage name Iggy Pop, is an American rock singer Songwriter Black Flag was a Hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in southern California, largely as the brainchild of Greg Ginn: the guitarist ^[10] Deal's musical background was country; she had formed a country band with her sister in her teenage years. Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. Folk music has influenced the Pixies; Francis often listened to Larry Norman, and the band famously requested a bassist who was a fan of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. Peter Paul and Mary (often called PP&M) are a musical group from the United States who were one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the Francis also mentions Lou Reed in Come on Pilgrim's "I've Been Tired". Lewis Allan Reed (born March 2 1942 is an American rock Singer-songwriter and Guitarist.

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. Eraserhead is a 1977 Surrealist Horror film written and directed by David Lynch. Un chien andalou ( An Andalusian Dog) is a 1928 short Surrealist film made in France by two Spanish auteurs the Aragonian ^[10][73] 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. ^[74] He claimed the band members were "surrealists" in an interview to Melody Maker:^[75] "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. Avant-garde (avɑ̃gaʁd in French) means "advance guard" or "vanguard Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings "

Songwriting and vocals

Most of the Pixies songs were composed and sung by Francis, whose songwriting style was characterized by a focus on Biblical violence ("Dead", "Gouge Away"), and incest ("The Holiday Song", "Nimrod's Son"). He later commented on this in an interview to Melody Maker:^[76] "It's all those characters in the Old Testament. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. I'm obsessed with them. Why it comes out so much I don't know. "

He also wrote about other offbeat subjects—such as the sea ("Where Is My Mind?" and "Wave of Mutilation") and earthquakes ("Here Comes Your Man"),^[26] and in the band's early works (the Come on Pilgrim era), he included references to Christian themes ("Levitate Me"). Later, 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"). See also List of extraterrestrials in fiction In Popular cultures Life forms -especially intelligent life forms that are of extraterrestrial ^[26]

Deal sang lead vocals on "Gigantic" and the band's latest composition, "Bam Thwok," both of which she wrote, as well as on "Silver," co-written with Francis; she also sang lead vocals on the Francis-written "Into the White" and the Neil Young cover "I've Been Waiting For You. " Bam Thwok " is a 2004 download-only single by the American Alternative rock band Pixies. " Lovering sang lead vocals on "La La Love You" and "Make Believe"; both songs were written by Francis.

Covers

The band has recorded several covers: "Wild Honey Pie" (The Beatles), "Ain't That Pretty At All" (Warren Zevon), "Winterlong" and "I've Been Waiting For You" (Neil Young), "I Can't Forget" (Leonard Cohen), a Spanish version of "Evil Hearted You" (The Yardbirds), "Head On" (The Jesus and Mary Chain), "Cecilia Ann" (The Surftones), "Born in Chicago" (The Paul Butterfield Blues Band), "In Heaven (The Lady in the Radiator Song)" (from the film Eraserhead), and "Theme from NARC" (from the video game NARC). " Wild Honey Pie " is a short song by The Beatles written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released on The Beatles The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Warren William Zevon (January 24 1947 &ndash September 7 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American rock Singer-songwriter and Musician Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician Leonard Norman Cohen CC GOQ (born September 21, 1934 in Westmount, Quebec) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter The Yardbirds are an English rock band noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous Guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck The Jesus and Mary Chain are an Alternative rock band formed in East Kilbride, Scotland in 1984 Paul Butterfield ( December 17 1942 – May 4 1987) was an American Blues Harmonica player and Singer Eraserhead is a 1977 Surrealist Horror film written and directed by David Lynch. NARC is a 1988 Arcade game designed by Eugene Jarvis for Williams Electronics programed by George Petro

Instrumentation

In terms of instrumentation, the Pixies are a four-piece rock band. Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. 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. The lead vocalist (or lead singer) is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song Rhythm guitar is the use of a Guitar to provide Rhythmic chordal Accompaniment for a singer or other instruments in a Musical ensemble The Fender Telecaster, also known as the Tele (pronounced Telly is typically a dual-pickup solid-body Electric guitar made by Fender. The Fender Mustang is an Electric guitar by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, introduced in 1964 as the basis of a major redesign of Fender's The Fender Jaguar is an Electric guitar which was introduced in 1962 Marshall Amplification is a British company which designs and manufactures music amplifiers. The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound An instrument amplifier is an Electronic amplifier that converts the inaudible electric or electronic signal from musical instruments such as an Electric guitar ^[77] 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. Lead guitar refers to the use of a Guitar to perform Melody lines instrumental fill passages, and Guitar solos within a song structure The Gibson Les Paul is a solidbody Electric guitar originally developed in the early 1950s The Gibson ES-335 was the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody Electric guitar, released by Gibson Guitar Corporation in 1958. Deal, the bassist in the band, plays either a Fender Precision or Music Man Stingray^[78] bass. A bass player (bassist is a Musician who plays a Double bass, Bass guitar, keyboard bass or wind The Fender Precision Bass (sometimes shortened to the " P Bass " is an electric bass guitar, and was the first widely-available model of the instrument Music Man StingRay is an electric bass guitar by Music Man, introduced in 1976 Lovering, the drummer, plays a five-piece white Pro Prestige custom drumkit. A drummer is a Musician who plays a Drum or drums particularly a Drum kit ("drum set" or "trap set" Marching percussion ^[79]

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,^[80] "Alec Eiffel" and "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". " Smells Like Teen Spirit " is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. 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:^[10]

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. Cover songs and commentary from artists and groups such as David Bowie,^[81] Radiohead, U2, Weezer, Nirvana and critics such as Graham Linehan^[7] attest to the appreciation of the band by musicians and critics alike. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. Radiohead Weezer (ˈwizɚ is an American Alternative rock band from Los Angeles California formed in 1992 Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Graham Linehan (born 1969 is an Irish television writer and director who often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular ^[82] Bob Mould (from Hüsker Dü, who the Pixies cited as an influence) said he "was a huge Pixies fan" and Radiohead's Thom Yorke, after being informed of the Pixies plans to play before them at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, exclaimed:

Yorke said in the same Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival that, while at school, "the Pixies had changed my life". Other members of Radiohead have cited the band 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, whose music 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. ^[7]

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:^[7][83]

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 lead singer Rivers Cuomo, in an Addicted To Noise interview, said the band "really blew my mind when I first moved to L. Weezer (ˈwizɚ is an American Alternative rock band from Los Angeles California formed in 1992 A number of Tribute albums to the Pixies, an American Alternative rock band have been recorded since the band's break-up in 1993 Rivers Cuomo (born June 13, 1970) is a Musician best known as the lead Singer, Guitarist, and principal Songwriter A. and started to discover cool music. "^[84] Damon Albarn (of the band Blur) said: "When we started we wanted to sound like the Pixies. Damon Albarn, ˈdɛɪmən ˈɔːɫbɑːn (b March 23 1968 in Leytonstone, London) is an English Singer-songwriter who gained fame as the lead Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 "^[7] The number of Pixies tribute albums recorded gives backing to their position as a major influence in modern alternative rock music. A number of Tribute albums to the Pixies, an American Alternative rock band have been recorded since the band's break-up in 1993

Television appearances and videos

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. The Word was a 1990s Channel 4 television programme in the United Kingdom. ^[85][86]

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. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics 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 developed a severe aversion to recording music videos, as Francis refused to lip-sync to them. Lip-sync or Lip-synch (short for lip Synchronization) is a technical term for matching lip movements with voice ^[87] For example, in the "Here Comes Your Man" video, both Black and Deal open their mouths wide instead of mouthing their lyrics. According to the record label this became one of the reasons that the Pixies never achieved major coverage on MTV. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. ^[87]

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. " Velouria " is a song by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, written and sung by the band's frontman Black Francis. The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast However, a BBC rule stated only singles with videos could be performed on the show. To counter this a cheap video was made, with the band being filmed running down a quarry. ^[87] 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. ^[88] 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. ^[89]

Awards and achievements

Although the Pixies 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. ^[90] The Pixies also won acclaim from alternative music publications for their records:

• Sounds – Album of the Year: Surfer Rosa – 1988
• Melody Maker – Album of the Year – Surfer Rosa – 1988
• Sounds – Runner up Album of the Year – Doolittle – 1989
• Melody Maker – Single of the Year – "Monkey Gone to Heaven" – 1989
• Melody Maker – Runner Up Album of the Year – Doolittle – 1989^[91]
• Sounds – Album of the Year – Bossanova – 1990^[92]

Discography

Main article: Pixies discography

• Come on Pilgrim (1987)
• Surfer Rosa (1988)
• Doolittle (1989)
• Bossanova (1990)
• Trompe le Monde (1991)

See also

• List of alternative rock artists
• Music of Massachusetts
• Music of the United States (1980s to the present)
• Timeline of alternative rock

References

• Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. The discography of the Pixies, an American Alternative rock band includes four studio albums twelve singles five compilations and one EP Come On Pilgrim is the debut release from the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released on the British Independent record label Surfer Rosa is the first full-length album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British Independent Doolittle is the second Studio album from the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in April 1989 on 4AD. Bossanova is the third album by the American Alternative rock band Pixies, released in August 1990 on the English Independent Trompe le Monde is the Pixies ' fourth and final full-length studio Album, released on September 23, 1991 through the 4AD This is a list of Alternative rock artists. This includes artists who have either been very important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such as in the Massachusetts is a US state in New England. The music of Massachusetts has developed actively since it was first colonized by Britain The 1980s saw New Wave entering the year as the single biggest mainstream market with heavy metal, Punk rock and Hardcore punk, and hip hop This is a timeline of Alternative rock, from its beginnings in the 1960s to the present Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies. Fool the World The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies is a 2005 Book by Josh Frank and Caryn Ganz about the American Alternative rock band (2005). ISBN 0-312-34007-9
• Matula, Theodore. "Contextualizing musical rhetoric: A critical reading of the Pixies' 'Rock Music'" Communication Studies. 51 (3, Fall), 218–237.
• Sisario, Ben. Doolittle. Continuum, 2006 (33⅓ series). ISBN 0-8264-1774-4.

Notes

External links

• Official unofficial Pixies site
• Official 4AD site
• Pixies Documentary Website
• Pixies at MySpace
• Pixies discography at MusicBrainz
• Pixies at Last.fm