Pixies (band)

This article is about the band named Pixies. For pixies of folklore, see Pixie (folklore).

Pixies
Pixies, pictured early in their career – Black Francis, Kim Deal, Dave Lovering, and Joey Santiago
Background information
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts
Years active	1986 – 1993 2004 – present
Members	Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar) Kim Deal (bass guitar, vocals) Dave Lovering (drums) Joey Santiago (lead guitar)

Pixies (frequently referred to as The Pixies) are an American alternative rock music group formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group disbanded in 1993 but reunited in 2004. Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering have been the group's continual members. Pixies found only modest success in their home country, but were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe.

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. Avowed fan Kurt Cobain's acknowledgement of the debt Nirvana owed to the Pixies, along with similar tributes by other alternative bands, ensured that the Pixies' legacy grew substantially in the years following their demise.

Background

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 once befriended a Thai rock singer who told him to "scream it like you hate that bitch", in the style of The Beatles' "Oh! Darling" (Francis cited the band as an inspiration and Pixies later covered the song "Wild Honey Pie" (from The Beatles) on their album, Pixies at the BBC). He typically wrote cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as unidentified flying objects and surrealism. Violent Biblical imagery and references to mental instability, physical injury, and incest feature in much of his work. Deal contributed songs as well, and her often feathery voice acted as an oddly effective counterbalance to Francis' (incidentally, the then-married Deal used the pseudonym "Mrs. John Murphy" on the first few Pixies records, as an ironic feminist joke).

Sonically, Black is credited with popularizing the extreme dynamics that would come to define alternative rock, as Pixies songs typically feature hushed, restrained verses, and explosive, wailing choruses. The most notable citation as an inspiration was by influencing Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", which Cobain admitted was a conscious attempt to co-opt the Pixies style. In a January 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, he admitted "I was trying to write the ultimate pop song. I was basically trying to rip off the Pixies." Many artists have also paid homage to the band and many alternative rock artists list a number of their albums as their favourites. Artists and groups such as David Bowie (who later covered the song Cactus from Surfer Rosa in his album, Heathen), Radiohead, U2, Nirvana and many others attest to the immense importance and appreciation of the band by musicians and critics alike.

History

Formation

The band was formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts by Joey Santiago and Black Francis (born Charles Thompson IV). The two had shared a room at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (the subject of a song, "U-Mass") and Santiago soon introduced Francis to David Bowie and 70's punk. Francis then embarked on a student exchange trip to San Juan (Puerto Rico) where he struggled to grasp the Spanish language, and after spending six months in an apartment with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate" (the subject of a later song, Doolittle's "Crackity Jones") and struggling to make himself understood in a foreign country, he returned to Boston and dropped out of the university.

Bassist Kim Deal later joined Santiago and Francis after responding to a classified ad Francis had placed, seeking a female bassist who liked both folk music icons Peter, Paul and Mary and hardcore punkers Hüsker Dü. Deal was the only person to respond – but arrived at the audition without a bass, claiming her sister had one 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. After recruiting Kim Deal, the band tried to get her twin sister Kelley Deal to join the band on drums, unsuccessfully. Kim then suggested that they pick up drummer David Lovering, whom she had met at her wedding reception. They arrived at a name after Santiago selected the word randomly from a dictionary and took a liking to the definition, "mischievous little elves". The group was originally named "Pixies in Panoply," but soon shortened it to "Pixies."

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

The Purple Tape and Come On Pilgrim

File:Purple Tape Back.jpg

Back cover of "The Purple Tape" with original track listing

While the Pixies were playing a concert with Throwing Muses, they were noticed by Gary Smith (a producer at Fort Apache Studios) who said to the band that he "could not sleep until you guys are world famous." The band produced an 18 track demo, known as "The Purple Tape" because of its mostly purple appearance. The recording was funded by Francis' father at the cost of $1000.

The tape was released only to interested parties, including a local promoter, Ken Goes, who became the band's manager, and Ivo Watts-Russell at 4AD (the band said they were "the coolest record company to pay on time",). Watts-Russell nearly passed on the band, finding them too normal, "too rock'n'roll," but signed them at the persuasion of his girlfriend. An album was later released, entitled Pixies, containing the songs from the 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. There is also speculation that a Larry Norman cover of "Watch What You're Doing" exists (as the official profile states 18 tracks were recorded), but it is not present on the original Purple Tape cover.

Several of the tracks on the tape appeared in later albums (albeit rerecorded), such as "I'm Amazed", "Broken Face" and "Break My Body" on Surfer Rosa, "Here Comes Your Man" on Doolittle, "Down to the Well" on Bossanova, and a revised "Subbacultcha" on Trompe Le Monde (the bridge of "Subbacultcha" also formed the main riff of "Distance Equals Rate Times Time" on the same album). A cover of "In Heaven" (Lady in the Radiator Song), from the surrealist David Lynch film Eraserhead, is also featured on the demo. "Down To The Well" and "Rock A My Soul" also featured on a Sound Waves EP.

Come on Pilgrim (1987)

Upon signing with 4AD, 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" – Francis once saw Norman at a Christian summer camp. Incidentally, 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 album, Francis drew upon some of his experiences in Puerto Rico, mostly in the songs "Vamos" and "Isla de Encanta" (an alteration of the island's nickname, "Isla del Encanto" ("Isle of Enchantment"); 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"), two songs that explicitly mention incest ("Nimrod's Son" and "The Holiday Song"), a song that refers metaphorically to sex and rock and roll culture and features a weird sense of humour ("I've Been Tired"), 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, and Black Francis's amazing vocal range, from screaming to simple, traditional sung melodies.

Surfer Rosa

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, completed in a fortnight (apart from extra vocal mixes) and was 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. Surfer Rosa gained the Pixies acclaim throughout the musical world. For example, both Melody Maker and Sounds gave Surfer Rosa their album of the year award. 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 – though sonically, Surfer Rosa was similar to Come On Pilgrim – from the drum-driven "Bone Machine" (the unique drum sound cited by later artists in Surfer Rosa is a result of Steve Albini's influence on the record), that showed a trademark propensity for surreal lyrics, to pop guitar songs such as "Broken Face", and "Break my Body" and "Brick is Red" to the sonic attack of "Something Against You", with Black Francis' distorted screaming a prominent feature in the song (the album was later named as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time by Q Magazine). A re-recorded version of "Vamos" — a song which also appeared on Come on Pilgrim – also features on the album. A track, "You Fuckin' Die! (I Said)" (referred to as "Bonus Track" on most versions of the CD), that appears towards the end of the album is actually an accidental studio recording of Francis and Deal talking amicably, and despite the title, there is no tension present between the two that would later drive the band apart.

The album also featured popular songs such as "Gigantic" – one of the few songs on which bassist Kim Deal sung lead vocals, "River Euphrates" (a re-recording was later released as a B-side on the "Gigantic" single) and "Where Is My Mind?", whose most famous performance was at the end of the film Fight Club, and as a result, is one of their most popular songs to date.

After Surfer Rosa

After their critically-acclaimed album, the band arrived in the UK to support Throwing Muses on a tour (beginning at the Mean Fiddler in London). The setlist included some new songs, such as "In Heaven", "Hey" and "Wild Honey Pie". These songs were recorded in a Peel session in July at the BBC. The band also made a second trip to the studios and chose "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 sesssions.

Around this time, Pixies struck up a relationship with the British producer, Gil Norton, who was to produce their later albums.

Doolittle

Doolittle (1989)

The Pixies' second album and major label debut, Doolittle (provisionally titled Whore), was recorded in the last six weeks of 1988, and was seen as a departure from the raw sound of Come on Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa. Doolittle had a much cleaner sound, largely due to the album's producer, Gil Norton and the production budget of US$40,000, which was quadruple that of Surfer Rosa. Much of the album's subject matter remains similar to the previous two albums. For example, several song titles seemed to involve bloodshed, such as "I Bleed", "Wave of Mutilation" and "Gouge Away".

Doolittle began with "Debaser", an ode to an early French surrealist film called "Un Chien Andalou" (and is perhaps their most highly regarded song – in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Debaser" at number 21 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks). It also featured the prominent single "Here Comes Your Man" – an unusually jaunty song for the band, the song nearly landing the band a mimed appearance on the TV chatshow Wogan. Doolittle also featured what critics called an "ecological anthem" – "Monkey Gone to Heaven". It was a top 10 hit in the UK and reached the top 100 in North America. Deal's (credited for the first time as Kim Deal) only contribution to the album was the song "Silver" – in which Deal played slide guitar, and Lovering played the bass guitar. Lovering also sang lead vocals on "La La Love You" – 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, as it was certified gold by the RIAA on November 10, 1995. Template:RS500

Hiatus

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 (Pixies had released three albums in two years, as well as constant touring) took it's toll on the band members. 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 were too exhausted to attend the end-of-tour party the next night and announced a hiatus.

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.

Bossanova

Bossanova (1990)

After Doolittle, Black Francis began to limit Deal's contributions to the band; the first three albums 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 (Francis commented "We want UFOs to be an acceptable topic. They're romantic") and alien abduction, along with the effects of drug-taking. The 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 also 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, a Talking Heads tribute ("All Over The World" was also written in a similar musical style). The lead guitar of Santiago was also less prominent, with none of the wilder solos which were present in Come On Pilgrim or Surfer Rosa.

Trompe Le Monde

File:Trompe le monde cover.jpg

Trompe le Monde (1991)

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. Unlike previous albums, the title of the album comes from the name of a song (rather than a song lyric), and is a play on the French phrase "trompe l'oeil" – a painting technique where the painter fools the viewer into thinking objects presented are real.Before it's release, it was rumoured that the album drew inspiration from heavy metal, and the band's pre-album release of "Planet of Sound", a heavier song than their usual output, did not quieten the rumours.

In the end, Trompe Le Monde expanded on the UFO and sci-fi (including a song on space travel). 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 also saw the band move in a more popular direction with songs as "Palace of the Brine" (the first time Deal is heared singing backing vocals in the album) and "Trompe Le Monde", and the song "U-Mass" 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 track, "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 also embarked on an uncomfortable tour supporting fans U2 (on their Zoo TV tour in 1992) but by the end of the year, the Pixies went on sabbatical and focused on separate projects. In early 1993, Francis announced on a radio interview that the band was finished and offered no explanation, unbeknownst to the other members of the band. He subsequently notified the others via fax, in January 1993. Black later regretted his method, as it did not allow for the rest of the band an opportunity to discuss the move.

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 bandmember, Kelley's, struggles with heroin. The album, Title TK, finally appeared in 2002, with only Kim and Kelley remaining from the previous Breeders lineup. Kim Deal has also recorded with The Amps.

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. He also drummed on one of Tanya Donelly's solo albums.

Santiago has appeared on Frank Black's solo albums, on an album by eccentric indie-rock musician Charles Douglas called Statecraft in 2004, writes music for Fox television, and has a band called The Martinis with his wife, Linda Mallari. They released their debut album, Smitten, in 2004.

Reunion

Pixies in concert in Kansas City, October 1, 2004

In the 11 years following the break-up, rumours frequently circulated regarding a reunion. Though Black steadfastly dismissed them, he did begin to incorporate an increasing number of Pixies songs in his sets with the Catholics. Santiago made occasional appearances with Black both live and on record, and Lovering filled in on drums for some Catholics dates in 2002 (as well as frequently serving as opening act). In late 2003, following increasingly credible rumours and a series of cryptic news updates on Frank Black's official fan site, a press release from Black's publicist officially confirmed that a reunion would occur in the spring of 2004. In the months leading up to the tour, there was almost no public word from any of the members, leading to an air of uncertainty and rampant speculation among fans.

Finally, though, the Pixies played their first reunion concert on April 13, 2004 at The Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show featured a sampling from their entire career, though with a heavy emphasis on their earlier records. A 15 concert warmup tour of the western United States and Canada followed, culminating in the performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The tour deliberately avoided major cities and media outlets with Winnipeg and Regina being stops. This was followed by a three-month world tour and four-month return to the US, ending on December 18 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

Early in the year, the band released a new single "Bam Thwok" via iTunes, which held the #2 most popular download slot on the service for some time. Later, 4AD released Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies, along with a companion DVD. At the end of 2004, the band made appearances on David Letterman and Austin City Limits.

The Pixies continued to tour in 2005, playing a brief US tour featuring two shows per night, as well as headlining the 2005 Lollapalooza and Sasquatch music festivals, European venues such as the Reading and Leeds Festivals and in Edinburgh supported by Scottish rockers Teenage Fanclub and Idlewild as part of the T on the Fringe music festival. In August, the band performed an entirely acoustic set at the Newport Folk Festival.

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. Black reportedly presented a batch of songs to the group for consideration sometime in 2006, but Kim Deal is said to have described them as "too fakey". Though it was widely reported that any new album efforts had been abandoned, 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."

Instrumentation

Francis uses either a Fender Telecaster, Fender Mustang or Fender Jaguar, and often uses either the Marshall JCM 800 or the Vox AC30 as amplifiers. Santiago 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 plays either a Fender Precision or Music Man Stingray bass and Lovering plays a five-piece white Pro Prestige custom drumkit.

In popular culture

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 is the use of "Where Is My Mind?" as the exit music to the popular movie 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.

"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" also 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 also 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.

Discography

Main article: Pixies discography

Studio albums

Year	Title	Label	Billboard 200 Peak	UK Peak
1987	Come on Pilgrim	4AD
1988	Surfer Rosa	4AD
1989	Doolittle	4AD	#98	#8
1990	Bossanova	4AD	#70	#3
1991	Trompe le Monde	4AD	#92	#7

Compilations

Year	Title	Label	Billboard 200 Peak	Top Independent Album Peak	UK Peak
1988	Surfer Rosa & Come on Pilgrim	4AD (UK release)
1997	Death to the Pixies: Best of 1987–1991	#180			#20
1998	Pixies at the BBC	4AD (UK release)
2001	Complete B-Sides	4AD/Elektra			#53
2002	Pixies (The Purple Tape)	Spin Art		#23
2004	Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies	4AD/Elektra	#161	#11	#16

Singles

Year	Title	Chart positions		Album
		US Modern Rock	UK Singles Chart
1988	"Gigantic"	-	#93	Surfer Rosa
1989	"Here Comes Your Man"	#3	#54	Doolittle
1989	"Monkey Gone to Heaven"	#5	#60	Doolittle
1990	"Dig for Fire"	#11	#62	Bossanova
1990	"Allison"	-	-	Bossanova
1990	"Velouria"	#4	#28	Bossanova
1991	"Planet of Sound"	-	#27	Trompe le Monde
1991	"Letter to Memphis"	#6	-	Trompe le Monde
1991	"Alec Eiffel"	-	-	Trompe le Monde
1991	"Head On"	#6	-	Trompe le Monde
1997	"Debaser (Studio)"	-	#23	Death to the Pixies
1997	"Debaser (Live)"	-	-	Death to the Pixies
2004	"Bam Thwok"	-	-	iTunes Music Store Exclusive Release

See also

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

Further reading

• Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. "Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies." (2006). ISBN 0312340079
• 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 0826417744.

External links

• Pixies' Official 4AD Site
• BBC Radio Interview 01/05
• MusicMoz: Pixies - discography, reviews and links at the Open Music Project
• Debaser And Un Chien Andalou
• Pixies/Debaser - A Small Pixies site
• Alec Eiffel - A Pixies page
• Template:Last.fm