Pixies
The Pixies are an American alternative rock band that formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. 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. 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 Pixies' style of alternative rock music is heavily influenced by punk and surf rock, and while highly melodic, is capable of being tremendously abrasive at the same time. Francis is the band's primary songwriter and singer and has a distinctly desperate, yowling delivery. He has typically written cryptic songs about offbeat subjects, such as UFOs and surrealism. References to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, physical injury, and incest feature in many of the band's songs.
The group is seen as an immediate forebearer of the alternative rock boom of the 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 and influence grew substantially in the years following their demise.
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Essential
Doolittle (1989)
Doolittle is the Pixies second studio album, released in April 1989. The offbeat and dark subject material, featuring references to surrealism, Biblical violence, torture and death, contrasts with the clean production sound achieved by the then-newly-hired producer Gil Norton. Doolittle was the Pixies' first international release.
The Pixies released two singles from Doolittle, "Here Comes Your Man" and "Monkey Gone to Heaven," both of which were chart successes on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album itself reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart; an unexpected success for the band. In retrospect, album tracks such as "Debaser", "Wave of Mutilation," and "Hey" are highly acclaimed by critics, while the album, along with Surfer Rosa, is seen as the band's strongest work.
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Follow with
Surfer Rosa (1988)
Surfer Rosa is the first full-length album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in March 1988 on the British independent record label 4AD. The album's unusual and offbeat subject matter includes references to mutilation and voyeurism; this is augmented by experimental recording, low-fidelity production and a unique drum sound that owes much to sound engineer Steve Albini. Surfer Rosa contains many of the themes present in the Pixies' earlier output, including Spanish lyrics and references to Puerto Rico.
Because of 4AD's independent status, distribution in the United States was handled by British label Rough Trade Records; however, it failed to chart in either the UK or the U.S. "Gigantic" was the only single taken from the release, and only reached number 93 in the UK.
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Recommended
Come On Pilgrim (1987)
Come On Pilgrim is the debut EP release from the American alternative rock band Pixies, it was made available later as a double release with their debut album "Surfer Rosa"
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Wildcard
Trompe le Monde (1991)
Trompe le Monde is the fourth and final album by the American alternative rock band Pixies, released in 1991. After the surf-pop of Bossanova, the album saw a return to the abrasive sound of the band's early albums.
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