- Date:
- 1986 - 2004
Pixies
News •
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Who are the Pixies?
The Pixies are an American band formed in Boston in 1986. The original lineup featured Black Francis (vocals/guitar), Joey Santiago (guitar), Kim Deal (bass), and David Lovering (drums).
Known for blending punk rock aggression with infectious pop melodies, the Pixies' unique sound became a hallmark of 1990s alternative rock. Their debut album, Surfer Rosa, gained critical acclaim and college radio airplay, establishing their signature style of searing guitars, screeching vocals, and cryptic lyrics that touched on subjects ranging from religion to UFOs.
Their 1989 album, Doolittle, is considered their most revered work, influencing bands like Nirvana. Though tensions later caused the band to disband, they reunited in 2004 for a tour and have continued to record music with various bassists after Dealâs departure in 2013. The band's name came from a dictionary, chosen by guitarist Joey Santiago.
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When and where did the Pixies form?
The Pixies, an American band known for their blend of punk rock and pop melodies, formed in Boston in 1986. The original lineup consisted of Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV (Black Francis), Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering. Thompson and Santiago, who were roommates at Boston University, decided to start a band. They found Deal through an ad in a local newspaper and she brought Lovering as the drummer. The Pixies quickly gained recognition in the Boston club scene.
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What style of music do the Pixies play?
The Pixies, an American band formed in Boston in 1986, play a style of music that blends punk rock's aggression with pop music's catchy melodies. This unique sound helped establish alternative rock in the 1990s and beyond. Their music includes aggressive guitars and Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV's (also known as Black Francis and Frank Black) screeching vocals, counterbalanced by pop melodies and Kim Deal's backup vocals. Their lyrics encompass a range of topics, from Thompson's Pentecostal upbringing to UFOs and Surrealist film. The Pixies' stop-and-start dynamics have become a legacy to later alternative bands, especially Nirvana.
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Who are some of the main members of the Pixies?
The Pixies, an American band that helped define alternative rock in the 1990s, was formed in Boston in 1986. The original members were Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV (also known as Black Francis and Frank Black), Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, and David Lovering. After tensions rose, the group effectively disbanded by the time of the release of Trompe le Monde (1991). In 2004, the Pixies reunited for a multicity tour. Although Deal left the group in 2013, the Pixies continued to tour and record, using various bassists.
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What are some of the Pixies' most famous songs or albums?
The Pixies are an American band that helped establish the sound that would define alternative rock in the 1990s. Some of their most famous works include:
- Surfer Rosa: Their full-length debut album released in 1988, is a critical favorite that received considerable airplay on college radio and in Europe.
- Doolittle: Released in 1989, it is their most revered album. The Chicago Tribune called it one of 1989's best albums with 15 thrill-a-minute songs.
- Bossanova: This 1990 album is a surf music-inspired variation on their earlier albums.
- Trompe le Monde: Released in 1991, it is generally considered the Pixiesâ weakest effort.
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How did the Pixies influence other bands and alternative rock music?
The Pixies, formed in Boston in 1986, blended punk rock aggression with pop melodies, which helped define the alternative rock sound of the 1990s. Their 1989 album, Doolittle, refined their signature stop-and-start dynamics, which became a legacy for later alternative bands, especially Nirvana. The band's unique sound included searing guitars, Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV's (aka Black Francis) screeching vocals, and Kim Dealâs gentler backup vocals. Thompson's cryptic lyrics, which covered topics from his Pentecostal upbringing to UFOs and Surrealist film, added to their distinctive style.
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Pixies, American band whose unique blend of punk rockâs aggression and pop musicâs infectious melodies helped establish the sound that would define alternative rock in the 1990s. The original members were Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV (also know as Black Francis and Frank Black; b. April 6, 1965, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.), Joey Santiago (b. June 10, 1965, Manila, Philippines), Kim Deal (b. June 10, 1961, Dayton, Ohio, U.S.), and David Lovering (b. December 6, 1961, Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S.).
The Pixies formed in Boston in 1986, when singer-guitarist Thompson (using the stage name Black Francis) and his former Boston University roommate, guitarist Santiago, decided to put together a band. In response to the duoâs ad in a local newspaper for a âbassist into HĂŒsker DĂŒ and Peter, Paul, and Mary,â Deal joined the group, bringing along her friend Lovering as a drummer. The Pixies quickly earned a reputation as part of the local Boston club scene and released their full-length debut, Surfer Rosa, in 1988. The album was an instant critical favourite and received considerable airplay on college radio and in Europe. While rougher than the Pixiesâ later work, Surfer Rosa established the bandâs signature sound: an aggressive blast of searing guitars and Thompsonâs screeching vocals, which were oddly but effectively counterbalanced by enchanting pop melodies and Dealâs gentler backup vocals. Equally distinctive were the strange, cryptic lyrics penned by Thompson, which over the years would encompass references ranging from his Pentecostal upbringing to UFOs to Salvador DalĂ and Luis Buñuelâs Surrealist film Un Chien andalou (1928; An Andalusian Dog).
In 1989 the group released Doolittle, its most revered album, which built upon the Pixiesâ existing formula and perfected the stop-and-start dynamics that would perhaps become its greatest legacy to later alternative bands, especially Nirvana. Bossanova, a surf music-inspired variation on the earlier albums, followed in 1990. By this time, tensions were rising in the bandâDeal, once a co-songwriter, contributed little to the album, and the group had effectively disbanded by the time of the release of Trompe le Monde (1991), which is generally considered the Pixiesâ weakest effort.
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With another name change, Thompson went on to release several memorable albums as Frank Blank or Frank Black and the Catholics, including Teenager of the Year (1993), Dog in the Sand (2001), and Honeycomb (2005). Deal shifted her focus to her onetime side project, the Breeders, the band she had fronted with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses, whose place was taken by Dealâs twin sister Kelley for the release of the candid, hook-laced Last Splash (1993), one of the landmark albums of the 1990s. In 2004 the Pixies reunited for a much-anticipated multicity tour, on which a limited amount of on-site CD recordings of each concert were instantly available to concertgoers. The tour was also captured in the documentary film loudQUIETloud (2006). Although Deal left the group in 2013, the Pixies continued to tour and record, using various bassists. Subsequent albums included Indie Cindy (2014) and Head Carrier (2016).