Pixies

This article is about the band named Pixies. For pixies of folklore, see pixie.

The Pixies are a band which toured and recorded in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then reunited in 2004 and began touring again. The band's lineup consists of Black Francis a.k.a. Frank Black (vocals, guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals), and David Lovering (drums). Their style of music influenced many aspects of alternative rock throughout the 1990s. Most notable was their use of soft verses and hard choruses, which was later popularized by Nirvana.

History

The band was formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts by Joey Santiago and Black Francis (born Charles Thompson IV). Bassist Kim Deal joined the band after she responded to a classified ad Black Francis had placed which requested an unusual combination of musical influences. Reportedly, the ad asked for a bass player who liked The Mamas and the Papas and Husker Du.

They arrived at a name ("Pixies") by selecting an entry from the dictionary at random, and began playing shows in the Boston area.

During a concert with Throwing Muses, the band was noticed by Gary Smith, a producer at Fort Apache Studios. Smith became the band's manager and produced a 17 track demo (known as the "Purple Tape", publicly released in 2002). The demo fell into the hands of Ivo Watts-Russell, owner of 4AD, who signed the band. Eight tracks from the demo were selected for the Come on Pilgrim EP, the band's first release. It was followed by their first full-length album, Surfer Rosa in early 1988.

4AD was a British music label, and the notoriously rabid British music press immediately clutched the Pixies to their collective bosoms and refused to let go. The band remained unsigned in the US for a while, but after a foray up the UK pop charts and some inroads into American college rock stations, they were picked up by Elektra Records. For the remainder of their career, the Pixies remained large-scale stars in Britain and cult figures in the US.

Their sophomore album, Doolittle, featured three prominent singles: "Debaser," "Here Comes Your Man," and "Monkey Gone to Heaven." It was a top 10 hit in the UK and reached the top 100 in North America.

After Doolittle, Black Francis temporarily went solo, while Kim Deal formed The Breeders with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses and Deal's sister, Kelley. During this time, Black Francis limited Deal's contributions to the band; the first two albums had been partly written by Deal, but when Bossanova was released in 1990, all 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 1991, they played a highly enthusiastic version of "Debaser" which has become legendary among fans.

Break-up announcements notwithstanding, one more album was to follow. Trompe le Monde still featured little input from Deal and wasn't as critically regarded as their first few albums. Without telling anyone, Black Francis ended the band, and it wasn't until a year later that he faxed an official notice to the other members.

After the break-up

Black Francis renamed himself Frank Black, and released several solo albums. He then went on to form a band with Scott Boutier, Eric Drew, Rich Gilbert, David McGaffrey, and Dave Phillips called Frank Black and the Catholics. 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 Kelley Deal'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 dropped back into obscurity, making occasional appearances as a "scientific phenomenalist", performing experiments on stage; he also drummed on one of Tanya Donelly's solo albums. Santiago has appeared on Frank Black's solo albums, writes music for FOX television, and has a band called The Martinis with his wife, Linda Mallari.

Musically, the Pixies were just slightly ahead of their time. Right at the moment they were imploding, Nirvana was recording Nevermind, the album that would break alternative rock into the mainstream. There are substantial parallels between the two groups' sounds and Kurt Cobain was known to have been a fan—in fact, in a Rolling Stone interview he claimed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was his attempt to write a Pixies song. This revitalized some interest in the band after they were gone.

Reunion

In the 11 years since the band broke up, there were a number of rumors that would circulate regarding reunion tours. Roughly once a year on April Fool's Day someone would be led to believe that the band had re-united. It wasn't until 2004 when the Pixies would play their first "post-breakup" concert on April 13 at The Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and a 15 concert warmup tour of the western United States and Canada, culminating in the performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Tickets for shows on this tour often sold out minutes after going on sale despite some rather moderately sized Canadian cities such as Winnipeg and Regina being stops. It is rumoured that these dates hold the world record for fastest selling shows ever.

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 (see tour dates (http://www.pixiesmusic.com/live_04.php) for detailed information).

In spring 2004, 4AD released Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies and a companion DVD which features a full concert, the music videos, and a documentary on the Pixies. A "new retrospective compilation CD" is set for release in the near future. Many of the reunion shows, including that April 13 show in Minneapolis, were sold by DiscLive (http://pixies.disclive.com/) in sets of 1,000. The entire edition size has now sold out.

Discography

Studio Albums

Compilations

Samples

  • Download sample of "Holiday Song" from Come on Pilgrim

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The entire edition size has now sold out.
. Many of the reunion shows, including that April 13 show in Minneapolis, were sold by DiscLive (http://pixies.disclive.com/) in sets of 1,000. currently are touring outside of the United States on their world tour, which is currently to end in July 2005 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. A "new retrospective compilation CD" is set for release in the near future. R.E.M. In spring 2004, 4AD released Wave of Mutilation: The Best of the Pixies and a companion DVD which features a full concert, the music videos, and a documentary on the Pixies. are currently using drummer Bill Rieflin on Around the Sun and the tour, and his drums may help a 2006 release.

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 (see tour dates (http://www.pixiesmusic.com/live_04.php) for detailed information). Not replacing Berry, R.E.M. It is rumoured that these dates hold the world record for fastest selling shows ever. Currently, there have been two songs played live supposedly on the next album, rumored for a 2006 release; "I'm Gonna D.J.", the catchy rocking song with multiple guitars, and "Weatherman", played once live and then stopped due to the 'lyrics not fitting the song'. Tickets for shows on this tour often sold out minutes after going on sale despite some rather moderately sized Canadian cities such as Winnipeg and Regina being stops. In the same interview, Michael Stipe said he has lyrics to three new songs on his cell phone and one is almost complete and may be debuted live. It wasn't until 2004 when the Pixies would play their first "post-breakup" concert on April 13 at The Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota and a 15 concert warmup tour of the western United States and Canada, culminating in the performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. after the two albums left on their contract.

Roughly once a year on April Fool's Day someone would be led to believe that the band had re-united. In a recent interview, Peter Buck said that their next album would be very different from current R.E.M., and based on the single "I'm Gonna DJ", played live on the 2004-2005 world tour, we can expect it to be another rock album, which, if successful, could possibly lead to Warner resigning R.E.M. In the 11 years since the band broke up, there were a number of rumors that would circulate regarding reunion tours. "Electron Blue," the third single from the Around the Sun album, has been getting much airplay in the UK. This revitalized some interest in the band after they were gone. needed to cancel shows, on account of Mike Mills's flu and ear infection. There are substantial parallels between the two groups' sounds and Kurt Cobain was known to have been a fan—in fact, in a Rolling Stone interview he claimed "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was his attempt to write a Pixies song. Singles from this album include "Leaving New York" and "Aftermath". R.E.M.'s Around the Sun World Tour is the first tour since the infamous Monster Tour that R.E.M.

Right at the moment they were imploding, Nirvana was recording Nevermind, the album that would break alternative rock into the mainstream. In 2004, the band returned with Around the Sun, which once again met with generally only mild critical praise. Musically, the Pixies were just slightly ahead of their time. soundtrack appearances have found them revisiting some of their earliest material, hitherto available only on live bootlegs; their single, "Bad Day" (2003), was the prototype for "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," with some of the same lyrics. Santiago has appeared on Frank Black's solo albums, writes music for FOX television, and has a band called The Martinis with his wife, Linda Mallari. Recent R.E.M. Lovering dropped back into obscurity, making occasional appearances as a "scientific phenomenalist", performing experiments on stage; he also drummed on one of Tanya Donelly's solo albums. The album gained mixed reviews.

Kim Deal has also recorded with The Amps. 2001's Reveal, confirms the return to an even mellower songwriting approach, with songs such as "Imitation of Life," "All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)," and "She Just Wants To Be" garnering some radio play. The album, Title TK, finally appeared in 2002, with only Kim and Kelley remaining from the previous Breeders lineup. The band was no longer selling well in United States, though in Europe they stayed popular. However, for several years they struggled to produce another album, mainly due to Kelley Deal's struggles with heroin. After Berry's departure, the band returned with Krautrock-influenced Up (1998), another long and reflective record, with the lead single "Daysleeper." Many tracks contained drum machines, and Peter Buck played guitar only a little. Deal returned to the Breeders, and scored a hit with "Cannonball" from that group's Last Splash in 1993. Other notable tracks on that record include "E-Bow the Letter" (a collaboration with the legendary Patti Smith) and the intense western-themed rock of "Low Desert." The band re-signed with Warner Brothers in 1996 for the largest recording contract advance in history: 80 million dollars for 5 albums.

He then went on to form a band with Scott Boutier, Eric Drew, Rich Gilbert, David McGaffrey, and Dave Phillips called Frank Black and the Catholics. While on this tour the band recorded the album New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996), a long, roughly produced and decidedly bleak record which featured, in the seven-minute "Leave," perhaps the band's most intense song. Black Francis renamed himself Frank Black, and released several solo albums. The album was followed by a massive tour during which drummer Bill Berry suffered a brain hemorrhage on stage, which would eventually lead to his leaving the band. Without telling anyone, Black Francis ended the band, and it wasn't until a year later that he faxed an official notice to the other members. The band's 1994 release, the grunge-influenced Monster, including "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," proved to be a crossover hit and their best selling album to date, though many critics disliked the band's foray into glam rock. Trompe le Monde still featured little input from Deal and wasn't as critically regarded as their first few albums. These two critically acclaimed albums featured hit singles including "Losing My Religion," "Shiny Happy People," "Everybody Hurts," and "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite." Out of Time also includes emotional, contemplative tracks such as "Belong," "Half A World Away," and "Country Feedback." On Automatic, the band developed a reserved, meditative sound that took them back to their roots, and the record's 15 million copies were sold in spite of such melancholy themes as death, suicide, and sexual jealousy.

Break-up announcements notwithstanding, one more album was to follow. Their next records, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), were both international hits, despite the fact that R.E.M. did not tour for either album. The Pixies were at the height of their popularity, however, and while headlining at the Reading Festival in 1991, they played a highly enthusiastic version of "Debaser" which has become legendary among fans. recorded with Warren Zevon as the Hindu Love Gods. Deal was not pleased, and unilaterally announced an apparent break-up of the band on-stage during the following tour. In 1990, most of R.E.M. During this time, Black Francis limited Deal's contributions to the band; the first two albums had been partly written by Deal, but when Bossanova was released in 1990, all songs were by him. had become too commercial and that the quality of the music had decreased, but the band had now been brought to international attention.

After Doolittle, Black Francis temporarily went solo, while Kim Deal formed The Breeders with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses and Deal's sister, Kelley. days complained that R.E.M. Their sophomore album, Doolittle, featured three prominent singles: "Debaser," "Here Comes Your Man," and "Monkey Gone to Heaven." It was a top 10 hit in the UK and reached the top 100 in North America. Some fans from the I.R.S. For the remainder of their career, the Pixies remained large-scale stars in Britain and cult figures in the US. This was the band's first time with heavy promotion, and they toured stadiums extensively in 1989. The band remained unsigned in the US for a while, but after a foray up the UK pop charts and some inroads into American college rock stations, they were picked up by Elektra Records. signed to the major label Warner Brothers and released Green.

4AD was a British music label, and the notoriously rabid British music press immediately clutched the Pixies to their collective bosoms and refused to let go. In 1988 R.E.M. It was followed by their first full-length album, Surfer Rosa in early 1988. The compilation contains several alternative versions and mixes of songs. Eight tracks from the demo were selected for the Come on Pilgrim EP, the band's first release. The album is described in the liner notes as "A little bit of uh-huh and a whole lot of oh-yeah." The band's early years are summarized in the compilation Eponymous, released in 1988. The demo fell into the hands of Ivo Watts-Russell, owner of 4AD, who signed the band. Highlights include three Velvet Underground covers, an Aerosmith cover, an uncommissioned commercial for a barbecue restaurant in Athens, and a boozy version of "King of the Road." The CD also has the EP Chronic Town at the end.

Smith became the band's manager and produced a 17 track demo (known as the "Purple Tape", publicly released in 2002). Dead Letter Office (1987) was a collection of B-sides and outtakes. During a concert with Throwing Muses, the band was noticed by Gary Smith, a producer at Fort Apache Studios. "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" recalls the rapid-fire lyrical style of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and can be described as pre-apocalyptic. They arrived at a name ("Pixies") by selecting an entry from the dictionary at random, and began playing shows in the Boston area. The popularity of this song of grim satisfaction over the end of an unhappy relationship was due mainly, however, to its misinterpretation as a love song. Reportedly, the ad asked for a bass player who liked The Mamas and the Papas and Husker Du. 9 on the American pop charts.

Bassist Kim Deal joined the band after she responded to a classified ad Black Francis had placed which requested an unusual combination of musical influences. Document (1987) was their last album for the indie record label I.R.S., and provided their first major hit with "The One I Love," which reached No. The band was formed in 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts by Joey Santiago and Black Francis (born Charles Thompson IV). In many ways, this album marked the end of the first period in the band's history. Most notable was their use of soft verses and hard choruses, which was later popularized by Nirvana. Ironically, the 'hit' from the album, "Superman," was a cover song that didn't appear on the original album cover. Their style of music influenced many aspects of alternative rock throughout the 1990s. "Cuyahoga" is about the river in Ohio that caught fire due to pollution.

Frank Black (vocals, guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals), and David Lovering (drums). The lyrics were becoming both more intelligible and more direct, with political themes appearing more explicitly ("Begin the Begin," "Flowers of Guatemala," "Hyena"). The band's lineup consists of Black Francis a.k.a. The songs are upbeat, the tempo is fast; this is a fairly hard-rocking album. The Pixies are a band which toured and recorded in the late 1980s and early 1990s, then reunited in 2004 and began touring again. But that's all part of life's rich pageant, you know."). Download sample of "Holiday Song" from Come on Pilgrim. The next album, Lifes Rich Pageant (sic) (1986), takes its name from a Pink Panther movie ("You'll catch your death of cold!" "Yes, I probably will.

practically defined college rock by this time. R.E.M. were critically acclaimed, and the video for "Can't Get There from Here" was played frequently on MTV. By the time this album was released, R.E.M.

"Kohoutek," their first song about a romantic relationship, compares the fizzled comet of 1973 to a fizzled romance. The source of the title of "Can't Get There from Here" is a curious phrase heard when asking directions in a rural area. Trains are a frequent topic of Southern music; they epitomize the freedom and promise of an escape from one's home environment. "Driver 8" is a song about the scenery surrounding railroad tracks.

A celebration of an eccentric individual is the subject of no less than four songs on the album ("Maps and Legends," "Life and How to Live It," "Old Man Kensey," "Wendell Gee"). Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) explores the mythology of the southern United States. The final song, "Little America," is written about driving through rural America ("another Greenville, another Magic Mart (http://www.magicmartstores.com/)"), and serves as a prelude to the Southern themes on the subsequent album. The jangling guitars and beautiful melodies obscure the dark lyrics.

Song topics include cold weather, a fairy tale of brothers with magical powers and a flood, along with five laments of separation. R.E.M.'s second album, Reckoning (1984), explored a variety of musical styles. The dark mood is broken by two brighter, more hopeful songs, "Sitting Still," and "Shaking Through", marked by the return of arpeggio and jangling guitars. The mood is grey - "Rest assured this will not last, take a turn for the worst", "martyred, misconstrued", "Not everyone can carry the weight of the world", "lies and conversation, fear".

Evocative words are used to create a mood instead of a narrative. The songs on the album blend together. The melody is found in the bass notes, and the lyrics are practically indecipherable. The jangling guitars, so prominent on Chronic Town, are used more sparingly.

The album is stylistically unified. Their debut album, Murmur (1983), is held to be one of the best records of the 1980s. Their debut EP, Chronic Town (1982), illustrated R.E.M.'s signature musical style: jangling guitars, chords played in arpeggio, murmured vocals, and lyrics that completely avoid the standard topics of popular music - love and relationships. was one of the world's most popular, respected, and influential bands.

By the early '90s, R.E.M. Throughout the 1980s, while signed to the independent label I.R.S., they achieved a growing cult status due mainly to Stipe's obscure (and sometimes inaudible and unintelligible) lyrics and the band's sound, most noticeably influenced by The Byrds. R.E.M. is a rock band formed in Athens, Georgia in 1980 by Michael Stipe (vocals), Bill Berry (drums), Peter Buck (guitar), and Mike Mills (bass). Lyric Annotations FAQ (http://www.flim.com/remlafaq.html).

R.E.M. rec.music.rem FAQ (http://people2.clarityconnect.com/webpages6/ronhenry/remfaq.htm). Forum (http://www.myrem.com). 2nd Largest R.E.M.

Page (http://www.retroweb.com/rem.html). - The RetroWeb R.E.M. File Under R.E.M. Rock (http://www.remrock.com/).

R.E.M. Collector's Guide (http://www.svs.com/rem/). The R.E.M. news & multimedia (http://www.remison.com/).

R.E.M. fan site (http://www.rem-fan.com/). R.E.M. forum (http://www.murmurs.com/).

news, multimedia, file sharing & largest R.E.M. Murmurs : R.E.M. website (http://www.remhq.com/). Official R.E.M.

2005 "Electron Blue" #26 UK. 2004 "Aftermath" #41 UK. 2004 "Leaving New York" #5 UK. 2004 "Animal" #33 UK.

2003 "Bad Day" #8 UK. 2001 "I'll Take the Rain" #51 UK. 2001 "All the Way to Reno" #24 UK. 2001 "Imitation of Life" #83 US; #6 UK.

2000 "The Great Beyond" #57 US; #3 UK. 1999 "At My Most Beautiful" #10 UK. 1998 "Lotus" #26 UK. 1998 "Daysleeper" #57 US; #6 UK.

1996 "Electrolite" #96 US; #29 UK. 1996 "Bittersweet Me" #46 US; #19 UK. 1996 "E-Bow the Letter" #4 UK. 1995 "Tongue" #13 UK.

1995 "Strange Currencies" #47 US; #9 UK. 1995 "Crush with Eyeliner" #23 UK. 1994 "Bang and Blame" #19 US; #15 UK. 1994 "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" #21 US; #9 UK.

1993 "Nightswimming" #27 UK. 1993 "Everybody Hurts" #29 US; #7 UK. 1993 "The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite" #17 UK. 1993 "Man on the Moon" #30 US; #18 UK.

1992 "Drive" #28 US; #11 UK. 1991 "It's The End Of The World As We Know It" #39 UK; #69 US (1988). 1991 "Radio Song" #28 UK. 1991 "The One I Love" (re-issue) #16 UK.

1991 "Near Wild Heaven" #27 UK. 1991 "Shiny Happy People" #10 US; #6 UK. 1991 "Losing My Religion" #4 US, #19 UK. 1989 "Pop Song 89" #86 US.

1989 "Orange Crush" #28 UK. 1989 "Stand" #6 US. 1987 "The One I Love" #9 US. 1986 "Fall On Me" #94 US.

1984 "South Central Rain (I'm Sorry)" #85 US. 1983 "Radio Free Europe" #78 US. 1988-2003 (compilation) (2003); #1 UK, #8 US. In Time - The Best of R.E.M.

R.E.M.IX (Web Only Remixes). In The Attic (rarities compilation) (1997). R.E.M. Singles Collected (1994);.

The Best of R.E.M. (1991); #7 UK. Eponymous (compilation) (1988) #44 US. Around the Sun (2004); #1 UK, #13 US. Reveal (2001); #1 UK, #6 US.

Up (1998); #2 UK, #3 US. New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996); #1 UK, #2 US. Monster (1994); #1 UK, #1 US. Automatic for the People (1992); #1 UK, #2 US.

Out of Time (1991); #1 UK, #1 US. Green (1988); #27 UK, #12 US. Document (1987); #28 UK, #10 US. Chronic Town EP) (1987) #52 US.

Dead Letter Office (outtakes and b-sides, incl. Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) #21 US. Fables of the Reconstruction (1985) #28 US, #35 UK. Reckoning (1984); #27 US.

Murmur (1983); #178 US. Chronic Town EP (1982). Download sample of "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" from Monster. "Losing My Religion" may have been the biggest hit song that uses a mandolin as the main instrument.

They started out as Twisted Kites for the first show they played at a party, but, according to "It Crawled From the South," considered Negro Eyes, Slut Bank, and Cans of Piss before settling for R.E.M. They liked the name because it was so ambiguous. out of the dictionary. The band members picked the name R.E.M.