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Pixies

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Pixies is an American alternative rock band from Boston, formed in 1986. Singer and guitarist Black Francis and guitarist Joey Santiago met at university in Amherst. Francis placed an advertisement for a bassist who liked both Peter, Paul and Mary and the punk band Hüsker Dü. Kim Deal was the only one who answered, and she came to the audition without a bass because she had never played one. Drummer David Lovering completed the group. Santiago picked the name at random from a dictionary.

Music and breakthrough

After the mini-album Come On Pilgrim (1987) came Surfer Rosa (1988), recorded in two weeks with Steve Albini. It contains Where Is My Mind?. Doolittle (1989), Bossanova (1990) and Trompe le Monde (1991) followed. The Pixies sound revolves around sudden shifts between soft and loud: quiet verses with a tight bass line and then an explosion of guitars and screaming. There are influences of punk and surf rock in it. Francis wrote strange, surreal lyrics about aliens, Biblical violence and other unusual subjects.

Influence

In America success remained modest, but in England and the rest of Europe, the Netherlands included, the band attracted a great deal of attention. In 1993 the group broke up. Only afterwards did the influence grow: Nirvana, Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins and Weezer learned from Pixies. Kurt Cobain admitted that Smells Like Teen Spirit was an attempt to imitate Pixies. In 2004 the band got back together.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Where Is My Mind? and notice Kim Deal's high, floating voice in the background. Hear, too, how the guitar plays a simple, plaintive melody above the solid rhythm guitar.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

See also

Categories: ArtistsAlternative rock