The Pixies are an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, that formed in 1986. The 1980s post-punk movement may be credited with the Pixies’ popularity. Pixies’ original line-up consisted of Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass), and David Lovering (drums). Pixies’ split in 1993 was acrimonious, and the band has not performed together since 2004 when it toured North America and Europe. Kim Shattuck has been the touring bassist since Deal departed Pixies in 2013, although she was replaced by Paz Lenchantin late that. In 2016, Pixies released their most recent studio effort, “Head Carrier.”
The Pixies are one of the most influential bands in modern rock music, with their unique sound drawing on punk and surf elements. Their evolving dynamic distinguishes them from other alternative artists of the decade, and it is this change in dynamics that forms their distinctive sound.
It’s difficult not to include The Pixies when talking about 90s Alternative Rock Bands because their influence is so profound. From debut albums, Surfer Rosa (1988) which includes themes such as indie sex-and drugs rock ‘n roll’, through landmark followups Doolittle(1990), Bossanova (1990), and Trompe Le Monde (1991); Pixies were a band that defined the decade. Their dynamic shifts from loud moments to quieter ones make them stand out from other alternative artists during this time period. The 1990s saw an explosion of new genres like grunge or ska but few could match what The Pixies were doing at just a point when it seemed they might disappear forever. Pixies are an example of how important the influence is that a band can have.
The Pixies are a hard-to-classify mix of surf rock and punk. The band’s sound has loud contrasts that change from song to song, like how Spin described their “surf music meets Stooges spikiness.” Lyrics also take center stage in many songs with quiet scenes where there is no percussion at all for most parts; these contrast against fast-paced rhythms opposite one another by repeating segments over again until it sounds different enough or louder than before (or both). Pixies’ sound has been described as “wild, careening” Pixies’ music is an excellent example of how indie rock can be so different from other genres. Pixies have had such influence on later bands that this article cannot even describe it all; Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain listed Pixies as one of his biggest influences and they were also influenced by the band themselves as seen in their Lollapalooza set where they covered four Pixies songs.
Their legacy lives on with secondary acts like Arcade Fire and Kasabian who credit them for influencing their first albums. The Pixies are here to stay!
The Pixies are a group of musical artists that have been influenced by the likes of Captain Beefheart and Iggy Pop. When founding member Francis Ford Coppola was writing his first songs for them, he listened only to these two genres as well! Pixies have a huge fan base in the United States and England, but they are popular all over the globe. Pixies will be around for a long time to come because of how much influence their music has had on other artists that we know today!
