Name	Pixies
Landscape	yes
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genre	Alternative rock
Years active	1986–1993, 2004–present
Label	4AD, Elektra, Spin Art, Artemis
Associated acts	The Amps, Frank Black, The Breeders, The Martinis
Url	pixiesmusic.com
Current members	Black FrancisJoey SantiagoKim DealDavid Lovering

The Pixies are an American alternative rock band that formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group consists of Black Francis (vocals, guitar), Joey Santiago (guitar), Kim Deal (bass guitar, vocals), and David Lovering (drums). While the Pixies found only modest success in their home country, they were significantly more successful in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, although never achieved prolonged mainstream success with their studio albums. The group disbanded in 1993 in acrimonious circumstances but reunited in 2004.

The band's style of alternative rock music is heavily influenced by punk and indie rock, and while highly melodic, is often abrasive at the same time. Francis is the Pixies' 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. Many of the band's songs make reference to mental instability, violent Biblical imagery, and physical injury.

The group is frequently posited as the immediate forebear 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 his band 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.

History

Formation

The history of the Pixies began when undergraduates Joey Santiago and Black Francis (born Charles Thompson IV) shared a room at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Santiago soon introduced Francis to the music of David Bowie and punk rock, and the pair began to jam together. After spending six months in an apartment with a "weirdo, psycho, gay roommate", he returned to Amherst and dropped out of the university. Once the band had settled on a name and stable line-up, they moved rehearsals to Lovering's parents' garage in mid-1986.

Record contract and Come On Pilgrim

While the Pixies were playing a concert with Throwing Muses, they were noticed by producer Gary Smith, manager of Fort Apache Studios. He told the band he "could not sleep until you guys are world famous." The band produced a 17-track demo at Fort Apache soon afterwards, known to fans as "The Purple Tape" because of the tape cover's purple background. Funded by Francis' father at the cost of $1000, the recording session was completed in three days. Watts-Russell nearly passed on the band, finding them too normal, "too rock 'n' roll", but signed them at the persuasion of his girlfriend. In the EP, Francis drew upon his experiences in Puerto Rico, mostly in the songs "Vamos" and "Isla de Encanta"; the album included lyrics describing the poverty in Puerto Rico. The religious lyrics in Come On Pilgrim and later albums came from his parents' born-again Christian days in the Pentecostal Church. Critic Heather Phares sees themes such as sexual frustration ("I've Been Tired") and incest ("Nimrod's Son" and "The Holiday Song") on the EP. Surfer Rosa gained the Pixies acclaim; both Melody Maker and Sounds gave Surfer Rosa their "Album of the Year" award. Surfer Rosa includes songs such as "Gigantic", "River Euphrates", and "Where Is My Mind?" (), and features a more sparse sound than its predecessor.

Meanwhile, they signed an American distribution deal with major record label Elektra. Around this time, the Pixies struck up a relationship with the British producer, Gil Norton. Norton was to produce their second full album, Doolittle (provisionally titled Whore), which was recorded in the last six weeks of 1988 and seen as a departure from the raw sound of Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa. Doolittle had a much cleaner sound, largely due to Norton and the production budget of US$40,000, which was quadruple that of Surfer Rosa.

During the post-Doolittle "Fuck or Fight" tour of the United States, intended to promote the release of the album, the band's hectic schedule took its toll on the band members; the Pixies had released three albums in two years, as well as constant touring. Near the end of the 1989 tour, during their homecoming Boston concert, Santiago smashed up his instruments and stormed off-stage. After the tour's final date in New York, the band was too exhausted to attend the end-of-tour party the following night and soon announced a hiatus.

During this time, Santiago traveled to the Grand Canyon to "find himself", and Lovering jetted off to Jamaica. Francis bought a yellow Cadillac and crossed America with his girlfriend (due to an aversion to flying), and while doing so performed solo gigs in order to raise money for furniture in his new Los Angeles apartment. Deal formed a new band, The Breeders, named after a band she had formed with her sister as a teenager, with Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses and bassist Josephine Wiggs of Perfect Disaster. Their debut album, Pod, was released in 1990.

Bossanova, Trompe le Monde, and breakup

In 1990, all members of the group except for Deal moved to Los Angeles. In contrast, the album peaked at number three in the United Kingdom.

In early 1993, Francis announced in an interview to BBC Radio 5 that the band was finished and offered no explanation at the time, unbeknown to the other members of the band. and the Complete 'B' Sides compilation (2001). Guitarists who influenced him include Jimi Hendrix, Les Paul, Wes Montgomery, and George Harrison. He commented on these influences, saying he "didn't have the patience to sit around reading Surrealist novels", but found it easier to watch twenty-minute films.

Deal co-wrote "Silver" with Francis, She wrote and sang lead vocals on "Bam Thwok" Lovering sang lead vocals on "La La Love You" and "Make Believe"; both songs were written by Francis. The writing of "Levitate Me" is credited to Black Francis/Lovering/Walsh, with vocals by Francis. and Radiohead's Thom Yorke has said that, while at school, "the Pixies had changed my life". David Bowie, whose music had inspired Francis and Santiago while they were at university, has said that the Pixies made "just about the most compelling music of the entire 80s". In 2002, Bowie released a cover of the Pixies' "Cactus" on his album Heathen.

As "Velouria" (their first single from Bossanova) was climbing up the UK Top 40, the band was offered a spot on Top of the Pops. However, a BBC rule stated only singles with videos could be performed on the show. To counter this a cheap video was made, with the band being filmed running down a quarry. In the video, twenty-three seconds of footage (the time needed for the band members to reach the camera) is slowed in order to last for the duration of the song. However, the effort in filming the video was in vain; the Pixies did not play "Velouria" on Top of The Pops while the single was in the charts.

A 90-minute documentary called loudQUIETloud: a film about The Pixies directed by Steven Cantor and Matthew Galkin was released in 2006. The film documents their 2004 reunion and tour, and covers the years after the break-up.

Discography

Come On Pilgrim (1987)

Surfer Rosa (1988)

Doolittle (1989)

Bossanova (1990)

Trompe le Monde (1991)

See also

List of alternative rock artists

Music of Massachusetts

Music of the United States (1980s to the present)

Timeline of alternative rock

Notes

References

Bibliogaphy

Frank, Josh; Ganz, Caryn. . St. Martin's Press, 2006. ISBN 0-312-34007-9.

Mendelssohn, John. Gigantic: The Story of Frank Blank and The Pixies. Omnibus Press, 2005. ISBN 1-8444-9490-X

Sisario, Ben. Doolittle. Continuum, 2006 (33⅓ series). ISBN 0-8264-1774-4.

External links

Official Pixies site

Official 4AD site

Category:1980s music groups Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:2010s music groups Category:4AD artists Category:American alternative rock groups Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1993 Category:Musical groups established in 1986 Category:Musical groups from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2004 Category:Musical quartets

Name	Pixie Lott
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Victoria Louise Lott
Born	January 12, 1991 and went straight to number one in the UK Singles Chart. and when she was five she attended the Italia Conti Associates Saturday school in Chislehurst, she went onto the main school - Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts - at 11, where she was awarded a scholarship. Despite missing school time because she was recording her album, Lott gained straight 'A' grades in her GCSEs. He then signed her to the Island Def Jam Music Group. After a change of managers a bidding war ensued, and Lott parted ways with the Island Def Jam Music Group, to sign with Mercury Records in the UK and to Interscope Records in the U.S. She formed a publishing deal, as a songwriter, with Sony/ATV Music Publishing in December 2007, while in the midst of writing and recording tracks for Turn It Up.
- align	"center"
Name	Lott, Victoria Louise
Alternative names	Lott, Pixie
Short description	Singer-songwriter, actress
Date of birth	1991-1-12
Place of birth	Bromley, London, England

Category:1991 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:21st-century actors Category:Blue-eyed soul singers Category:English child actors Category:English child singers Category:English female singers Category:English film actors Category:English musical theatre actors Category:English pop singers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English soul singers Category:English television actors Category:Italia Conti graduates Category:Living people Category:Mercury Records artists

Category:People from Brentwood, Essex Category:People from Bromley Category:Wonky Pop acts Category:The X Factor judges Category:The X Factor (UK)