Alternative rock titans the Pixies have been a fixture in the alternative rock scene since their formation in 1986. The band arrived alongside their contemporaries like Husker Du, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. at a time when rock bands showcased sonically harsher, slacker rock performances, and rebellious songwriting. Backed by Black Francis’ unrelenting vocal yelps and Joey Santiago’s frantic, angular guitar playing, their innovative, genre-bending sound, characterized by the “loud-quiet-loud” dynamic, was ahead of its time. The band’s influence grew significantly even after their 1993 breakup, providing a blueprint for 1990s alternative rock and grunge, including Nirvana, Radiohead, and Weezer.
Fast forward two decades later, the Pixies has rebanded, making their presence in the rock scene more visible than ever, just in time as the current indie rock scene experiences its own resurgence, with emerging bands adopting their sound and attitude. With their 40th anniversary celebration heading to Manila for the first time on May 10 , Sunday, at the Filinvest Tent in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, here are a couple of Pixies songs we couldn’t wait to hear live.
‘Debaser’
As the opening track to their seminal 1989 album Doolittle, it serves as a chaotic, infectious manifesto that influenced Nirvana in the process. In it are Black Francis’ deranged lyrics, “Got me a movie, I want you to know / Slicing up eyeballs, I want you to know,” an ode to Luis Buñuel’s surrealist film Un Chien Andalou. Then the cherry on top: Kim Deal’s sensual title croon in the chorus, acting as the perfect counterpart to Black’s tortured howl and Santiago’s catchy guitar lines.
‘Velouria’
“Velouria” is a hypnotic blend of spacey, theremin-driven atmosphere with Santiago’s grinding guitar riffs and the contrast between Black’ wailing vocals and Deal’s melodic presence. Released on 1990’s Bossanova, the standout balances a “wiggly” science-fiction feel with intense pop sensibilities, a unique trait that Pixies had mastered prior to their breakup. Black’s vocal melodies linger, even as the guitars take over, a signature Pixies trait that’s hard to separate from the band’s identity.
‘Here Comes Your Man’
This is without a doubt one of the most accessible Pixies songs for first-time listeners. During one of the track’s iconic call-and-response moments, “Take me to nowhere place,” Black sings, while Deal follows with “So long, so long.” Santiago delivers one of his most addictive lead lines here. Despite the upbeat, sunny feel, the lyrics remain cryptic and dark, touching on themes like natural disasters or strained relationships, offering a kind of “humorous horror” the band has pioneered in the olden days of indie rock.
‘In Heaven’ (David Lynch Cover)
It couldn’t be more fitting for the Pixies to embrace surrealist imagery with their cover of “In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song)” from David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Black recalls being inspired by the song after dragging his bandmates to watch the film, eventually leading to their own version. The cover was famously recorded in the Peel Sessions in 1988 at BBC Radio. The cover gives justice to the unsettling surrealism with their own brand of maniacal presence, turning a minimalist tune into a haunting punk piece.
‘Where is My Mind?’
One of the most widely discussed alternative rock singles of its time, “Where Is My Mind?” became a sleeper hit. Its popularity surged more than a decade after release when it was used in the final scene of the 1999 film Fight Club, introducing the track to a new generation of listeners. If you’ve seen the scene where Edward Norton’s character, The Narrator with a bloodied jaw, tells Marla Singer played by Helena Bonham Carter, “You met me at a very strange time in my life,” as buildings collapse behind them, you already know Pixies were the perfect fit for that moment.
