Events

[ALT ROCK] The Pixies are undeniably one of the most influential bands to have graced the alternative rock realm. The twisted, alt-rock progenitors influenced 1990s icons from Nirvana to Radiohead. Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, they released a string of albums–Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova, and Trompe Le Monde–all marked with a sense of imminent peril. Songs like “Where Is My Mind” and “Debaser” were comprised of quiet-loud dynamics and weighty concepts that touched on everything from Catholicism to UFOs. But however unorthodox the Pixies got, they always sounded grounded, largely through trade-offs between precision and recklessness. After an 11 year separation, they reunited in 2004, and finally released their first album since reuniting, Indie Cindy, last year. Though Kim Deal’s absence is a tough pill to swallow, the album still boasts traces of classic Pixies. “Greens and Blues” revisits Black Francis’s obsession with extraterrestrials, underpinned by Joey Santiago’s sunny guitar. The title track hinges on a plea for acceptance, and it’s in that spirit of understanding that Pixies fans should approach this album. Their sound is slicker, but that’s not to say there still aren’t a handful of worthwhile songs. Catch the Pixies with special guest, John Grant at the Rapids Theatre on Tuesday, May 19.