Stereogum » Pixies

The Top 20 Steve Albini-Recorded Albums

tom — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:33:47 +0000

Infamously cantankerous studio rat/national treasure Steve Albini doesn’t like to be called a record producer. He prefers the term “recording engineer.” That’s a dry, clinical term for what Albini actually does, but it makes sense that he’d prefer to be seen that way. Over the past few decades, Albini has overseen the creation of countless numbers of recorded artifacts. And even though he’s been an outspoken opponent of the major-label system (and of other underground-rock heroes), he’s known to work with just about anyone who requests his services, whether it’s a major-label juggernaut like ’90s radio-grunge rulers Bush or the grimiest indie band you never heard of.

This week, Cloud Nothings released the visceral, scraping, full-blooded, Albini-recorded Attack On Memory, a truly great LP and a welcome reminder of the sort of visceral shit that was so common on the ’90s rock underground. That album recalled any number of past Albini-recorded efforts. And so does Ugly, the forthcoming Screaming Females album, which Albini also recorded and which also kicks all kinds of ass. Given that Albini is having a banner year so far, we thought it’d be fun to honor some of the other records that Albini recorded. Click through the gallery for our picks and rationale. And in the comments section, tell us that we were idiots for neglecting Silkworm or Urge Overkill or Pussy Galore.

[Photo by Abbey Braden @ ATP NJ]

Pixies Visiting “Lost Cities,” But Should They Make A New Album?

brandon — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:56:35 +0000

Riding an unending wave of nostalgia, the Pixies plan to continue their 2009 Doolittle 20th Anniversary tour, extending the trek by 19 additional US dates starting in October. They’re calling this portion “Lost Cities” because they’re hitting cities they’ve never previously visited. (Hard to believe they never played Wilmington.) As a result of the ongoing popularity and sold out Doolittle shows, the band’s also considering recording a new album. Drummer David Lovering had this to say:

Watch Surfer Blood Cover The Pixies

brandon — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:22:32 +0000

Surfer Blood covered the Pixies as part of AV Club’s Undercover, the series that recently married the Mountain Goats and Jawbreaker. The Floridians went for “Gigantic” from the 1988 classic Surfer (Blood) Rosa. Keeping with that ’80s-underground vibe, the band’s friend, Girls At Dawn drummer Sarah Baldwin, helps out on vocals in a Minor Threat t-shirt.

Happy 50th Kim & Kelley Deal

brandon — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:34:31 +0000

Kim and Kelley Deal turn 50 today. The twins have quite a cake helping them celebrate the occasion:

69 Other Bands With Official Sneakers

Scott — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:31:15 +0000

Last week the Animal Collective bros released an official mixtape for their new … sneakers. That is a thing now. Gotta keep fans on their toes (ouch, sorry). The shoes which you can see here benefit the Socorro island Conservation Fund, and they are cruelty free, except to your eyes.

I did some research, and it turns out that dozens of indie and punk bands have licensed sneakers. Most are quite ugly, and many — Biz Markie Keds, Bad Brains flip-flops — are hilarious.

A few fun facts to keep in mind while you browse our Complete Guide to rock footwear:

Pixies In Chile: 33 Songs For 33 Miners

brandon — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:51:12 +0000

The Pixies played Teatro La Cupula in Santiago, Chile the same day the 33 trapped miners were pulled to safety 69 days later. As a tribute, the band performed a 33-song set, their longest to date. Check out the playlist after watching Black Francis’s introduction (which is more interesting if you know Spanish).

Frank Black On Tim & Eric

jessica — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:14:24 +0000

Frank Blacks of famous rock band The Pixels visits the set of Morning Prayer with Skott and Behr to sing some rock and roll boogie woogie. Hosanna! And watch here.

Pixies, Gorillaz, Elvis Costello Cancel Israel Gigs

jessica — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:38:20 +0000

Bands are canceling gigs in Israel following last week’s raid on a group of aid ships heading to Gaza. Elvis Costello posted a carefully-worded letter on his website outlining his reasons for canceling his concerts in Israel, acknowledging that he needed to “sift through [his] own conflicted thoughts” on Israel before playing there. According to the AP, Pixies also canceled what would have been their first ever concert in Israel (though they haven’t given a specific reason), and Gorillaz — along with Klaxons — pulled out of a Tel Aviv music festival (Placebo are still playing). For now, Costello’s wife Diana Krall is still moving forward with plans to play Israel this summer.

Black Francis With Joey Santiago – “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone” (Stereogum Premiere)

brandon — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:09:25 +0000

The difference between appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone in 2010 vs during the Almost Famous era is huge, but the sentiments and rock ‘n’ roll satire remain gently pointed in “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone,” a song written by Shel Silverstein and first recorded by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show in 1973. Right, Silverstein is the children’s book writer/artist behind the heartbreaking The Giving Tree and Where The Sidewalk Ends, A Light In The Attic, etc., but he also did those cartoons for Playboy, wrote theater pieces, and penned a ton of songs like “A Boy Named Sue.” Twistable, Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute To The Songs Of Shel Silverstein — produced by Bobby Bare, Jr. and Bobby Bare, Sr. — shines a light on a few, collecting “Sue” (here performed here by Todd Snider) and 14 others. The updated take on “The Cover Of The Rolling Stone” features Pixies’ Black Francis and Joey Santiago along with Bare Jr. on guitar, David Vandervelde on bass, and Aaron Ford of …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead on drums. The irony’s not lost that two of the folks from the band who influenced Nirvana, Radiohead, Weezer, Blur, etc., but never got rich doing it are singing about making $10 million dollars a show, piloting limos, and having their way with blue-eyed groupies. And, right, the cast of Glee beat them to that cover.

Stereogum & team9 Present… MySplice 4: 2009 Mashed Up

Scott — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:59:29 +0000

There could not have been a more apt ID3 than that of Freelance Hellraiser’s “Stroke Of Genius,” the MP3 that launched this decade’s most fitting musical legacy. Parts of two or three or thirty tracks mixed into one supersong? What better than mashups to soundtrack a generation of smartphone-wielding Adderall chompers coming of age in a world where all music is free. In the years since Freelance Hellraiser (and 2 Many DJs, Go Home Productions, DJ Earworm, Party Ben, et al) raised the bar for bastard pop, we’ve seen bootlegging go mainstream in the hands of Girl Talk and Danger Mouse, not to mention 2004′s chart-topping Collision Course and the dozen questionable Jigga x [rock band] torrents in its wake. This year, bands like Passion Pit and Phoenix distributed stems of their hits as blogbaiting publicity stunts. (It worked!) Still, when it comes to remixes, few are more thrilling than hearing the vocals of one song over the instrumental of another and have it absolutely work. Which is why we’ve again collaborated with our favorite mashup artist, Australian producer Neil Mason aka team9, to mix our favorite tracks of 2009 with familiar oldies, creating something more than the sum of their parts. The process — Stereogum acquiring exclusive audio and making playlists, Neil working his ACID Pro magic (i.e., the hard part) — started months ago, with an eye on this holiday deadline. It’s our fourth annual Christmas present to you, and we think it’s the best MySplice yet. Enjoy…