Sex and aliens and the Bible and that loudQUIETloud formula – it’s hard to overstate the influence of the Pixies on more than one generation of Subbacultchas. From the crash-in crisp drums of Surfer Rosa to the bubblegum magic of Doolittle to the Lynchian surrealism of Bossanova to the scorched-earth surf of Trompe le Monde, the band’s original, most iconic lineup – Francis, Deal, Santiago, Lovering – gave Cobain the tools for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and forged an enduring Alternative Nation. Deal’s long gone, but the band continues to plow through their ever-growing catalog in fever-dream, near-wordless sets of pop and existentialism.
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— Carys Anderson