Come On Pilgrim

[Glebe]

"I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed, I like Lou Reed!"

Not into the new stuff but still my favourite band ever. Reckon my fave album is Surfer but it's close between that and Doolittle.

Love 'Rock a My Soul' from the Purple Tape:

[timahall]

Looks like Paz has left and they already have a (female) replacement.

[Calistan]

There are some great songs on all of the newer albums but the albums themselves are a bit patchy. Strangely, their best newer release for me is the bonus disc of Beneath the Eyrie. Chapel Hill, I Just Can't Break It, Mal de Mer, Debussy, etc. are all much looser and less polished than the official stuff. He was going through another breakup during those songs and they sound much more earnest.

In other news Paz left the band today and the woman from Band of Skulls has replaced her. Paz was great and a much better bassist than the other two Kims but she probably got bored.

[Glebe]

Fuck! She has and all!😯

[Rev+]

(Double posting fuckery)

[Rev+]

She hasn't left, she was sacked with little notice.

My departure is a bit of a surprise to me as it is to many, but it looks like they have a solid plan figured out which in turn has pushed me to move onwards onto new projects that I am excited about.

We know why, don't we?  Ten years in the band, so she's aged out of the Kim Deal role.  It's not the bass and the voice, it's a presence that has to remain timeless as these old farts grey out.

I still love their early records, but when I think of Pixies now I just think of Frank Black sitting in an office struggling with a fax machine.  Pixies LLC Concern.

[Shaky]

There are some great songs on all of the newer albums but the albums themselves are a bit patchy.

I concur with this and while on a good day that's not a terrible innings, at other times it's a sad testament to how far Black's talents and passion have declined. They should knock it on the head after chucking Paz but clearly it's far too lucrative a gig these days. And I guess the logic in the camp for better or worse is, "They're all Black's songs anyway... he needs a backing band... might as well be Joey and David... might as well use the name Pixies, then..."

If I was a cynical man, I'd say the other three (ie. mostly Frank) have gotten pissy about how "involved" Lechantin became and they just want a silent hired gun to stand there and look good.

[Asclepius]

Seeing lots of rumours and theories that it's down to her 'liking' a tweet showing Argentinian fash president Javier Milei at his most insane. She has also been publicly supportive of Ariel Pink - someone who's publicly stated it's ok to be racist and homophobic and is believed to have been present on 6th Jan at the pro-Trump riot.

'Political Differences' then?

[Glebe]

It's disappointing if this stuff is true. She always seems like such a GBOLasses.

Grimes did a racial doozy talking about being proud to be white or summit recently which was a bit 'mate'.

[Ron Maels Moustache]

Love the careful wording on Paz's statement. Reminded me a bit of Smashie & Nicey - "May I just say how utterly flabbergasted I am to be resigned!"

It is bizarre how the Pixies corporate machine just rumbles on and on now, The Simpsons of nineties indie rock. Surely it must've gone beyond the point where the band members need to keep it going to put their kids through college, what's in it for all them to keep trudging on at this point? Just feels like such an empty branding exercise.

[Critcho]

Maybe the memories of his declining commercial fortunes under the Frank Black name are still too fresh to want to go back.

[Calistan]

He's more into his painting these days so he just goes into the studio every couple of years when Tom Dalgety cajoles him. Should definitely bin him off and go for another producer. Even better I'd be very happy if he does another solo album. Bluefinger / Svn Fngrs / Golem was such a brilliant period.

[Glebe]

He's more into his painting these days so he just goes into the studio every couple of years when Tom Dalgety cajoles him. Should definitely bin him off and go for another producer. Even better I'd be very happy if he does another solo album. Bluefinger / Svn Fngrs / Golem was such a brilliant period.

Not heard The Golem soundtrack but yeah, Bluefinger is cracking (I think BF may have intended that to be a Pixies album) and Svn Fngrs is top stuff too. I saw him live around the time that came out, and went to his impromptu busk at St. Stephen's Green here in Dublin beforehand.

Something I intended to ask before but you wouldn't happen to be the same Calistan from the Frank Black forum, Calistan? I always subliminally assumed you were, it is of course an FB song title and it's an unusual name!

[phantom_power]

Love the careful wording on Paz's statement. Reminded me a bit of Smashie & Nicey - "May I just say how utterly flabbergasted I am to be resigned!"

It is bizarre how the Pixies corporate machine just rumbles on and on now, The Simpsons of nineties indie rock. Surely it must've gone beyond the point where the band members need to keep it going to put their kids through college, what's in it for all them to keep trudging on at this point? Just feels like such an empty branding exercise.

Maybe they enjoy it?

[Blinder Data]

"I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed, I like Lou Reed!"

"LO-sing my PE-nis to a WHORE with dis-EASE"

i always listened to this as part of surfer rosa because that's how the CD was. relistening to it today and it's great. could listen to the quiet riff of 'i've been tired' forever, like the coda of no. 13 baby. still hold a candle to bossanova and trompe le monde, even though you can tell they don't like each other anymore on the latter - a very angry album

pixies forever

[Ron Maels Moustache]

Maybe they enjoy it?

Not the impression you'd get from any of their recent performances. I saw them about four years ago and it was the very definition of a band going through the motions, I think the only enthusiasm shared by any of them was to get through the set and go and back to the Travelodge for an early night.

[Pranet]

I doubt that they are particularly well off, especially the non song writers. And they are not going to earn anything like what they earn in the Pixies doing anything else.

[Calistan]

Not heard The Golem soundtrack but yeah, Bluefinger is cracking (I think BF may have intended that to be a Pixies album) and Svn Fngrs is top stuff too. I saw him live around the time that came out, and went to his impromptu busk at St. Stephen's Green here in Dublin beforehand.

Something I intended to ask before but you wouldn't happen to be the same Calistan from the Frank Black forum, Calistan? I always subliminally assumed you were, it is of course an FB song title and it's an unusual name!

Ah, the St. Stephen's Green precore - that was amazing. A couple of weeks before the tour he asked on the old blackfrancis.net forum for ideas on where he could do his precore and I posted that he should do it at the bandstand at St. Stephen's Green; however, not being from Dublin I had no idea that the park closed relatively early and that he would ultimately have to play his songs outside the gates. Could barely hear him sing since there were hundreds of people gathered around but the atmosphere was amazing. So I've always felt a bit of pride knowing that my suggestion caused a bit of disruption around Grafton St and in the end forced the Gardai to come and whisk him away!

Nah, I'm The Maharal on the FBF forums. Calistan would be in my top ten or twenty Black songs, just a delight.

Edit: Are you Carl?

[Glebe]

Ah, Maharal! Yes I am Carl, good guess (and I really am Carl as it's my actual name!)!

'Twas you who suggested St. Stephen's Green? Nice! I remember meeting somebody from the Frank Black Forum at the precore but I can't remember who it was unfortunately. On stage later he remarked that the food at Kevin Street (I think) station wasn't half bad!

[Head Gardener]

interesting theory for Paz leaving from Reddit

She had posted stuff on instagram months ago supporting Ariel Pink and condemning his 'cancelling' ... comments were flying and she responded letting people know that she supported her friend (obviously) and it didn't get any better.

She posted a poll (can't remember of what) about Ariel & someone else ... maybe Kurt Vile and locked the comments so she didn't have to deal with the same comments

She ended up deleting all the posts but I remember her posting something right after and my thought at the time was "uh oh this isn't gonna end well"

There was obviously major behind the scenes talks as Emma would need time to rehearse for the tour... still shitty no matter what. I enjoyed her being in the band (although I prefer Kim's singing style) and it's a crappy way for things to end.

full thread : https://www.reddit.com/r/thepixies/comments/1b69bg8/paz_has_left_the_band/

[jamiefairlie]

She hasn't left, she was sacked with little notice.

We know why, don't we?  Ten years in the band, so she's aged out of the Kim Deal role.  It's not the bass and the voice, it's a presence that has to remain timeless as these old farts grey out.

I still love their early records, but when I think of Pixies now I just think of Frank Black sitting in an office struggling with a fax machine.  Pixies LLC Concern.

Your fax got a little machine

[Calistan]

Ah, Maharal! Yes I am Carl, good guess (and I really am Carl as it's my actual name!)!

'Twas you who suggested St. Stephen's Green? Nice! I remember meeting somebody from the Frank Black Forum at the precore but I can't remember who it was unfortunately. On stage later he remarked that the food at Kevin Street (I think) station wasn't half bad!

Hmmm, don't think that was me - I'd remember! I think the Vicar Street show itself was slightly anti-climactic after the precore madness but still a very good gig.

And yeah Paz has confirmed herself she was kicked out for the Ariel Pink stuff. Shot herself in the foot really with that and supporting Milei. I mean Black Francis came out of his shell in recent years as quite vocally anti-Trump and sang on the Residents' song Die Die Die, so her posting that kind of nonsense on her Instagram (while doing t-shirt competitions for some bizarre reason) was just extremely silly.

[Glebe]

She's confirmed it? Interesting. Milei seems like a right nutter.

I was just looking on Frank Black Forum, I can't remember my password but I might get a new one and sign in for a chat, it'd be quite nostalgic!

Here's BF interviewed on his porch during lockdown, at one point a neighbour drives by with a Trump flag and BF jokes about in conspiratorial fashion!:

[Pranet]

This thread has prompted me to listen to the Pixies for the first time in a while. Man I love that original run of records. I like all of them me. Listening to the b-sides album now. Great.

[Calistan]

She's confirmed it? Interesting. Milei seems like a right nutter.

I was just looking on Frank Black Forum, I can't remember my password but I might get a new one and sign in for a chat, it'd be quite nostalgic!

Here's BF interviewed on his porch during lockdown, at one point a neighbour drives by with a Trump flag and BF jokes about in conspiratorial fashion!:

She more or less confirmed it here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/thepixies/comments/1b7zrkp/interesting_exchange/?share_id=noJggA4g5chV3Q9_5e_PI&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1

Are you going to any of the Bossanova and Trompe gigs? Bit sad I didn't book tickets. Trompe is one of my favourite albums ever and I'm always shocked that the likes of Motorway to Roswell or Letter to Memphis don't get played live more often.

[Glebe]

Nah, not seen them since Kim left. Playing the Olympia tonight - prolly on stage now!

[Johnboy]

Saw them in Dublin's Olympia on Saturday night.

Bloody brilliant though I did find the setlist hard going towards the end.

Having said that, it has given me new appreciation of those two albums that I didn't have before. In fairness they've been tearing the arse out of the pre 90 stuff for decades now so it's very brave really.

[Ferris]

I bought box seats for a Toronto show several years ago for my birthday, but I was working so hard I didn't leave the office until after 10pm and had completely forgotten it was on until a few weeks later.

What a fucking shit career that was.

[Head Gardener]

Paz & Ariel Pink doing a set to benefit a theatre in Palestine

[Ray Travez]

I was looking forward to listening Born in Chicago in the car. Got the b-sides CD and of course it's not fuckin on there. (I used to have a bootleg compilation tape that was b-sides and rarities. I didn't even know it was a cover version until couple of days ago.) Anyway, that's pissed on my chips. Love Born in Chicago- whatever Santiago plays in the middle doesn't even pretend to be a guitar solo, it's just corruscating noise.