the pixies
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isla de encanta
from the pixies posted in music by nevereatshreddedwheat
Black Francis referred to Puerto Rico as "Isla de Encanta" in the song of that name, sung in Spanish about leaving the island, off the first Pixies EP Come On Pilgrim. The correct Spanish name is "Isla del Encanto" which translates to "Island of Enchantment." Charles Thompson (before he was Pixies frontman Black Francis) went to Puerto Rico as part of a six month exchange program after his stint at U-Mass. He was living in Puerto Rico when he sent Joey Santiago a letter about starting a band when he returned.
He would also draw on his experience there with a crazy roommate for the Doolittle song "Crackity Jones." The line "He got friends like Paco Picopiedra" was a reference to the voice of Fred Flintstone that roommate claimed to hear in his head, but once again Black Francis didn't quite get the Spanish right. Spanish speakers know Fred Flintstone as Pedro Picapeidra.
fine line music cafe
from the pixies posted in music by crabapple
In January of 1993, Frank Black disbanded The Pixies, notifying guitarist Joey Santiago via a phone call, while sending a fax to bassist Kim Deal and drummer David Lovering. At the time, The Pixies had enjoyed only moderate success in the US, while have a much larger following in Europe.
Since then, The Pixies have arguably become one of the most influential bands in the indie rock genre.
On April 13, 2004, after eleven years of hiatus, The Pixies played their first reunion show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. The successful show was the beginning of a series of shows that led to a national and international tour.
During this show, denizens of the city who couldn't get tickets to the sold-out show hung out in the alley to listen it. It was pretty cool.
The build-up to the reunion show and the subsequent tour is the subject of the 2006 documentary loudQUIETloud: A Film About The Pixies.
view full location details...university of massachusetts amherst
from the pixies posted in music by nevereatshreddedwheat
"In the sleepy west of the woody east..."
Charles Thompson (before he was Pixies singer/screamer/songwriter Black Francis/Frank Black) and Joey Santiago were suitemates at the University of Massachusetts in the early '80s. Thompson dropped out after the first semester of his junior year and went Puerto Rico, and when he returned to the U.S. several months later, he and Santiago moved to Boston. J Mascis from Dinosaur Jr. also was going to school at UMass at the time. He and Thompson met at some point, but it's only significant in retrospect when you imagine these two meeting, since they didn't necessarily hit it off.
fort apache studios
from the pixies posted in music by nevereatshreddedwheat
Uncle Tupelo recorded their first studio album No Depression here at the Roxbury location of Fort Apache Studios in 1990.
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from the pixies posted in music by nevereatshreddedwheat
Original warehouse location of Fort Apache Studios where the Pixies demo that became known as The Purple Tape was recorded in 1987.