Back in 2014, the reunited Pixies released Indie Cindy, their first album of new material since 1991’s Trompe Le Monde. Now, a followup is on the way. The 12-track LP Head Carrier, which unlike Indie Cindy was conceived as a full album, comes out September 30 on Pixiesmusic/Play It Again Sam. The band recorded the album at RAK in London with producer Tom Dalgety. Listen to “Um Chagga Lagga” below, and scroll down for the art (designed by longtime collaborator Vaughan Oliver), album tracklist, and European dates, which they’ll soon follow with a full world tour itinerary.

Since 2013, the band have been performing without bassist Kim Deal. She was replaced by Kim Shattuck of the Muffs, who was fired just a few months later. Paz Lenchantin of A Perfect Circle, Zwan, and the Entrance Band is now the band’s official bassist. “I was very nervous in the beginning when I went to that first rehearsal,” she said in a press release. “There were these shoes I felt I had to fill and I tried to do the best I could for the fans, to make the live performances sound true to the originals. I spent three years learning to understand what being a Pixie meant, and now, my heart, spirit, and love for their music is embedded in me and I feel like I have become a Pixie. We had been more about the history of the Pixies, but now, we are about going forward.”

Unlike most other Pixies records, Head Carrier came together after six intensive weeks in the studio, rather than a few days. Drummer David Lovering said in a press release: “This was a wonderful luxury, for us to have the time to be able to really work these new songs out. By the time we started recording, we all knew the songs backwards and forwards, so it took half as long for us to make this album as it did to make 'Indie Cindy.' And it was great working with Tom... he started with us in pre-production and played a big part in keeping us focused on making the best music we could.”

Um Chagga Lagga


Head Carrier:

01 Head Carrier
02 Classic Masher
03 Baal’s Back
04 Might As Well Be Gone
05 Oona
06 Talent
07 Tenenement Song
08 Bel Esprit
09 All I Think About Now
10 Um Chagga Lagga
11 Plaster Of Paris
12 All The Saints

Without Kim I have no interest and the Pixies were one of my favorite bands for about a decade.

I saw them with each Kim, Deal at Coachella and Shattuck in LA. I liked them with both bassists, although obviously Deal is the definitive. However, Indie Cindy was a bore and a chore to slog through. That more than any change in the bassist has me passing on this.

No Kim, no deal.

I see what you did there

Anybody seeing them on this tour? I just got my tickets for one of the Boston dates.

Pixies are my all time favorite band, but the relaunch and subsequent departure of Deal left them a shell of their early 90s peak.

I was an "Indie Cindy" apologist but the new album is pretty rough. Bums me out.

By the way, I think the pic in my OP might have changed.

Haven't heard the new album but thought Indie Cindy was one of the best of the retreaded band efforts in recent years. Very catchy and reminiscent of the glory years.

Kim's non-participation was not a deal-breaker.

The absence of Frank would be a total blackout. Without Santiago, no joy. David brings the love.

I miss Kim, but life goes on. No need to breed discontent.

^ You're losing it, creek.

So I've given the new album 4-5 spins. It sounds like the Pixies, nice mix of hard-edge and pop as usual, it's consistently good with interesting melodies, nice production, and it's not bland. It may grow on me more, but it sounds like it's kind of missing any of those monstrously great singles that were on other albums. If the best Pixies songs rate a 10, to me this is kind of an album full of 8's--which is still pretty good, in my book.

Okay, this album is great.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0O6Q6vb4KBk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/strfx56Sww4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Head Carrier is a fine Pixies album. Some people just can't get over the loss of Kim. It lacks a signature tune but has a solid assortment of enjoyable songs.

I didn't love Indie Cindy, but I thought it was decent. This one just doesn't have any good songs. Even Frank's weaker solo shit is better than Head Carrier, which I think is just awful.

"weaker solo shit.."

Oh come on, this is fantastic!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uDVgfnyHP0c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What I mean is that among Frank's solo shit, even the weaker stuff is better than Head Carrier. Frank has some fantastic solo albums. Teenager Of The Year is one of my favorite albums.

Okay, I see where you're coming from. We'll just have to disagree about Head Carrier.

Yeah. At some point I will have to revisit Head Carrier to see if it connects with me.

I find that to be the case with a lot of "comeback" albums.

Many times they are more consistent overall than some of the older (weaker) albums from the "classic" era, but they don't have much that is memorable.

I have to admit that the title track of Indie Cindy has stuck with me without any musical prompts. Hope some of the new album has a cut or two like that.

Finding out creekdipper is a Pixies fan is like finding out Paul Ryan's favorite band is Rage Against The Machine.