Deal Or No Deal – Should Pixies Continue Without Kim?

The coolest woman in the world just quit her day-job. A statement on Pixies’ official Facebook page earlier today announced:

We are sad to say that Kim Deal has decided to leave the Pixies. We are very proud to have worked with her on and off over the last 25 years. Despite her decision to move on, we will always consider her a member of the Pixies, and her place will always be here for her. We wish her all the best.

Black Francis, Joey Santiago and David Lovering

It’s exactly two decades since Pixies broke up first time around. Back then, Francis announced the split in a radio interview, then called Joey Santiago and only informed Deal and David Lovering via fax. This time around, that statement makes it sound like the remaining three members may continue to work under the Pixies name.

While they didn’t offer any further explanation for Deal’s departure, it might be worth noting that over the last few years she’s come out strongly against the idea of the band recording new material. If her decision to leave means that the band are planning on now getting back in the studio to make an album without her, I’d like to be the first to say what a truly, hideously awful idea that would be.

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The reunion shows since 2004 have brought great pleasure to great numbers of people, particularly those of us who never thought we’d get have our ears blown off and our souls ravaged by Pixies playing ‘Debaser’ in our faces.

But if the band couldn’t get it together to record a proper follow-up to 1991’s ‘Trompe Le Monde’ as a four piece (I’m definitely not counting 2004’s Deal-penned throwaway single ‘Bam Thwok’) then recording without Deal would surely be a mistake. Kim Deal’s the heartbeat of the band. The ying to Black Francis’ yang. Unutterably cool whether singing ‘Gigantic’ or just casually resting a burning cigarette in her bass’ tuning pegs.

Pixies haven’t played together since November 2011, and frankly even touring again with a session bassist would be something of a desecration. Perhaps a ‘New Order’ style name change could be in order: Piies, maybe? Pixies without that certain x-factor. (Not a reference to Francis’ dietary habits.)

Kim has no such worries. She seems perfectly happy to be back playing with The Breeders with her twin sister Kelley, and their tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of ‘Last Splash’ continues. Frank Black, meanwhile, recently teamed up with The Dandy Warhols’ Courtney Taylor-Taylor and Art Brut’s Eddie Argos among others to remake Lee Hazlewood’s ‘Trouble Is A Lonesome Town’.

Pixies, though, must know that Kim Deal is irreplaceable. They’ve found themselves in the same place Courtney sang about with The Dandy Warhols back in 1997: “I just want a girl as cool as Kim Deal…”

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