NTS aired an episode dedicated to the music of Pixies on 19 August 2024. Pixies has been played on NTS over 100 times, featured on 83 episodes and was first played on 12 February 2013.

Pixies is an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986. The original lineup consisted of Black Francis (vocals, rhythm guitar), Joey Santiago (lead guitar), Kim Deal (bass, vocals), and David Lovering (drums). Pixies are associated with the alternative rock movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s and incorporate elements of punk rock and surf rock. Their music is characterised by dynamic loud-quiet-loud shifts and unconventional song structures. Francis is the band’s primary songwriter, and his lyrics often address surreal or unusual themes, including extraterrestrials, incest, and biblical imagery.

Pixies released their debut recording, the mini-album "Come On Pilgrim", in 1987. It was followed by the albums "Surfer Rosa" (1988), "Doolittle" (1989), "Bossanova" (1990), and "Trompe le Monde" (1991). The band disbanded in 1993. During their initial career they achieved limited commercial success in the United States but gained greater popularity in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Their style influenced numerous later alternative rock artists, including Nirvana, Radiohead, Modest Mouse, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Weezer.

Interest in the band increased after their breakup, leading to a reunion in 2004 and a series of international tours. Kim Deal left the band in 2012 and was replaced by Kim Shattuck for the 2013 tour. Shattuck was later replaced by Paz Lenchantin, who became a full member in 2016. With Lenchantin, Pixies recorded the albums "Head Carrier" (2016), "Beneath the Eyrie" (2019), and "Doggerel" (2022). In 2024, Lenchantin was replaced by Emma Richardson, formerly of Band of Skulls. The band released their ninth studio album, "The Night the Zombies Came", later that year.

Studio albums Come On Pilgrim (1987) Surfer Rosa (1988) Doolittle (1989) Bossanova (1990) Trompe le Monde (1991) Indie Cindy (2014) Head Carrier (2016) Beneath the Eyrie (2019) Doggerel (2022) The Night the Zombies Came (2024)