Pixies and other rants…

After being tied to Elektra since, like, forever, 4AD’s contracts with the major label are slowly expiring, gradually winning back the British indie’s complete rights to their back catalog. As such, the label has plans to reissue countless albums that have long been available co-branded with the Elektra logo– some in their first-ever exclusive 4AD pressings.

Earlier this year, the label won back the rights to the Pixies catalog, and needless to say, the repackaging process is already well underway. All of the band’s formal studio releases– 1987’s Come On Pilgrim EP, 1988’s Surfer Rosa, 1989’s Doolittle, 1990’s Bossanova, and 1991’s Trompe le Monde– as well as The Pixies Live at the BBC, and Complete B-Sides (the latter receiving its first stateside pressing ever) are slated to hit stores on May 20th.

According to a label spokesperson, though, the discs won’t be receiving any embellishments. In fact, the new editions will be– perhaps unfortunately for those of us digging for that last bit of fire we hadn’t yet heard– virtually identical to the originals: no remastering, no additional artwork, and no bonus tracks. “[4AD has] already released all the songs on the B-Sides compilation, and then there’s Live at the BBC… there wasn’t much left over.”

However, the label is currently planning two final Pixies releases for September: the current two-disc best-of/live release Death to the Pixies will be discontinued to make room for a brand new best-of compilation, and an as-yet-untitled DVD featuring multiple concerts in their entirety, along with all the band’s videos, and exclusive interview footage.

In other news, I took my car to the car wash after work. So now it’s shiny and clean and stuff. It makes everything feel nice.

And why is it that it’s colder than all fuck here in Southern California? It’s April! It should be nice and warm. Grrr.