The Pixies

The Pixies were formed in Boston in 1986 when Charles Thompson dropped out of college and convinced his friend and roommate, Joey Santiago, to do the same. The two recruited bassist Kim Deal, who had been playing in a group called the Breeders with her twin sister Kelly. Deal suggested drummer David Lovering join the group and the lineup was made official. Thompson adopted the stage name Black Francis and the group named themselves the Pixies after flipping through a dictionary.

While the Pixies have not reunited their efforts until just recently, their influence paved the way for alternative music as we know it today. Without their pioneering efforts, there may have not been a Nirvana, a Pearl Jam, or a Seattle explosion. Alternative music offered a new outlet for expression to young people living in the 90s -an outlet that the Pixies helped create.
Excerpted from: http://www.pixiesmusic.com/about.php