Built on the powerful songwriting of Christopher Owens and the ethereal production of Chet "JR" White, Girls recorded Album in a variety of bedrooms and rehearsal studios in their adopted hometown, San Francisco. The resulting 12 tracks are the perfect San Fran summer record, evoking a narcotic, sunny afternoon in Dolores Park, yet promising the eventual hangover of summer's departure. Album is self-described as "honest, loose, ethereal, obnoxious and perfect," it is a sincere tribute to the majesty of great pop music and the healing power of rock and roll.

When they first hit the underground scene, the Pixies were like an exotic drink that hid its sweetness behind a ferocious bite. The album's production is like a crude explosion: every strum and clang comes down with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. English and Spanish lyrics collide as singer Black Francis (later Frank Black) shouts in a hoarse monotone and Mrs. John Murphy (later Kim Deal of the Breeders) backs him up with throaty wails. Yet somehow the clash of these bruising titans makes for tracks that print indelibly upon your consciousness--once let in. Kurt Cobain is their most famous student. He grafted the Pixies' time-honored craft of the big bang theory onto Nirvana's biggest hits. (You start with a quiet verse and then explode for catharsis in the chorus--evidenced best here with "I've Been Fired.") The Pixies themselves have served quietly, attaining post-punk godfather status not by tooting their own horns, but through the praise of a steady stream of genuflecting admirers whose word of mouth continues to increase the band's deserved critical standing. --Rob O'Connor

2009 album from the Denver-based quartet, the follow-up to their enormously successful How To Save A Life. The Fray, who exploded into worldwide success with that album, have captured the skilled songwriting that broke them and, with the help of acclaimed producers Mike Flynn and Aaron Johnson, created a set of songs sure to make them household names. The band continues their licensing success story by collaborating with ABC's hit show, Lost in a series of music video promos featuring the album's first single, 'You Found Me' for the newest season of the show. The spots also ran during the 2008 American Music Awards, where the band was a featured performer. Over the weekend of the release and performance, the Lost video had over one million views. 10 tracks.

Death to the Pixies was the first Pixies best-of compilation, released by 4AD in the UK on October 6, 1997 and 4AD/Elektra the following day in the United States to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the band's debut. It covered the years 1987 to 1991. It is now out of print, having been replaced by the 2004 compilation Wave of Mutilation: Best of Pixies. A limited edition of the compilation also included a second CD with a live performance taken from Vredenburg, Utrecht, Netherlands on September 25, 1990.

When Rough Trade reissued the Pixies' seminal full-length debut album, Surfer Rosa, on CD, they added the terrific mini-album Come on Pilgrim as a bonus. While it's nice to have these two records on one disc, the sequencing of Come on Pilgrim after Surfer Rosa is a little disconcerting, since the two albums each have distinctive sounds that clash slightly. Steve Albini's production of Surfer Rosa is metallic and spare — it's in black and white, with no shades of grey and no color. Come on Pilgrim, on the other hand, is filled with greys and colors, and while the contrast between the two is certainly interesting, it would be more enlightening if the mini-LP was placed before Surfer Rosa. Nevertheless, some fans might like having both albums on one disc, but buying them individually is a better move and, in any case, a little more cost-effective as well.

Aussie edition of the soundtrack to director David Fincher's controversial 1999 drama co-starring Brad Pitt & Edward Norton. Contains all 15 cuts from the U.S. release, plus a bonus track, the highly regarded L.A.-based alternative/ dance / production duo Dust Brothers' tune 'This Is Your Life' featuring soundbytes from Tyler Durden (Pitt's character in the movie). 16 tracks total. Standard jewel case.