The alternative rock scene of the ‘90s owes a heavy debt to the surf-punk grooves and explosive, ear-shattering choruses that came to define the Pixies. Kurt Cobain frequently cited the band as one of his favorites, while more recent indie rockers like Modest Mouse and The Hold Steady have carried on the Pixies' dramatic sense of dynamics; songs veer quickly from soft and quiet to earthshaking and almost violently abrasive.