Pixies “Surfer Rosa” 4AD/Rough Trade. Released 30 years ago today, March 21st, 1988. The Pixies first full-length LP (released a year after the EP Come On Pilgrim) is still hailed as one of the best alternative rock albums of all-time and cited as inspiration by musicians like PJ Harvey and Kurt Cobain (who hired Steve Albini, recording engineer for Surfer Rosa, to work on Nirvana’s In Utero).

Even 30 years later, Surfer Rosa sounds and feels fresh and revolutionary. Soooo many amazing tracks: the killer tension of “Bone Machine,” the weird guitar and vocal edges on “Break My Body” and “River Euphrates” and the breakneck punk pace of “Broken Face” and “Vamos.” The musical density offset by the sweetness of Kim Deal’s vocals on “Gigantic” is perfection. “Tony’s Theme” has always been a favorite (especially of friends of mine named Tony). And then there’s the gorgeous “Where Is My Mind?” which regained popularity (notoriety) with its inclusion many TV shows, commercials and movies – most notably 1999′s Fight Club – and is considered the Pixies signature song, with prominent use of “loud-quiet-loud” composition.