When news began to circulate that Kim Deal, bassist and founding member of The Pixies, had decided to leave the band, it was met a shrug from most music fans. Sure, The Pixies are as legendary as it gets when it comes to alt-rock bands, but what have they done lately? Ever since they reformed in 2003 they’ve been good for a reunion tour every couple years, or whenever the money began to run out, and have released but one new recording, the single, “Bam Thwok” in 2004.

Two weeks later, that news of Deal leaving the band, has become significantly more interesting. In the middle of the night, way early on the morning of June 28th, The Pixies sent out a link to “Bagboy,” the band’s first recording in 9 years. And who’s that on backing vocals? That would be Kim Deal, of course.

UPDATE: Official channels are claiming that’s not Deal even if your ears and mine say otherwise. See the Slicing Up Eyeballs article linked in the comments below.

As a Pixies single 20 years past the band’s prime, “Bagboy,” easily exceeds expectations. Frank Black is mouthing off about bad breath, or bad writing, or bad something. Regardless he sounds like a neurotic, unpredictable man 20 years his junior. That’s a good thing for Pixies fans. The music, meanwhile, begins with an ’80s R&B melody, replete with big booming drum hits, only to seamlessly shift into more familiar Pixies fair of quiet verse and loud chorus, the quiet verse with scattered rhythm and wandering guitar and the loud chorus being heavy on both vocal and electronic screech. What else could you ask from the Pixies in 2013?