grammatically speaking a plural word doesn't always need to be preceeded by "the" it depends on whether you're talking about a specific group, or just a plural representation of the object in general terms. If I made potatoes, and you were eating them, I'd ask you if you liked "the" potatoes. If I wondered whether I should bother making them, I'd just ask you if you liked potatoes (in general). Black Francis (or Frank Black now...) weren't referring to a specific group of pixies when selecting their name, so it's ok for them to say "pixies" as a reference to the mythological creature in general terms. Or, they could call themselves, "The Pixies", because by taking on the name, they become a group of pixies, in a sense. The same issue arises often with bands like Eagles and Talking Heads. I think it also serves as a way to separate true fans from casual listeners. Don't semantics make your head spin sometimes?
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