On the new full-length from the Bay Area's Xiu Xiu, Jamie Stewart's warbly, throaty vocals inch-worm into your brain and ferment into soundscapes that are at turns grotesque and beautiful. Utilizes a variety of instruments -- including xylophones, glockenspiels, vibraphones, and acoustic guitars -- to create backdrops ranging from synth-pop to bad dream drone. La Foret makes us think of a child whispering a dirty secret and then stabbing his teddy bear. Self-consciously theatrical and unrelentingly unique. Music that makes you hold your head in your hands and question whether your pretty little world is really so pretty after all.
Swiftly following up their terrific collaborative release Ciautistico! with Larsen, Xiu Xiu offer their own Life And Live... yes, it's a live album which was recorded on their tour with Devendra Banhart. Mainman Jamie Stewart's vocal delivery once again swings madly from anguished banshee-like shrieking to unsettlingly hushed almost spoken word. Their distinctly dishevelled instrumentation of electric guitar, clatterous percussion and mysterious handmade instruments keeps pace with his tormented vocal meanderings and explosive outbursts. We do question their decision though to include the false start at the beginning of the fourth song in which Stewart starts singing only to stop and a spoken voice (his or someone else's) interrupts and totally breaks the band's character and spell. Odd, but then again when does this band ever follow the rules? The fifteen tracks includes two renditions each of "20,000 Deaths For Eidelyn Gonzales, 20,000 Deaths For Jamie Peterson" and "I Broke Up" as well as a cover of The Smiths' "Asleep".
This live Xiu Xiu recording opens quite strangely, with vocalist Jamie Stewart talking to the crowd about a comic that the band had been sent which commented on how chattery the audience was at their last show at that very same venue. A chorus of silly loud shhhh's ensue, then the band begins their first song. As the song's final notes fade out a dull cloud of audience chatter takes over. Yeesh. C'mon people, keep it down! What's it gonna take? Another comic book scolding? Nevertheless this is a terrific live document of the Bay Area group's unflinching craft of beauty in torment, dissonance and abrasion. Comparatively delicate melodic elements blossom up sporadically amid the metallic scrapes and homemade instrument clatter. Deeply moving and drenched in personal angst, much like Bright Eyes, but far spookier and unhinged.
Whoa, when Xiu Xiu's music gets all remixed and covered, it becomes something altogether new, lovely and unrecognizably 'Xiu Xiu'. This new double cd presents nine varied covers (Larsen, Oxbow, Sunset Rubdown, Marissa Nadler, Good For Cows, Kid 606, Why?, Her Space Holiday and Devendra Banhart) and nine remixes (Gold Chains, Warbucks, Cherry Point, Son, This Song Is A Mess But So Am I, Kid 606, Grouper and To Live And Shave In LA).
Shining standouts on the covers disc are Nadler's version of "Clowne Towne" and Banhart's take on "Support Our Troops". Meanwhile on the remix disc, Gold Chains busts out a rump-thumpin', female sung "Hello From Eau Claire", and Xiu Xiu traumatize, errrr, remix their own anguished, tortured version of New Order's "Ceremony".
Over the years we've perceived (and for a few of us been party to) something of a love/hate relationship with this band's music, and it has primarily been centered around the vocal department. Most folks find the music sans vocals to be quite enigmatically pleasing with its uniquely unconventional assembly of homemade instruments and such, but wince once Jamie Stewart opens his mouth to croon in his unmistakable, immensely distraught oft-cryptic delivery. No, it's not for everybody, but we should also add that those who do dig it, dig it lots... to pretty much the same degree that it causes other folks distress! That said, their latest album The Air Force is probably not going to cause many converts either way. So you'll just have to let your own ears be the judge.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
Is this album cover supposed to make us think of a Cocteau Twins record? And maybe the title too? Even the Kill Rock Stars label logo on the back looks suspiciously like 4AD's from a distance. Well, the record definitely doesn't sound like the Cocteau Twins... at least not entirely.
As always is the case with Xiu Xiu, there are many references to other musics in Women As Lovers. They are both subtle and overt, and ever ingeniously assimilated into the band's unique ethos. 20th century avant-garde composer Lou Harrison (or maybe just his namesake?) makes a cameo in the lyrics of 'No Friend Oh!' As well, sharing vocals with Xiu Xiu's Caralee McElroy and Jamie Stewart on a cover of Queen and David Bowie's "Under Pressure" is Michael Gira -- the presence of whom seems more iconic than musically awesome. Regardless, it is good to hear him and to be reminded of Swans records needing to be listened to again! With Xiu Xiu, the musical tips of the hat consistently seem genuine and inspired, never gratuitous nor shamefully derivative.
The palette of sounds on Women As Lovers is similar to most Xiu Xiu records -- electronics, guitar, strings, acoustic and electric percussion, vibraphone, organ, bass, kalimba, whip, wind, 'drones'. Oh, and what may be a new addition to the arsenal... saxophone! If you're a fan of the free jazz skronk, then this is the Xiu Xiu album for you!
One can't help but think that even the parts of songs that break down into stumbling noises, jerks, shards, scrapes, blasts and off-kilter thrusts couldn't possibly be improvised. Each sound and its place in the song is so deliberate. The overall music has a spirit of great intention behind it, the duration of each song part so seemingly calculated for optimal effect, that Xiu Xiu's genius seems to lie much in the composition of these songs.
Theirs is a music so excessive and yet strangely so economical. After listening, you ask, only 14 tracks? There are as many songs within each song as there are tracks on the album. It's a genius spirit that unites so many disparate musical tropes into a seamless and jaggedly ecstatic music - music that has great pop hooks at its core (or maybe, more exactly, along its edges?). It's the sort of music that goes into the 'acquired taste' category -- the kind of music that younger bands might eventually be taking their cues from. If you're willing to listen and undergo the embarrassment, the dark laughter, self-deprecation, 'hurt buttholes', Freudian complexes and all-out heartbreak in the stories within the songs, you might end up beholding your favorite pop/noise/ambient/industrial/electronica/free jazz/chamber music album of the year.
*Listening to Xiu Xiu is like looking at photos of Leigh Bowery, deeply personal, outlandish and strangely embarrassing, that is, Embarrassment as an art form. http://www.leighbowery.com.br/.
Something for Xiu Xiu diehard fans and completists... A sturdy 7" picture disc featuring two very fleeting collaborative glimpses of Xiu Xiu and photographer/Xiu Xiu merch guy David Horvitz (one vocal number "Boy Soprano" which is filled with the group's characteristic angsty drama and the other a low-key loosely structured instrumental "Saint Pedro Glue Stick" -- both from their most recent full length The Air Force), and two very different Horvitz-shot photos (one of a grey cloudy sky and the other of a blue mud-masked, fully clothed, shell-shocked looking guy lying in a motel bed next to a bored looking gal. Limited to 600.
Picture disc!
The beautifully damaged worlds of Xiu Xiu and Grouper are magically melded together on this limited edition ep. The trademark drugged out dreamy drones of Liz Harris aka Grouper perfectly compliment the mopey dark instrumentation of Xiu Xiu. Like their collaboration with Larsen last year, Xiu Xiu prove that besides their intense lyrics and over-the-top vocal delivery, they have a knack for creating a truly creepy and unsettling ambiance. Vocals and voices are just another element of the haunting mood these two effortlessly conjure up. Like the ghost sounds of a carnival that rode off into the sunset hundreds of years ago but whose imprint has never been totally erased. Together Xiu Xiu and Grouper weave sounds that occupy some perfect space between dreams and nightmares. Highly recommended! And we only got a handful direct from the bands, so you know what that means...
We've been stocking this popular magazine regularly for a little while now and thought we ought to put it on our website so mailorderers looking for more readin' material could get in on the XLR8R action. Focusing primarily on electronica type stuff, XLR8R also dabbles with the rock... This issue features Mr. Oizo on the cover, plus Zomby, the Vivian Girls, Telepathe, Senor Coconut... and much more, including ex-AQ'er Antaeus' band Lazer Sword. It's pretty packed, with reviews, columns, all sorts of stuff. And if that wasn't enough, the plastic bag it's wrapped in also contains an even bigger, BONUS magazine, the very first issue of XLR8R's Vis-Ed publication, devoted to visual arts! Featuring hip artists Rinzen, Kustaa Saksi, Catalina Estrada, Brent Rollins, Brian Roettinger, Laurent Fetis, Seripop, JK5, Freegums, Superdeux...
Dancehall's Mavado on the cover. Inside, Girl Talk, Labtekwon, Meanderthals, Tanya Morgan, and producer Xrabit talking 'bout Paul's Boutique. Plus lots more, reviews, columns, stuff about music, tech, video games, places to buy stuff in various urban centers... also comes with a free download card for an mp3 mix by Drop The Lime.
Latest from this bad ass SF based electronic music magazine, on the cover, the Modular Recordings label from Australia, inside: grime lord Durrty Goods, dubstepper Untold, LA jazzhead Ras G, Toronto post punkers DD/MM/YYYY, a feature on labels XLR*R loves, including Werk Discs, Truckback, Modern Love, Type, Bersa Discos, Dirty, Mothership, Wireblock, True Panther Sounds, I Am Sound, In The Red, Discerror, DIYNamic and Interdependent Media. Also inside: Black Moth Super Rainbow, a weird fashion shoot with Belgian musicians and the usual ton of reviews. ----* ----* Compilations : ----*
On the cover, Bristol dubstepper Joker, one of XLR8R's 2009 faves, along with The Field, Martyn, Hudson Mohawke, and Holy Ghost! Inside, also: Nite Jewel, Fuck Buttons, DJ Koze, A Place To Bury Strangers, HEALTH, and more.
On the cover: Kompakt's Matias Aguayo. Inside: Klimek, Lindstrom & Christabelle, Beach House, Neon Indian, Glasser, and lots more. Interviews, reviews, news, all the usual stuff about hip electronic/indie musics.
Electronica, techno, indie rock and more, as always in this magazine, this issue featuring rave shoegazers (?) Delorean on the cover, also Oneohtrix Point Never, Xiu Xiu, Daptone Records, Anthony "Shake" Shakir, Kyle Hall, Mosca, Natalie Storm, and much more. ----* ----* Compilations : ----*
Minimalist techno maven Robert Hood on the cover. Also: Actress, Oval, Mount Kimbie, Diskjokke, De Tropix, and more. Including lots of ads for electronic music making gear and software (the full-page one for Roland's AX-Synth being our fave).
We couldn't have been more excited to see Salem on the cover of this new issue of the always great XlR8R. Can't wait for their full length to come out! Also interviews and features on El Guincho, Matthew Dear, Arp, Karizma, Lazer Sword (featuring former AQ'er Antaeus!), Tristan Perich and his amazing 1-Bit Symphony which we made record of the week not too long ago. As well as record reviews, gear tips & reviews and tons more. For sure one of the best music mags around!
Electronic/indie music magazine XLR8R is on our reading list this month for sure, with Kode 9 + The Space Ape on the cover, also pieces on Tim Hecker, Hype Williams, Carl Craig, Rainbow Arabia, Seefeel, Mogwai and plenty more!
From the obi strip: "New Tzadik Oracles series is proud to begin with the unique visions of singer/songwriter Haena Kim. Featuring hypnotic, trippy vocals, nasty electric bass and two driving Korean percussionists, this is a band that opens up an exciting new world of sound. You've never heard anything like Xtatika--a magical blend of alternative rock with Korean traditional music.
AQ-pal and our computer-life-saver Eric Rose wrote the following review for us:
Brand-new 4-disc set of live tracks, album demos, alternate versions, and outtakes from those crafty popsters from Swindon: XTC. Few bands inspire and facilitate such rabid collector-frenzy and completism among their fan-base, and in a magnanimous gesture, the "lads" have thrown open the vaults, bringing almost 20 years worth of buried treasure to the surface. (Also rumored for release later this year: "Fuzzy Warbles" - a collection of non-album demos). Hardcore XTC fans already know that they need this like they need air to breathe, and thus will buy it track-list unseen. The trick, then, is creating a solid overview/sampling of the band's career that'll appeal to the casual fan, while offering the diehards something that they haven't yet gotten their collector-paws on. In this regard, the set is a success, covering the ground between their Devo-meets-New York Dolls beginnings in '75 to their stately, elegant pop of the 90's, via recordings that are -- for the most part -- recently-unearthed and un-bootlegged. A sprinkling of "representative" album tracks throughout provides a nice counterpoint to the largely unpolished nature of the collection. As an added bonus, the set includes a 60-page book, featuring track commentary by the ever-witty Andy Partridge and the ever-humble Colin Moulding.
Fascinating glimpse into the creative process of Andy Partridge, for over 22 years now leader of the seminal UK pop group XTC. This album is composed of demos of the previous two XTC albums, Apple Venus vol. 1 & 2 (Wasp Star). (Plus XTC's contribution to the Hello Record Club series curated by They Might Be Giants.) While XTC's insanely perfect pop creations are in a class of their
Oh geeez, this timely reissue comes at such an opportune moment, providing even more new bands with a solid schooling on the how-tos of great pop music making. You're prolly already plenty familiar with some of the recent retro-styled young'uns who've clearly learned a thing or two from XTC (Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, Maximo Park, Hot Hot Heat to name a handful), but few can really hold a candle to the original. Andy Partridge and his crew were responsible for some truly brilliant smart pop songs, and this compilation features eighteen of 'em drawn from seven of their albums leading up to the comp's release. It's fantastic to hear 'em again! Awesome!
Studio sessions and live material dating from 1978-80.
On The XX's sophmore effort, Coexist, the UK trio has stripped down their sound even more then on there debut, giving the tracks more less-is-more focus then genre-jumping experimentation. Still sexy and elegant, they ride the line between Beach House's parlor pop and Little Dragon's minimalist dance music. Yet it ultimately leaves us wanting a bit more to sink our teeth into than its genial offering of what can only be described as posh romanticism for the luxury car set. Though if you are looking for a wistful night drive soundtrack, this may just hit the spot.
FYI, the 'Deluxe' lp edition features a die cut gatefold sleeve on heavy card with 24 page booklet on rainbow mirri board. 180 gram vinyl with mp3 coupon. Or, there's regular compact disc and lp options too, the latter with mp3s too.
On The XX's sophmore effort, Coexist, the UK trio has stripped down their sound even more then on there debut, giving the tracks more less-is-more focus then genre-jumping experimentation. Still sexy and elegant, they ride the line between Beach House's parlor pop and Little Dragon's minimalist dance music. Yet it ultimately leaves us wanting a bit more to sink our teeth into than its genial offering of what can only be described as posh romanticism for the luxury car set. Though if you are looking for a wistful night drive soundtrack, this may just hit the spot.
FYI, the 'Deluxe' lp edition features a die cut gatefold sleeve on heavy card with 24 page booklet on rainbow mirri board. 180 gram vinyl with mp3 coupon. Or, there's regular compact disc and lp options too, the latter with mp3s too.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
This UK band with their dueling male/female vocals really know how to get to evoke a seriously sleek and sexy state of sound. Falling somewhere between The Concretes and The Chromatics, The XX pull from a myriad of influences ranging from post-punk, electronica, RnB and pop to create a sound overflowing with shining hooks and smoky melodies.
In many ways their sound is like a fleshed out Young Marble Giants infused with warm layers of shiny sparkle and a smooth seductive sheen that totally gets under your skin. There is an ease and stripped down sensibility in the way The XX meld electronics into their more organic sounds, that has us imagining Hot Chip, if they took a deep breath and chilled out a bit or if Junior Boys tried their hand at covering Taken By Trees. We haven't heard someone tap into a mellow, sparkling groove like this in quite a while, and it's definitely hitting the spot!
Whoa, you won't be mistaking this cd for a super size t-shirt! No, this is a collaboration between Xiu Xiu and Larsen! An intriguing combination? That's putting it mildly. Think, the aural equivalent of a darkening storm cloud billowing forth with flashes of fork lightning, thunderous crashes and rumbles. An unstable atmosphere of eccentricity and melodrama. Although the overall mood is as heavy and disorienting as that of either groups' own releases, as the first track begins, you initially get the impression that there won't be as much of the emphasis on the overwrought vocals of Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart that we've come to expect from Xiu Xiu's own songs. The glitchily dynamic sixth song "Lipstick Fair" offers a bit of a light at the end of the tunnel, but then the next song, a strange cover of Adam Ant's "Prince Charming" pulls you back into the woe. No, he's not (and you're not) gonna get off so easy. Stewart seems to be singing from beneath a fortress of blankets afraid to see what's outside. The song swells to unveil another deeper male vocal, then it's almost as though the rest of the band members burst in, tearing the covers away from Stewart, exploding into a group chant/shriek atop cycles of clatterous percussion and plucked strings. Definitely one of the cd's high points. As in the song above, a few passages take on more traditional rock song formations, but they're soon scattered apart by seemingly random acts from crudely motor skilled limbs, only to settle into a more recognizably hypnotic, almost mystical and haunting tone. Here's hoping these two groups get together more often!
Wow, we've gotten in three releases this week that starkly contrast with the sunny warm weather we've been having. Seemingly residing in the chilled shadows of dense forests and ancient stone chambers are the latest albums from XXL, Rothko and Tanakh. Dark, expansive beauties, all of them! Go on, defy the sun or tuck these away for a suitably overcast autumn or winter eve.
Larsen and Xiu Xiu have joined international forces once again for another handwringing aural onslaught. They sure bring out the best in each other. In molten lava like fashion, Spicchiology burns, sparks, and engulfs everything in its immediate vicinity. It's a double disc no less. Clearly the sprawl of this project couldn't be contained on one disc. The second cd presents the groups' rehearsal sessions for this album. Now, for pretty much any other band this would seem superfluous, however, for Xiu Xiu and Larsen the raw immediacy and unstructured nature of these recordings are revealing and affecting in their own right. All of the characteristic calling cards of each group come together wonderfully. Prickly percussive sounds, withery breathless vocals and sprays of dissonance punctuate Spicchiology while slowly leaning string and organ drones fuse everything into one. Fingers alternately soft shoe and wrestle across organ and synthesizer keyboards, guitar and banjo fretboards and accordion keys. Dare we say, this is a collaborative pairing whose combined strengths far exceeds the individuals' efforts. Distressed and absorbing. Very recommended.
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
SORRY.
The first release from this new drum & bass label which calls Oakland home is from XXX. Dramatic hovering basslines and haunting piano riffs set a dark almost film noir quality to the breaks. While it's meant to be played at 45, the a-side sounds huge at 33! Also comes packaged with a diode mounted in the plain white sleeve. A very nice single.
What we're about to say, we don't say lightly. Trust us. We may traffic in hyperbole. And our shelves may be stuffed with lots of 'best evers' and 'worst evers' and 'greatest evers', but this friends, is quite possibly the weirdest record we've ever carried. When we first threw it on, we were immediately struck with the realization, that what we were hearing, was either the most amazing thing we had ever heard, or absolutely the worst piece of shit EVER. Andee quickly decided on the former. And no matter how hard he tried, or how many repeated listens he was subjected to, Allan is sticking with the latter. But the more we play this in the store, the more the tribe of Xynfonica worshippers grows, Antaeus, Matt, Cameron, one can only handle a few listens before you're forever in its thrall. We're not sure how Allan does it, maybe there's some sort of chip in his brain, or maybe he's not really human at all, who knows. What we do know is we will wear him down, and just like you, faithful yet doomed reader of this list, he will eventually bow down to the damaged glory that is Xynfonica.
By now you're probably wondering what the fuck we're on about. Fair enough. So let's go back a bit. Not sure how we first heard about Xynfonica, but we got the disc in, it had an amazing cover, an old painting of some ancient battle, men on horseback, wielding swords, the record title: A Feast For Famished Ravens, song titles like: "From Your Father's Skull" and "The Viking Zodiac", a huge booklet jammed with more lyrics than could possibly fit in the three songs here, there are even footnotes!!! So we still hadn't listened to it, but we were pretty much sold already.
So we finally threw it on, and were greeted with some strange synthesizers, guitar synthesizers to be specific (we later discovered) and a growled demonic vocal, the synths, sort of atonal and detuned, like a demented Peter And The Wolf, the vocals, a strangled black metal rasp, so okay, we're thinking, a cool weird intro, so we waited for the band to kick in, and waited, and waited, and waited some more, scanned forward� So then we thought, okay, maybe the whole first track is the intro, so we skipped to the second track, which of course started with the raspy vocals and the seasick synths, but we gave it the benefit of the doubt and waited and waited, scanned forward, and then it dawned on us. HOLY SHIT. This was the band. There were no drums, no guitarist. It was just some trollish demon and his damaged synth, spewing endless tales of mysterious battles and lost civilizations. And suddenly, it had us. Xynfonica. Sure it's creepy and demented, and borderline retarded, and the synths sometime sound so wrong it makes us dizzy, so 'off' it makes our eyes water, the melodies are demented, alien, creepy ominous one second, bouncing cheerfully the next, but always those vocals, an everpresent demon storyteller, it's hard to explain exactly why we're so taken, but we are. Every time we play this, initial reactions range from confusion, to hysterical laughter, to anxiety to sheer unadulterated joy. Imagine if Jandek was the keyboard player in a black metal band and decided to make a solo record, or imagine Mr. Roger's neighborhood but Mr. Rogers is out sick, so the dude from Abruptum is filling in, or imagine the music files from some medieval video game getting corrupted, and then used as the intro music for some evil metal band. Well you know, what? There's no need to imagine. It's all right here. Xynfonica will give you all of that and more. With just a rudimentary grasp of the synthesizer, and a frog in his throat, all will be revealed, and we shall all revel in his stumbling, confusional musical brilliance.
Xynfonica. Xynfonica. Xynfonica. Xynfonica. Xynfonica...
