Xiu Xiu
Encyclopedia
Xiu Xiu
is an American avant-garde group originally from San Jose, California
. The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter
Jamie Stewart
, who has been its only constant member since its inception in 2002. His current bandmate is Angela Seo. The band's name is taken from the 1998 Chinese film
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl
.
(the Indestructible Beat of Palo Alto) and Ten in the Swear Jar
, Jamie Stewart
and Cory McCulloch formed their third collaborative effort, Xiu Xiu, in 2002. Aided by friends Lauren Andrews and Yvonne Chen – both of whom would contribute to the band's early recordings – Xiu Xiu would tour their first LP Knife Play
, and its successor EP, Chapel of the Chimes, throughout the years 2001 and 2002, blending both melody and cacophony with a heavy reliance on percussive instrumentation and brass instrument
ation.
Following 2002, the group would shrink in membership as Yvonne Chen left in order to focus on her vegan boutique Otsu and self-published magazine Zum, while Cory McCulloch also stopped touring, focusing instead on producing the band's next two LPs. A personal loss would affect Xiu Xiu as well, as Jamie Stewart's father, musician and record producer Michael Stewart
was found dead after an apparent suicide. Coping with these losses, Stewart would record the group's follow-up to Knife Play, 2003's A Promise.
Continuing to focus on the subject matter of Jamie Stewart's personal life – as witnessed previously by Knife Play – A Promise acts like a concept record of internal despair. Consisting of ten tracks, the record was oriented towards a more or less acoustic presentation, rather than relying on the booming brass and percussion which had worked to make Knife Play. However, the record did not veer from the formulated programming
for which Stewart and McCulloch would be praised by fans and critics alike.
During this time, Stewart recorded Fag Patrol
, a collection of previous recorded material as well as covers of songs by The Smiths
and his previous group with McCulloch, Ten in the Swear Jar
. Released as a handmade CD by Rob Fisk's and Kelly Goodefisk's Free Porcupine Society, Fag Patrol was limited to only a few hundred copies. In the spring of 2004, Stewart and McCulloch released what is considered by many to be the group's most accessible album, Fabulous Muscles
. More pop-friendly in its sound than previous releases, Fabulous Muscles boosted Xiu Xiu to new heights in terms of popularity, largely thanks to its single "I Luv the Valley OH!".
With the departure of Lauren Andrews in 2003 – who wished to focus on her academic studies – Stewart was joined on stage by his "long-lost" cousin, Caralee McElroy
in 2004. The two would tour relentlessly throughout that year, releasing not only the group's third LP, but also split recordings with This Song Is a Mess But So Am I and Bunkbed, along with the "Fleshettes" single – which featured a rendition of the Ten in the Swear Jar
track "Helsabot" by McElroy.
Seen as a return to Stewart's more dark and crabby demeanor, Xiu Xiu's fourth album La Forêt
alluded to a frustration which Stewart had felt throughout the process of recording the 2004 record. Centered around the topic of "horrible times in horrible lives" as well as Stewart's personal frustrations with then-U.S. President George W. Bush
, La Forêt is characterized by an altogether different sound – layered by mandolin
, harmonium
, clarinet
, cello
, autoharp
, and tuba
. In addition to La Forêt, Xiu Xiu would join Italian experimental group Larsen in forming XXL
, which released its first LP, ¡Ciaütistico! in 2005, followed later by its successor ¿Spicchiology?
in 2007. Stewart also issued formative splits throughout 2005, working with artists such as The Paper Chase
, Kill Me Tomorrow
, and Devendra Banhart
.
In 2006, Stewart would break from tradition by ending his professional relationship with McCulloch. He then started working with San Francisco-based band Deerhoof
's drummer Greg Saunier, with whom he has worked with since 2002, as producer for Xiu Xiu's fifth LP entitled The Air Force
. Saunier, who had previously worked with Stewart on Knife Play, created for the record a greater wall of sound
– a stark contrast to that of McCulloch's discordant attitude towards production. The Air Force would be supported throughout 2006 by a three piece ensemble, as Stewart and McElroy were joined by drummer/percussionist Ches Smith, who himself had previously worked with the group on Knife Play. The Air Force also contained the band's first album-based song without vocals by Stewart – with McElroy singing "Hello From Eau Claire".
A third EP – Tu Mi Piaci
("I like you") – of songs originally recorded by acts such as Bauhaus
, Nedelle, This Mortal Coil
, The Pussycat Dolls, and Nina Simone
was released in 2006, along with a collaboration with ambient artist Grouper, entitled Creepshow
. Shortly thereafter, Xiu Xiu would record their sixth album, 2008's Women as Lovers
. Their longest LP to date, Women as Lovers attempts to home in on the synth-pop influences of the group's sound. Stewart's and McElroy's duet with Michael Gira of Swans
on a cover of David Bowie
and Queen
's "Under Pressure" is representative of this. Touring that year alongside Xiu Xiu aluminist Devin Hoff on bass, the band's second four-piece incarnation would not last long, as Hoff abruptly left the group soon after touring began.
In May 2009, it was revealed on a blogpost on xiuxiu.org that Caralee McElroy would no longer work with Xiu Xiu. Speculations ran as to what reasons McElroy had for leaving the group after five years of recording and touring, though no explanation was given other than her subsequent membership in Manhattan-based darkwave
group Cold Cave
, which she soon after departed from in 2010. With the vacancies left by both Hoff and McElroy, Stewart and Smith recruited Angela Seo in late-2009. Thereafter, the group would begin work on its seventh LP Dear God, I Hate Myself
, recording in both Oakland, California as well as Durham, North Carolina. Once again shifting motifs, Xiu Xiu would this time choose to experiment with video-game-based programming, utilizing the Nintendo DS
to write many of the songs which appear on their 2010 release. The music video for the song "Dear God, I Hate Myself" received negative attention online in 2010. The video consists of Angela Seo inducing vomiting over the course of the three minute song, culminating with her vomiting on Stewart, who has been eating a chocolate bar during the entire video. Seo and Stewart have defended the video online and in interviews, stating that the video illustrates the subject of the song in an extreme and visceral fashion.
In 2010 Xiu Xiu left Kill Rock Stars and signed with Bella Union and PolyVinyl.
Greg Saunier, Ches Smith, Devin Hoff, John Dieterich, Anglea Seo and Jamie Stewart, along Sam Mickens and Zac Pennignton. completed Xiu Xiu's 8th full length in 2011. Carla Bouzlich sang a guest vocal. It was mixed by John Congelton. After a short tour of the Mid West and Mid Atlantic, Sam and Zac were let go due to poor performance during shows the day after the tour ended. A new line up is solidified but as yet unannounced.
is an American avant-garde group originally from San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. The band is the brainchild of singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Jamie Stewart
Jamie Stewart
James "Jamie" Cyrus Stewart is the front-man of the American musical group Xiu Xiu , a former front-man of IBOPA and Ten in the Swear Jar and a current member of Former Ghosts. He was also a member of 7 Year Rabbit Cycle which has since disbanded...
, who has been its only constant member since its inception in 2002. His current bandmate is Angela Seo. The band's name is taken from the 1998 Chinese film
Cinema of China
The Chinese-language cinema has three distinct historical threads: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of China, and Cinema of Taiwan. Since 1949 the cinema of mainland China has operated under restrictions imposed by the Communist Party of China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television and...
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl
Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl is a 1998 Chinese film directed by actress Joan Chen based during the 1970s in People's Republic of China, during the Cultural Revolution's Down to the Countryside Movement, instituted by Mao for political reasons. This drama film is the directorial debut of Chen...
.
History
Having performed alongside one another in previous acts such as IBOPAIBOPA
IBOPA is nine-piece band of a mish-mosh genre personally dubbed "Cinematic Death Mambo" from Palo Alto, California. Their name is an abbreviation for the Indestructible Beat of Palo Alto, a parody on the album The Indestructible Beat of Soweto. At one point, they tried to shorten the name to...
(the Indestructible Beat of Palo Alto) and Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar, TITSJ, or XITSJ , was an indie/experimental band derived from IBOPA and after the breakup, progressing to the still-active Xiu Xiu. The band released two albums before breaking up in July 2000. Key members in the band include Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch. Several songs...
, Jamie Stewart
Jamie Stewart
James "Jamie" Cyrus Stewart is the front-man of the American musical group Xiu Xiu , a former front-man of IBOPA and Ten in the Swear Jar and a current member of Former Ghosts. He was also a member of 7 Year Rabbit Cycle which has since disbanded...
and Cory McCulloch formed their third collaborative effort, Xiu Xiu, in 2002. Aided by friends Lauren Andrews and Yvonne Chen – both of whom would contribute to the band's early recordings – Xiu Xiu would tour their first LP Knife Play
Knife Play
Knife Play is the first album by Xiu Xiu, released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Don Diasco" – 2:54# "I Broke Up " – 2:20# "Luber" – 4:02# "Hives Hives" – 3:42# "Dr. Troll" – 3:54# "Over Over" – 4:05# "Anne Dong" – 4:51# "Suha" – 4:57...
, and its successor EP, Chapel of the Chimes, throughout the years 2001 and 2002, blending both melody and cacophony with a heavy reliance on percussive instrumentation and brass instrument
Brass instrument
A brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
ation.
Following 2002, the group would shrink in membership as Yvonne Chen left in order to focus on her vegan boutique Otsu and self-published magazine Zum, while Cory McCulloch also stopped touring, focusing instead on producing the band's next two LPs. A personal loss would affect Xiu Xiu as well, as Jamie Stewart's father, musician and record producer Michael Stewart
Michael Stewart (musician)
Michael “Mike” Stewart was the guitarist for We Five. He was also the brother of John Stewart , a one-time member of The Kingston Trio and later a very successful singer/songwriter, and the father of Jamie Stewart, frontman of popular avant-garde group Xiu Xiu...
was found dead after an apparent suicide. Coping with these losses, Stewart would record the group's follow-up to Knife Play, 2003's A Promise.
Continuing to focus on the subject matter of Jamie Stewart's personal life – as witnessed previously by Knife Play – A Promise acts like a concept record of internal despair. Consisting of ten tracks, the record was oriented towards a more or less acoustic presentation, rather than relying on the booming brass and percussion which had worked to make Knife Play. However, the record did not veer from the formulated programming
Programming (music)
Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
for which Stewart and McCulloch would be praised by fans and critics alike.
During this time, Stewart recorded Fag Patrol
Fag Patrol
Fag Patrol is a collection of acoustic Xiu Xiu tracks. It was only released on CD, not vinyl.-Track listing :# "Heissbot"# "King Earth, King Earth"# "20,000 Deaths for Eidelyn Gonzalez, 20,000 Deaths for Jamie Peterson"# "Dr. Troll"...
, a collection of previous recorded material as well as covers of songs by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and his previous group with McCulloch, Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar, TITSJ, or XITSJ , was an indie/experimental band derived from IBOPA and after the breakup, progressing to the still-active Xiu Xiu. The band released two albums before breaking up in July 2000. Key members in the band include Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch. Several songs...
. Released as a handmade CD by Rob Fisk's and Kelly Goodefisk's Free Porcupine Society, Fag Patrol was limited to only a few hundred copies. In the spring of 2004, Stewart and McCulloch released what is considered by many to be the group's most accessible album, Fabulous Muscles
Fabulous Muscles
The track "Brian the Vampire" is based on a child Stewart encountered during Stewart's time as a preschool teacher in California. "Mike" is a tribute to Stewart's late father Michael Stewart, who had committed suicide in 2002, while "Support Our Troops OH! " is about Stewart's view on soldiers...
. More pop-friendly in its sound than previous releases, Fabulous Muscles boosted Xiu Xiu to new heights in terms of popularity, largely thanks to its single "I Luv the Valley OH!".
With the departure of Lauren Andrews in 2003 – who wished to focus on her academic studies – Stewart was joined on stage by his "long-lost" cousin, Caralee McElroy
Caralee McElroy
Caralee McElroy is a Brooklyn-based multi-instrumentalist who has played in the bands Xiu Xiu, XXL, and Cold Cave.-Biography:...
in 2004. The two would tour relentlessly throughout that year, releasing not only the group's third LP, but also split recordings with This Song Is a Mess But So Am I and Bunkbed, along with the "Fleshettes" single – which featured a rendition of the Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar
Ten in the Swear Jar, TITSJ, or XITSJ , was an indie/experimental band derived from IBOPA and after the breakup, progressing to the still-active Xiu Xiu. The band released two albums before breaking up in July 2000. Key members in the band include Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch. Several songs...
track "Helsabot" by McElroy.
Seen as a return to Stewart's more dark and crabby demeanor, Xiu Xiu's fourth album La Forêt
La Forêt
La Forêt is the fourth studio album by Xiu Xiu, released on July 12, 2005 on 5 Rue Christine. The album features John Dieterich of Deerhoof and Devin Hoff as contributors.-Overview:...
alluded to a frustration which Stewart had felt throughout the process of recording the 2004 record. Centered around the topic of "horrible times in horrible lives" as well as Stewart's personal frustrations with then-U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, La Forêt is characterized by an altogether different sound – layered by mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, harmonium
Harmonium
A harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, autoharp
Autoharp
The autoharp is a musical string instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers, which, when depressed, mute all of the strings other than those that form the desired chord. Despite its name, the autoharp is not a harp at all, but a chorded zither. -History:There is debate over the...
, and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. In addition to La Forêt, Xiu Xiu would join Italian experimental group Larsen in forming XXL
XXL
XXL may refer to:* XXL , in London, UK* XXL , an American hip-hop magazine* Penny Market XXL, a Romanian hypermarket chain-Film and television:* XXL , a French comedy* XXL , an adult TV station-Music:...
, which released its first LP, ¡Ciaütistico! in 2005, followed later by its successor ¿Spicchiology?
¿Spicchiology?
-External links:* at Important Records....
in 2007. Stewart also issued formative splits throughout 2005, working with artists such as The Paper Chase
The Paper Chase (band)
The Paper Chase was an alternative rock band formed in 1998 by well known producer/engineer John Congleton in Dallas, Texas, signed to Kill Rock Stars and Southern Records. Their Albums "God Bless Your Black Heart" and "Now You Are One Of Us" have been released on vinyl by the Austrian label Trost...
, Kill Me Tomorrow
Kill Me Tomorrow
Kill Me Tomorrow is a 1957 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat O'Brien and Lois Maxwell. It was made by Tempean Films at Southall Studios in West London.-Cast:*Pat O'Brien as Bart Crosbie*Lois Maxwell as Jill Brook...
, and Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
.
In 2006, Stewart would break from tradition by ending his professional relationship with McCulloch. He then started working with San Francisco-based band Deerhoof
Deerhoof
Deerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
's drummer Greg Saunier, with whom he has worked with since 2002, as producer for Xiu Xiu's fifth LP entitled The Air Force
The Air Force
The Air Force is the fifth album by Xiu Xiu. It was released on September 15, 2006, and is produced by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof, who also performs on the album with band members Caralee McElroy and Jamie Stewart.-Track listing:#"Buzz Saw" – 3:01...
. Saunier, who had previously worked with Stewart on Knife Play, created for the record a greater wall of sound
Wall of Sound
The Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by record producer Phil Spector at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, California, during the early 1960s...
– a stark contrast to that of McCulloch's discordant attitude towards production. The Air Force would be supported throughout 2006 by a three piece ensemble, as Stewart and McElroy were joined by drummer/percussionist Ches Smith, who himself had previously worked with the group on Knife Play. The Air Force also contained the band's first album-based song without vocals by Stewart – with McElroy singing "Hello From Eau Claire".
A third EP – Tu Mi Piaci
Tu Mi Piaci
Tu Mi Piaci is an EP of cover songs by Xiu Xiu.-Track listing:# "He Needs Me" – 2:00# "Don't Cha" – 4:00# "Kangaroo" – 4:12# "Blueberry Mine Shaft" – 2:52...
("I like you") – of songs originally recorded by acts such as Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
, Nedelle, This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil
This Mortal Coil was a gothic dream pop supergroup led by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD. Although Watts-Russell and John Fryer were technically the only two official members, the band's recorded output featured a large rotating cast of supporting artists, many of whom...
, The Pussycat Dolls, and Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
was released in 2006, along with a collaboration with ambient artist Grouper, entitled Creepshow
Creepshow
Creepshow is a 1982 American horror anthology film directed by George A. Romero and written by Stephen King. The film's ensemble cast included Ted Danson, Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, E.G...
. Shortly thereafter, Xiu Xiu would record their sixth album, 2008's Women as Lovers
Women as Lovers
Women as Lovers is the sixth studio album by American avant-garde band Xiu Xiu. It was released on January 29, 2008, by Kill Rock Stars, and shares its title with the Martin Chalmers translation of Elfriede Jelinek's 1975 novel Die Liebhaberinnen....
. Their longest LP to date, Women as Lovers attempts to home in on the synth-pop influences of the group's sound. Stewart's and McElroy's duet with Michael Gira of Swans
Swans (band)
Swans are an influential American post-punk band initially active from 1982 to 1997, led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira. The band was one of the few groups to emerge from the early 1980s New York No Wave scene and stay intact into the next decade. Formed by Gira in...
on a cover of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's "Under Pressure" is representative of this. Touring that year alongside Xiu Xiu aluminist Devin Hoff on bass, the band's second four-piece incarnation would not last long, as Hoff abruptly left the group soon after touring began.
In May 2009, it was revealed on a blogpost on xiuxiu.org that Caralee McElroy would no longer work with Xiu Xiu. Speculations ran as to what reasons McElroy had for leaving the group after five years of recording and touring, though no explanation was given other than her subsequent membership in Manhattan-based darkwave
Darkwave
Dark Wave or darkwave is a music genre that began in the late 1970s, coinciding with the popularity of New Wave and post-punk. Building on those basic principles, dark wave added dark, introspective lyrics and an undertone of sorrow for some bands...
group Cold Cave
Cold Cave
Cold Cave is the experimental musical project of Wesley Eisold based in New York City and originating in Philadelphia and is described as "a collage of darkwave, noise, and synth pop"...
, which she soon after departed from in 2010. With the vacancies left by both Hoff and McElroy, Stewart and Smith recruited Angela Seo in late-2009. Thereafter, the group would begin work on its seventh LP Dear God, I Hate Myself
Dear God, I Hate Myself
Dear God, I Hate Myself is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Xiu Xiu released on February 23, 2010. This is their first album since the departure of Caralee McElroy...
, recording in both Oakland, California as well as Durham, North Carolina. Once again shifting motifs, Xiu Xiu would this time choose to experiment with video-game-based programming, utilizing the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
to write many of the songs which appear on their 2010 release. The music video for the song "Dear God, I Hate Myself" received negative attention online in 2010. The video consists of Angela Seo inducing vomiting over the course of the three minute song, culminating with her vomiting on Stewart, who has been eating a chocolate bar during the entire video. Seo and Stewart have defended the video online and in interviews, stating that the video illustrates the subject of the song in an extreme and visceral fashion.
In 2010 Xiu Xiu left Kill Rock Stars and signed with Bella Union and PolyVinyl.
Greg Saunier, Ches Smith, Devin Hoff, John Dieterich, Anglea Seo and Jamie Stewart, along Sam Mickens and Zac Pennignton. completed Xiu Xiu's 8th full length in 2011. Carla Bouzlich sang a guest vocal. It was mixed by John Congelton. After a short tour of the Mid West and Mid Atlantic, Sam and Zac were let go due to poor performance during shows the day after the tour ended. A new line up is solidified but as yet unannounced.
Albums
- 2002 - Knife PlayKnife PlayKnife Play is the first album by Xiu Xiu, released in 2002.-Track listing:# "Don Diasco" – 2:54# "I Broke Up " – 2:20# "Luber" – 4:02# "Hives Hives" – 3:42# "Dr. Troll" – 3:54# "Over Over" – 4:05# "Anne Dong" – 4:51# "Suha" – 4:57...
- 2003 - A Promise
- 2003 - Fag PatrolFag PatrolFag Patrol is a collection of acoustic Xiu Xiu tracks. It was only released on CD, not vinyl.-Track listing :# "Heissbot"# "King Earth, King Earth"# "20,000 Deaths for Eidelyn Gonzalez, 20,000 Deaths for Jamie Peterson"# "Dr. Troll"...
- 2004 - Fabulous MusclesFabulous MusclesThe track "Brian the Vampire" is based on a child Stewart encountered during Stewart's time as a preschool teacher in California. "Mike" is a tribute to Stewart's late father Michael Stewart, who had committed suicide in 2002, while "Support Our Troops OH! " is about Stewart's view on soldiers...
- 2005 - Life and LiveLife and LiveLife and Live is a live album by Xiu Xiu.It was released on Italian record label Xeng less than a month before the release of La Forêt in the United States. Life and Live consists of Xiu Xiu songs that front man Jamie Stewart rendered live into acoustic guitar and vocal compositions...
(live album) - 2005 - La ForêtLa ForêtLa Forêt is the fourth studio album by Xiu Xiu, released on July 12, 2005 on 5 Rue Christine. The album features John Dieterich of Deerhoof and Devin Hoff as contributors.-Overview:...
- 2006 - The Air ForceThe Air ForceThe Air Force is the fifth album by Xiu Xiu. It was released on September 15, 2006, and is produced by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof, who also performs on the album with band members Caralee McElroy and Jamie Stewart.-Track listing:#"Buzz Saw" – 3:01...
- 2008 - Women as LoversWomen as LoversWomen as Lovers is the sixth studio album by American avant-garde band Xiu Xiu. It was released on January 29, 2008, by Kill Rock Stars, and shares its title with the Martin Chalmers translation of Elfriede Jelinek's 1975 novel Die Liebhaberinnen....
- 2008 - Xiu Xiu for Life: The First 5 Years (Japanese best-of compilation)
- 2010 - Dear God, I Hate MyselfDear God, I Hate MyselfDear God, I Hate Myself is the seventh studio album by American indie rock band Xiu Xiu released on February 23, 2010. This is their first album since the departure of Caralee McElroy...
Singles/EPs
- 2002 - Chapel of the Chimes EP
- 2004 - split 7" with This Song Is a Mess but So Am I
- 2004 - split 7" with Bunkbed
- 2004 - "Fleshettes" CD-single
- 2005 - split 7"Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split 7-inchXiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split 7" has Xiu Xiu and Devendra Banhart covering one of the other's songs.-Track listing:# Xiu Xiu - "The Body Breaks" 2:14# Devendra Banhart - "Support Our Troops OH!" 2:30...
with Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San... - 2005 - split 7" with Kill Me TomorrowKill Me TomorrowKill Me Tomorrow is a 1957 British crime film directed by Terence Fisher. It stars Pat O'Brien and Lois Maxwell. It was made by Tempean Films at Southall Studios in West London.-Cast:*Pat O'Brien as Bart Crosbie*Lois Maxwell as Jill Brook...
- 2005 - split 7" with The Paper ChaseThe Paper Chase (band)The Paper Chase was an alternative rock band formed in 1998 by well known producer/engineer John Congleton in Dallas, Texas, signed to Kill Rock Stars and Southern Records. Their Albums "God Bless Your Black Heart" and "Now You Are One Of Us" have been released on vinyl by the Austrian label Trost...
- 2005 - split 7"Xiu Xiu/The Dead Science split 7-inchXiu Xiu/The Dead Science split 7", released in 2005 on Deathbomb Arc, is one of several split EPs by Xiu Xiu, and the third EP from The Dead Science. Eugene Robinson contributed vocals for Xiu Xiu's track, and The Dead Science track has vocals by Shooby Taylor.-External links:* *...
with The Dead ScienceThe Dead ScienceThe Dead Science is an experimental pop band based in Seattle, Washington.The band consists of guitarist/vocalist Sam Mickens, Jherek Bischoff on bass and Nick Tamburro on drums. Jherek Bischoff's brother Korum was the drummer from the band's inception in 1999 through 2005... - 2005 - The Special 12 Singles SeriesThe Special 12 Singles SeriesThe Special 12 Singles Series is a series of twelve 7 inch singles released by Gold Standard Laboratories in 2005, one for each month. Subscriptions were available for either January through June, July through December, or all 12 singles...
- 2006 - Tu Mi PiaciTu Mi PiaciTu Mi Piaci is an EP of cover songs by Xiu Xiu.-Track listing:# "He Needs Me" – 2:00# "Don't Cha" – 4:00# "Kangaroo" – 4:12# "Blueberry Mine Shaft" – 2:52...
EP - 2006 - "Boy Soprano" / "San Pedro Glue Stick" picture discPicture discPicture discs are gramophone records that show images on their playing surface, rather than being of plain black or coloured vinyl.-Development:...
7" with photographs by David HorvitzDavid HorvitzDavid Horvitz is a Brooklyn-based watercolor painter, photographer and performance artist, known for his often bizarre and absurdist DIY instructional projects, including work on Wikipedia. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1980, and educated at Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts... - 2007 - Jamie Stewart Pre-Xiu Xiu Picture disc 7" with photographs by David HorvitzDavid HorvitzDavid Horvitz is a Brooklyn-based watercolor painter, photographer and performance artist, known for his often bizarre and absurdist DIY instructional projects, including work on Wikipedia. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1980, and educated at Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts...
- 2007 - split 7" with WS-Burn
- 2008 - split 7" with High PlacesHigh PlacesHigh Places is a band originating from Brooklyn, NY, recently relocated to Los Angeles, CA. The band is a duo comprising multi-instrumentalist Rob Barber and vocalist Mary Pearson.-History:...
- 2009 - untitled 12 month/12 disc subscription service (limited edition of 50 subscriptions)
- 2009 - split 7" with Parenthetical GirlsParenthetical GirlsParenthetical Girls is an experimental pop band formed in Everett, Washington, and based currently in Portland, Oregon...
(MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
/The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
covers, Upset the Rhythm) - 2011 - "Razor Scooter" / "Sashay Away" digital single
- 2011 - "Almost Xiu Xiu, Almost Deerhoof" split 7" with DeerhoofDeerhoofDeerhoof is a musical group consisting of Satomi Matsuzaki, John Dieterich, Ed Rodriguez and Greg Saunier.-Origins:In 1992, Greg Saunier, having recently graduated with a degree in music composition from Oberlin Conservatory of Music, joined a short-lived San Francisco quartet called Nitre Pit, on...
- 2011 - "Daphny" / "Only Girl" 7"
Collaborations
- 2005 - ¡Ciaütistico! (collaboration with Larsen under the moniker XXL, for Xiu Xiu Larsen)
- 2006 - Creep Show (collaboration with Grouper)
- 2007 - Remixed & CoveredRemixed & CoveredRemixed & Covered is a 2007 double album by Xiu Xiu. One disc contains cover versions of the band's songs, whilst the other contains remixes of their originals.-Disc one :#Larsen - "Mousey Toy"#Oxbow - "Saturn"...
(collaboration with artists including To Live and Shave in L.A.To Live and Shave in L.A.To Live and Shave in L.A. is an experimental music collective founded in 1993 by avant-garde composer/producer Tom Smith and Miami Beach musician/producer Frank "Rat Bastard" Falestra...
(Tom SmithTom Smith- Sports :* R. Thomas "Tom" Smith , American thoroughbred racehorse trainer of Seabiscuit* Tom Smith , Major League player* Tom Smith , Major League player...
), Her Space HolidayHer Space HolidayHer Space Holiday is the recording moniker of indietronic and indie rock artist Marc Bianchi.-History:Marc Bianchi began as a musician in the California hardcore scene. He was a part of Indian Summer and Mohinder before assuming the moniker "Her Space Holiday" in 1996...
, Larsen, OxbowOxbowAn oxbow is a U-shaped wooden or metal frame that fits under and around the neck of an ox or bullock, with its upper ends passing through the bar of the yoke and held in place with a metal key, called a bow pin. The wood most often used is hardwood steamed into shape, like elm or hickory and...
, Sunset RubdownSunset RubdownSunset Rubdown is an art rock band from Montreal, Canada. The band began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, who released his debut, Snake's Got a Leg, in early 2005...
, Marissa NadlerMarissa NadlerMarissa Nadler is an American dream-folk singer-songwriter and fine artist based in Boston.-Early life:Marissa Nadler was exposed to art at a young age through her mother Pamela, an abstract painter, and her older brother Stuart, a guitarist and writer...
, Good For CowsGood For CowsGood For Cows is an experimental jazz band from Oakland, USA. Their line-up consists of Xiu Xiu's current drummer Ches Smith and former Xiu Xiu bassist Devin Hoff.- Beginning :...
, kid606Kid606Kid606 is the stage name of Miguel Trost De Pedro, an electronic musician who was born 1979 July in Caracas, Venezuela, raised in San Diego and later moved to San Francisco...
, XO Skeletons, Gold ChainsGold ChainsGold Chains is an electro rap artist from San Francisco, whose real name is Topher Lafata. Gold Chains has performed along with Sue Cie , who is a video artist also from San Francisco area.-Discography:...
, Devendra BanhartDevendra BanhartDevendra Obi Banhart is a singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San...
, Warbucks, Cherry Point, and GrouperGrouperGroupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
) - 2007 - ¿Spicchiology?¿Spicchiology?-External links:* at Important Records....
(Xiu Xiu Larsen) - 2007 - A Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in IndianaA Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in IndianaA Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in Indiana is a collaborative album included with Xiu Xiu: The Polaroid Project: The Book.- Track listing :# "Doris Improv III" # "Blue Dicks [AZ]"...
(collaboration disk included with the Xiu Xiu: The Polaroid Project: The Book) - 2010 - Blue Water White Death (Jamie Stewart collaboration with Jonathan Meiburg)
- 2011 - Sole (formerly of Anticon) and The Skyrider Band feat. Xiu Xiu - Napoleon (A play on Animal Farm)
External links
- Official website
- Official Facebook page
- Official Myspace page
- Four Paws Media Publicity Company - Xiu Xiu
- Xiu Xiu collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Kill Rock Stars - Xiu Xiu
- SHZine messageboard - Xiu Xiu
Interviews and Podcasts
- Only Angels Have Wings interview with Jamie Stewart, 2002
- Amp-Archives/The Blackbird interview with Jamie Stewart, Jherek Bischoff and Sam Mickens, 2002
- Free Williamsburg interview with Jamie Stewart, 2003
- PopMatters interview with Jamie Stewart, 2004
- Baltimore City Paper interview with Jamie Stewart, 2004
- Fan interview with Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy, 2005
- Pitchfork interview with Jamie Stewart, 2006
- Williamette Week interview with Ches Smith, 2008
- The Aquarian Weekly interview with Devin Hoff, 2008
- XLR&R interview with Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy, 2008
- XLR&RTV video podcast with Jamie Stewart, 2008
- A.V. Club interview with Jamie Stewart, 2010
- Jekyll and Hyde radio podcast with Jamie Stewart and Angela Seo, 2010