Xiu Xiu (thread)

[kearn1tm]

This band's pretty popular. I listened to them years ago when a former significant other was obsessed with them. Listening to Knife Party and A Promise scared me, mostly because of how fucking relatable Jamie Steward's dour lyrics wwere (which sucks tremendously). Now that the new album leaked, I've been trying to give them another go. I mean, I like Whitehouse, I like The Smiths and I like Joy Division. It's been a month.

So I'm starting to be both disturbed and captivated. That's all I have at the moment. Andrea and Snugglybear are both fans. Talk about them, and shit.

s1S44YzRTQY

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[IntoTheSun]

Way to steal my thread, ya ass.

New album in 6 days, I think? So yeah.

[ruffian]

great live vid of da valley

[jbertclassic]

This guy's songs always freaked the shit out of me. Might give it another try though.

[Cuddleworthy]

i have profound love for the xiu. if i were ryan i'd make one of those two paragraph long posts where i go on about how they are the second calling, but i can't even properly articulate what jamie's music does for me. it's something special

andrea is a fan? i thought she listened to them for the first time like a week ago.

[IntoTheSun]

i have profound love for the xiu. if i were ryan i'd make one of those two paragraph long posts where i go on about how they are the second calling, but i can't even properly articulate what jamie's music does for me. it's something special

I would read it, buddy. Do tell.

andrea is a fan? i thought she listened to them for the first time like a week ago.

Yeah, something like that hahaha.

[kearn1tm]

i have profound love for the xiu. if i were ryan i'd make one of those two paragraph long posts where i go on about how they are the second calling, but i can't even properly articulate what jamie's music does for me. it's something special

andrea is a fan? i thought she listened to them for the first time like a week ago.

I remember her rambling about them in a post and I thought to myself "no way you'd be into them." I guess I'm wrong or some junk.

Regardless, such a hodgepodge of sounds, all terrifying, all kinda dancy, all sexual in an ugly way, all somber, all cathartic. It took me a long time to be ready to try them again. I'm glad I did.

Also, Jamie Stewart's kinda cute.

[kearn1tm]

Way to steal my thread, ya ass.

New album in 6 days, I think? So yeah.

You had the last [number of days you've been all "I love this band"] to make it, bro.

[IntoTheSun]

I remember her rambling about them in a post and I thought to myself "no way you'd be into them."

I don't see why not. Is it really that suprising? I mean, sure, lyrically it caught me off guard a bit, but it's nothing I can't appreciate.

[kearn1tm]

This guy's songs always freaked the shit out of me. Might give it another try though.

They're transgressive to be sure, but it's necessary. Art under that whole theatre of cruelty needs to reflect issues of gender identity, rape, domestic abuse/patriarchy, etc. It needs to be represented in art, to show a reality commonly neglected, misconstrued and misunderstood. It's good, I just wasn't in a place in '05 to hear things so similar to my own experiences in such a manner. It scared me too. It's almost a form of healing to hear him though, whether you're healing or relishing in the cleansing experience Jamie's clearly having through this.

Fun Fact: apparently, Wig Master is a series of texts he received from various lovers he was seeing at once one summer. None of the other lovers knew about each other and thought it was a monogamous relationship. Interesting.

[kearn1tm]

I don't see why not. Is it really that suprising? I mean, sure, lyrically it caught me off guard a bit, but it's nothing I can't appreciate.

I don't know. It's not a fair accusation, but they're a bit "eccentric" in the realm of some of the stuff you've expressed interest in.

[boysandbulletsx]

I was maybe 15 when I first heard "Brian the Vampire". It's such a creepy song, but it sucked me in and I've always appreciated Xiu Xiu since then.

[x togepi x]

this was the most awkward live band i've ever seen.

[Cuddleworthy]

I remember her rambling about them in a post and I thought to myself "no way you'd be into them." I guess I'm wrong or some junk.

Regardless, such a hodgepodge of sounds, all terrifying, all kinda dancy, all sexual in an ugly way, all somber, all cathartic. It took me a long time to be ready to try them again. I'm glad I did.

Also, Jamie Stewart's kinda cute.

i think they're one of those bands very few people get "into" immediately, you have to put some effort into listening. i probably discounted la foret and a promise as garbage the first and second times i listened to them but now it makes sense, in a brilliant way. of course fabulous muscles and the air force are more accessible, but i appreciate that unlike some fans who condemn the more listenable approach jamie has taken.

jamie seems like a great dude. i like how anyone can just e-mail him and chat, one girl i'm friends with e-mailed back and forth with him for over a year and i'm kinda jealous. i just don't even know what i would say to him. maybe we could talk about our favorite smiths and joy division songs yeahhhhhhh

[Cuddleworthy]

I don't see why not. Is it really that suprising? I mean, sure, lyrically it caught me off guard a bit, but it's nothing I can't appreciate.

it's not even the lyrics, a lot of the material is difficult musically - particularly the older stuff

[Cuddleworthy]

They're transgressive to be sure, but it's necessary. Art under that whole theatre of cruelty needs to reflect issues of gender identity, rape, domestic abuse/patriarchy, etc. It needs to be represented in art, to show a reality-shattering austere. It's good, I just wasn't in a place in '05 to hear things so similar to my own experiences in such a manner. It scared me too. It's almost a form of healing to hear him though, whether you're healing or relishing in the cleansing experience Jamie's clearly having through this.

Fun Fact: apparently, Wig Master is a series of texts he received from various lovers he was seeing at once one summer. None of the other lovers knew about each other and thought it was a monogamous relationship. Interesting.

you need to read this column a pitchfork guy wrote-- http://pitchfork.com/features/puritan-blister/7661-puritan-blister-44/

edit: it's long, but worth it

[IntoTheSun]

I don't know. It's not a fair accusation,

Well, what are you accusing me of exactly?

but they're a bit "eccentric" in the realm of some of the stuff you've expressed interest in.

I thought so too, but I jumped in and gave it a try and it grabbed me immediately sonically. I have never been one to shy away from eccentric/emotionally-heavy lyrics. I don't see why I have to be defending myself here, as I've never claimed to be a long time fan or anything.

[kearn1tm]

this was the most awkward live band i've ever seen.

Do tell.

[IntoTheSun]

it's not even the lyrics, a lot of the material is difficult musically - particularly the older stuff

Ah, I haven't got there yet haha.

[x togepi x]

Do tell.

they played their songs. nobody talked in between. there were insanely long pauses between them. not much to tell really.

[kearn1tm]

i think they're one of those bands very few people get "into" immediately, you have to put some effort into listening. i probably discounted la foret and a promise as garbage the first and second times i listened to them but now it makes sense, in a brilliant way. of course fabulous muscles and the air force are more accessible, but i appreciate that unlike some fans who condemn the more listenable approach jamie has taken.

jamie seems like a great dude. i like how anyone can just e-mail him and chat, one girl i'm friends with e-mailed back and forth with him for over a year and i'm kinda jealous. i just don't even know what i would say to him. maybe we could talk about our favorite smiths and joy division songs yeahhhhhhh

I started listening to the newer albums and they're fine, but it's that sense of menace from a song like Ian Curtis Wishlist, when Stewart, after yelping out desperately "I'm just kiding" to mask the pathetic drizzled all over his own self-indulgent, whiny bullshit (and I mean that in the best possible way), the song just disintegrates and is overtaken by the loud, abrupt, jarring digital whines. It's just scary. It's not pleasing in a conventional sense. And it too is kinda pathetic, and that's kinda the point.

I don't get a lot of that in the newer stuff. I still like it though. The guy just finds the most heart-wrenching stuff in the most seemingly trivial and banal and that's why he cuts so close. I'm a product of abuse and manipulation and coercion and the music somehow represents the subsequent confusion, insular feelings of being alone, the self-involved idea of being in it alone, of being special because of the suck you've been through. You're right. It's not "immediate" but it is cleansing after a while.

That's pretty cool that he emailed your friend. I'd like to pick his brain.

[IntoTheSun]

I started listening to the newer albums and they're fine, but it's that sense of menace from a song like Ian Curtis Wishlist, when Stewart, after yelping out desperately "I'm just kiding" to mask the pathetic drizzled all over his own self-indulgent, whiny bullshit (and I mean that in the best possible way), the song just disintegrates and is overtaken by the loud, abrupt, jarring digital whines. It's just scary. It's not pleasing in a conventional sense. And it too is kinda pathetic, and that's kinda the point.

I don't get a lot of that in the newer stuff. I still like it though. The guy just finds the most heart-wrenching stuff in the most seemingly trivial and banal and that's why he cuts so close. I'm a product of abuse and manipulation and coercion and the music somehow represents the subsequent confusion, insular feelings of being alone, the self-involved idea of being in it alone, of being special because of the suck you've been through. You're right. It's not "immediate" but it is cleansing after a while.

That's pretty cool that he emailed your friend. I'd like to pick his brain.

Well shit. Now my shallow understanding of the band feels even shallower haha. Which of these older albums may you be referring to?

[kearn1tm]

you need to read this column a pitchfork guy wrote-- http://pitchfork.com/features/puritan-blister/7661-puritan-blister-44/

edit: it's long, but worth it

Good read. Thanks, man.

[kearn1tm]

Well shit. Now my shallow understanding of the band feels even shallower haha. Which of these older albums may you be referring to?

It shouldn't. It's just one way of looking at them/critiquing them.

By older, I mean Knife Party, A Promise (so far, my preferred album) and, to a lesser extent, Fabulous Muscles.

[kearn1tm]

they played their songs. nobody talked in between. there were insanely long pauses between them. not much to tell really.

QKzSAph6ZXc&feature=related

[Cuddleworthy]

Cherry blossoms fall
And for a twinkle there
I have the will to live
But then gomorrah calls
"Caterpillar girl
Here you are"
Cherry blossoms melt
And for a weekend there
I have the will to go on
But then it fades to
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink

[Cuddleworthy]

listen to on fire and pretend someone could love you
listen to lady day and dream they knew the half of it
listen to birthday and pretend someone could love you
listen to nick drake and dream they knew the half of it

BEST REFERENCES EVER RIGHT THERE

[kearn1tm]

I'm not going to be quiet and I'm going to tell the whole block

and then the tape loops back and you hear the smack of hand meeting skin and the chorus restarts with the compliant "I'll protect you." All it takes is violence to keep everything "right." Shit's painful.

[kearn1tm]

Cherry blossoms fall
And for a twinkle there
I have the will to live
But then gomorrah calls
"Caterpillar girl
Here you are"
Cherry blossoms melt
And for a weekend there
I have the will to go on
But then it fades to
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink
Pink



Yeah, listening to this makes my heart sink.

[kearn1tm]

I have qualms with Support Our Troops OH! (Black Angels OH!).

The whole "jock" comment is a bit juvenile. He simplifies the entire institutionalized violence of the U.S. military and makes it an individual problem rather than the elements of the institution that enable it. I think there's something really harrowing about it, but it's clumsy.

[boysandbulletsx]

listen to on fire and pretend someone could love you
listen to lady day and dream they knew the half of it
listen to birthday and pretend someone could love you
listen to nick drake and dream they knew the half of it

BEST REFERENCES EVER RIGHT THERE
Name droppin' Billie Holiday and Nick Drake! What whaaaat!

[IntoTheSun]

It shouldn't. It's just one way of looking at them/critiquing them.

By older, I mean Knife Party, A Promise (so far, my preferred album) and, to a lesser extent, Fabulous Muscles.

Okay. Well, I'll try to get around to some of those albums when I can. All I can say right now is Support Our Troops OH! gave me a tremendous amount of chills the first time I listened and with subsequent listens, and one of my favorite lines is: Your true self has become weak and alone and annoying and a true ridiculous dumbass. Beyond that, I can appreciate a lot of the topics Jamie brings up, but I don't feel I have a grasp of the true extent of the meaning. Then again, that's true of a lot of lyrics, it's just not as apparent.

[Andy Young]

I heard "Grey Death" the other day and loved it so I downloaded the new album as well as coming across the whole discography so I'm dipping into some of that right now. The lyrics/vocals combine for such an eerie feeling. I love it.

[Cuddleworthy]

I have qualms with Support Our Troops OH! (Black Angels OH!).

The whole "jock" comment is a bit juvenile. He simplifies the entire institutionalized violence of the U.S. military and makes it an individual problem rather than the elements of the institution that enable it. I think there's something really harrowing about it, but it's clumsy.

I read that the song is more of a personal attack on someone he knew (a relative, I think) so he might not be generalizing as much as you think. Still, I agree he could have been less brash when choosing his words there

[kearn1tm]

Okay. Well, I'll try to get around to some of those albums when I can. All I can say right now is Support Our Troops OH! gave me a tremendous amount of chills the first time I listened and with subsequent listens, and one of my favorite lines is: Your true self has become weak and alone and annoying and a true ridiculous dumbass. Beyond that, I can appreciate a lot of the topics Jamie brings up, but I don't feel I have a grasp of the true extent of the meaning. Then again, that's true of a lot of lyrics, it's just not as apparent.

There's some cryptic elements because they're so intensely personal. They're going to be esoteric by design, but a lot of those themes are textbook cases of abused people, and the narcissism that accompanies alot of it. There's something really simplistic about his lyrics too, and sometimes, they're gratuitous and stupid, but even then, they work and accomplish something.

[Cuddleworthy]

Name droppin' Billie Holiday and Nick Drake! What whaaaat!

and possibly galaxie 500. you can't even get any better at name dropping than that!

[kearn1tm]

I read that the song is more of a personal attack on someone he knew (a relative, I think) so he might not be generalizing as much as you think. Still, I agree he could have been less brash when choosing his words there

In that case, in my face. It would make sense, I suppose. I kinda read it as some ill-conceived and heavy-handed transgressive anti-Iraq war strike. I could see it either way.

[IntoTheSun]

There's some cryptic elements because they're so intensely personal. They're going to be esoteric by design, but a lot of those themes are textbook cases of abused people, and the narcissism that accompanies alot of it. There's something really simplistic about his lyrics too, and sometimes, they're gratuitous and stupid, but even then, they work and accomplish something.
Yeah, I've read some people describe the things he says as "shocking", but while that's an element, I don't think it's anything near what he's trying to accomplish. When I listen to the music, each time it feels like an unraveling story of a drastically different environment from what I know, and yet it's so incredibly familiar and heartbreaking at the same time. I don't know if that makes sense or not. It's a bit scary and uncomfortable but it's also fascinating. It makes me think of how sheltered I am.

[Cuddleworthy]

At0G4N0E8YQ

/destroyed

[x togepi x]

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i was drunk and disorderly when i saw them. my date started yelling SHUT UP THE ARTISTS NEED SILENCE.

i loved it.

[kearn1tm]

Yeah, I've read some people describe the things he says as "shocking", but while that's an element, I don't think it's anything near what he's trying to accomplish. When I listen to the music, each time it feels like an unraveling story of a drastically different environment from what I know, and yet it's so incredibly familiar and heartbreaking at the same time. I don't know if that makes sense or not. It's a bit scary and uncomfortable but it's also fascinating. It makes me think of how sheltered I am.

This is a really simplified generalization that I've arrived at purely through personal experience, not the product of any research or anything of the sort, so take it as merely anecdotal, but I find that people who gravitate toward transgressive, ostensibly "disturbing" art fall in to two categories:

1.) People who don't find it so much disturbing as relatible because it represents experiences very similar to their own, but these experiences are often times misrepresented, dismissed or entirely ignored in media, making them feel deviant any time they talk about these experiences.

Dorothy Allison, known for being the author of Bastard out of California among others, always commented about how she internalized a sense of self-loathing and shame because she was of the proverbial "ungrateful poor." There is a middle/upper class myth in western culture about the poor. They're often portrayed in media as these noble people who work endlessly for some semblance of class mobility but, for whatever reason, they fall between the cracks of the American Dream, and yet, they continue to work and strive for that security, that monetary-gain, that class ascension.

That isn't all or even the majority of impoverished families. Allison came from the poor "lifestyle" that included violence, sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, a severe deficit of essential resources, etc. and when she realized that her existence was not the romanticized experience of the poor that was mythologized in the middle/upper class, she felt deviant, she internalized that and thought there was something innately wrong with herself and her family.

Now take that and analyze it through the lens of the sexually abused, the physically abused, the products of domestic woes, of familial strife, of sexual identity confusion and frustration, gender identity confusion, and so on. They're often ignored in media, or used for easy emotional exploitation of the audience. How often are those who experience these things seen as something other than helpless victims unable to take control of their own destinies after the events, who strive to reach some sense of catharsis after, or who even get a chance to express the angst and turmoil it caused. These events are always told from a 3rd person narrative or a removed, set plot, never really examining the emotional and the physical and the mental (the chemical, such as the rewiring of the brain that happens as a result of PTSD) fallout of the events for those who have been recipients or involved in them. Shunned or made to feel shame/victimization by media representation, those of us who experience these issues often internalize that, that we're something to be ashamed of, that what has happened is a source of shame, that we're mere victims that illuminate the dangers of patriarchy and classism and heterosexualism and gender binary and so on instead of having actual, distinctive experiences.

So Stewart sharing these transgressive insights, without censor, into his own experiences in a somewhat idiosyncratic fashion is very healing and comforting. I feel safer hearing it; that things like this aren't "deviant, shameful and mere victimization." And then it feels normal. This bit of awful normalacy is expressed in media. I can tell you that, when I was 18 and I first heard Xiu Xiu, I was still trying to make sense of, and essentially repress my own history of sexual/physical/psychological abuse. 4 years later and a lot of education on some of the forces that enable it/attempts to heal and I'm in a place where I realize this is a good thing.

I want to point out that this is a big deal, typing all this. I know it can be used against me, and I know I piss people off here as that snarky asshole persona I've cultivated, so this is a rare bit of vulnerability, but it's a testament to how important I think representations like these are. I like this music because of that. It's comforting. It helps shatter that solipstic feeling that you're in this alone and that you're an awful anomaly because of it.

2.) People who, are relatively "well-adjusted" by western society but have a strong sense of curiosity over what they perceive to be morbid or disturbing or frigthening because it's so taboo to them, considering their varying degrees of being conventional. You find Stewart fascinating, and I won't presume to know why and I won't even use you as an example of this because I don't know your individual experiences and that would be highly presumptuous. However, I've noticed a lot of suburban/"normal" (using that loosely)/dominant culture in nearly every category friends/acquaintances hover toward transgressive art because the things it reveals are kept so hushed, made to be so taboo that it's almost a perverse thrill to read/watch/listen to things like these.

3.) There's, I'm sure, a multitude of other reasons people like/gravitate toward art like this. I'm not trying to be limiting or pretentiously define the parameters of who does and doesn't like certain things. It's just a little thing I noticed being in this homogenized university setting.

i was drunk and disorderly when i saw them. my date started yelling SHUT UP THE ARTISTS NEED SILENCE.

i loved it.

Haha. Dude, you seem like someone who'd be fun to go to shows with.

I got heckled by John Davis of Q and not U once when I saw him with that indie pop band he started for a while called Georgie James. I was eating popcorn and he said I was eating too loud while he was trying to make banter. Then he gave me shit for eating at a show. "Who eats at a show?" I eat at a show. My friend and I bought more popcorn, walked on stage (it was a small little club with no security) and placed two boxes of popcorn right next to him. He squashed them and told us to grow up so we started tossing individual kernels at him while he was playing.

[blebbio]

love them. they have such a cool sound.

[yellowhouse]

What a strange band.

[Cuddleworthy]

the colonel droppin' knowledge. good post

[ThisIsNotDan]

where is a good starting point for this band?

[Cuddleworthy]

where is a good starting point for this band?

Fabulous Muscles, or Air Force

[PenThrive]

Will be picking up the new album, but just came across this the Jamie directed video for "Dear God, I Hate Myself" & Wow.


http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/video/deargod.mov

[PenThrive]

Fabulous Muscles, or Air Force


Yeah, I got into Xiu Xiu when Fabulous Muscles came out. I randomly picked it up (for what reason I do not know), but I have been hooked ever since.

[MADSTA]

What's the best place to start with these guys?

[Cuddleworthy]

What's the best place to start with these guys?
http://gyazo.com/2b91d695a92500e27686057c50820e2a.pn g

[MADSTA]

Hah, that's what I get for posting without reading first I guess.

[kearn1tm]

From the article SnuggleRadish posted (which was a good read): http://pitchfork.com/features/puritan-blister/7661-puritan-blister-44/

PART THREE-POINT-FIVE: CONSENT IMPLIES RELUCTANCE
Another balm: the world of Xiu Xiu is awash in humanized, non-trad (i.e., non leather/dungeon) S&M imagery. Stewart probably exposes some folks, for the first time, to the therapeutic possibilities of safely eroticizing their fears and traumas. Authors such as Carol J. Adams (of The Pornography of Meat fame) might insist that it's wrongish, but many practitioners disagree. I had a chance to talk with her recently at a reception after her slide show, and I admitted that I either had such a broken psyche or was so awash in domination-centric propaganda that I couldn't grasp how her idea of completely non-objectifying and egalitarian sexuality would even work. Xiu Xiu's songs about boundary-testing mutual adult relationships might encourage one's conviction that permissive violence, or the performance of inequality, are indeed "okay" to find sexy. How could I detox from that, I asked Adams.
Without necessarily being ungracious, she looked at me as if part of me was dead. While I took a mouthful from my plate of vegan wieners, she wrote her prescription on a napkin. A book recommendation! Its title: The End of Masculinity.


Hahaha. Oh man. The masculine sexuality. Whoo boy. I'm making this a joke because that subject specifically is a really frightening one for me.

[kearn1tm]

Fabulous Muscles, or Air Force

Both are good and accessible, but are they definitive? I think it's best to jump head-first into the trauma and the intrigue of Knife Party of A Promise. Once you really get a feel for that, then traversing through the rest of the catalogue becomes a more...uh, connected (?) experience.

If I had started with Air Force, I'd have been intrigued (especially Hello from Eau Claire and it's wrenching transexuality), but I don't know if I'd be as compelled to delve into this work as strong as I was because Ian Curtis Wishlist was so cryptic and desperate and loud, yet delicate and noisy and unnerving.

Then again, it's a pretty subjective thing. I don't know. You know what, Cuddletron is probably right here.

[IntoTheSun]

Oh goodness, huge amount of posts. This is awesome. I'll have to reply to all this later, Todd, but I just wanted to drop by and let you know that all this information is greatly appreciated. I was afraid their newest release would pass largely unknown, but looks like that won't be happening.

[ThisIsNotDan]

Both are good and accessible, but are they definitive? I think it's best to jump head-first into the trauma and the intrigue of Knife Party of A Promise. Once you really get a feel for that, then traversing through the rest of the catalogue becomes a more...uh, connected (?) experience.

If I had started with Air Force, I'd have been intrigued (especially Hello from Eau Claire and it's wrenching transexuality), but I don't know if I'd be as compelled to delve into this work as strong as I was because Ian Curtis Wishlist was so cryptic and desperate and loud, yet delicate and noisy and unnerving.

Then again, it's a pretty subjective thing. I don't know. You know what, Cuddletron is probably right here.

Fabulous Muscles, or Air Force

thanks guys I'l get all three

Hah, that's what I get for posting without reading first I guess.

copycat :-p

[Cuddleworthy]

Both are good and accessible, but are they definitive? I think it's best to jump head-first into the trauma and the intrigue of Knife Party of A Promise. Once you really get a feel for that, then traversing through the rest of the catalogue becomes a more...uh, connected (?) experience.

If I had started with Air Force, I'd have been intrigued (especially Hello from Eau Claire and it's wrenching transexuality), but I don't know if I'd be as compelled to delve into this work as strong as I was because Ian Curtis Wishlist was so cryptic and desperate and loud, yet delicate and noisy and unnerving.

Then again, it's a pretty subjective thing. I don't know. You know what, Cuddletron is probably right here.

i see your point of view, and with just about any other band, i would agree. i just think xiu xiu easily frightens people off, and to prevent that from happening i'd recommend not unleashing all the monsters right away. both routes are fine, and your way is probably more rewarding in the long run.

i can't stop watching that yellow raspberry video i posted earlier. god, the intensity is unreal.

[Cuddleworthy]

Fuq1oqHwAZE

amazing

[Cuddleworthy]

fun fact: jamie taught pre-school for 10 years

[kearn1tm]

i see your point of view, and with just about any other band, i would agree. i just think xiu xiu easily frightens people off, and to prevent that from happening i'd recommend not unleashing all the monsters right away. both routes are fine, and your way is probably more rewarding in the long run.

Yeah, you're right. Xiu Xiu at their least conventionally palatable would probably be more likely to scare some people off. I was listening to Don Diasco and that really minimal beat is just butchered with electronic fizzle and frightening effects. I love it, but the first two (and to an extent, Fabulous Muscles) albums are an exercise in perversely molesting pop music. I can't imagine that being too inviting to most. Or maybe that's underestimating those who would have a tendency to like Xiu Xiu. I don't know.

i can't stop watching that yellow raspberry video i posted earlier. god, the intensity is unreal.

Thanks for posting that.

fun fact: jamie taught pre-school for 10 years

FtaKAFIKvcs

When he mentioned that, I was dumbfounded, but it's oddly appropriate.

[kearn1tm]

hG5o8hXvZic&feature=fvw

I think I want to talk to Jamie Stewart. He seems like a person I would like.

[IntoTheSun]

Fuq1oqHwAZE

amazing

Holy shit. I have nothing but :appl:

That was amazing.

[IntoTheSun]

Third bump.

I really like the new album so far.

Cherry blossoms fall
And for a minute there
I have the will to live
But then the cuckoo cries
hey hey hey hey



Get up or look up
at the moon
without throwing up and it
stay the same all the time
lie and wait
it stop again like a bee
it will die

[IntoTheSun]

Weeping for your parents
They are so proud of this
Shining in ambition
all alone, all alone, all alone

[kearn1tm]

To continue a discussion Snugglepot and I had; I don't think the first two albums are particularly "challenging" either. That's not an appropriate term. It implies that they're somehow above normal comprehension/appreciation ("normal" is used loosely here). The just aren't palatable in a pop-sense, mostly because, as I mentioned above, each song introduces something incredibly pop and proceeds to disrupt it in gruesome, cacophonous fashion. I guess it becomes a "challenge to conventional pop listening" for a listener, and the subject matter of the lyrics can be a challenge to endure for many, but it's not particularly avant-garde. Xiu Xiu aren't the standard for experimentation. I think I sounded too pretentious saying "I hope I'm not underestimating listeners." That's stupid. It's not like it's hard to "get" them. It's just a question of whether you'll want to sit through depressing dirges decimated by ugly electronics; on whether you'll find that a rewarding experience or not.

And as I've mentioned, I find it very, very comforting and rewarding, even if it feels disturbingly vulnerable and so fucking close to home.

[kearn1tm]

Third bump.

I really like the new album so far.

Cherry blossoms fall
And for a minute there
I have the will to live
But then the cuckoo cries
hey hey hey hey



Get up or look up
at the moon
without throwing up and it
stay the same all the time
lie and wait
it stop again like a bee
it will die

I haven't heard it yet, but from what I gather, it's about eating disorders, which is fitting considering how many sexual abuse survivors deal with control issues, which often manifest in anorexia/bulimia, which will be yet another opened wound. I still can't make it through the video yet.

[Cuddleworthy]

what do you think of ten in the swear jar? i rather not make a separate thread because it will probably get lost, but i think they were great. i quite enjoy some of the songs like helsabot, sita deth, and hot karl. older version of i luv the valley is pretty sweet too

[kearn1tm]

what do you think of ten in the swear jar? i rather not make a separate thread because it will probably get lost, but i think they were great. i quite enjoy some of the songs like helsabot, sita deth, and hot karl. older version of i luv the valley is pretty sweet too

I haven't listened to it enough to make a firm opinion, other than Hot Karl kinda killed Pink City for me. I think it worked so well because of how overwhelming the sound was. The lyrics seemed less potent when not being obscured by noisy engineering. I liked I Luv the Valley though. It's pretty similar, just with a cool synth line. I mean, on a cursory play through Accordion!, I like it, and I suspect they'll grow on me.

I haven't listened to IBOPA yet. Thoughts? Also, I never knew until, well, recently that Caraless McElroy was the girl who was in Xiu Xiu. I just knew her from Cold Cave and her guest spots with Casiotone and the Painfully Alone.

[Cuddleworthy]

I haven't listened to it enough to make a firm opinion, other than Hot Karl kinda killed Pink City for me. I think it worked so well because of how overwhelming the sound was. The lyrics seemed less potent when not being obscured by noisy engineering. I liked I Luv the Valley though. It's pretty similar, just with a cool synth line. I mean, on a cursory play through Accordion!, I like it, and I suspect they'll grow on me.

I haven't listened to IBOPA yet. Thoughts? Also, I never knew until, well, recently that Caraless McElroy was the girl who was in Xiu Xiu. I just knew her from Cold Cave and her guest spots with Casiotone and the Painfully Alone.

i got IBOPA a while back and just never listened to it for some reason. i liked caralee, she's got a good voice and sometimes i wish they used it more in xiu. shame she left

[vincelac]

Goooooodtimes.

[IntoTheSun]

Goooooodtimes.

Douche, get off the phone. I need to type with both hands.

[kearn1tm]

i got IBOPA a while back and just never listened to it for some reason. i liked caralee, she's got a good voice and sometimes i wish they used it more in xiu. shame she left

One of my favorite Xiu Xiu tracks (which feels weird saying, given I've only recently given them time since initially running away from them years ago) is Hello from Eau Claire. I wish she'd written more lyrics too.

Have you caught the two albums with Larsen? I think I'll pick them up this weekend.

[IntoTheSun]

To continue a discussion Snugglepot and I had; I don't think the first two albums are particularly "challenging" either. That's not an appropriate term. It implies that they're somehow above normal comprehension/appreciation ("normal" is used loosely here). The just aren't palatable in a pop-sense, mostly because, as I mentioned above, each song introduces something incredibly pop and proceeds to disrupt it in gruesome, cacophonous fashion. I guess it becomes a "challenge to conventional pop listening" for a listener, and the subject matter of the lyrics can be a challenge to endure for many, but it's not particularly avant-garde. Xiu Xiu aren't the standard for experimentation. I think I sounded too pretentious saying "I hope I'm not underestimating listeners." That's stupid. It's not like it's hard to "get" them. It's just a question of whether you'll want to sit through depressing dirges decimated by ugly electronics; on whether you'll find that a rewarding experience or not.

And as I've mentioned, I find it very, very comforting and rewarding, even if it feels disturbingly vulnerable and so fucking close to home.

I really enjoy their cover of Ceremony, sound-wise. Are their first two albums sort of like that? Also, I'm thinking of getting Knife Play next.

I haven't heard it yet, but from what I gather, it's about eating disorders, which is fitting considering how many sexual abuse survivors deal with control issues, which often manifest in anorexia/bulimia, which will be yet another opened wound. I still can't make it through the video yet.

Woah, I never thought about it that way. There are certianly a lot of elements of greed, hunger, and overindulgence in the songs, but I never linked them to eating disorders really. On a more metaphorical basis I can relate to some of what the album is saying, but at the same time, a lot of it is pain and abuse beyond anything I have personally experienced. I think that's one aspect of the album that I tend to ignore, the extremities, I try and keep myself from getting too absorbed by the meaning behind it. It's as if I don't want to shoulder someone else's vulnerability...I don't know, I'm weird.

Also, have you seen the CD booklet pictures? They're these grotesque trans-multi?-sexual sorts of drawings. Fitting for Xiu Xiu, but a bit puzzling.

[Cuddleworthy]

One of my favorite Xiu Xiu tracks (which feels weird saying, given I've only recently given them time since initially running away from them years ago) is Hello from Eau Claire. I wish she'd written more lyrics too.

Have you caught the two albums with Larsen? I think I'll pick them up this weekend.

yeah, hello from eau claire is one of my favorites off air force. i haven't heard the larson collabos, but i was a bit disappointed with the grouper collabo considering how much i love both bands. the last track on that is 20 minutes of silence, hah

[kearn1tm]

I really enjoy their cover of Ceremony, sound-wise. Are their first two albums sort of like that? Also, I'm thinking of getting Knife Play next.



Woah, I never thought about it that way. There are certianly a lot of elements of greed, hunger, and overindulgence in the songs, but I never linked them to eating disorders really. On a more metaphorical basis I can relate to some of what the album is saying, but at the same time, a lot of it is pain and abuse beyond anything I have personally experienced. I think that's one aspect of the album that I tend to ignore, the extremities, I try and keep myself from getting too absorbed by the meaning behind it. It's as if I don't want to shoulder someone else's vulnerability...I don't know, I'm weird.

I hope you're not getting the "my pain is bigger than your pain" impression from my posts. That's not what I'm aiming for, rather just a little insight (that's oddly cathartic for me to express to complete strangers) as to why I'm captivated by Xiu Xiu (well, part of it anyway). "I can relate to some of what the album is saying, but at the same time, a lot of it is pain and abuse beyond anything I have personally experienced." Analyzing art for what may be perceived as the artists' intent is one perspective/lense, but not the only one. The visceral response it engenders and how you analyze it through an intrapersonal perspective is yet another very crucial way of artistic critique, processing and judging.

It doesn't matter if your experiences aren't as "extreme." I mean, what is extreme? Do you have different experiences that Jamie Stewart? Yeah. Do some of the feelings that arose from his own feel relatable? Of course. That's all that matters. You found something in the music that you could latch on to, no matter what level of connectivity you have or how your life mirrors the artist. You mention that you ignore the "extremities" of the lyrics, but maybe that isn't what's happening. Maybe what's supposed to be "extreme" just translates differently while you're processing what you're hearing, and that's in no way more or less valid than anything I think of the work or Cuddlecabana or a music critic. I mean, who goes into a piece of music deliberately trying to ignore things? I think that would be immensely difficult. You'd have to hear the art first to know of the elements that you want to overlook, which would mean you've processed them at least once.

That's a longwinded way of saying there's nothing wrong with/nor do I think you're ignoring anything about this band.

As for Knife Party, personally, I'd only get it after A Promise. Then again, I think A Promise was the pinnacle of Stewart's songwriting. Knife Party would be a close second though.

Also, have you seen the CD booklet pictures? They're these grotesque trans-multi?-sexual sorts of drawings. Fitting for Xiu Xiu, but a bit puzzling.

Yep. I own Knife Party, A Promise, Fabulous Muscles and Air Force. The art is yet another part of the mystique.

yeah, hello from eau claire is one of my favorites off air force. i haven't heard the larson collabos, but i was a bit disappointed with the grouper collabo considering how much i love both bands. the last track on that is 20 minutes of silence, hah

I didn't even know they worked with her. Cool, though a 20 minute track of silence is really indulgent unless there's some cool surprise at the end.

[Cuddleworthy]

"art," dude, art.

[IntoTheSun]

It's "modern art."

Does Cuddlebanana have a real name? Well, do you?

[IntoTheSun]

I hope you're not getting the "my pain is bigger than your pain" impression from my posts. That's not what I'm aiming for, rather just a little insight (that's oddly cathartic for me to express to complete strangers) as to why I'm captivated by Xiu Xiu (well, part of it anyway).

No, not at all. It's actually helped provide more insight into what the band is singing about. And certainly I don't think Cuddles or I are complete strangers, even though I know basically nothing about your personal life. It was cool of you to share haha.

"I can relate to some of what the album is saying, but at the same time, a lot of it is pain and abuse beyond anything I have personally experienced." Analyzing art for what may be perceived as the artists' intent is one perspective/lense, but not the only one. The visceral response it engenders and how you analyze it through an intrapersonal perspective is yet another very crucial way of artistic critique, processing and judging.

It doesn't matter if your experiences aren't as "extreme." I mean, what is extreme? Do you have different experiences that Jamie Stewart? Yeah. Do some of the feelings that arose from his own feel relatable? Of course. That's all that matters. You found something in the music that you could latch on to, no matter what level of connectivity you have or how your life mirrors the artist. You mention that you ignore the "extremities" of the lyrics, but maybe that isn't what's happening. Maybe what's supposed to be "extreme" just translates differently while you're processing what you're hearing, and that's in no way more or less valid than anything I think of the work or Cuddlecabana or a music critic. I mean, who goes into a piece of music deliberately trying to ignore things? I think that would be immensely difficult. You'd have to hear the art first to know of the elements that you want to overlook, which would mean you've processed them at least once.

That's a longwinded way of saying there's nothing wrong with/nor do I think you're ignoring anything about this band.

I suppose you're right.

[El_Jeffe]

This is the first time I've checked these guys out in a proper manner. There's so much to take in, not even close to being able to digest this & form any sort of opinion as yet. Parts of some tracks kind of freaked me out a little haha. I'm really not sure what to think, but I'll give it some more time.

[IntoTheSun]

This is the first time I've checked these guys out in a proper manner. There's so much to take in, not even close to being able to digest this & form any sort of opinion as yet. Parts of some tracks kind of freaked me out a little haha. I'm really not sure what to think, but I'll give it some more time.

Which album are you listening to? Yeah, give it some time.

[El_Jeffe]

I listened too all the youtubes on the front page & started listening to A Promise, but I found it all a bit much & found I wasn't really taking it in. So I'll give it another go when I'm more "in the mood". I'm not opposed to giving things a lot of time to sink in, many of my favourite artists took a whole heap of time to truly "click".

[Cuddleworthy]

It's "modern art."

Does Cuddlebanana have a real name? Well, do you?

no name = mysterious = desirable

[IntoTheSun]

no name = mysterious = desirable

Well, I still wouldn't fuck a bear either way.

[Cuddleworthy]

brian has called me by name here before. you just need to improve your lurking skills

[kearn1tm]

No, not at all. It's actually helped provide more insight into what the band is singing about. And certainly I don't think Cuddles or I are complete strangers, even though I know basically nothing about your personal life. It was cool of you to share haha.

Which one are you again?

[kearn1tm]

"art," dude, art.

Safety quotation marks!

Brooklyn Dodgers sounds worlds different from the acoustic version on *** Patrol and A Promise, but I like how that seemingly unexpected inflection in his voice while Stewart wails "hold your head up high" carries through both of them.

[IntoTheSun]

Which one are you again?

I'm that one Asian girl you knew from whenever. The one that's less nerdy than those other two.

Sort of random thoughts about Xiu Xiu: About why they can seem overwhelming to some people, they take everything they do to the nth degree. And I like that.

[kearn1tm]

I'm that one Asian girl you knew from whenever. The one that's less nerdy than those other two.

Sort of random thoughts about Xiu Xiu: About why they can seem overwhelming to some people, they take everything they do to the nth degree. And I like that.

I don't know. It's all about context. What are they taking to the "nth degree?" They're not necessarily extremists. The sounds fit the themes and vise versa. It isn't an attempt to be as unnerving and boundary-pushing and subversive as possible. If so,they'd have failed. I don't know if I follow that one.

[IntoTheSun]

I don't know. It's all about context. What are they taking to the "nth degree?" They're not necessarily extremists. The sounds fit the themes and vise versa. It isn't an attempt to be as unnerving and boundary-pushing and subversive as possible. If so,they'd have failed. I don't know if I follow that one.
I know you're sort of against that idea, but I mean it in the way they present their music. No, they aren't necessarily trying to "push boundaries", but the way everything Jamie sings is overflowing with passion and the way the guitars become screechy and cacophonous, it gives me a feeling like they're putting every possible ounce of energy into their music. Like I said before, that is what I like the most about them. There isn't a hint of apathy towards the listener.

[kearn1tm]

I know you're sort of against that idea, but I mean it in the way they present their music. No, they aren't necessarily trying to "push boundaries", but the way everything Jamie sings is overflowing with passion and the way the guitars become screechy and cacophonous, it gives me a feeling like they're putting every possible ounce of energy into their music. Like I said before, that is what I like the most about them. There isn't a hint of apathy towards the listener.

You should listen to this album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedicated_To_Peter_K%C3%BCrten

[IntoTheSun]

You should listen to this album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedicated_To_Peter_K%C3%BCrten

Why is that?

[kearn1tm]

Why is that?

You'll know if you listen to it.

[IntoTheSun]

You'll know if you listen to it.

I don't doubt you, but it looks a little scary, to be honest.

[kearn1tm]

I don't doubt you, but it looks a little scary, to be honest.

This is part of the point.

[IntoTheSun]

This is part of the point.

Your point to prove Xiu Xiu isn't "extreme"? I recognize that.

[briewer]

It's "modern art."

Does Cuddlebanana have a real name? Well, do you?
I'll give you a hint: it begins with an "r" and ends with a "k".
I'll give you another hint: there's no fucking way you're going to guess it.

[IntoTheSun]

I'll give you a hint: it begins with an "r" and ends with a "k".
I'll give you another hint: there's no fucking way you're going to guess it.

Haha nice one, lurker. That's his actual name, are you serious? Radekkkkkk?

Or is he Rick? No, that's too weird.

[Cuddleworthy]

Haha nice one, lurker. That's his actual name, are you serious? Radekkkkkk?

yes, there are six k's in my name. that's definitely it.

[Rawrr]

I thought that there were seven k's in Radekkkkkkk?

[Rawrr]

Why does every thread on the music forum for an ok band, have a conversation unrelated to the band by the same four-five people?

[Cuddleworthy]

I thought that there were seven k's in Radekkkkkkk?

you thought right!

[kearn1tm]

Why does every thread on the music forum for an ok band, have a conversation unrelated to the band by the same four-five people?

It's only unrelated if you have poor reading comprehension. Don't be one of those people! Fight the Man and shit.

[IntoTheSun]

yes, there are six k's in my name. that's definitely it.

:-) Radek, I think we need to go back to the original topic of conversation of this ok band before we derail it completely!

[IntoTheSun]

It's only unrelated if you have poor reading comprehension. Don't be one of those people!

Honestly though, guilty as charged. But we had a ridiculous amount of good conversation in here before, it was a short break. I just hope Craig doesn't come in here again and think we've killed this thread.

[Cuddleworthy]

Why does every thread on the music forum for an ok band, have a conversation unrelated to the band by the same four-five people?

OK bands aren't interesting enough to keep conversation relevant

[kearn1tm]

Honestly though, guilty as charged. But we had a ridiculous amount of good conversation in here before, it was a short break. I just hope Craig doesn't come in here again and think we've killed this thread.

Wait, if he's talking about you douches and your "what's my name, Snoop Dogg" exchange, then yes, you people suck and should be perpetually on fire, like you're an old Norwegian Church and I'm Ghaal.

Who cares, really? That kid wasn't even contributing to this thread anyway.

[IntoTheSun]

Wait, if he's talking about you douches and your "what's my name, Snoop Dogg" exchange, then yes, you people suck and should be perpetually on fire, like you're an old Norwegian Church and I'm Ghaal.

Ah ahahhahaa...how do you even come up with these things?

Who cares, really? That kid wasn't even contributing to this thread anyway.

If only humor grew on trees.

[kearn1tm]

Ah ahahhahaa...how do you even come up with these things?


http://www.vbs.tv/watch/music-world/true-norwegian-black-metal

[Rawrr]

i care 2 much. :-(

[Cuddleworthy]

dear god i ate myself

[IntoTheSun]

"Cannibalism!" she cries.

[Cuddleworthy]

WhenTheSunHits

[briewer]

WhenTheSunHits
I finally updated my Last.fm profile. Only 29681 plays, Radek? Are you sure you know what music is?

[kearn1tm]

I finally updated my Last.fm profile. Only 29681 plays, Radek? Are you sure you know what music is?
He loves boring music!

[briewer]

He loves boring music!
Pictured: boring music.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_u_em1Zju8aU/S4R89RHdkUI/AAAAAAAABAU/3ovyPA9RP7w/s800/Picture%203.png

[IntoTheSun]

"Sweetness!" says the girl with [only] 17000 plays.

[kearn1tm]

Pictured: boring music.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_u_em1Zju8aU/S4R89RHdkUI/AAAAAAAABAU/3ovyPA9RP7w/s800/Picture%203.png

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3999/lastfm0210.jpg

Fuck yeah, Hipster!

[briewer]

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3999/lastfm0210.jpg

Fuck yeah, Hipster!
I listen to way more Devendra Banhart than I would have guessed.

[kearn1tm]

I listen to way more Devendra Banhart than I would have guessed.

I did that with Elliott Smith. Word.

[Cuddleworthy]

I finally updated my Last.fm profile. Only 29681 plays, Radek? Are you sure you know what music is?

hey i reset my charts a year ago, alright?! way too much no age, btw

[briewer]

hey i reset my charts a year ago, alright?! way too much no age, btw
I know, I KNOW. That's pretty much the only thing I'm embarrassed by, everything else is pretty straight up.

[Cuddleworthy]

is spoon actually good? some of my friends like them and i've heard good things and seen good reviews but idk their name is kinda lame should i check it out btw im really drunk

[IntoTheSun]

Yeah, spooning is pretty good, or something.

[IntoTheSun]

Oh yeah, being sort of on topic here, I might land a summer internship here in the bay area. Xiu Xiu's record label apparently. So that's pretty cool. Apparently Jamie Stewart has visited on occasion...

[kearn1tm]

is spoon actually good? some of my friends like them and i've heard good things and seen good reviews but idk their name is kinda lame should i check it out btw im really drunk

If you like cock-'n-balls, swaggering and catchy Rock, then yes.

Oh yeah, being sort of on topic here, I might land a summer internship here in the bay area. Xiu Xiu's record label apparently. So that's pretty cool. Apparently Jamie Stewart has visited on occasion...

That's awesome. Congrats.

[IntoTheSun]

That's awesome. Congrats.

Thanks :-d I just realized I sounded really apathetic there, but I'm actually beyond stoked. It will be my first encounter with anything in the independent music industry.

[Cuddleworthy]

you should let jamie swipe your v-card

[IntoTheSun]

h8 u, Cuddlewhore.

[briewer]

you should let jamie swipe your v-card
Seconded.

[Cuddleworthy]

h8 u, Cuddlewhore.

hate you so hard

[IntoTheSun]

i love you.
I knew it.

[Cuddleworthy]

i betcha did

[IntoTheSun]

i betcha did

Muhaha. I win.

[Cuddleworthy]

:yuk:

[kearn1tm]

You respect yourself, grrl...oh you get a dinner out of it, grrl! Or you get a beverage of some kind out of it, grrl!

[Cuddleworthy]

Riot grrrl

[kearn1tm]

Riot grrrl

I've worn the same pair of pants for six days.

[Cuddleworthy]

I've worn the same pair of pants for six days.

i've worn the same pair of pants for over 20 days before

[IntoTheSun]

This thread is full of hipsters and lies!

[IntoTheSun]

Also,
i've worn the same pair of pants for over 20 days before

^
:yuk:

[Cuddleworthy]

it's called raw denim, bro. get with it

[IntoTheSun]

Is it Phil Elverum approved?

[Cuddleworthy]

i doubt he's that into fashion

[IntoTheSun]

I feel like some of the more electronic-y and sparse arrangements for certain songs off the new album, like Apple for a Brain, are a bit lacking and weak compared to the other songs. Any thoughts?

[blebbio]

Yeah, I agree.

[IntoTheSun]

Mmm, Hello from Eau Claire.

[IntoTheSun]

Jesus, Wig Master is fucking incredible.

[IntoTheSun]

You're like a parrot, something that belongs to me and not to you
Loneliness isn't being alone, it's when someone loves you
and you don't have it in you to love them back

Sigh. Where is everyone?

[Cuddleworthy]

high watching 21 grams

[Cuddleworthy]

hello from eau claire was the first track i liked off air force then the rest of the album grew on me while that one im kind of meh about now

[IntoTheSun]

Radek! :hug:

Okay now, goodnight.

[Cuddleworthy]

awww!

[IntoTheSun]

The Air Force is my favorite Xiu Xiu full length so far. I still need the get A Promise and Knife Play. Chapel of the Chimes EP is great, too.

[El_Jeffe]

I did revisit these guys a few times to see if they would grow on me. But I think I can now say they're just too much for me haha.

[IntoTheSun]

Just curious, of course, but what about them is too much?

[troubledsleep]

They are coming over to the UK in june again! So good. Check out former ghosts too, if it hasn't been talked about in this thread already

[ohmessylife]

I literally hated this band the first time I heard them, but as the years have passed they have gradually become one of my favorites.

[IntoTheSun]

Music video for This Too Shall Pass Away (http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/4154-xiu-xiu-this-too-shall-pass-away-for-freddy-kill-rock-stars).

[Cuddleworthy]

saturday is gonna be great because i'm seeing xiu xiu on saturday

[IntoTheSun]

Sweet. Make sure to post the deets.

[doritoz]

I like their songs, but sometimes they can be too much. I love the song Fabulous Muscles, but it's kind of unconfortable to hear him sing about sucking dick.

[kearn1tm]

I like their songs, but sometimes they can be too much. I love the song Fabulous Muscles, but it's kind of unconfortable to hear him sing about sucking dick.

Why is it uncomfortable to hear about a guy performing oral sex?

[Cuddleworthy]

Why is it uncomfortable to hear about a guy performing oral sex?

he's a fucking homophone clearly let's e-lynch that fucker

[Wake Up]

he's a fucking homophone clearly let's e-lynch that fucker

this thread is just soooooooooooo gay now.

[IntoTheSun]

Why is it uncomfortable to hear about a guy performing oral sex?

Maybe he meant any sexually explicit song lyrics. Maybe. But I'm not him.

this thread is just soooooooooooo gay now.

This thread is just so "now"...like current...like TRENDY?!

[IntoTheSun]

Hey everyone, the Xiu is now trendy. Stop listening to them.

[kearn1tm]

he's a fucking homophone clearly let's e-lynch that fucker

I'm so ready for this!

Maybe he meant any sexually explicit song lyrics. Maybe. But I'm not him.

Why would that be disturbing?

[Wake Up]

This thread is just so "now"...like current...like TRENDY?!

Hey everyone, the Xiu is now trendy. Stop listening to them.

deleting them from my HD now...

[kearn1tm]

Hey everyone, the Xiu is now trendy. Stop listening to them.

Andrea can say this because she's liked them since early 2010! She was in before the hype!

[IntoTheSun]

Why would that be disturbing?

Uh, no idea. Some people could be uncomfortable with that stuff? No sarcasm meant, I swear. I mean, it's certainly no Story of the Eye, but people are different. Yeah.

deleting them from my HD now...

John Mayer's a douche.

Andrea can say this because she's liked them since early 2010! She was in before the hype!

I was only 12 back then. You gotta give me some credit, love.

[Wake Up]

John Mayer's a douche.


HE COULD WRITE A BETTER SONG ABOUT HOMOSEXUAL ORAL SEX THAN JAMIE ANY DAY!!!!

[kearn1tm]

Story of the Eye, but people are different. Yeah.

Look at this name-dropper. I bet the boys love Bataille.

I was only 12 back then. You gotta give me some credit, love.

I'll give you the talk when you're ready.

[Cuddleworthy]

Andrea can say this because she's liked them since early 2010! She was in before the hype!


I'll give you the talk when you're ready.

lol'd at these. lol'd good

http://aintnounionshop.files.wordpress.com /2008/10/stella_artois.jpg

[kearn1tm]

lol'd at these. lol'd good

http://aintnounionshop.files.wordpress.com /2008/10/stella_artois.jpg

That looks like liquor and I don't drink!

[IntoTheSun]

Wait, but...
08:38 PM on 02/17/10
Now that the new album leaked, I've been trying to give them another go. I mean, I like Whitehouse, I like The Smiths and I like Joy Division. It's been a month.

[ruffian]

so you just heard them for the very first time after never listening to them before around the month of january in the year 2010 for your very first time listening to the band xiu xiu?

sdkfjdlksfjd

[IntoTheSun]

so just heard them for the very first time after never listening to them before around the month of january in the year 2010 for your very first time listening to the band xiu xiu?

sdkfjdlksfjd

I'm pretty sure he said "liked" not "first listen," but okay. Or I could be completely lacking reading comprehension.

[kearn1tm]

Wait, but...

Yeah, but I'm not the guy being all "trendy now" when they've been trendy forever.

You're welcome.

[kearn1tm]

so you just heard them for the very first time after never listening to them before around the month of january in the year 2010 for your very first time listening to the band xiu xiu?

sdkfjdlksfjd

Friends liked them a lot when Fabulous Muscles was released (04 or 05), but I wasn't ready to hear that, given how close to home it hit. The rest is explained above. WORDS ARE FUN TO READ!

[kearn1tm]

Andrea is the new theguy77?

[IntoTheSun]

Yeah, but I'm not the guy being all "trendy now" when they've been trendy forever.

You're welcome.

Now what I stated in a silly, stupid joke is being used as a comeback. Cool!

I love the internet.

[briewer]

According to Vinh.

[ruffian]

hey loosen up

[IntoTheSun]

Andrea is the new theguy77?

Hahahaha...I was about to say something along the lines of "you are treating me like you do Ryan." Except maybe worded less awkwardly.

[kearn1tm]

Now what I stated in a silly, stupid joke is being used as a comeback. Cool!

I love the internet.

Andrea hates when people fuck with her. She's all about seriousness. It says it on her resume.

[kearn1tm]

Hahahaha...I was about to say something along the lines of "you are treating me like you do Ryan." Except maybe worded less awkwardly.

Only I actually enjoy talking to you when you're not whining and being all "why are you so mean to me?!" I legitimately find Ryan pretentious.

[kearn1tm]

According to Vinh.

According to Vinh what? Why are you so obtuse! I AM DOOM!

hey loosen up

Leave my thread! I dictate the terms here.

[briewer]

Only I actually enjoy talking to you when you're not whining and being all "why are you so mean to me?!" I legitimately find Ryan pretentious.
Well yeah, because Ryan is legitimately pretentious.

[kearn1tm]

Well yeah, because Ryan is legitimately pretentious.

Did you know he's in a band?

[IntoTheSun]

Andrea hates when people fuck with her. She's all about seriousness. It says it on her resume.

Mhm. That's why I talk to you. You are always so serious.

Only I actually enjoy talking to you when you're not whining and being all "why are you so mean to me?!" I legitimately find Ryan pretentious.

Look at you there, being srsz.

[kearn1tm]

Mhm. That's why I talk to you. You are always so serious.



Look at you there, being srsz.

She can say this because I peer edited her resume. Under hobbies, it says "none. Hobbies are distractions from productivity."

[briewer]

Did you know he's in a band?
Radiohead, right?

[kearn1tm]

There's so many posts in here. Xiu Xiu's too popular now! I can decide this. I'M THE DECIDER!

[IntoTheSun]

Radiohead, right?
Ow, my stomach.

[kearn1tm]

Radiohead, right?

No. That's his side-project when he's taking a reprieve from his band. You may not know of them. They're called the Flaming Lips. I didn't know about them either until Ryan brought up how brilliant they (he) are (is).

[IntoTheSun]

Brian doesn't like this. Brian likes chillwave.

[briewer]

No. That's his side-project when he's taking a reprieve from his band. You may not know of them. They're called the Flaming Lips. I didn't know about them either until Ryan brought up how brilliant they (he) are (is).
What is a flaming lip? Lips aren't flammable, that name doesn't make any sense. And radiohead? Is some's head a radio, or is someone's radio a head? These names need a do over.

[kearn1tm]

Brian doesn't like this. Brian likes chillwave.

How trendy is it, Andrea? You're my gauge for cool stuff. While we're on the subject, what's the deal with Pitchfork...and airplane food, amirite? Andrea, is airplane food still obscure?

[briewer]

Brian doesn't like this. Brian likes chillwave.
BRIAN LIKES THE THINGS THAT BRIAN LIKES, AND IF BRIAN LIKES THIS, THAN GODDAMNIT, BRIAN LIKES THIS.

x

[IntoTheSun]

What is a flaming lip? Lips aren't flammable, that name doesn't make any sense. And radiohead? Is some's head a radio, or is someone's radio a head? These names need a do over.

They don't need to make sense. Haven't you ever heard of sounding cool? Oh right. You know all about that.

Except Ryan is pretentious and not cool. This is a problem.

[briewer]

How trendy is it, Andrea? You're my gauge for cool stuff. While we're on the subject, what's the deal with Pitchfork...and airplane food, amirite? Andrea, is airplane food still obscure?
Salted peanuts are totally hipsterrunoffcore.

[kearn1tm]

What is a flaming lip? Lips aren't flammable, that name doesn't make any sense. And radiohead? Is some's head a radio, or is someone's radio a head? These names need a do over.

They're only the most brilliant [$10 words to sound smart/deep/knowledgeable] ever and forever and also now. Duh.

[briewer]

They don't need to make sense. Haven't you ever heard of sounding cool? Oh right. You know all about that.

Except Ryan is pretentious and not cool. This is a problem.
How can you go into the sun? It's a flaming ball of ultra-hot gas. Maybe that how you get a flaming lip? This name doesn't make any sense. It needs a do over.

[kearn1tm]

How can you go into the sun? It's a flaming ball of ultra-hot gas. Maybe that how you get a flaming lip? This name doesn't make any sense. It needs a do over.
None of that is in her resume. I know. It's all business. It's succinct and straightforward. She's an ambitious gal.

[IntoTheSun]

How trendy is it, Andrea? You're my gauge for cool stuff. While we're on the subject, what's the deal with Pitchfork...and airplane food, amirite? Andrea, is airplane food still obscure?

BRIAN LIKES THE THINGS THAT BRIAN LIKES, AND IF BRIAN LIKES THIS, THAN GODDAMNIT, BRIAN LIKES THIS.

x

Wow. Hipsters making fun of hipsters with pitchfork jokes. The possibilities are endless, guys.

[briewer]

They're only the most brilliant [$10 words to sound smart/deep/knowledgeable] ever and forever and also now. Duh.
You don't need to tell me these things, I wear skinny jeans, I already get it.

[briewer]

Wow. Hipsters making fun of hipsters with pitchfork jokes. The possibilities are endless, guys.
Who's making fun of whom?

[kearn1tm]

Wow. Hipsters making fun of hipsters with pitchfork jokes. The possibilities are endless, guys.

Andrea, what's a hipster? Andrea decides who is and isn't a hipster when she's not deciding when it's too cool to like Xiu Xiu. It's the one hobby she'll admit to. This will lead her to a life of setting fire to medium-sized animals.

[briewer]

Andrea, what's a hipster? Andrea decides who is and isn't a hipster when she's not deciding when it's too cool to like Xiu Xiu. It's the one hobby she'll admit to. This will lead her to a life of setting fire to medium-sized animals.
What careers are there where putting that I am a hipster on my resume will give me a leg up on the competition?

[IntoTheSun]

Andrea, what's a hipster? Andrea decides who is and isn't a hipster when she's not deciding when it's too cool to like Xiu Xiu. It's the one hobby she'll admit to. This will lead her to a life of setting fire to medium-sized animals.

Yeah, and I can also decide who I do and do not like. And all I can think of at the moment is "fuck you, Brian." Let's keep the responses PG.

[kearn1tm]

Yeah, and I can also decide who I do and do not like. And all I can think of at the moment is "fuck you, Brian." Let's keep the responses PG.

I'm always for the "fuck you, Brian" sentiment.

[kearn1tm]

What careers are there where putting that I am a hipster on my resume will give me a leg up on the competition?

Porn. Barista. American Apparel floor associate. Porn.

[briewer]

Yeah, and I can also decide who I do and do not like. And all I can think of at the moment is "fuck you, Brian." Let's keep the responses PG.
When did I get non-PG?

I'm always for the "fuck you, Brian" sentiment.
Duh.

[briewer]

Porn. Barista. American Apparel floor associate. Porn.
I have a limitless future ahead of me.

[IntoTheSun]

When did I get non-PG?

When porn came into the picture. In conclusion, Xiu Xiu turns people into gay porn stars. Which is, of course, what Fabulous Muscles is about.

This thread just went in a full circle.

[Cuddleworthy]

what the fuck

[Cuddleworthy]

control yourself people

[briewer]

When porn came into the picture. In conclusion, Xiu Xiu turns people into gay porn stars. Which is, of course, what Fabulous Muscles is about.

This thread just went in a full circle.
When did I get non-PG?

[doritoz]

Why is it uncomfortable to hear about a guy performing oral sex?
Well, it is kind of weird singing "cremate me after you cum on my lips" and the part about his deformed penis. It ain't necessarily the "gay thing" it's more about the crudeness of the way he says it. I would probably still find it weird if he sang " I'm going to penetrate your vagina".:shrug:

[kearn1tm]

Well, it is kind of weird singing "cremate me after you cum on my lips" and the part about his deformed penis. It ain't necessarily the "gay thing" it's more about the crudeness of the way he says it. I would probably still find it weird if he sang " I'm going to penetrate your vagina".:shrug:

I understand that completely. The lyrics are far from subtle and the imagery is, you know, crass and transgressive. It serves its purpose, but I can definitely see how that would be a turn-on. Sorry to get preemptively defensive.

[Cuddleworthy]

srs post is srs

[briewer]

srs post is srs
what the fuck
control yourself people

xx

[IntoTheSun]

Honey boy, place my ashes in a vase, beneath your workout bench...

I can definitely see how that would be a turn-on.

haha

[IntoTheSun]

^Those two things in the post were unrelated, by the way.

Also, The Fabrizio Palumbo Retaliation is absolutely terrifying.

[kearn1tm]

^Those two things in the post were related, by the way.

It's gotta go somewhere. No judgments.

[IntoTheSun]

It's gotta go somewhere. No judgments.

Hahaha, sure.

That song has grown a lot on me since I first listened to it. It was first curiousity mixed with repulsion, and after those multiple listens I finally understand and appreciate the lyrics now.

Edit: Also, gotta love Ryan's new thread. I think he's onto something quite novel.

[kearn1tm]

Hahaha, sure.

That song has grown a lot on me since I first listened to it. It was first curiousity mixed with repulsion, and after those multiple listens I finally understand and appreciate the lyrics now.

Edit: Also, gotta love Ryan's new thread. I think he's onto something quite novel.

The thing about Stewart's lyrics is how refreshingly unrepulsive they are, but then, revulsion is relative. Someone who's taken so many socially tabooed conceptions of identity, sexuality and victimization/survivor/existence and candidly displayed it for an audience is so refreshingly un-repulsive. It draws me to it. It's warming and welcoming and un-perverts what we're told is perverse. It's great.

[IntoTheSun]

The thing about Stewart's lyrics is how refreshingly unrepulsive they are, but then, revulsion is relative. Someone who's taken so many socially tabooed conceptions of identity, sexuality and victimization/survivor/existence and candidly displayed it for an audience is so refreshingly un-repulsive. It draws me to it. It's warming and welcoming and un-perverts what we're told is perverse. It's great.

I'm not even sure if repulsion was the right word haha. I think it was more of confusion, and that lack of knowledge made me slightly fearful of it. Like I've said before, I have trouble describing why I feel deeply affected by Xiu Xiu, even if I can't relate first hand to a lot of it. For me, it's kind of like discovering and learning to understand an less familiar dimension of the human experience and how it affect people's lives. And I agree with what you said about the candid display of societal taboos, I like that they cover those topics many bands don't cover. Sort of going off on a personal tangent you might not care for, we just finished watching this movie called Sybil in our psych class recently. I'm not sure if you're familiar with the movie. It's about a girl who develops multi personality disorder in her adult life because of severe sexual, psychological, and physical abuse her mother inflicted on her as a child. But yeah, that movie definitely opened my eyes to these things, and xiu has a similar effect.

& plus, my ears just absolutely love cacophonous and clashing harsh elements mixed in with pop melodies.

[IntoTheSun]

Incredible concert tonight. Before it, Angela Seo was there and she sold me a t-shirt. And then Jamie Stewart came by to chat with her and he was only 5 feet away...

[ohmessylife]

gah...Angela Seo...swoon

[IntoTheSun]

Yeah, she was very pretty. And the concert was super intense, especially their rendition 'Fabulous Muscles' with added shrieks and everything. I think I would have preferred a hushed acoustic version, but it was still good.

[ohmessylife]

Yeah, she was very pretty. And the concert was super intense, especially their rendition 'Fabulous Muscles' with added shrieks and everything. I think I would have preferred a hushed acoustic version, but it was still good.


Hmm, I wonder if it will be similar when I see them. I am literally counting the days (15)!

[kearn1tm]

Incredible concert tonight. Before it, Angela Seo was there and she sold me a t-shirt. And then Jamie Stewart came by to chat with her and he was only 5 feet away...

Sounds awesome. I'm seeing them in a week and I can't wait. Was it a small show? Details, girl!

[ohmessylife]

Sounds awesome. I'm seeing them in a week and I can't wait. Was it a small show? Details, girl!

I know Andrea mentioned it to you, but i'm interviewing Jamie in October and would love to hear your thoughts/input on some potential questions.

[IntoTheSun]

Sounds awesome. I'm seeing them in a week and I can't wait. Was it a small show? Details, girl!

Ugh, finally I could reply to you. Stupid Bing and Ok Go hacking shit.

Haha anyway, it was a small venue, and I liked it that way. There was probably about 150+ people there to my estimate. It was my first real NYC show, and thank god there were no snooty hipster type people there like I half-expected. It was a surreal environment just seeing the various band members chilling with people before the show. As for the show itself, I think Jamie Stewart must've burned a hole in my stomach once he started on this song from Knife Play I can't remember the name of. He played about 5 songs off the new album, and then one or two songs from all the other albums. My favorite of the night was probably 'Crank Heart.' I don't know how he did it but within the first minute of playing, Jamie was already sweating like mad haha, and I think after seeing them live no one can doubt they're anything but wholeheartedly passionate about their music. The energy sustained through the entire night was incredible. Also the concert was a bit of ear torture, just because of the extremely grating textures of most their music, but in a good way, of course.

[kearn1tm]

I know Andrea mentioned it to you, but i'm interviewing Jamie in October and would love to hear your thoughts/input on some potential questions.

She did. I'm...kinda kinda getting my shit together class-wise, but I'll shoot a few questions soon. Thanks man.

Ugh, finally I could reply to you. Stupid Bing and Ok Go hacking shit.

Haha anyway, it was a small venue, and I liked it that way. There was probably about 150+ people there to my estimate. It was my first real NYC show, and thank god there were no snooty hipster type people there like I half-expected. It was a surreal environment just seeing the various band members chilling with people before the show. As for the show itself, I think Jamie Stewart must've burned a hole in my stomach once he started on this song from Knife Play I can't remember the name of. He played about 5 songs off the new album, and then one or two songs from all the other albums. My favorite of the night was probably 'Crank Heart.' I don't know how he did it but within the first minute of playing, Jamie was already sweating like mad haha, and I think after seeing them live no one can doubt they're anything but wholeheartedly passionate about their music. The energy sustained through the entire night was incredible. Also the concert was a bit of ear torture, just because of the extremely grating textures of most their music, but in a good way, of course.

That sounds really cool. I can imagine hearing it live could be a bit harsh for the ears, but damn, does it sound worth it. I can't wait.

[drcroc2]

Ugh, finally I could reply to you. Stupid Bing and Ok Go hacking shit.

Haha anyway, it was a small venue, and I liked it that way. There was probably about 150+ people there to my estimate. It was my first real NYC show, and thank god there were no snooty hipster type people there like I half-expected. It was a surreal environment just seeing the various band members chilling with people before the show. As for the show itself, I think Jamie Stewart must've burned a hole in my stomach once he started on this song from Knife Play I can't remember the name of. He played about 5 songs off the new album, and then one or two songs from all the other albums. My favorite of the night was probably 'Crank Heart.' I don't know how he did it but within the first minute of playing, Jamie was already sweating like mad haha, and I think after seeing them live no one can doubt they're anything but wholeheartedly passionate about their music. The energy sustained through the entire night was incredible. Also the concert was a bit of ear torture, just because of the extremely grating textures of most their music, but in a good way, of course.

I was considering going to this show, at LPR right? How was Merzbow? Did he play I Luv the Valley (Oh)? Hope you had a great time...

[IntoTheSun]

I was considering going to this show, at LPR right? How was Merzbow? Did he play I Luv the Valley (Oh)? Hope you had a great time...

Haha, yep, it was at Le Poisson Rouge. I actually didn't get to see Merzbow because when Xiu ended it was already past 10, my legs were killing me, and I didn't want to stand there for another 40 minutes of set up with no one to talk to. He didn't play I Luv the Valley (Oh), unfortunately. But yes, I did have a great time, thanks!

[Cuddleworthy]

crank heart? fffffffuuuuuuuu I HATE WORKING WEEKENDS

at least i got valley when i saw them, and you didn't! na na nanana

[IntoTheSun]

you fucccckkkkk like a racehorse, it's your wedding day, your wedding day say: yeahhhhhhh

[drcroc2]

would anyone listen if I made a xiu xiu cover?

cause i'm making one now... hehe

[ohmessylife]

Which song?

[drcroc2]

i luv the valley (oh)

[ohmessylife]

Should have known..........would listen.

[drcroc2]

i should finish up in the next few days and then will post!

[IntoTheSun]

Yeah, do do that.

[ohmessylife]

Yeah, do do that.
doodoo lolllll

[IntoTheSun]

doodoo lolllll

I can't even be mad :-)

[drcroc2]

hope it doesnt suk

[drcroc2]

i made this yesterday and today for xiu xiu fans

LRXkD5ox-Q0

download here:http://drcroc.blogspot.com/2010/10/download-youtube.html

[Cuddleworthy]

what the fuck is that shit