- This article is for the California-based rock band. For information on the film, see The Sent Down Girl.
Xiu Xiu (pronounced
shoe-shoe or
show-show) is an experimental indie band originally from and currently based in San Francisco, California, with time often spent in Seattle, Washington. The band is the sonic brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception. His current bandmates are his cousin, Caralee McElroy and experimental percussionist Ches Smith (7 Year Rabbit Cycle, Good for Cows, Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3). Xiu Xiu are also, on occasion, joined by Cory McCulloch, who has also produced several of their albums. Past members include Lauren Andrews, Yvonne Chen, Sam Mickens and Jherek Bischoff. Some, including McCulloch, have played in previous bands with Stewart such as Ten in the Swear Jar and IBOPA. The band's name is taken from the 1998 Chinese film
The Sent Down Girl.
Xiu Xiu's music draws heavily from several disparate genres including punk, noise rock, ambient noise, modern classical, and folk. The majority of lyrics deal with morose topics such as suicide, AIDS, war, and taboo experiences. Musically, Xiu Xiu will often blend cacophonous percussion with lush hooks and diverging lyrical styles. Xiu Xiu's music is also influenced by bands of the UK post-punk scene such as The Cure and Joy Division.
History
Having performed together in previous groups IBOPA (the Indestructible Beat of Palo Alto) and Ten in the Swear Jar, Jamie Stewart and Cory McColloch in 2000 formed their third collaborative effort, Xiu Xiu. An amalgam of various independent artists and friends, Xiu Xiu began its first tour in 2000, aided by Lauren Andrews and Yvonne Chen, who had both contributed to the recordings of their first long-player,
Knife Play and its successor EP,
Chapel of the Chimes. Xiu Xiu took to performing their melodic/noise-oriented songs, which initially relied on strong percussive instrumentation and brass instrumentation.
Nearing the end of 2002, two losses occurred for the group. The group diminished in its size as Yvonne Chen left Xiu Xiu, so as to focus on both her vegan boutique
Otsu and self-published magazine Zum. Cory McColloch too decided to refrain from touring, concerning himself primarily with the production of future Xiu Xiu recordings. The second loss was a personal one, as Jamie Stewart's father, musician and record producer Michael Stewart, committed suicide. While coping with these losses, Stewart created the follow-up to
Knife Play, 2003's
A Promise.
Continuing to focus on the subject matter touched on by their first LP,
A Promise formed an almost conceptualized record of internal despair, social torment and emotional longing. Consisting of ten tracks,
A Promise 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 of which Stewart and McColloch would be praised for by fans and critics alike.
Xiu Xiu's live ensemble in support of
A Promise consisted of Stewart and Absolutely Kosher Records comrades Sam Mickens and Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science.During this time, Stewart recorded the group's second EP,
Fag Patrol, a collection of previous recorded material as well as covers of songs by the Smiths and his previous group with McColloch, Ten in the Swear Jar. Released as a handmade CD by Rob Fisk and Kelly Goodefisk's Free Porcupine Society,
Fag Patrol was limited to only a few copies. In the spring of 2004, Stewart and McColloch released what is to date the group's most successful effort,
Fabulous Muscles. More accessible and pop-friendly in its sound than previous releases,
Fabulous Muscles boosted Xiu Xiu to new heights in terms of popularity, with its capstone, "I Luv the Valley OH!".
With the departure of Lauren Andrews, who wished to focus on her academic studies, Stewart was joined onstage by his cousin, Caralee McElroy. The two toured relentlessly throughout 2004, releasing not only the groups third LP, but also split recordings with musicians such as This Song Is a Mess But So Am I (Oedipus Records) and Bunkbed, along with the "Fleshettes" single. "Fleshettes" included a rendition of the Ten in the Swear Jar track, 'Helsabot', featuring vocals by McElroy. By the end of 2004, Xiu Xiu had already recorded the bulk of what would become their fourth record, 2005's
La Forêt.
Seen as a return to Stewart's more dark and irate musical demeanor,
La Forêt, through songs such as 'Pox', 'Saturn' and 'Rose of Sharon (the Grey Ghost Version)', alluded to a frustration which Stewart had felt throughout the process of recording. Focusing on subject matter such as self-hatred, apathy, and his frustration with U.S. President George W. Bush,
La Forêt shifted towards a new format of instrumentation with the introduction of the autoharp, as well as 'Croatian' bells. Along with
La Forêt, Xiu Xiu in 2005 joined Italian experimental group Larsen to form XXL, which released in 2005 their first LP,
Ciautistico!. Stewart, McCollouch and McElroy issued formative splits throughout 2005, working with artists such as The Paper Chase, Kill Me Tomorrow, and Devendra Banhart.
Xiu Xiu broke from tradition in 2006 when their fifth LP,
The Air Force, was produced not by Cory McColloch, but instead by Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier. Saunier, who had previously worked with Stewart on
Knife Play is noted for creating a more minimalist sound, a stark contrast from that of McColloch's wall of sound.
The Air Force would be supported throughout 2006 by a three piece, as Stewart and McElroy were joined by Cong for Brums drummer/percussionist Ches Smith, who had previously worked alongside the group in its recordings.
The Air Force is also the first full album with vocals by Caralee McElroy, on the track "Hello From Eau Claire".
A third EP,
Tu Mi Piaci (which in Italian means "I like you"), a five-track cover record, with songs by artists Bauhaus, Nedelle, This Mortal Coil, The Pussycat Dolls, and Nina Simone was released, along with a collaboration with ambient artist Liz Harris, a.k.a. Grouper, entitled
Creepshow. Plans are set for further collaboration with groups Larsen and the Parenthetical Girls, as well as for a DVD collection of the bands entire video history. The band continue to sell to their fans photographs, through its polaroid project, maintained by tour manager/friend David Horvitz.
Their newest record, entitled
Remixed & Covered, was released April 10, 2007. It consists of 2 CDs, a "Covers" disc and a "Remixes" disc. The former includes Larsen, Oxbow, Sunset Rubdown, Marissa Nadler, Good For Cows, Kid 606, Why?, Her Space Holiday, and Devendra Banhart performing cover versions of Xiu Xiu songs. The "Remixes" disc includes Gold Chains, XO Skeletons, Xiu Xiu, Warbucks, Cherry Point, Son, This Song Is a Mess But So Am I, Kid 606, and Grouper remixes of individual Xiu Xiu songs, and To Live and Shave in L.A. remixing the whole of Xiu Xiu's
The Air Force album.
In May 2007 Devin Hoff joined the band on bass.
" The Book" was released in November 2007, following several delays. The book came bundled with a bonus CD entitled
A Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in Indiana featuring contributions from Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Parenthetical Girls, and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier among others.
Xiu Xiu's sixth full-length,
Women As Lovers, will be released in January 2008 via Kill Rock Stars.
Discography
Albums
- 2002 - Knife Play
- 2003 - A Promise
- 2003 - Fag Patrol (compilation album)
- 2004 - Fabulous Muscles
- 2005 - Life and Live (live album)
- 2005 - La Forêt
- 2006 - The Air Force
- 2008 - Women As Lovers
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" with Devendra Banhart
- 2005 - split 7" with Kill Me Tomorrow
- 2005 - split 7" with The Paper Chase
- 2005 - split 7" with The Dead Science
- 2005 - The Special 12 Singles Series
- 2006 - Tu Mi Piaci EP
- 2006 - picture disc 7" with photographs by David Horvitz
- 2007 - Jamie Stewart Pre xiu xiu Picture disc 7" with photographs by David Horvitz
Collaborations
- 2005 - Ciautistico! (collaboration with Larsen under the moniker XXL, for Xiu Xiu Larsen)
- 2006 - Creep Show (collaboration with Grouper)
- 2007 - Remixed & Covered (collaboration with artists including To Live and Shave in L.A. (Tom Smith), Her Space Holiday, Larsen, Oxbow, Sunset Rubdown, Marissa Nadler, Good For Cows, kid606, XO Skeletons, Gold Chains, Devendra Banhart, Warbucks, Cherry Point, and Grouper)
- 2007 - ¿Spicchiology? (Xiu Xiu Larsen)
- 2007 - A Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in Indiana (collaboration disk included with the The Book)
Notes and references
External links
American experimental musical groups2000s music groupsPost-rock groupsCalifornia musical groupsAmerican indie rock groupsLGBT musical groupsTaper-friendly musical groups
Xiu XiuXiu XiuXiu XiuXiu XiuXiu XiuXiu Xiu
