Xiu Xiu - Knife Play
by Cila Warncke
published: 11 / 3 / 2002
Label:
Rue Christine
Format: CD
intro
Wilfully hip, but disappointing and messy debut album from San Jose neo-wave noise pop artists Xiu Xiu
Alternative music can be a wonderful thing, sometimes. Other times it makes you want to flee to the comforting arms of Stock-Aitken-Waterman. San Jose-based band Xiu Xiu’s debut CD 'Knife Play' is ‘alternative’ music of the latter sort – the sort that’ll make you run, not walk, to your nearest HMV and clutch Gareth Gate’s Unchained Melody to your bosom. Vocalist Jamie Stewart sounds like he’s singing from inside a shower stall, and judging by his reedy whine some prankster keeps flicking the cold water on. Meanwhile, the rest of the band are apparently in the garden shed hammering on rubbish bins and torturing gerbils to produce the nerve-wracking mish-mash of squealing feedback and sauce-pan banging that passes for music. To be fair, perhaps the lyrics are startlingly deep and original, but as they are rarely audible over rest of the racket no one will ever know. Faced with something this utterly dreadful the inclination is to look for irony, or at least an explanation. Hopeful visitors to www.xiuxiu.org , however, are going to be further disappointed. Rather than offering a justification (or, better still, an apology) for this mess Xiu Xiu devote the page to self-consciously ‘quirky’ bios (sample sentence: She has written an unreadable novel, fished a dead turtle from Lake Merritt, played hot potato with special needs kids) and a fawning collection of links to websites such as ‘Scenester’ and ‘Vegan Action.’ The whole thing whiffs insufferably of adolescent ‘coolness’. Alas, being wilfully hip is no substitute for putting in the effort. If Xiu Xiu really care about music they are going to have to learn that in music – as in job interviews, and on first dates – presentation matters.
Track Listing:-
1 Don Diasco2 I Broke Up
3 Luber
4 Hives Hives
5 Dr Troll
6 Over Over
7 Anne Dong
8 Suha
9 Poe Poe
10 Homonculus
11 Tonite and Today
interviews |
Interview (2010) |
Jamie Rowland talks to founder and front man with Californian experimental art-rock band Xiu Xiu, Jamie Stewart, about his group's recent first full length tour of Britain, their tenth and latest album, and his early musical influences |
live reviews |
XOYO, London, 16/10/2010 |
Chris O' Toole watches Californian avant-garde duo Xiu Xiu play a confrontational, but compelling show at the new venue of the XOYO in London |
Babylon, Ottawa, 5/6/2007 |
reviews |
Dear God I Hate Myself (2010) |
Challenging and eccentric, but ultimately fulfilling latest album from Californian experimentalists and avanat-garde pioneers, Xiu Xiu |
Women as Lovers (2008) |
The Air Force (2006) |
most viewed articles
current edition
The Church - Interview with Steve KilbeySimon Heavisides - Destiny Stopped Screaming: The Life and Times of Adrian Borland
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities - #15- On Being Dignified and Old aka Ten Tips From Jah Wobble On How To Be Happy.
Repomen - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Vetchinsky Settings - Interview
Jack Roscoe - Interview
Near Jazz Experience - Interview
Secret Shine - Interview
Sami Sumner - Interview
Liam Gallagher and John Squire - Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 16/3/2024
most viewed reviews
current edition
Lewis 'Burner' Pugh - Bullets for BreadKula Shaker - Natural Magick
Ian Hunter - Defiance Part 2: Fiction
Smalltown Tigers - Crush On You
David Cross Band - Ice Blue Silver Sky
Hillbilly Moon Explosion - Back in Time
Beyonce - Cowboy Carter
Ty Segall - Three Bells
My Life Story - Loving You is Killing Me
Inutili - A Love Supreme
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart