Xixa - Bloodline
by Lisa Torem
published: 15 / 5 / 2016
Label:
Glitterhouse Records
Format: CD
intro
Extraordinary latest album from eccentric and diverse Arizona-based project, XIXA
XIXA is a groundbreaking Arizona-based band that merges Peruvian cumbia with psychedelic rock and which rose from the ashes of Giant Sand. Their new release, ‘Bloodline’, is loaded with character, brilliant rhythms and contrasting vocals. The theme song revels in thrashing beats and the first of many palpable narratives. Through eerie clatter, the ambience shades suspenseful verses (“The spirit fades away, bloodline is here to stay”). ‘Vampiro’ follows with cleverer vocal infusion and dizzying percussion. You won’t envy the life of a night creature after hearing about their trials. The embellishments are terrific, The term “cold-blooded killer” gets tossed around as casually as a touring football in ‘Killer’. “Her lips turn cold and blue,” give you a good sense of the leading lady’s essence, the sweeping harmonies nail it. “Ships come in every day to take us away...” In escapist ballad, ‘World Go Away,’ the vocals are truly expressive, especially when accompanied by lovely, acoustic guitar. The electronic intro. and psychedelic guitar make ‘Down from the Sky’ another winner. Gruff vocals add spit and polish. “Who are we coming down from the sky?” The answer? A cosmic blend of grinding bass and loopy, atonal riffery. Buen Provecho. More intensity? Try ‘Pressures of Mankind’ (“Crushed by the hands of time / strapped to these dreams of mine…”) and then mellow out to the other-worldly intro. of ‘Golden Apparition’, which is truly mind-bending and gets even more so when it strolls into a reggae beat. ‘Dead Man’ is super dreamy and features solid, but bewildering interaction between vocals and instrumentals. “Thieves that roam and eat their own?” Why not? ‘Nena Linda’, sung in Spanish, is very lively and contagious with splendid contrasting sections. The closer, ‘Living on the Line’, is a great one to end this fun fest. Think Bowie meets the Ventures during a lightning storm and you’re halfway there.
Track Listing:-
1 Bloodline2 Vampiro
3 Killer
4 World Goes Away
5 Down from the Sky
6 Pressures of Mankind
7 Golden Apparition
8 Dead Man
9 Nena Linda
10 Living on the Line
Band Links:-
http://www.xixamusic.com/https://twitter.com/XIXA_tuxon
https://www.instagram.com/xixa_tuxon/
https://www.facebook.com/xixamusic
Label Links:-
http://label.glitterhouse.com/https://www.facebook.com/GlitterhouseRecords
https://twitter.com/glitterhouserec
https://www.youtube.com/user/GlitterhouseTV
reviews |
The Code (2019) |
Striking EP of deep Americana from Tucson-based group XIXA |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
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