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XIU XIU

XIU XIU

Xiu Xiu ( SHOO-shoo) is an American experimental rock band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart (the only constant member since formation), Angela Seo, and percussionist David Kendrick. The band's name comes from the film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, which has influenced the sound of their music, according to Stewart.

Xiu Xiu released their first two albums, Knife Play (2002) and A Promise (2003) on 5 Rue Christine to positive critical reception. In-between the two, the EP Chapel of the Chimes was released via Absolutely Kosher. The compilation album Fag Patrol was released shortly after, and their third studio album Fabulous Muscles was released in 2004. La Forêt was released in 2005 after Caralee McElroy joined the group, and The Air Force followed in 2006. 2008's Women as Lovers was released via the main Kill Rock Stars label in 2008, and McElroy departed the group shortly afterwards.

Dear God, I Hate Myself was released in 2010 and was the first Xiu Xiu album to prominently feature longtime member Angela Seo. Following a signing to Polyvinyl and Bella Union, Xiu Xiu released Always (2012) and Angel Guts: Red Classroom (2014). In between those two projects, the group released a Nina Simone tribute project, Nina, in late 2013 via Graveface Records.

Plays the Music of Twin Peaks (2016) followed, an album consisting of covers from the Twin Peaks soundtracks originally as a Record Store Day exclusive release but re-released by Polyvinyl later that year. Forget (2017) and Girl with Basket of Fruit (2019) were released afterwards, and Xiu Xiu released their twelfth album Oh No in 2021. Their thirteenth album, Ignore Grief, was released in March 2023.

Albums

2002 Knife Play
2003 Fag Patrol
2003 A Promise
2004 Fabulous Muscles
2005 La Forêt
2006 The Air Force
2007 A Soundtrack for a Polaroid of Two Trees in Indiana
2008 Women as Lovers
2009 CD of the Month: April
2009 CD of the Month: March
2009 Album of the Month: August
2009 Album of the Month: July
2010 Dear God, I Hate Myself
2012 Always
2013 Nina
2014 I'm Keeping My Baby! OST
2014 Angel Guts: Red Classroom
2014 Unclouded Sky
2015 Respectful & Clean
2015 Kling Klang
2015 Tired of your world... Peru
2015 Twin Peaks Ambien
2015 Extinction Meditation
2016 Plays the Music of Twin Peaks
2016 House Plant Music
2017 FORGET
2019 Haitian Drums: Girl with Basket of Fruit
2019 Girl With Basket of Fruit
2020 Deforms the unborn
2021 OH NO
2023 Ignore Grief
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Latest Articles

Reviews / Live
Live Review: Xiu Xiu, Sarah Davachi
"...This evening Xiu Xiu deliver a dissonant take on Badalamenti's themes."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Xiu Xiu Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks
"The course stays focused for some time longer, but then things suddenly go wayward."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Xiu Xiu Plays The Music Of Twin Peaks
"between the howls of distortion and the unsettling beats are resolutions so sweet and obvious they ache of innocence lost."
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Xiu Xiu, Rites Wild
Reviews / Live
Live Review: Xiu Xiu, Absolute Boys, Rites Wild
Features / Music
Ten Years Gone
“But, aside from that – potentially completely false – need to escape this band.”
News / Music
Xiu Xiu: 'Romney Is Even Stupider Than George Bush'
Experimental popsters stay political
Features / Music
Meaning Outside Of Horrible
“I did not think it was genetically possible for there to be someone who was stupider or more terrifying than George Bush, but there is, and it is entirely likely that [Romney] will be the next president. I do not have a lot of hope for the future of the United States, or its role in the world; it’s very, very frightening times.”
News / Music
Xiu Xiu Announce October Tour
The band play the east coast capitals and Perth when they are out here again.
News / Music
This Is Nowhere Festival Announced
Going nowhere?
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Xiu Xiu - Always
They’re about as well known and accepted as choking yourself to get off, and better that your family walks in on you listening to music than strung up by your belt being made some masked beefcake’s bitch.
Reviews / Album
Album Review: Always Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu is definitely an acquired taste and if you’ve not been drawn into its dark and twisted fantasy yet