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Xiu Xiu

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File:XiuXiuFabulousMusclesCreekPromo.jpg
A promotional photo of Caralee and Jamie ©Angel Ceballos. Popfrenzy Records for Fabulous Muscles. (More photos)

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This article concerns Xiu Xiu, the California-based rock band. For information on the film, see Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.

Xiu Xiu is an experimental indie band originally from and currently based in San José, California, with time often spent in Seattle, Washington. The band is the sonic brainchild singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who tours and records with his one and only current bandmate, and cousin, Caralee McElroy (Xiu Xiu are also, on occasion, joined by Cory McCulloch). Past members include Lauren Andrews and Yvonne Chen. 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, Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.

Xiu Xiu's music draws heavily from several disparate genres including punk, noise rock, ambient noise, 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 appears also to be influenced by bands of the UK post-punk scene such as The Cure,Joy Division and New Order (the latter band's song "Ceremony" being covered by Xiu Xiu themselves on the Chapel of the Chimes EP.)

History

After having performed together in both IBOPA (the Indestructible Beat Of Palo Alto) as well as Ten In The Swear Jar (XITSJ), Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch formed a new group in 2000, under the moniker of Xiu Xiu (pronounced "shoo-shoo"). Along with friends Lauren Andrews, Yvonne Chen and a collective of other artists, Xiu Xiu released Knife Play as well as its follow-up EP Chapel of the Chimes. Both recordings, released in 2002, held towards strong percussive instrumentation, which stem from the group's admiration for world-music. As well as percussion, brass played a part in the early recordings of Xiu Xiu. Tracks like 'Luber', 'Ten-Thousand-Times-A-Minute', and 'Poe Poe' used brass instrumentation as a form of noise-based melody. Soon after a collection of tours throughout the year 2002, Chen left the group to further focus on her vegan store Otsu, as well as her zine, Zum. In late 2002, Stewart's father, Michael Stewart, the lead vocalist of 60s folk-rock group We Five, committed suicide. Stewart, McCollouch and Andrews continued and began work on what would be their follow-up to Knife Play, 2003's A Promise.

A Promise continued in the vein of Knife Play, by focusing on internal despair, torment, and grief. The album fused ten songs together as a somewhat concept album which focused on a spectre of sexual and emotional attachment. Musically, however, the album focused on a more acoustic range as well as on programming, rather than booming percussion. The group was tested in 2003 while on tour in Montana, when their entire collection of instruments; keyboards, drum machines, gongs, bells, drums, guitars, bass, harmonia, among others were stolen. The group continued its tour, with Stewart performing solo throughout the remainder of the year.

After returning to record the follow up to their sophomore album, 2004's Fabulous Muscles, Lauren Andrews decided to bow out of touring and focus on her academic studies. Cory McCollouch also stopped touring, though continued to work as producer and member of Xiu Xiu in the studio. For their tour in support of Fabulous Muscles Stewart was joined by his cousin, Caralee McElroy. The two toured relentlessly throughout 2004, releasing not only Fabulous Muscles but also split EPs with peers such as This Song Is A Mess But So Am I and Bunkbed, as well as the Fleshettes EP, with a remake of a XITSJ track 'Helsabot', featuring vocals by McElroy. Fabulous Muscles showed a more pop-friendly sensibility to Stewart's songwriting, with tracks such as 'Crank Heart', 'I Luv The Valley Oh!' and 'Clowne Towne'.

2005's La Forêt revealed a darker, and much more irate voice to the music of Jamie Stewart, tracks such as 'Saturn', 'Pox' and 'Rose of Sharon (Grey Ghost Version)' alluded in great measure to a frustration which Stewart, and possibly everyone, could channel throughout the course of the album. Its lyrics focus on apathy, self-loathing and the question of George W. Bush. Xiu Xiu continues with splits following their 2005 LP, with musicians such as The Paper Chase, Devendra Banhart and others, along with a collaborative LP titled Ciautistico! with Italian group Larsen. As well, plans for a new cover record with tracks by Nina Simone, Elliott Smith and others are plained for release in 2006, as well as Xiu Xiu's fifth LP, The Air Force, in September of 2006. And even more, a picture disc 7-inch will be released in summer 2006 by Dog Pony Records (Brendan Fowler of Barr's label) featuring photographs taken by David Horvitz.

Discography

Albums

Singles/EPs

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