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i think both 'a promise' and 'knife play' are better as wholes but there are better singular songs on fabulous muscles. any thoughts?

― russ, Tuesday, 17 February 2004 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought 'knife play' was better as a whole but there were better singular songs on 'a promise'

i think both 'a promise' and 'knife play' are better as wholes but there are better singular songs on fabulous muscles.

what i'm saying is they're getting better at songs but worse at albums. i don't mind this at all.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 00:04 (twenty-one years ago)

NB I've only listened to the album all the way through a couple times and that was when it first leaked. Mostly I just listen to selected tracks, most especially Clown Towne

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Mine here.

― charlie va (charlie va), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 00:12 (twenty-one years ago)

that is a good review, charlie va. a lot more informative than pitchfork's. thank you

― russell, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I really liked the Xiu Xiu tracks on the JYPU split. How do the versions on the new LP compare?

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

i have yet to read a positive review of this band that does not spend more time defending the concept of extreme art than reviewing the music, as if the reader cannot form his or her own opinion of good vs. bad extreme art.

i've given this band a good tryout, and i can't find anything to like.

― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

You seem stupid, southern lights.

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

"I really liked the Xiu Xiu tracks on the JYPU split. How do the versions on the new LP compare?
-- Jon Williams (william...), February 18th, 2004."

the album versions were disappointing to me at first. 'fabulous muscles', the song, lacks the slapping percussion and extra flesh of the split ep version but has prettier guitar and less layered vocals. 'bunny gamer' on the album is a different mix, less beat-heavy and has an added thin synth-horn sound that i can't decide whether i like or not. 'neices pieces' is a lot grimier on the album and cut differently, i like it.

― russ, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

i can't remember the version of "little panda mcelroy' very well from the split ep but it's one of my favorite xiu xiu tracks.

― russ, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

i think it's a good review, but i've yet to run across any xiu xiu "hatred" myself. i'd think they'd only wish they had enough people with any kind of opinion at all before worrying about the forces of specific opposition. as for the new album, i've only listened to it once, fairly quietly (at work and all), but just on the lyrics that drifted up during that spin it seemed pretty predictable(?) following from the preoccupations of the first two.

― andrew s (andrew s), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 01:35 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Luv The Valley OH" is brilliant, I love it.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

southern lights doesn't seem stupid at all!

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Fabulous Muscles is outstanding, a huge improvement over A Promise, wich I liked a lot. "Crank Heart", "I Luv the Valley OH!", and "Clowne Towne" are the best songs I've heard from them yet.

― abegrand, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

"Fabulous Muscles" is definitely their best album yet and the most compelling pop album I've heard this year. "Little Panda McElroy" and the title track are really gorgeous.

― Simon H., Wednesday, 18 February 2004 02:44 (twenty-one years ago)

did anyone see him when he was touring solo? it was great.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 05:51 (twenty-one years ago)

CBC Radio 2's Brave New Waves played Stewart's solo set a few weeks ago. It was pretty good.

― abegrand, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

there's a good recording of an austin, tx. solo performance circulating on soulseek. i saw him here in slc, utah. his playing was impressive, espec. the way he maintained the guitar melody for the latter part of "sad pony guerrilla girl", where he freaked out convulsively.

― russ, Wednesday, 18 February 2004 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

abegrand if i'm not mistaken that was the same show i saw.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

i like them, but i panned this record. it got worse with every listen. i only like the title track and "clowne towne" any more.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 14:57 (twenty-one years ago)

mr. williams, you attacked me while I was sleeping. your thoughtful response is characteristic of the with-us-or-against-us attitude of xiu xiu apologists. god forbid that subtlety enter into the equation, either in the arguments or the music itself.

if you got to know me, you probably wouldn't call me stupid. i even know the latin phrase ad hominem!

― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

haha

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw his solo performance in Chicago, and yeah it was great. Everything I like about the band was in the solo performance - except, actually, the band. If that makes any sense. Boy-and-his-guitar things usually bore me, but both he and Devendra Banhart who played with him were just arresting. It was an amazing show.

The EP version of Fabulous Muscles might be the greatest thing they've ever done, I think, but the album version is yet to grow on me. Too slow, don't like the way it's recorded, etc.

"I can't find anything to like" does seem like a stupid thing to say about Xiu Xiu. From my experience people who don't like them find a little to like but more to hate. If you can't find anything to like I don't imagine you wanted to. It does seem like the hate for them is blown out of proportion, though. I mean, my mom thinks they're hideous but beyond that most people at least like a song or two.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Sonny, I bring a pretty open mind to listening, although I tend to give up after 2 listens to most stuff. I forced myself a third time through A Promise with the specific goal of finding something to like. I do admit I enjoyed the gaps between tracks.

What's wrong with your mom's perspective? I agree with her.

― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothing's wrong with my mommy's perspective. She's the most brilliant woman who ever lived? What are you suggesting?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, she said she liked Sad Pony Guerilla Girl before it got all noisy. See? She found something to like. It's not hard. What do you listen to, Southern Lights?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

This is silly, but I suppose the background helps. Here are roughly the last several things I've listened to (not that I love or even like all of them):

Cocteau Twins Treasure
Starlight Mints Built On Squares
Philip Jeck 7
Phi-Life Cypher Higher Forces
David Banner Mississippi
Bob Dylan Planet Waves
James Brown Live at the Apollo Vol. 2
The Streets Lesinrocks.com mix
Ron Sexsmith Cobblestone Runway

― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't you see? Xiu Xiu is the new Bob Dylan!!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I can see that comparison, but I don't buy it. Anyway, last time I checked, they were trying to be the new Tracy Chapman. :)

― southern lights (southern lights), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 16:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Xiu Xiu : Antioch Arrow as Velvet Underground : Stooges

― Jon Williams (ex machina), Wednesday, 18 February 2004 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

fourteen years pass...

new one is pretty out there

― flappy bird, Saturday, 2 February 2019 22:49 (six years ago)

*REALLY out there... second only to Angel Guts as the most abrasive/experimental/non-songy/whatever proper Xiu Xiu LP

― flappy bird, Saturday, 2 February 2019 23:05 (six years ago)

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