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Xiu Xiu- Women as Lovers

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jeph:
Track breakdown as I listen for the first time (this will also probably end up on the blog):

Track 1- I Do What I Want, When I Want: I'm digging this so far. Reserved, meandering lyrics and hip-hop beats with simple melodies orchestrated in what seems to be Xiu Xiu's "typical" neo-Dada style. It's like a Postal Service track only with all the twee rusted through.

Track 2- In Lust You Can Hear The Axe Fall: Oh hey, there are all the vocal histrionics that got left out of track one. The live drumming is pretty sweet- is the dude from Deerhoof drumming on this one? Jamie's vocals are kind of overwhelming in the loud parts. The quiet, almost-jazzy sections are really nice. I'm hearing a lot of gamelan influence in this record so far. Track outro convinces me that the loud sections work better without Jamie wailing over them.

Track 3- F.T.W.: Xiu Xiu's version of a Goo Goo Dolls song. What the hell? Oh man the chimes at 1:15 are pretty. More of that gamelan influence, then FFHSSHSHSH BSZZZZRTTTT synth freakout. Jamie's lyrics are getting more abstract. He's using his lower register more, which is good, and not pushing his upper register as hard, which is also good. This track devolves into a Books song at the end.

Track 4- No Friend Oh!: This is probably the closest thing to a single you'd expect from this record. Super-poppy chorus (by Xiu Xiu standards). Also Caralee is singing! Hooray, I like it when she sings. Yeah, if you chopped down the bridge this'd be a single, for sure. The fucked up horns are pretty great. The drums on this record are totally different from anything Xiu Xiu's done before. I like them a lot.

Track 5- Guantanamo Canto: Political song ahoy! It's pretty preachy. I agree with what they're saying, though. Is it even possible to write a song about human rights without getting preachy? This is still better than most U2. The torrent of words towards the end is compelling.

Track 6- Under Pressure (Feat. Michael Gira): XIU XIU BOWIE/QUEEN COVER OMGHSGLHUALUBGALUHLAGLUH4LHALCUH4LTHLHSL4UH4LCSH49AH93PATAHBGK

Track 7- Black Keyboard: I'm still kind of twitching over track 6. The guitars on this song are really, really pretty. I wish I wrote three-guitar parts like that. So far this is the most La Foret-esque track on the record. It's a lot more developed, to my ears, than anything on that album though. Typical Jamie: freaky TMI non-sequitir 2/3 of the way through.

Track 8- Master of the Bump (Kurt Stumbaugh, I Can Feel the Soil Falling Over My Head): This sounds like a demo tape. Really pretty vocal melody. Don't tell Jamie his dancing is effeminate. WAUGH guitar solo out of nowhere, pushed way high in the mix.

Track 9- You Are Pregnant, You Are Dead: More super-rad drumming. I love that one-mic Flaming Lips drum sound. This one's really riffy and jazzy! Maybe my favorite track on the record.

Track 10- The Leash: Man, this one is a mess (not necessarily in a bad way). Kind of gothy, once the bass kicks in.

Track 11- Child At Arms: My guess is the whistling is meant to be a Boy Scouts parody. This one's about child soldiers in Africa. Dark dark dark dark. Nightmarish ending.

Track 12- Puff and Bunny: From war-atrocity horror to mopey navel-gazing. This is what some people love about Xiu Xiu and some people hate.

Track 13- White Nerd: "R U TALKING ABOUT XIU XIU'S AUDIENCE??? LOL" This is pretty slick, actually. More goth-pop along the lines of "The Leash." Vocal treatments straight out of Knife Play. Jamie Stewart to white nerds everywhere: you let us down.

Track 14- Gayle Lynn: BIG ROCK DRUMHITS. Another Xiu Xiu song about someone dying alone. Sad, sad ending.

Overall initial impressions: positive. This album feels a lot more scattered than their last two, as it stretches to both cover all the Xiu Xiu bases and try some new things. The production and instrumentation are great, the drumming in particular being excellent. I'm not sure how well it flows as a cohesive whole, but each song is strong. That Bowie/Queen cover was TOTALLY UNEXPECTED, and awesome. If you like Xiu Xiu you will probably enjoy this record, as it is a pretty good Xiu Xiu record. I think The Air Force is still my favorite, but this one could definitely grow on me.

Jackie Blue:
I really love this album.  I think it's their most accessible and less weird, especially lyrically.  The "Under Pressure" cover is ten million kinds of amazing.  That is a song that is hard to cover and they really nailed it.

It's probably my favorite for some reasons, but Fabulous Muscles will probably always be my favorite of the "weird" Xiu Xiu albums.

imapiratearg:

--- Quote from: jeph on 20 Jan 2008, 20:48 ---Track 3- F.T.W.: Xiu Xiu's version of a Goo Goo Dolls song. What the hell? Oh man the chimes at 1:15 are pretty. More of that gamelan influence, then FFHSSHSHSH BSZZZZRTTTT synth freakout. Jamie's lyrics are getting more abstract. He's using his lower register more, which is good, and not pushing his upper register as hard, which is also good. This track devolves into a Books song at the end.

--- End quote ---

They really cover a Goo Goo Dolls song?  Or is it like, some kind of sample or something?

KickThatBathProf:
My favorite has to be No Friend Oh! 
The chorus alone on that song is just amazing.  I must say though I have a soft spot for interesting horn parts, though, so that might bias me.
That glock part later in the song is quite awesome


Also, Jeph was saying (I think) that F.T.W. was Goo Goo Dolls-esque, because I don't think Goo Goo Dolls have a song named that

michaelicious:

--- Quote from: jeph on 20 Jan 2008, 20:48 ---Track 5- Guantanamo Canto: Political song ahoy! It's pretty preachy. I agree with what they're saying, though. Is it even possible to write a song about human rights without getting preachy? This is still better than most U2. The torrent of words towards the end is compelling.

--- End quote ---

At least it's not another "Support Our Troops (Black Angels Oh!)". God I hate that song.

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