Topic: Xiu Xiu- Women as Lovers (Read 12375 times)

jeph · « **on:** 20 Jan 2008, 20:48 »

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 · « **Reply #1 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:21 »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:34 »

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.

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

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #3 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:37 »

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 · « **Reply #4 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:47 »

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.

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

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #5 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:51 »

What? I love that song.

jeph · « **Reply #6 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 21:55 »

Yeah "Support Our Troops" was pretty awesome. I don't AGREE with it (specifically the implicit generalization that all soldiers == idiot jocks), but it was pretty awesome.

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:11 »

What? You can't like that song

Liking that song is unpatriotic

To jail with you!

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #8 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:22 »

It's true, not all soldiers are dumb jocks.

Just like 90% of them.

gardenhead_ · « **Reply #9 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:23 »

Quote from: jeph on 20 Jan 2008, 21:55

Yeah "Support Our Troops" was pretty awesome. I don't AGREE with it (specifically the implicit generalization that all soldiers == idiot jocks), but it was pretty awesome.

He's not, he's likening the way he has seen some troops act in footage to the way jocks psych themselves up for a game. The whole "winning is everything" mentality. At least that's how I see it.

Anyway, I love Women As Lovers. Can't wait to hear it at a higher sound quality when it's released.

michaelicious · « **Reply #10 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:25 »

Quote from: jeph on 20 Jan 2008, 21:55

Yeah "Support Our Troops" was pretty awesome. I don't AGREE with it (specifically the implicit generalization that all soldiers == idiot jocks), but it was pretty awesome.

Even once I've moved past the fact that I don't agree with it, I still can't listen to it. His arrogant smug-as-fuck voice in that song gets under my skin every time. It just seems so pathetic.

That said, I think it's the only Xiu Xiu song that I dislike.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #11 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:37 »

Also I'm not really getting "Goo Goo Dolls" from "F.T.W.", I'm getting a little bit of Arcade Fire from it.

I eagearly await the next album having a song called "Lurk Moar".

jeph · « **Reply #12 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:42 »

It's the acoustic at the beginning that trips my Goo Goo Dolls security system.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #13 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 22:51 »

See, to me that acoustic strumming is totally post-Springsteen. Goo Goo Dolls never did anything that good.

Halitosis · « **Reply #14 on:** 20 Jan 2008, 23:56 »

I really want to buy this album twice when it's out, and that's not just because the iTunes version has a bunch of bonus tracks. This album's given me a new love for the band, I've been listening to practically nothing but Xiu Xiu this weekend. I'm thrilled to go see them in April. It's kind of depressing to know that nothing else this year will top something released in January.

EDIT: One thing I do want to note is that the Under Pressure cover seems to lose steam about halfway through. Maybe I'll learn to appreciate it more as I continue to listen.

jeph · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 00:25 »

Quote from: zerodrone on 20 Jan 2008, 22:51

post-Springsteen

oh man is this a genre now

i hope this is not a genre

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 02:08 »

sorry dude post-Springsteen is the new post-punk

jeph · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 03:22 »

nooooooooooo

KickThatBathProf · « **Reply #18 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 08:13 »

It's the end of all humanity

Ryder · « **Reply #19 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 09:27 »

I have trouble getting over their vocals. They make my face go "ew".

Other than that it sounds pretty cool. Nice acoustic bits without overusing them... and the genre seems to bounce across the board through the whole thing.

Random Marginalia: (The singing sounds like Nico's goth teenage son!)

imapiratearg · « **Reply #20 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 09:58 »

Yeah. He's worse than the dude in Chin Up Chin Up.

Trillian · « **Reply #21 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 10:18 »

Quote from: zerodrone on 21 Jan 2008, 02:08

sorry dude post-Springsteen is the new post-punk

The above makes me a little upset. And also left a bad taste in my mouth.

As far as this Xiu Xiu album is concerned, it is brilliant. I got the leak about a week ago and have been listening to it quite frequently since. I was afraid for the cover of Under Pressure. I didn't think that anyone could do that right, ever. Ultimately I ended up agreeing with Zerodrone; it is spot on. I am definitely looking forward to the itunes release. Yay bonus tracks!

Meg · « **Reply #22 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 11:13 »

I love I do What I want, when I want.

Gah, I've been dying to see them in concert again.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #23 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 13:54 »

You guys are crazy, Jamie Stewart is an awesome vocalist. He makes me giddy like a schoolgirl inside.

Kai · « **Reply #24 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 14:38 »

I also do not get the complaints about Chin Up Chin Up's vocalist. Is it really that bad? (I am exempt from this question because I listen to terrible, unlistenable music and therefore my view is biased)

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #25 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 15:27 »

Also there is way too much Springsteen hate in this thread. He's consistently great, his early albums are absolute masterpieces and his new one is miles ahead of his decade-long solo foray into Dylan-esque soundtrack territory.

Joseph · « **Reply #26 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 15:35 »

You know, Xiu Xiu are one of those bands who I consistently see mentiontioned, yet I've never really sat down and listened to. Is this new album a good place to start?

And I have to agree with Zerodrone on Springsteen. Up to the late 80's, he was consistently making gold (I'd say Born In the USA was the weakest thing he released between his debut and Tunnel Of Love). After that, he had a few problems, but he's made a beautiful late career return to form. Devils & Dust and We Shall Overcome were fantastic albums, stripped back, without the glossy production that tends to mar a lot of his other releases. The songcraft on his new album is near impecable. If he were to hook up with a better producer though, it would be far better than the fair-to-good album it ended up as.

Kai · « **Reply #27 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 15:44 »

I was surprised at how much I loved Devils & Dust--aside from Nebraska, I've probably listened to it more than any other Springsteen album.

sandman263 · « **Reply #28 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 16:18 »

My first exposure to Xiu Xiu, I've just worked my way through the album, and I'm afraid I won't be coming back to it anytime soon. Each to their own and all that, but this really didn't do anything for me except make me want to turn it off.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #29 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 16:27 »

Quote from: Dark Flame on 21 Jan 2008, 15:35

Is this new album a good place to start?

Tough question, as it really depends what you're into. The early Xiu Xiu albums are notoriously weird, noisy, beautiful and frightening (this would include Knife Play, A Promise, and Fabulous Muscles ). Starting with La Foret, they began to get markedly more accessible, and this latest one is easily the most "conventional" thing they've ever done.

So, I'd say give it a shot, but if you don't like it, listen to Fabulous Muscles because it's fucking amazing for totally different reasons than Women As Lovers.

jeph · « **Reply #30 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 17:40 »

I'd say start with The Air Force and work backwards/forwards/grab albums at random. That "Boy Soprano" "Hello From Eau Claire" "Vulture Piano" stretch is my favorite chunk of Xiu Xiu ever.

Jamie is one of my favorite vocalists.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #31 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 17:48 »

I've always found it odd to tell someone to start with a band's best album, because you're just setting them up to not fully appreciate their other material.

jeph · « **Reply #32 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 17:51 »

I don't usually do the whole "best album" thing, I like recommending stuff I *like* most.

If I had to make a Xiu Xiu hierarchy I think The Air Force and Fabulous Muscles would tie for #1. They're both fabulous but, like you said, for very different reasons.

De_El · « **Reply #33 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 18:29 »

This is pretty damn good. Definitely less volatile and weird than Fabulous Muscles, which is for some reason the most recent Xiu Xiu album I've heard, but still really pretty aced. And hey, I might like it even more on the second listen.

I saw Xiu Xiu live at a festival without ever having heard them before and my first thought was something like "Is he okay?" and then I was kind of put off. And then for no real reason I went and torrented Fabulous Muscles and I still didn't like it EXCEPT I was totally in love with "I Luv the Valley Oh!" so I forced myself to listen to the album a couple of times until I could listen to nothing else.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #34 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 19:37 »

Quote from: Kai on 21 Jan 2008, 14:38

I also do not get the complaints about Chin Up Chin Up's vocalist. Is it really that bad?

Chin Up Chin Up's vocalist isn't that terrible. He just does the mumbly, grumbly style better than this guy, in my opinion. I think Xiu Xiu are great, but Jamie's incoherent mumbling feels like a huge hurdle for me.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #35 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 20:01 »

Your Dragonball Z avatar is making it hard for me to concentrate on anything you're saying.

Just sayin'.

jeph · « **Reply #36 on:** 21 Jan 2008, 20:13 »

besides, everybody knows vegeta only listens to linkin park

imapiratearg · « **Reply #37 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 12:51 »

I propose a thread not unlike the "Postmodern Image Macros" thread, only with Dragonball Z macros.

Misereatur · « **Reply #38 on:** 22 Jan 2008, 12:58 »

Quote from: zerodrone on 20 Jan 2008, 22:22

It's true, not all soldiers are dumb jocks.

Just like 90% of them.

Hey, man.

I'll write more about Women As Lovers when I've listened to it more then once. So far it's pretty brilliant, but The Air Force will always be my favorite. I also agree with Jeph, The Air Force would also be my recommended Xiu Xiu starting point.

Halitosis · « **Reply #39 on:** 24 Jan 2008, 21:21 »

My final opinion on Women as Lovers: It's pretty well-rounded as an album, but most songs are only "good" and it doesn't compare to most of their previous albums.

rotham · « **Reply #40 on:** 27 Jan 2008, 07:11 »

i still think i'm ambivalent when it comes to this album. the first six or so songs on the album are probably my favorite stretch of xiu xiu songs, right after the opening four from Fabulous Muscles. with the notable exception of you are pregnant, you are dead, i feel that the latter half of the album tends to fall short of the mark.

nothing they produce will ever top A Promise for me, though.

2HourHiatus · « **Reply #41 on:** 29 Jan 2008, 09:05 »

I am really liking this album. A lot. It's definitely different than what I've heard from Xiu Xiu, but a positive different. And come on, Under Pressure is just ridiculously amazing.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #42 on:** 29 Jan 2008, 10:46 »

I think this is a pretty fantastic album. I like how "accessible" by Xiu Xiu standards is still really chaotic and out there. Stewart is an amazing lyricists and vocalist. His voice has that awesome breathy, anguished quality to it that fits so well with the music and lyrics. I found this a really compelling listen. It's discernibly Xiu Xiu but the band is obviously trying new things. I have mixed feelings about the Under Pressure cover to be honest. I hated it the first time I heard it and it's sorta growing on me but not completely. Overall I'm loving this though. The band puts on a killer live show to boot and they're playing at my school in March so I'm really excited to hear some of this new material live.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #43 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 19:39 »

Alright, I gave this a listen tonight, and I have decided that the vocals not all that bad. So, I take that back. It's by no means a terrible album, but it is not very accessible. It may take a few more listens for the random saxophone solos that sound like they're completely out of key and out of time and the loud, screechy bits during pretty acoustic bits.

Jackie Blue · « **Reply #44 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 19:45 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 02 Feb 2008, 19:39

It may take a few more listens for the random saxophone solos that sound like they're completely out of key and out of time and the loud, screechy bits during pretty acoustic bits.

Wait, earlier you said you love Xiu Xiu, and you're not used to that stuff by now? I'm genuinely confused. What Xiu Xiu were you listening to before this album that had less random noise and screechy bits?

imapiratearg · « **Reply #45 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 20:04 »

No no, before I said I couldn't stand their vocalist. This is the first Xiu Xiu album I've ever listened to.

sean · « **Reply #46 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 20:22 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 21 Jan 2008, 19:37

I think Xiu Xiu are great

How can you think this before listening to one of their albums? Just sayin...

Anyways, this is also the first time that I've listened to a Xiu-Xiu album all the way through, and it's really good. It's definitely more accessible than The Air Force. Every time I've tried to listen to that album I go "holy shit what the fuck is this" and start listening to something else.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #47 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 20:37 »

Blegh. I am being misunderstood.

When I first listened to it, I thought everything but the vocals was fine, that's where the "I think Xiu Xiu are great," came from. Upon listening through again, I felt the other way around. That's what I bumped this thread for.

rotham · « **Reply #48 on:** 02 Feb 2008, 20:37 »

Quote from: imapiratearg on 02 Feb 2008, 20:04

No no, before I said I couldn't stand their vocalist. This is the first Xiu Xiu album I've ever listened to.

Quote

I think Xiu Xiu are great, but Jamie's incoherent mumbling feels like a huge hurdle for me.

lolwut

for all intents and purposes, this probably isn't the best xiu xiu album to start with to get into their material. it clearly has some of the most accessible songs they've recorded, specifically on the first half of the album, but the album tends to have a lot of experimentation on it, especially with the free jazz saxophones. The Air Force, while being a spectacular album, doesn't do much in the way of experimentation, presenting nothing new, rehashes what they've done on their past records, containing very few instances of skittering noise or vocal outbursts. ergo, i wouldn't recommend it as a starting point.

personally, i started with Knife Play, and i suggest you do, too, it helped attune me to jamie's voice. if you ever get the chance to see them live, do so, because that too will help you get attuned to his voice. Fabulous Muscles is where i would suggest going from there. the first four tracks of the album are poppy enough, and relatively accessible, but after Support Our Troops OH! (Black Angels OH!), the album descends into cacophony (well, with the notable exception of Clowne Towne). if you liked Knife Play a lot, you'd probably prefer the second half of the album. La Foret is a very understated and quiet album, and it is xiu xiu's experimentation with minimalism. i like it a lot, but by no means would i consider it a jumping off point. The Air Force is a very static album, as i have previously stated. my personal favorite album of theirs is A Promise, and as i consider it their best material (yeah, yeah...i know), i would listen to it only after listening to all their other albums, as to not disappoint yourself. nine out of the ten tracks are amazing.

So...

Knife Play for absolute cacophony/a solid starting point
Fabulous Muscles if you want to listen to xiu xiu at the peak of their creative evolution/a poppy yet experimental album
La Foret if you want to hear xiu xiu doing minimalism
The Air Force if you liked what you heard on the previously mentioned xiu xiu albums
A Promise if you want to hear the absolute best collection of xiu xiu material (on the whole)

dalconnsuch · « **Reply #49 on:** 03 Feb 2008, 09:33 »

i just can't like xiu xiu, maybe if it was railed into my brain i could but i just can't

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Author Topic: Xiu Xiu- Women as Lovers (Read 12375 times)

Ryder

rotham

rotham

dalconnsuch