Xiu Xiu

[If you shout...]

Sweet fucking Christ, what a great band.

Just saw 'em at the Courtyard Cafe in good old Urbana, and was absolutely blown away. Wow.

In case anybody cares, Yellow Swans were as good (if not, at times, even better) than Black Dice...if you're into that sort of thing. The first band on the bill, Bailey, were fantastic, too. Just imagine a more melodically minimalist version of Xiu Xiu and you're pretty much good to go.

C'mon. Somebody else better be feeling this band. I cannot believe how much more exhilirating this show was than several of the U2 shows I've been to, this year. I'm not trying to attack the boys, but this really was a refreshing show.

I have NO regrets about missing Sufjan, who was also in town, tonight. I am now rambling. Holla if you hear me.

 

[zoney!]

Courtyard Cafe sucks! I would have to imagine Xiu Xiu would have been lost in that venue.

Otherwise...YES. Amazing band. I saw them earlier this year at Intonation, oddly, with a crowd from CU.

What in the hell are they doing with TWO amazing performers in town in one night? The indiekid population of CU could not be happy.

 

[If you shout...]

They actually sounded really good in the Courtyard, MUCH to my surprise. Jamie's mic was too low for the first few songs, but other than that it worked very well.

I missed Intonation! with a blasted broken foot! How shitty is that...? I heard that their Intonation! performance was divisive and confrontational as hell...

And, yeah...people were a little pissed about the Sufjan/Xiu Xiu thing. Both acts were actually booked so as to accomodate both crowds, but one of Xiu Xiu's opening bands (Yellow Swans) had car trouble and were a bit late. As a result, all the careful planning went out the door, at the end of the night. I was, though, quite pleased to hear that several people had actually given away their Sufjan tickets to see Xiu Xiu.

A gutsy decision. And the right one, damn it! At the start of the show ("because we're on Jupiter," Jamie said), they handed out a piece of paper with every song they knew how to play immediately on it. Then we chose the setlist. AWESOME!!!!! I heard everything I needed to except "Fabulous Muscles"...plus several unexpected treats!

 

[If you shout...]

Oh, yeah.

"Apistat Commander" was shocking in its perfection. Shocking, I tell you. I was out of breath by the time it was all over...

It was the best show-closer I've heard in quite a while. By anybody. And I see a lot of motherfucking shows...

 

[Jack In The Box]

La Foret = best album of the year (well, this one or Red Sparowes' At The Soundless Dawn)

 

[barlowdog]

Courtyard Cafe sucks! I would have to imagine Xiu Xiu would have been lost in that venue.

Otherwise...YES. Amazing band. I saw them earlier this year at Intonation, oddly, with a crowd from CU.

What in the hell are they doing with TWO amazing performers in town in one night? The indiekid population of CU could not be happy.

I've been wanting to check this band out. I've only heard I-Tunes 30 second clips. Zoney, got anything I can borrow?

 

[zoney!]

nothing my friend.

If you shout...:

You into the C-U music scene? Shop at Parasol Records?

 

[kakvox]

I saw them at Intonation. Pretty good show. Aww, how you bring back the memories of courtyard Cafe. I wish I was back in school, graduated just 1.5 years ago.

 

[If you shout...]

nothing my friend.

If you shout...:

You into the C-U music scene? Shop at Parasol Records?

I'd shop at Parasol with more regularity if it...

A) Weren't so heinously expensive; and...

B) Was actually able to find the shit I'm looking for. Not usually a problem, but more than a few times, now, they've dropped the ball.

Either way, I'm still all kinds of jazzed up about the Xiu Xiu show, last night. Can't wait to see Sleater-Kinney at the High Dive next month!

 

[zoney!]

High Dive is a good venue.

What local bads have you checked out? C-U has an AWESOME local scene.

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

I downloaded some tracks from La Foret today, I quite like them.

 

[Jack In The Box]

yertle, 'La Foret' is possibly their most acessible album, but check 'Fabulous Muscles' and 'A Promise', my favorite Xiu Xiu albums

 

[If you shout...]

High Dive is a good venue.

What local bads have you checked out? C-U has an AWESOME local scene.

I've seen a great many local bands at a great many shows (usually opening for a "real" band or whatever), and hated each of them so much that, in all honesty, I couldn't even tell you a single name, any more. There is an awesomely healthy music scene here, but I personally would never call it an "awesome" scene in and of itself. Shit, I don't know. Maybe it is an awesome local scene...but it sure as fuck isn't mine, you know?

All the bands that've surprised me here have been from somewhere else entirely. Go figure...



But like several have mentioned, I too think that Xiu Xiu has three close-to-essential albums: The Promise, Fabulous Muscles, and La Foret...though a lot of people would likely toss Knife Play on there, as well. But that's nearly everything they've done, and I don't think they're gods or some shit...

A lot of reviews I've read have chastised La Foret for being too abstract and less straight-ahead than Fabulous Muscles was, but I couldn't disagree more. I think that like "Jack In The Box" said, it's actually their most-accessible work. The songs that were requested from the album translated VERY well live--sometimes far better than other material from the past.

 

[Jack In The Box]

A Promise

Knife Play is their weakest album IMO

 

[youtooellen]

I got their album 'Fabulous Muscles' a few days ago after living off many downloads, and I haven't been able to stop listening to it since

As a result, I'm thinking of going out and getting more of their albums now

 

[If you shout...]

Hell yes, youtooellen!

To reiterate, both A Promise and La Foret are the way to go, if you ask me.

If Xiu Xiu was the band opening for the shows in the Chi tomorrow and on Wednesday, I'd totally be there earlier than 8:30 or whatever...

Ha ha ha. Like that would EVER happen or remotely work in a venue or crowd like that...!

I'm glad you got Fabulous Muscles and that you're enjoying it, though! It's not made for everyone...

 

[youtooellen]

actually I was considering getting La Foret first

if Xiu Xiu was opening for the Chicago shows...