Customer Reviews

Fabulous Muscles

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Xiu Xiu is an acquired tase, kind-of like electro noise-mongers Black Dice. But where Black Dice barrages you with a slew of manipulated chaos sans proper vocals (just some screaming and mutters here and there), Xiu Xiu has the vocal prowess of Jamie Stewart, a singer possessing the pipes of Robert Smith with the mindset of Todd Solondz. It's not pretty. Fabulous Muscles, the band's third full-length, is filled with tales of emotional/physical/sexual abuse, severly broken relationships, and emotional instability. They're not the first band to tackle such topics, but Jamie Stewart's battered, tortured, whispered vocals are gut-wrenching, to the point where the album becomes quite difficult to listen to. Xiu Xiu has been accussed of being overly-dramatic, but Stewart knows the power of restraint, so even when his voice seems about to break, it lingers on. The album's highlight, "I Luv The Valley OH!," breaks from the synth driven rampages of "Brian The Vampire" and "Crank Heart" and the minimalist dirges of "Nieces Pieces" and "Little Panda McElroy" to deliver the most starteling departure in Xiu Xiu's catalog: a pop song. Not content to deliver any ordinary pop song, however, "I Luv The Valley" layers its jagged guitar lines with random noise and a general sense of dread. Jamie's mocking "la la la's" are a brilliant touch while his release of a screamed "OH!" in the second verse working as a nice cherry on top to an already great song. Are Xiu Xiu becoming accessible? Hardly, they're just becoming a better and better band.

I don't play Xiu Xiu records for my friends or recommend their stuff to people I know because I'm a defeatist and I think it's pointless. Jamie Stewart's music is too weird. It's gonna be pretentious noise to most people, and I'm surprised that's not what I think. I have little tolerance for the experimental; my music taste is strongly rooted in tradition. That's not to say I want everything to sound the same, or the music I listen to is cookie-cutter, but I honestly prefer conventionally structured songs.

A lot of tracks on "Fabulous Muscles," like a lot of tracks on Xiu Xiu's previous outing, "A Promise," consist of Jamie Stewart muttering/moaning/screaming over ambient noise. Melody doesn't play a part. There are no verses, no choruses, no bridges -- just noise.

And then there's the hurtle of just what Stewart says over the noise. His lyrics so often straddle the line between honesty and parody, exaggeration and shock art. A review on the All Music Guide calls Xiu Xiu the "musical equivalent of Todd Solondz or Harmony Korine," and I understand what they're talking about, but they're wrong. Todd Solondz and Harmony Korine make pseudo-transgressive "movies" for uppity college students with big egos; Xiu Xiu make music that seriously push the boundaries of what music can do and sound like. It is never self-conscious, and never tries to prove anything. Xiu Xiu records are just what they are. I can't think of a more clear or eloquent way to put it.

Musically, "Fabulous Muscles" is not that different from "A Promise," but the overall effect is just a little more profound, and it may be because Jamie Stewart has started adding little pop flourishes every now and again. The first two track actually have a melody, and the second one, "I Luv The Valley Oh!" features a strong guitar hook as the prominent force. It's a bit surprising, but the results are spectacular. This time around, things are just a little more conventional, and the outcome is Xiu Xiu's strongest record to date, and what will surely be one of the best records of 2004. With each album, Jamie Stewart manages to push things further while making them even more listenable. This guy is a true genius.

It's very hard to write about Xiu Xiu's music, but that's mainly due to the fact that it's so damn hard to listen to. Nevertheless, one of the most important elements of being an artist is to remain complete true to yourself and your craft. Jamie Stewart, the only constant member of Xiu Xiu, could probably not agree more. He certainly doesn't lack the ability to express what's on his mind and in his heart. He is the master of being able to get to the absolute core of his feelings with every successive album he releases; regardless of how many listeners he leaves behind in the process. Stewart is someone who appears to not get enough out of life, or maybe he's just someone who's seen so much in his time that nothing affects him anymore. I'd imagine that in addition to being the most uncomfortable singer to listen to, he's probably the most jaded human being in existence. If Xiu Xiu's music isn't a testament to this, well...I'm not sure what else is.

Fabulous Muscles, his newest album, begins slightly unpredictable with a soft and simple Casio-sounding keyboard on "Crank Heart." This instrumentation is most likely a result of his time working with label mate Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, who Stewart will be spending a bit of time with on the road this year. It insinuates that this album will be less abrasive than Xiu Xiu's previous work. It also stands as one of the more user-friendly songs of their catalogue, with its somewhat basic pop arrangement. "I Luv the Valley Oh" also starts fairly subdued and eventually unfolds into one of the finer tracks on the album. In a lot of ways it's on par with his best work on "Suha."

"Little Panda McElroy" doesn't do much to push the envelope, but is a song that really starts to promote the idea that this is a truly fantastic collection of work that Stewart has (once again) come up with. Things tend to get a little darker throughout the remainder of the album. Avid Xiu Xiu fans will appreciate this half of the album the most. The dialogue-only "Support Our Troops (Black Angels Oh)" is a collection of abstract electronic and feedback noises that provide a very unsettling mood upon its listener. One of the other tracks worth mentioning is the title track, "Fabulous Muscles," which appeared on last years split-release with the Jim Yoshi Pile-Up. It's a different version than before but it remains signature Jamie Stewart with its incredibly perverted and decadent lyrics, of which I won't share here.

Xiu Xiu isn't a gray band, in the sense that it's unfeasible to hear anyone declare them as being "okay." You're either on board because you somehow relate to what you get out of their music, or you're one of the others who are running as quickly as possible to get away from its painfully harsh reality. Although I won't say it's the best album of their ever-growing catalogue, Fabulous Muscles contains some of the band's best songs since Knife Play. One thing is for certain, as with all other Xiu Xiu albums, Stewart doesn't hold back on discussing excruciating topics. So, when I say it's important to remain true to your art, look no further than Stewart to deliver the goods. He's continually offering some of the most artistically challenging music around, yet he somehow manages to maintain a good enough balance to reach some of the more mainstream type listeners. There are hardly any other musicians alive that can leave as huge of an impact as this, and I believe that's what keeps us coming back.

Flat out, Xiu Xiu is grating, emotional, and profoundly scary music. It's drowning in a sea of blaring synths, homoerotic overtones, and searing emotion. Xiu Xiu is like Joy Division set to 11, with Ian Curtis a standup comedian, and a vibrating dildo in a mason jar as percussion (true story, about the percussion.) Xiu Xiu is a rewarding musical experience - behind the spectacle there's some fabulously well-crafted melodies. And throughout from spartan acoustic strumming to screaming synthesizer and harmonium, there's the sincerest, rawest feeling you'll find in music. Jamie Stewart means it when he says what he says.

A little over the top of a review title? Well, if you've listened to Xiu Xiu (especially the previous releases) you'll feel the same way too.

It seems like Jamie Stewart has taken everything from his other albums and comes incredibly close to a perfect amalgamation of everything the previous songs seem to cover. Unusual percussion? Check. Electronic beats and rhythm? Check. Using noise and sound in a different, often strange and wonderful, ways. Check. Beautiful melodies lurking beneath a sometimes noisy surface? Check. And of course, lyrics and voice that plumb emotional heights and depths that are scarcely found in any music? Check.

Before you think that it is merely a retread and nothing new has been created, it is far more than that. This album takes each of these known elements and creates something fresh and new. With a definate slant towards more "pop song" structures, they are used merely as a framework to work with what he knows and does well. Some of the songs might be more hummable, but all of the passion and ingenuity remain intact.

Each song seems to have a life of its own. "Crank Heart" moves with full electronic furvor. "Support Our Troops" creates an art space, not merely a song. I commented to a friend that the song "Beautiful Muscles" shows incredible beauty and supreme ugliness in one precise stroke. This version of "Nieces Pieces" shows how the same song arranged completely different can change the emotional impact of it. And "Clowne Towne" seems like the perfect combination of everything Xiu Xiu fans have grown to love about the music. Also, where as in the past other Xiu Xiu albums seemed to be a collection of songs, this feels like a cohesive "album;" meant to be together.

I was expecting a lot from this album and it delivered far beyond what I hoped. Dare I say this is the album that will expose Xiu Xiu to a broader audience? I hope so.

all corny review titles aside, this record is the best of the year so far and is sure to (at least) make it in my top 5. FM is the best record xiu xiu has released. it is probably the most accessible xiu xiu record while also being their most uncoventional. Jamie Stewart doesn't rely so much on strange instrumentation and noise to freak you out. instead, he creates an uneasy atmosphere throughout the record. there are a few points that remind me of A promise: crank heart has a little bit of the apistat commander vibe and brian the vampire is in the same vein as pink city. this is the most consistent xiu xiu release yet no low points or slip ups, just a fine, fine record. keep up the great work Mr. Stewart.

track list 1. Crank heart (fav track) 2. i luv the valley OH! (fav track) 3. bunny gamer 4. little Panda McElroy 5. Support our troops 6. fabulous muscles (fav track) 7. brian the vampire (fav track) 8. nieces pieces 9. clowne towne 10. mike

this album is unique, haunting, well made, and perhaps even dangerous. and best as a whole. i've never called music dangerous before, but this album/group is like a possibly lethal drug - if you can figure out how to use it, it's amazing...if not, you'll have a horribly frightening experience. now that i understand xiu xiu, i feel like i have to be careful with it. i can't give it to just anyone and i can't overuse it (i listen to it as a whole no more than once a week).

if you want something more out of music in general, get this album. listen to it on headphones. if you're at all unsure about it, listen to it drunk.

Xiu Xiu has always been one of those unclassifiable bands. One can never tell what exactly is going on. Xiu Xiu has always been a group but it's also sort of like a solo project by Jamie Stewart. Many of the band members refuse to play in the live show. Some of the early audiences must have been really upset and shocked. Some of the previous albums have been really strange too. Some of the emotional states have been naked and raw. It's like watching someone crumble before your eyes. Even though Fabulous Muscles brings together some of the strangest stories on record, it is also their most accessible album. "Crank Heart" and "I Love The Valley" have the most pop oriented sound. The song "Fabulous Muscles" was probably the most effective live song on their recent tour. It's sort of inspired by the band's secret Tracy Chapman influence. "Support Our Troops" is the most wild, spoken word piece, describing human brutality. "Clown Town" catalogues life's shortcomings. This is a wonderful album that means something.

Compared to this record, the world seems insincere. Everyone is fake. We hold onto threads of civilization in the face of tragedy, incapable of fully embracing the emotions which define us, unwilling to follow our innermost thoughts to their full, terrifying ends.

On Fabulous Muscles, Jamie Stewart and Co. rip the bandage off our cultural insincerity, creating an experience not be missed. It is universal, personal, painful and necesarry. Simply put, Xiu Xiu are as disconcerting as they are essential.

Case in point: the title track, "Fabulous Muscles." Beginning, with a delicate nylon stringed guitar figure, the song is immediately grabbing. Musically, the subsequent 4 minutes will be filled almost exclusively with two chords. They will float in and out of time. Accents will fall randomly while remaining true to the emotional timbre of the song. Eventually, variations will be added, and other tonalities will become apparent. Throughout, you will be aware that, in these two chords, you have been provided with all you could ever need. After about twenty seconds, the lyrics begin,

"Break my face in, it was the kindest touch you ever gave. Wrap my dreams around your thighs, and drape my hopes upon the chance to touch your arm."

If you are listening in a group situation, Jamie Stewart's overwrought delivery will be amusing. If you are listening by yourself, you will be taken aback by the honesty of the delivery and deceptive simplicity of the words. At any rate, your mind will be active; however, before you're quite sure what to think, the chorus begins:

"Cremate me after you cum on my lips, honey boy. Place my ashes in a vase beneath your workout bench."

Either you and your budies are now laughing, wondering if you really just heard what you thought, or you are now near the point of tears, heart broken as you place yourself inside the naked verse. At some level, everyone has been there. Xiu Xiu know this, and they articulate it perfectly. Never has the sense of completeness that accompanies sexual release been presented as it is here. In the beauty of the guitar, we finds creation. In the honesty of the voice lies destruction. Death and sex are brought together, comfort zones are shattered, art is created.

In 20 years, Xiu Xiu will be looked back on as a turning point: proto-everything worthwhile to come.

Yes, most experimental rock is noisy pretentious drivel, and just because something sounds weird doesn't make it artistic or deep. What really sets Xiu Xiu apart from the rest is the intensity of emotion on behalf of the singer. There is such sympathy and pain in the his voice, and it combines with the strange instrumentation to create an album that truly captures how alien it feels when one is lost and alone and terrible things happen... These parts of life aren't pretty, or danceable, or accessible to the general population of happy people, and neither is this music. Any musical ugliness on this CD has a purpose. This is what experimental rock SHOULD be.

Though I must admit, some of the tracks are SO out there that even the most open-minded listener might have a hard time getting into them (more so on their earlier CDs!). However, others are melodic and actually catchy in a unique sort of way that lets one get completely lost in their unfamiliar, yet poignant, atmosphere.

Yet, despite the feelings in these songs of loss and sadness and lives falling to pieces, the empathy in the singer's voice makes the album comforting rather than depressing. Anyone can make a depressing album, but to make one that comforts takes a very special talent and personality.

This is not an album to miss... You might hate it, but if you are able to get lost in the music, there's so much depth. This is the sort of album that, if you like it, you love it and listen to it over and over. I have nothing but praise for Xiu Xiu, who combine experiment and emotion brilliantly and create a whole new world of feeling in their music.