2014-03-16
Angel Guts: Red Classroom, the ninth release from Xiu Xiu, opens and closes with quiet electronics and the haunting sound of the wind. In between, Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiu's main man, breaths his muddy vocals over sludgy synths. With lyrics featuring vulgar language and disturbing themes (suicide, sexual experimentation, sadomasochism, violence), one might think this is all too serious. Then, one listens to "Black Dick" or "El Naco" and one can't help but to laugh. Is this a put on? Is Xiu Xiu, after twelve years as a band, just trying to be shocking for the sake of being shocking? That kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? Angel Guts is a little "much" for me to want to listen to over and over. Even so, I find this album to be bizarre and bleak and darkly compelling. Rebecca Ruth
THE ESSEX GREEN
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THE BIRD AND THE BEE
Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future
KEVIN GORDON
Gloryland
Shelby Lynne
Identity Crisis
The Buttertones
Gravedigging
Camera Obscura
Let's Get Out Of This Country
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