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XIU XIU’S DEAR GOD, I HATE MYSELF DETAILS REVEALED
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Dear God, I Hate Myself
(Kill Rock Stars)
Release date: February 23, 2010
Track list:
1. Gray Death
2. Chocolate Makes You Happy
3. Apple for a Brain
4. House Sparrow
5. Hyunhye’s Theme
6. Dear God, I Hate Myself
7. Secret Motel
8. Falkland Rd.
9. The Fabrizio Palumbo Retaliation
10. Cumberland Gap
11. This Too Shall Pass Away (for Freddy)
12. Impossible Feeling
Read almost any piece about Xiu Xiu and you’ll see words like ‘harsh’ or ‘brutal’ — the same words that appear before ‘truth’ when an unwavering eye is turned on any intimate detail of our lives. Fair descriptions of the themes central to the music, they sit incongruous to the refined, intricate, and beautiful approach taken in crafting the twelve tracks on Xiu Xiu’s new album Dear God, I Hate Myself.
The two biggest constants throughout Xiu Xiu’s catalog are honesty and evolution. This remains true with Dear God, I Hate Myself as it delivers a look at responsibility, fear, healing, and societal roles wrapped in rich gothic pop music. The sound is still distinctly Xiu Xiu, but Jamie Stewart’s vocals are finally effortless paired with vibrant melodies full of subtlety and the distinct sonic accents expected of this anticipated Xiu Xiu release. The result is a record that proves that art can be pop and pop can challenge you to look inside yourself.
Stewart is joined by new full-time band member Angela Seo on piano, synth, and drum programming; with production handled by Jamie and Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier. Together they’ve crafted a fully grown sound for Dear God, I Hate Myself with elements from goth and pop that are expertly performed by a crop of brilliant musicians. Saunier himself plays on much of the record as does Ches Smith (John Zorn, Terry Riley, Marc Ribot) who supplies timpani, conga and moog along with a broad range of other instrumentation. Deerhoof’s John Dieterich is all over a rendition of the traditional folk song “Cumberland Gap” and Xiu Xiu is even joined by the Immaculata Catholic School Orchestra in Stewart’s ode to heartbreak and healing, “This Too Shall Pass Away (for Freddy).” The title track, one of four songs done primarily on a Nintendo DS, explores the relationship between faith and despair with a layer of commentary provided by the bizarre sounds of the music itself.
Each new Xiu Xiu release has evolved alongside the lives of Jamie Stewart and company. On this record you’ll find more intensity and introspection than ever before, but sonically and lyrically it continues to move forward with a subtly new perspective — hyper-focussed yet aware of a larger, external picture unfolding. The pace of the record grips you, the music offers layers of detail, and the themes focus on not just the past or stark present but hint towards vespers of the future as well. Dear God, I Hate Myself will challenge you and force you to look inside yourself, but only after you get lost in the music. It’s passionate, it’s energetic, and it affects you.
Dear God, I Hate Myself is a beautiful piece of humanist art. It’s an important addition to the growing body of intelligent music from Xiu Xiu. And it’s a brilliant gothic pop record that can stand next to anything.
for more on xiu xiu, check their artist page
While not exactly a Demo of the Week type of band* Talk Normal are still pretty unknown so I thought I would link to them today since the are on tour. According to myspace they are:
\x0aANDRYA AMBRO
SARAH REGISTER
check out their video for In a Strange Lan
\x0a*they have recently released a full length on rare book room records
\x0aso far one of the Demo of the Week rules has been a group can only have 7”s or a self-release out in order to qualify, but really we aren’t super strict about this stuff…really the only difference is we don’t contact the band directly or offer a free mp3.
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Talk Normal-In A Strangeland
\x0aThao Nguyen’s Wallow-worthy Breakup Mix
\x0a1. Karen Dalton “Just a Little Bit of Rain”
2. Prince “When You Were Mine”
3. Jackson 5 “Who’s Loving You”
4. Lucinda Williams “I Envy the Wind”
5. Karen Dalton “Something’s on Your Mind”
6. Magnetic Fields “The One You Really Love”
7. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles “You Really Got a Hold on Me”
8. Songs: Ohia “Just Be Simple”
9. Neil Young “Harvest”
10. Cowboy Junkies “Blue Moon Revisited”
check out the latest by Thao here
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\x0aLimited Edition Self-Released CDR by Viv Albertine, legendary innovative guitarist and original member of The Slits.
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\x0a \x0a \x0a Xiu Xiu-Dear God ,I hate Myself cover art debuted today
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\x0a \x0a \x0a Record of the Day: Jean Smith-Jean Smith CD
\x0acheck out what Jean Smith from Mecca Normal has to say about Surviving The Underground today on NPR’s Montitor Mix (Carrie Brownstein)
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\x0a \x0a \x0a Carrie Brownstein’s Monitor Mix features a round table discussion with indie labels today; Maggie & Portia represent Kill Rock Stars
\x0aKRS491T Deerhoof - Dayglo Dog T
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KRS406T Deerhoof - Deerhoof Milk Man T

KRS298T Bikini Kill - The Singles - Black on White T
KRS298T2 Bikini Kill - The Singles-Black on Red T