Xiu Xiu (SHOO-shoo) is an American experimental rock band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart (the only constant member since formation), Angela Seo, and percussionist David Kendrick.
Xiu Xiu released their first two albums, Knife Play (2002) and A Promise (2003), on 5 Rue Christine to positive critical reception. In-between the two, the EP Chapel of the Chimes was released via Absolutely Kosher. The compilation album Fag Patrol was released shortly after, and their third studio album Fabulous Muscles was released in 2004. La ForĂȘt was released in 2005 after Caralee McElroy joined the group, and The Air Force followed in 2006. 2008's Women as Lovers was released via the main Kill Rock Stars label in 2008, and McElroy departed the group shortly afterwards.
Dear God, I Hate Myself was released in 2010 and was the first Xiu Xiu album to prominently feature longtime member Angela Seo. Following a signing to Polyvinyl and Bella Union, Xiu Xiu released Always (2012) and Angel Guts: Red Classroom (2014). In between those two projects, the group released a Nina Simone tribute project, Nina, in late 2013 via Graveface Records.
Plays the Music of Twin Peaks (2016) followed, an album consisting of covers from the Twin Peaks soundtracks originally as a Record Store Day exclusive release but re-released by Polyvinyl later that year. Forget (2017) and Girl with Basket of Fruit (2019) were released afterwards, and Xiu Xiu released their twelfth album Oh No in 2021. Their thirteenth album, Ignore Grief, was released in March 2023, and their fourteenth, 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips, was released in September 2024.
Members:
Jamie Stewart - production, vocals, percussion, guitar, synthesizers, keyboards, piano, programming, bass, organ, harmonium, viola (2002-present)
Angela Seo - production, vocals, percussion, piano, synthesizers, programming, organ, harmonium (2009-present)
David Kendrick - production, drums, percussion (2022-present)
Former members:
Cory McCulloch - production, bass guitar, mandolin, synthesizers (2002-2009)
Lauren Andrews - synthesizers, keyboards, piano, percussion (2002-2004)
Yvonne Chen - synthesizers, percussion, trumpet (2002-2003)
Caralee McElroy - production, synthesizers, piano, harmonium, percussion, flute, vocals (2004-2009)
Ches Smith - drums, percussion, synthesizers, vocals (2006-2018)
Devin Hoff - double bass, bass guitar, acoustic bass (2008)
Zac Pennington - multi-instrumentalist (2011)
Marc Riordan - percussion (2012)
Shayna Dunkelman - drums, vibraphone, synthesizers, percussion (2012-2017)
Thor Harris - drums, percussion (2019)
Christopher Pravdica - bass (2019)
Name Origin:
The band's name comes from the film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. The band found its first tracks to match the "rotten realness" spirit of the film, "that sometimes life turns out with a worst possible case scenario". Stewart said Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car", which Xiu Xiu covered on A Promise, had a similar theme.
From: San Jose, California, U.S.
Genre(s):
Experimental rock,
art rock,
noise pop,
electronic,
post-punk,
avant-pop,
art pop
Active From: 2002-present
Influences:
Nina Simone,
The Birthday Party,
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark