XIU XIU

Angel Guts: Red Classroom

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  

Quick Links:

More reviews tagged #Rock

  • reviewed 09/2005

    Whitley, Chris
    Soft Dangerous Shores

  • reviewed 06/2011

    FOSTER THE PEOPLE
    Torches

  • reviewed 10/2006

    Robyn Hitchcock
    Ole! Tarantula

  • reviewed 06/2006

    POTATOE BABIES
    The ‘Festival’ Compilation (a.k.a. the Masturbation Compilation)

  • reviewed 11/2013

    Aloa Input
    Anysome

  • reviewed 02/2009

    VAN MORRISON
    LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

Compiled by the WYCE Journalism Club

The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.