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 03/2011

    THE DODOS
    No Color

  • reviewed 11/2012

    EL PERRO DEL MAR
    Pale Fire

  • reviewed 01/2011

    FUJIYA & MIYAGI
    Ventriloquizzing

  • reviewed 04/2006

    Bill Madden
    Gone

  • reviewed 05/2007

    MARIA MCKEE
    Late December

  • reviewed 08/2006

    Jennifer O’Connor
    Over The Mountain, Across The Valley & Back To The Stars

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.