Xiu Xiu

Listening to Xiu Xiu is not like putting on a Gram Parsons CD and bellowing along to "In My Hour of Darkness" or "Cash on the Barrelhead." (As much as I love that ole' dope-smoking, faux-country bastard, one must admit that one can do one's hair up with poetry or write a paper or be otherwise engaged whilst listening to Gram 'n Emmylou.) Bands like Xiu Xiu are a bit less accessible, though no less beautiful, but one thing to be said about them is that they command attention.

For those of you unawares, it's experimental, sparsely-arranged pop in the vein of Deerhoof or Mount Eerie. Some of these tracks manage to be catchy and oddly memorable despite their lack of typical song structure and arrangements, especially "Hello from Eau Claire." Here's a few tracks from their recent release, The Air Force.

Buzz Saw
Hello from Eau Claire
Save Me