Xiu Xiu

Xiu Xiu
Xiu Xiu in 2010
Background information
Origin	San Jose, California
Genres	Art rock, experimental rock, noise pop, experimental
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Polyvinyl Records Upset The Rhythm Bella Union Records 5 Rue Christine Absolutely Kosher Free Porcupine Society Kill Rock Stars
Associated acts	Former Ghosts, Deerhoof, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle, Larsen, Blue Water White Death, Good For Cows, Cold Cave, Oxbow, Grouper, High Places, Evangelista, The Paper Chase, Yellow Swans, Kid 606, Sole, Nitzer Ebb, John Zorn, Zola Jesus, Swans, Merzbow
Website	Official Site
Members	Jamie Stewart Angela Seo Shayna Dunkelman Thor Harris
Past members	Caralee McElroy Cory McCulloch Lauren Andrews Yvonne Chen Jherek Bischoff Ches Smith Greg Saunier Devin Hoff

Xiu Xiu /ˈʃuːʃuː/ is an American experimental group originally from San Jose, California. The band was formed by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart, who has been its only constant member since its inception. As of 2009, his bandmate has been Angela Seo.

Jamie Stewart formed Xiu Xiu in 2002 after his previous band, Ten in the Swear Jar, disbanded. Stewart and Cory McCullough continued from the previous group, and were joined by Yvonne Chen and Lauren Andrews. The band's sound was characterized by its use of indigenous instruments and programmed drums in place of traditional rock instruments: harmonium, mandolin, brass bells, gongs, keyboards, and a cross between a guitarrón mexicano and a cello for bass. The band's name comes from the film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl. In Stewart's description, the film's theme is that of no resolution—that awful things happen to the protagonist throughout the film and she dies at the end. 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.

He later added that the band was a product of San Jose pirate radio stations that played house, hi-NRG, freestyle, and techno, which Stewart considered unpretentious, plain, heartbroken, clear, and based around dancing away sadness. He said he wrote his first Xiu Xiu song after leaving a San Jose dance club alone on a Christmas night: "Xiu Xiu came from feeling stupid and lonely and then wanting to dance it away, but having the club and its music only magnify that stupid and lonely feeling." At the time of A Promise, Stewart said that he was influenced by gamelan and Japanese and Korean folk music, and had been listening to contemporary classical and "gay dance music".

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