Named after 1998’s Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (directed by Twin Peaks’ Joan Chen), San Jose, California trio Xiu Xiu have an astonishing fifteen full-length records to their name, of which Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1 (Polyvinyl Records) is the latest.
The band’s aforementioned latest is not the first time Xiu Xiu have explored covers (New Order’s “Ceremony”, tribute albums 2013’s Nina, and 2016’s Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks) can testify to that. The band play a multitude of styles which can be broadly grouped under the ‘experimental’ umbrella tag, and it will therefore be intriguing to hear their take on this collection of more contemporary, obscure, and much-loved classic tracks.
First is Talking Heads nervy New Wave gem “Psycho Killer,” the vocals sounding similar to that of David Byrne, but with the use of sixties’ Nuggets-esque Garage-Rock to give it a retro sinister edge, and one which truly lives up to the title. The Normal’s “Warm Leatherette” was already haunting due its minimalist starkness, but this is ramped up yet further; the post-Kraftwerk vibes make the listener believe they are in 1978 again, utterly convincing. Screaming Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell On You” is rendered unrecognisable, the use of horns giving it a touch of Roxy Music glamour but with smatterings of abrasive Noise-Rock injected. The preceding tracks were great; this is stunning.
Truth be told, covers of Throbbing Gristle’s work were always a little more enjoyable than the originals themselves as evidenced by the Melvins back in 2023 and here with “Hamburger Lady”. Except American spoken word vocals taking the place of the original British, the outright abstract weirdness remains solidly in place. One can’t hear Roy Orbison’s “In Dreams’ without thinking of Blue Velvet, and its use in that film is the vibe one gets here, albeit with a darker Alan Vega twist, who himself was influenced by Orbison, breathtakingly beautiful. The sleaziness of Soft Cell’s “Sex Dwarf” is retained, but musically its given a much heavier 2026 pounding Industrial/EBM makeover, one for the Goth clubs fo’ sure. Robyn’s Electro/Synthpop-infused “Dancing on my Own” is given a moodier twist, rendering it far more sonically satisfying. This Heat were never the easiest of post-Punk outfits to embrace so it was with some relief that one of their more “accessible” tunes “S.P.Q.R.” was featured on the record. The tribal beats and overall apocalyptic subject matter are sadly appropriate for the present day. The sexually explicit “Lick or Sum” by GloRilla, is transformed into something a little classier and chillier in the vein of John Foxx’s “Underpass” making it a good deal more palatable.
The trio’s take on Daniel Johnson’s “Some Things Last a Long Time” is divine, the pure emotion in Jamie Stewart’s vocals melting the stoniest of hearts, while the lush Synths add to the effect.“Triple Sun” from The Age of Naples, Coil’s final record, was Peter Christopherson’s tribute to his late partner/collaborator John Balance. The track seems less muted, with the vocals particularly more prominent. After two relatively downbeat numbers, the album concludes on a much more fun note with The Runaways proto-punk anthem “Cherry Bomb.” The Guitars are absent, but the sense of teenage exuberance and rebellion is still omnipresent.
Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1 works as it shines fresh light on artists you may have exhaustively listened to, as well as exposing those who may have slipped under the radar.
Buy the album here:
https://xiuxiu.bandcamp.com/album/xiu-mutha-fuckin-xiu-vol-1
8 / 10
REZA MILLS
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