Xiu Xiu : Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1
Cover albums can be hit or miss unless the band doing them is adventurous enough, as Xiu Xiu has proven with their own forays into other artists’ works including Nina Simone and Angelo Badalamenti. Known for their avant-garde take on lo-fi, electro-infused post-punk, they honor the 12 songs presented here, even amid the weirdness they force it to conform to. This is perhaps best heard in the opening track, their cover of the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer,” a suitable choice for Jamie Stewart’s unique voice, effectively capturing the anxiety that David Byrne does in the 1977 original. Things get weirder with “Warm Leatherette,” originally performed by The Normal and given greater prominence by Grace Jones not long thereafter, a song already on the fringes when it first emerged in the 1970s. Some songs, like Glorilla’s “Lick or Sum,“ the band actually build into something entirely new, but when in collision with other shades of weird, they at least create something that sounds like a Xiu Xiu song.
Xiu Xiu convey the concept Screamin’ Jay Hawkins put forth with “I Put a Spell on You” before building it into a John Zorn-like jazz chaos. When the group takes on Throbbing Gristle’s “Hamburger Lady,” the result is as expected, as shades of weird turn more abrasive with dissonant ambiance. Stewart channels his inner Roy Orbison for “In Dreams,” which forces him to lean into his falsetto, a case wherein if you love the original artist, then it might make you appreciate what they are doing here more. Soft Cell’s “Sex Dwarf,” however, feels more like something they decided to make it their own
The band give Robyn’s “Dancing on my Own” the type of treatment you might hope their interpretation would: darker and more depressing than the brighter 21st century pop it originated from. With This Heat’s “SPQR,” they tap into a different mood of punk that I appreciate. A Daniel Johnston cover makes perfect sense for Xiu Xiu, meanwhile—another artist on the fringes with a cult following—as they take on “Some Things Last a Long Time,” carrying an even more melancholy atmosphere here.
Xiu Xiu’s cover of the Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” was the lead single for Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1. It’s not a drastic departure, though there are more synths than guitars applied to it, stripping some of the proto-punk rock ‘n’ roll roar of the original, but still upholding its vibe. But like the rest of the selections on the album, Xiu Xiu’s take grows on you by capturing the necessary mood while staying true to who they are. And that’s the most important quality any artist can bring to a song, whether they wrote it or not.
Label: Polyvinyl
Year: 2025
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Xiu Xiu : Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu Vol. 1
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