Pitchfork

[Posted Monday, October 20th, 2003 04:30:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Camp Xiu Xiu is a flurry of activity of late, and Pitchfork has the scoop. As we reported last month, the recording of Xiu Xiu's next album, Fabulous Muscles, is complete and the final product should see release in February 2004. Yes, it will include the stunning title track, which can already be found on a split Ep with fellow San Francisco-area noisemakers The Jim Yoshii Pile-Up. In fact, all four songs from the Jim Yoshii split will be featured in some shape or form on the new release. The record will be put out domestically by 5RC and Free Porcupine Society, and by Tomlab in Japan and Europe. How 'bout that not-totally-finalized tracklist again:

Crank Heart
Bunny Gamer
Brian the Vampire
Clowne Towne
Fabulous Muscles
Nieces Pieces
Mike
Support Our Troops Oh!
I Love the Valley Oh!
Little Panda McElroy

As Xiu Xiu's creative center Jamie Stewart tells us, we can expect three seven-inchers in the next six months, all prefacing the release of Fabulous Muscles. The band will do split singles with both Los Angeles electro-noise outfit This Song Is A Mess But So Am I and with fellow surrealist Devendra Banhart. On the latter, Banhart will cover a song from the forthcoming Xiu Xiu record called "Support Out Troops Oh!" and Xiu Xiu will cover a song called "The Body Breaks," from Banhart's forthcoming record. The third single will consist of a handful of covers, Stewart says, which at the moment include songs by Jimmy Cliff, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and possibly Nico.

As if that wasn't enough, the Xiu Xiu crew is setting out for a November-long U.S. tour which will find them circling the nation. But not before embarking on a whirlwind, week-long tour of Japan with the Japanese boy-girl duo Fonica! Dates:

10-21 Tokyo, Japan - TBA
10-22 Nagoya, Japan - S4 *
10-24 Kyoto, Japan - Independants *
10-25 Tokyo, Japan - Super Deluxe *
11-01 Seattle, WA - Luscious Studios (w/ Mount Eerie)
11-04 Moorhead, MN - Ralph's Corner
11-05 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock
11-06 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
11-07 Bowling Green, OH - TBA
11-08 Bennington, VT - Downstairs Cafe
11-09 Boston, MA - Zeitgeist
11-10 Providence, RI - TBA
11-11 New York, NY - Tonic
11-12 Philadelphia, PA - TBA
11-13 Richmond, VA - Artful Dodger
11-14 Winston-Salem, NC - Project Space 211
11-15 Atlanta, GA - Earl<
11-16 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone
11-17 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
11-18 Austin, TX - Emo's (w/ Ex Models)
11-20 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
11-21 Los Angeles, CA - Smell
11-22 Long Beach, CA - Koo's
11-23 San Jose, CA - Outhouse
11-25 San Francisco, CA - Hemlock

* with Fonica

Finally, a follow-up on the news we reported about departing members Yvonne Chen and Lauren Andrews. The departure, while undoubtedly distressing, wasn't exactly sudden or recent. Stewart cleared it up for us: Lauren Andrews last recorded with Xiu Xiu on the January 2003 recording sessions for "I Love the Valley Oh!" and "Support the Troops Oh!" (but of which appear on the forthcoming album). As for Ms. Chen, she last recorded with the band in August of 2002, on the A Promise track, "Apistat Commander." Regarding the departure, Stewart says, "I was very bummed out at the time. They are both great players, very very creative. But I am happy that they are doing other things that are important to them."