Xiu Xiu – Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu, Vol. 1: The instrumentation on “Psycho Killer” adds an unhinged energy that surpasses the original, and “I Put a Spell on You” builds on the frenzied insanity of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ version. I’m not sure if I like the cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” but it brings a different perspective to the song that I’m glad I heard. The high point is their version of Daniel Johnston’s “Some Things Last a Long Time.” Unfortunately, the record has a lot of low points (“Hamburger Lady” and “Sex Dwarf” to name a few), but those speak more to the fact that I don’t particularly like Xiu Xiu’s approach to noisy experimentation.
Xiu Xiu – Girl with Basket of Fruit | Dear God, I Hate Myself: Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu was compelling enough that I decided to dig into the most polarized sides of Xiu Xiu. I started with Girl and was immediately bored in the same way that I used to be bored by experimental New York bands who loved early Nick Cave. Girl feels like a smart and interesting guy at a party who turns out to be an oppressive asshole. I hoped Dear God would be the yin to Girl’s yang, but it’s just the same asshole when he’s drunk and tired.
Mitski – The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We: I cleansed my palate after Xiu Xiu with The Land, and it made me realize how much I like Mitski’s approach to experimentation. To repurpose an old Steve Albini quote, anybody can experiment, but it’s a good trick to make experimentation that doesn’t sound like experimentation at all.
Courtney Marie Andrews – Valentine: I appreciate how interesting some of the vocals and arrangements are, such as the solo-that’s-not-a-solo on “Pendulum Swing” and the elongated outro on “Little Picture of a Butterfly,” but the album falls flat for me. If I’d written about this back when I was reviewing a couple records a week, I would’ve listened to it 5 or 6 times, researched Andrews, wrote a 3.5-star review highlighting the album’s strengths, and never listened to it again. Now, I’m just jumping to the last step.
Mount Eerie – A Crow Looked at Me: I love Phil Elverum’s vulnerability in writing this and I love that he shared his grief, but I wish he’d written a book instead of an album. For me, the song structures are boring and the words make beautiful prose but terrible lyrics.
Madison Beer – Locket: On first pass, the record is good but unremarkable. “For the Night” stands out for its sultry but desperate late-night need, but it’s the only song that made me stop and pay attention. That’s exactly how Gracie Abrams landed with me the first time I listened to her, though, and I’m not sure I listened to another artist more during 2025. TBD if anything on Locket changes my first impression.
Jana Horn – Jana Horn: Each time Jana Horn started, it was a breath of clean, fresh air. It’s unusual that I have such a low success rate with so many new (or new-to-me) records in one week, and this brought me back to center every time I played it. It’s beautiful.
IDK – e.t.d.s.: From the opening prison phone call and the relentless groove of “Halo,” e.t.d.s. has a lot to love. It’s one of my favorite kinds of records: thematic without devolving into the bloat of a concept album, and it’s accompanied by what appears to be a ridiculously comprehensive website. The record looks at IDK’s 15-year prison sentence and ponders what would have happened if he’d served the full term. I don’t love everything about it but the good stuff is really, really good.
Tidal Upload Headliners: This week presented two reasons to celebrate the $11 I give to Tidal every month. First, I couldn’t have listened to Xiu Xiu on Spotify because the band pulled their music from the platform. Second, although I appreciate the role of record labels, I appreciate independent music and I love that Tidal paid $1M to 10 independent artists and featured their songs. The songs are all solid but mostly don’t do much for me, though “Swans” by Nnena is a standout.
Grateful Dead – 10/30/73 (St. Louis, MO): I spent all day Saturday preparing for a major snow- and ice-storm and my nerves were frayed. Nothing settles frayed nerves like the Dead. As soon as this slow and trippy version of “Here Comes Sunshine” started playing, my stress lifted and I knew the sun would start shining again on the other side of this storm.
Old friends who made it into rotation this week: Daniel Avery: Ultra Truth; HAAi: HUMANiSE