Xiu Xiu are people of taste. This is obvious based on their decades of brilliant, provocative musical output, but also based on their selection of covers. Songs like New Order's "Ceremony" and David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure" are sprinkled throughout their catalog, and they've released full-length tributes to Nina Simone and the music of Twin Peaks. And through their Bandcamp subscription service Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu, they've been kicking out even more covers in recent years.
In January, the band is releasing a compilation of those covers under the title Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1. It's got Jamie Stewart and Angela Seo's takes on tracks by the likes of Robyn, GloRilla, Talking Heads, This Heat, Throbbing Gristle, Coil, the Normal/Grace Jones, Soft Cell, Roy Orbison, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. And along with the announcement, they've shared their covers of the Runaways' "Cherry Bomb" and Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time."
A statement from Xiu Xiu:
We have a long history of doing covers and have done 3 albums of covers. The enduring and basic throughline with all of them is an attempt to say thank you to those songs. They are all in one way or another pieces of music that have moved us and exploring them in a deep way is a small honorific offering to the muse that created them. We never approach them thinking "How can we improve these" but really "What can we learn from these?"
Regarding this week's initial offerings, Stewart writes, "Unexpectedly I (forgive this melodramatic admission) cried while singing the Daniel Johnston song. If there ever were a sincere and wounded voice in the world it is his." As for the Runaways cover: "I love Joan Jett and I love being bad and this song is all about both."
Hear those covers below.
TRACKLIST:
SIDE A:
"Psycho Killer" [Talking Heads]
"Warm Leatherette" [The Normal / Grace Jones]
"I Put a Spell on You [Screamin' Jay Hawkins]
"Hamburger Lady" [Throbbing Gristle]
"In Dreams" [Roy Orbison]
"Sex Dwarf" [Soft Cell]
SIDE B:
"Dancing On My Own" [Robyn]
"SPQR" [This Heat]
"Lick Or Sum" [GloRilla]
"Some Things Last A Long Time" [Daniel Johnston]
"Triple Sun" [Coil]
"Cherry Bomb" [The Runaways]
Xiu Mutha Fuckin' Xiu: Vol. 1 is out 1/16 via Polyvinyl. Pre-order it here.
