Xiu Xiu - “Xiu Mutha F—in’ Xiu: Vol. 1”
Xiu Xiu have always worn their influences on their sleeves. In the case of their first album, Knife Play, quite literally: The album artwork included a sticker that read “When my mom died I listened to Henry Cowell, Joy Division, Detroit techno, the Smiths, Takemitsu, Sabbath, Gamelan, Black Angels and Cecil Taylor.” This reverence continued through subsequent homages: a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” an album of Nina Simone interpretations, and, of course, their David Lynch homage Xiu Xiu Plays The Music of Twin Peaks.
