Int. Night. Music Room. SWd and Barbara have been having a row since mid day. Action: splitting the cds.

SWd: I’ve always known deep inside that we shouldn’t have shared the cds. They are way too important. So, sure you can keep your bloody Calexico albums and let dumb-ass nerds hit on you on e-chats, you biaatch. Ah, ah (laughs), of course you can keep all your Interpol discs, you whore. You know, I’ve got everything Joy Division released. And by the way, take the At the Drive-in’s, you cunt, I’ve got the whole Fugazi discography…. And fucking make sure not to touch every single one of my SONIC YOUTH items with your dirty nail-varnished fingers, douche bag… (seeing the split ep Jim Yoshii / Xiu Xiu) Hmm, hmm. Honey ??

BH: That's a bit pathetic, 24 and already an asshole. Maybe you should take some time and try to listen to things released after 1995, I mean, the members of your favourite bands are all parents now. So much for Rock n Roll. I don't know why it took me so long to leave you, you miserable dick. 

SWd (repressing violently his anger): Well, hmm, yeah, well you know it's... what you think... you know...Age doesn't mean anything when it comes down to music. It's melody that matters... I mean The Strokes could have easily been middle-aged men and maybe they are after all. Their attitude is not particularly inclined to riot or anarchy... They are not Ratm you know and this rock'n'roll wave has quickly become boring... Anyway, let's focus on splitting the cds, so honey, may I keep the 2003 split ep Jim Yoshii/Xiu Xiu, please ??

BH: Actually, no, honey. I know you like JYPU, but I like Xiu Xiu more. I don't owe you anything and i don't want any of your dusty cds. I just want to get my stuff back and that's it. I'm not interested into your stuff, especially since you took control of the musical programming in the flat. Lately all I've been doing is waiting for your leaving so that I could quietly listen to my cds. I don't want to live with someone who decides what I should or shouldn't listen to. I found myself a new boyfriend by the way, just thought i'd let you know.

SWd: Yeah, I guess that since ‘I’ve been gone the offers have been everywhere. You’ve got a million guys just lining up for you. You’ve turned a corner now, your life is ecstasy’, right ?? ‘Oh I must’ve been crazy to have stayed with you. I can’t believe I thought I was in love with you but now the scales have fallen and I can really see and I say go to hell ‘cos that’s where you took me’…

(Thinking: hmm sometimes lyrics really just stick to your mind. I’ve been having too much Lovelife lately….).

Mmh anyway… ok keep this split ep… I’ve never been into Xiu Xiu even if the three spare slow-moving songs are better than their ones overwhelmed with superfluous noise. And JYPU songs are good, especially ‘Seattle’ the fragile piano-driven opener and its moving-out-north-to-find-purity-again-under-the-rain theme but their two last songs seem to be repetitions from previous records. Similar song patterns, similar emotions and atmospheres…bitterness, repressed anger and eventually sadness and nostalgia.

(Thinking: Damn! Even so, I like these songs…’Birthday Cake’ and ‘Xmas Card’. I’ll try to trade it with her for my copy of Ben Lee’s first album which she adores when she’ll be into the next Strokes. She’ll consider it a fair swap).

See, I’m a good sport and I’m sure you’ll hold a grudge against me for that, for no longer arguing over it. I’m sure you’ll be ready to put fire to my birthday cake if you could…and if I had a birthday cake…

BH: Well. I'd love to say that you are wrong, but you did turn my life into a nightmare. My life now is not ecstasy, i'm just enjoying being without you. I'll keep the split, thank you, I would never have given it to you anyway. I'm not a big Jim Yoshii Pile-Up fan, I agree with you about "Seattle", it's definitely their best song on this ep, unfortunately for them it's a cover of a Casiotone for the Painfully Alone song. On the other hand, Xiu Xiu has never sounded this accessible. The songs sound barer and clearer but not as nude as the material released on the very depressing Fag Patrol. "Bunny Gamer" is, according to Stewart, the first love song he's ever written. There's a saxophone playing hide and seek and the song is tight and very emotional. "Fabulous Muscles" is, according to many, Stewart's best song so far, and, even though I'm still loyal to "Apistat Commander", it's very good. It's a story of homosexual sex and murder, more subversive than a thousand original Dirty covers.

Fabulous Muscles / Cremate me after you come on my lips
Place my ashes in a vase / Beneath your work-out bench

Surprisingly enough it's just Stewart and an acoustic guitar. You don't need noise when you got words. "Little Panda Mc Elroy" sounds good and just like the other Xiu Xiu songs on this ep, more listener-friendly and more cohesive. The drone-ish harmonium reminds me of Radiohead's "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and I don't know why, but the harmonium parts in both songs move me. "Nieces Pieces" was on Fag Patrol in a barer version, even though this one is still lightly clothed. A saxophone smoothly underlines each sentence pronounced by Stewart for his niece (read the fag patrol review for lyrics). It sounds delicate and closes this ep in a beautiful way. It's the kind of records that helps me hanging on, with or without you. If you want it, you can find it on www.insound.com or www.absolutelykosher.com, get one before the 1000 copies are sold out, you already have so many things to regret...

SWd: I’ve drowned my regret in beer and music a long time ago darling. Nice monologue by the way. Congratulations. You always end up talking too much you psychic tongue. Keep the cd and just move aside and let me grab my cd boxes which I managed packing when you listened to yourself in case you haven’t noticed. And let me go out and slam the door for good… ………………………………………… ……………………… ……………… … ……………… …….sometimes silence enjoins itself on everyone………… …………… …..POOM.

Conclusion: This split ep is a fine piece and BH and SWd could become second-rate actors for afternoon tv soaps one of these days…

-SEB WOOd & Barbara H

/oct 1st 2003/