Fabulous Muscles

Product Description
The central theme of this CD is about negative dominance politically, sexually, and emotionally, despite the space of a new, hopeful relationship. Musically, there's less of a dance influence and more of a pop and academic/experimental influence. It's Xiu Xiu's most experimental record, yet it's their most delicate and accessible.

Fabulous Muscles,Xiu Xiu,5 Rue Christine,Experimental Rock,Indie Rock,Pop,Post-Rock/Experimental,Rock,Rock/Pop,United States of America

Fabulous Muscles

Average customer rating:

Involving and deeply touching.
A very unique and interesting art rock album which isn't for everyone - only genre fans will like it a lot - 4.5 stars
Another "worst ever" Review
I Luv It OH!
fabulous!!

Fabulous Muscles
Xiu Xiu
Manufacturer: 5 Rue Christine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Indie Rock | Indie & Lo-Fi | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Experimental Music | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00019JQ5A
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Tracks:

Crank Heart
I Luv The Valley OH!
Bunny Gamer (b)
Little Panda McElroy (b)
Support Our Troops OH! (Black Angels OH!)
Fabulous Muscles (Mama Black Widow Version)
Brian The Vampire
Nieces Pieces (Boat Knife Version)
Clowne Towne
Mike

Album Description

The central theme of this CD is about negative dominance politically, sexually, and emotionally, despite the space of a new, hopeful relationship. Musically, there's less of a dance influence and more of a pop and academic/experimental influence. It's Xiu Xiu's most experimental record, yet it's their most delicate and accessible.

Customer Reviews:

Involving and deeply touching........2007-04-16

Yes, most experimental rock is noisy pretentious drivel, and just because something sounds weird doesn't make it artistic or deep. What really sets Xiu Xiu apart from the rest is the intensity of emotion on behalf of the singer. There is such sympathy and pain in the his voice, and it combines with the strange instrumentation to create an album that truly captures how alien it feels when one is lost and alone and terrible things happen... These parts of life aren't pretty, or danceable, or accessible to the general population of happy people, and neither is this music. Any musical ugliness on this CD has a purpose. This is what experimental rock SHOULD be.

Though I must admit, some of the tracks are SO out there that even the most open-minded listener might have a hard time getting into them (more so on their earlier CDs!). However, others are melodic and actually catchy in a unique sort of way that lets one get completely lost in their unfamiliar, yet poignant, atmosphere.

Yet, despite the feelings in these songs of loss and sadness and lives falling to pieces, the empathy in the singer's voice makes the album comforting rather than depressing. Anyone can make a depressing album, but to make one that comforts takes a very special talent and personality.

This is not an album to miss... You might hate it, but if you are able to get lost in the music, there's so much depth. This is the sort of album that, if you like it, you love it and listen to it over and over. I have nothing but praise for Xiu Xiu, who combine experiment and emotion brilliantly and create a whole new world of feeling in their music.

A very unique and interesting art rock album which isn't for everyone - only genre fans will like it a lot - 4.5 stars.......2006-01-05

Xiu Xiu is essentially an art rock band - if you don't like radical new ideas you probably won't enjoy this (it's most certainly a required taste). With that aside, however, this is indeed a very interesting album. Jamie Stewart's singing style isn't for everyone but to those with an open mind it's pretty unique - in a lot of the songs he sounds like he's crazy ("I Luv the Valley OH!" especially. I like how he dares to try and be different). There are no bad songs here if you can get into the style, and this most certainly helps the album. All of the songs are good if not excellent (and weird!). The lyrics are pretty hard to make out most of the time ("Support Our Troops" is one exception - this is one messed up song), and even if you can they're pretty nonsensical most of the time. It's great that there's another band who dares to try something different (and mostly succeeds at it). ONLY art and indie rock fans will be intrigued by this album. Highly recommended for genre fans!

Highlights include:
the entire album!

Another "worst ever" Review.......2005-12-15

"Acquiring a taste" for Xiu Xiu requires a concious and ridiculously self-absorbed decision. I consider myself a music snob and pretty pompous, and it blows me away how amazingly overwrought, pretentious and devoid of musical appeal this album is - it truly blew me away in that respect.

My only hope is that Xiu Xiu is in fact comprised secretly of reviewers from Pitchfork Media, with the goal of playing the biggest joke on music criticism since The Streets.

Really...it's a shame. This album will defeat your hopes for modern music. Delusional Art School "artiste" morons and teenage quasi-intellectuals ONLY.

I Luv It OH!.......2005-11-01

I was introduced to Xiu Xiu by a friend this way so this is how im going to introduce you to him if you dont know who the band is. Its mainly the works of Jaime Stewart who is a homosexual Japaneise musical genius...And he really...really is...I cant even explain, but I'll try to because I AM writing a reveiw you know....
The album starts off with catchy electronic sounds and beats which is a wondeful start to the album. But dont think for a second because the album goes in different directions on almost every song. Which in the case of this album is a good thing. After the first song "Crank Heart" you are followed by a guitar driven song called "I Luv The Valley OH!" which is absolutly breathtaking. The title of the song gets me alone and just listening to the scremed OH! in the middle of the second verse knocks me on my back.
The next two songs are "Bunny Gamer" and "Little Panda McElroy" which are potentionally weaker songs on the album even though they are still fantastic. Dont let that get you down about the album though because its followed by "Support Our Troops OH!". The song is basically random noise and instruments with very graphic lyrics (but pretty true and called for) about the war in Iraq. After the disturbing lyrics you are hit wuth a very soft, quiet guitar and very strong...but...sexual lyrics proving the point that Jamie Stewart is indeed very comfortable with being homosexuality. The song "Fabulous Muscles" has more energy without having energy at all than any other song that I've heard in my life. nd it has become one of my favorite songs because its beautiful and honest.
The next two songs are "Brian the Vampire" and "Neices Peices" which are not weak but do lack some energy that the other songs have. Do listen to them thouroughly and you will definately enjoy them. "Brian the Vampire" does have a very catchy beat and will grab your attention the moment you start listening to it. "Neices Peices" is very soft, but has very, very good lyrics that you should definately read along to. After this you are aquanted with a more poppy Xiu Xiu with a song called "Clowne Towne". The song "Clowne Towne" is just outrageously good and has terrific lyrics beyond beleif. So many lines in that song hit me even after listening to them multiple...multiple times.
You come to the end of the forty-some minute long album which made me at least feel like ten fifteen minutes tops had gone by. The closing song is "Mike" which is soft and beautiful and hes great lyrics too.
This album is definately one that you should read the lyrics along with. It will just make every verse and chorus mean more and make you enjoy them more. This is one of the best albums I've heard in a long time and I am definately going to get more aquanted with Xiu Xiu soon. So please get this album before anything else and then buy more Xiu Xiu. Or else you'll just be kicking yourself in the butt forever about not picking this up. So get it.
Enjoy OH!

fabulous!!.......2005-07-02

Wait! Chuck those knives and scissors away before reading this. No one here should be held responsible for anyone who is feeling suicidal now. With the highly anticipated release of La Foret due 12th July, it would perhaps be a good idea to do some justice to Fabulous Muscles(the third and latest release of Xiu Xiu since 2003). Though not as psychologically haunting as previous outfits like Knife Pieces and A Promise, Fabulous Muscles still did not fail to deliver what the band has been always good at ---experimentation with sounds.

Fabulous Muscles is a heart-felt, emotional and by far the most accessible record of Xiu Xiu's to date. The album's first-single `I luv the Valley,oh!' features front-man, Jamie Stewart's visceral vocals(One could have imagined him to have gone through a troubled childhood). The catchy melodious hooks from beginning to end, coupled with Jamie's nervous wailing makes `I luv the Valley,oh!' one of the most endearing tracks to listen to. Although the lyrics have some franglais like "Je t'aime the valley", "It's a l'histroic de la FAM.." which made it sound a tad too cheesy, it added sound colour most indefinitely.

Fabulous Muscles is a rare gem. Music boundaries are being pushed and conventions defied. If you have a love for the strange and experimental, I'm glad that your time was not wasted in reading this.

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