Rusty’s Pandora Box: Xiu Xiu, City and Colour and Fort Minor

By: Rustycat | in: Music |

I love listening to some random station on Pandora from time to time. Usually I enter a famous artist to get the ball rolling, but only recently have I started adding lo-fi indie bands. I found myself discovering amazing artists in the process.
So here’s a quick rundown of my latest discoveries. I know these albums have been around for a while, but they definitely deserve a second shout:

Xiu Xiu – the Air Force (2006)
Taking their name from the 1998 Chinese film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, Xiu Xiu released their first album, Knife Play in 2002. Since then they’ve collaborated with many indie bands and even released a 10″ collaboration with Deerhoof.
The band has been linked in many articles to 70’s and 80’s bands including The Cure, but to me it’s reminiscent of one of my favorite 80’s/90’s band -Type O’ Negative. They were a bit heavier on the riffs, but if you add some Bjork sounding melodies, ad dash of electro and a touch of psychedelia, you’d get Xiu Xiu.
Their latest album, The Air Force is an asset to all you 80’s electro indie fans. Listen to ‘P.J. In The Street’ it’s the calmest song on the album.

City and Colour – Sometimes (2005)
Either I’ve gone soft with age or this guy is fantastic. It’s borderline acoustic rock/blues with soft smooth melodies, a great vocal repertoire and a smooth clean sound. He reminds me of Tom McRae (great singer) and Damien Rice.
City and Colour is the solo acoustic album of Dallas Green who was part of the Canadian post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. Dallas scored some good reviews with City and Colour’s second release, Sometimes. The album isn’t the best thing I’ve heard, but it has its high points. The single ‘Comin Home’ is definitely “Song of the Week” material.

Fort Minor – The Rising Tied (2005)
And now for something completely different..
I’m a big Rap fan, but it’s hard to find a good album that really get you going. Fort Minor is the side project for Linkin Park’s rapper and in-house producer, Mike Shinoda. Mike put together this project with some of the industry’s best. With a “big sound” and as executive producer, Jay-Z puts it, “Mike delivers a precisely arranged rap album you can easily relate to that he can safely call his own”. All you old schoolers out there that loved to listen to House of Pain, Dr. Dre, Tupac and the rest of the gang back in the day, I think you’ll really take to this.
You probably know the single out all over MTV, ‘Remember’. Check out the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ppeCdRwhk

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Posted on April 11, 2007

Comments

7 Responses to “Rusty’s Pandora Box: Xiu Xiu, City and Colour and Fort Minor”

Charbarred on April 11th, 2007 2:48 am

City and Colour borders on cheesy Dashboard Confessional emo, but still a great tune.
The Fort Minor song is actually quite refreshing.

Kendall on April 11th, 2007 5:19 am

I will have to listen to Fort Minor further, that’s the only song I’ve heard by them.

DThompson on April 11th, 2007 9:36 am

Is ALL of Xiu Xiu’s stuff like that?

mozzer on April 11th, 2007 9:57 am

Never paid attention to Xiu Xiu until now. I’m loving that track!

Rustycat on April 11th, 2007 11:34 am

Xiu Xiu’s have an acoustic album from what I gather, which sounds amazing:
“Life & Live is a unique acoustic album, recorded live with Devendra Banhart while on tour together. Some of the albums Influences include British pop, post-punk, techno beats, gamelan, improv, and modern classical music. 15 tracks. Xeng. 2005.”
Life & Live
They’re other stuf is more psychadelic but still…good.

Charbarred on April 11th, 2007 11:52 am

Yeah, I’ve written Xiu Xiu off a while back. It’s weird, this song is really great, but when I go back to the album, all the songs are like that. I guess it’s all about context. I’m going to give their album another chance.

And don’t think you’re off the hook Rusty, you still have to come up with a killer Song of the Week

Tricia on April 18th, 2007 9:31 am

city and colour i love them and there song save your scissors ! there and awesome band .and fort minor is good to exept i don’t like where’d you go that song sucks ,, no offense or anything ! but there still great!