Xiu Xiu have shared a thumping new romp, Rumpus Room ft. Angus Andrew of Liars, the latest single from the duets album ‘OH NO,’ out March 26th via Polyvinyl.
The single release comes with a new video, directed by Xiu Xiu’s Angela Seo, who previously helmed the video for January’s lead single A Bottle of Rum which featured vocals from Liz Harris.
Rumpus Room alternates between rambunctious, crowded bursts of noise and sparse, somewhat eerie moments of suspenseful build up. What starts with a thumping bass line and bizarre, distorted vocals grows to a rowdy chorus, where it sounds like every element, from the drums to the wails of “Rumpus Room!” is trying to outdo the other.
Watch Rumpus Room directed by Angela Seo via YouTube below.
DIY and surreal, the Rumpus Room video which picks up where Bottle of Rum left off. Angela Seo, dressed in cheerleader attire, parades around her living room, indulging in Hot Cheetos and Takis as she gallivants around in boxing gloves and Crocs, less product placement than it is product placebo. Here, the world feels off-kilter, the familiarity of these items juxtaposed against hers and Jamie Stewart’s roughhousing as it takes dark turns.
From Angela: “Does everyone have a deep personal childhood association with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, or just me? One of the first things I shoplifted as a kid was a bag of FHC. I once bet my cousin I could finish an entire Party Size bag in one sitting; I won the bet but lost my sense of taste for a couple days. I was a latchkey kid and would ditch school and often go to the 7-eleven by our apartment, where some 20 year old kid who didn’t give a crap would be working and watch me play their single arcade game- Marvel vs. Capcom – in the corner as long as I bought a slurpee and FHC. Sometimes in my old teenage journals, I find flamin’ red dusted fingerprint smudges among melodramatic poems and fake runaway notes. All that intersected perfectly with the Rumpus Room song, and part II story of the video trilogy (1st being A Bottle of Rum).”
‘OH NO’ album details
According to Xiu Xiu’s Jamie Stewart, ‘OH NO’ was born from betrayal but now exists thanks to the “profound rediscovery of community and friendship.” It features collaborations with a wide plethora of artists including Sharon Van Etten, Chelsea Wolfe, Alice Bag, Haley Fohr of Circuit des Yeux, Owen Pallett, Twin Shadow, along with members of Deerhoof, Drab Majesty, Liars, Shearwater, and many more.
“The guest stars of ‘OH NO’ reflect the types of people, and many of the very same, who helped remind me that the ratio of beautiful humans to shitty humans is more like 60/40 rather than what I have always assumed was 1/99,” says Jamie Stewart. “Although there is an ‘I HATE PEOPLE’ pin on my guitar strap, I hate them less now.” His revelation, and the music that has come out of it, is a reminder of the power of Xiu Xiu’s music to surprise and connect. Listening to the songs on ‘OH NO,’ it is hard to feel truly alone. Instead, it is a reminder that even when we’re alone, we’re alone together.
‘OH NO’ track listing
1. Sad Mezcalita (Sharon Van Etten)
2. I Cannot Resist (Deb Demure / Drab Majesty)
3. The Grifters (Haley Fohr)
4. Goodbye For Good (Greg Saunier / Deerhoof)
5. OH NO (Susanne Sachsse)
6. Rumpus Room (Angus Andrew / Liars)
7. Fuzz Gong Fight (Angela Seo / Xiu Xiu)
8. I Dream of Someone Else Entirely (Owen Pallett)
9. One Hundred Years (Chelsea Wolfe) [The Cure cover]
10. A Classic Screw (Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo)
11. It Bothers Me All the Time (Jonathan Meiburg / Shearwater)
12. Saint Dymphna (George Lewis Jr. / Twin Shadow)
13. Knock Out (Alice Bag)
14. A Bottle of Rum (Liz Harris)
15. ANTS (Valerie Diaz)
Pre-order ‘OH NO’ here / Vinyl orders here
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