Xiu Xiu just covered Dolly Parton. And Roxy Music. And Boy Harsher. And we are not complaining.
The most exciting and terrifying parts of dreams are the ones we recognise. Familiar fragments collide and reassemble into something strange. That unnerving thrill — the shiver of recognition followed by disorientation — is at the core of ‘Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1′, the delightfully unhinged covers compilation from art-rock provocateurs Xiu Xiu. And now it just got a Deluxe Edition with four brand new tracks. Out now on Polyvinyl.
The bonus cuts are genuinely mouth-watering: Roxy Music’s In Every Dream Home a Heartache, Boy Harsher’s Pain, Rowland S. Howard’s Breakdown and Then, and — yes, really — Dolly Parton’s Jolene. Because of course Xiu Xiu covers Dolly Parton.
🎵 Stream the New Bonus Tracks
👉 Pain (Boy Harsher cover) | Breakdown and Then (Rowland S. Howard cover) | Jolene (Dolly Parton cover)
👉 Full YouTube Playlist | Buy / Stream on Polyvinyl | Bandcamp
What Is This Thing, Exactly?
The original ‘Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1′ dropped January 16th, compiling twelve monthly covers the band had been quietly releasing since 2020 through their Bandcamp subscription series. Jamie Stewart, Angela Seo, and David Kendrick warp and distort classics spanning decades and genres — from 1950s rock ‘n’ roll to new wave, Robyn to Throbbing Gristle. The range is, to put it mildly, insane. It’s a record that makes complete sense and absolutely no sense at the same time, and that’s precisely the point.
The press has been glowing. Bandcamp named it Album of the Day. Pitchfork flagged it as one of the most anticipated releases of 2026. The Needle Drop called the range “insane.” The Wire called it “a blissful burst of fun and fandom.“
“As with all good cover compilations, this collection reveals something about Xiu Xiu’s tastes, moods, and intentions. Combining mischievous surprises with the expected darkness shows that this lovelorn trio still like a little play to accompany their cutting sounds.” — Bandcamp (Album of the Day)
“Xiu Xiu have made a brave record… their new world is so big they couldn’t fit it all on the album proper.” — The Quietus (Covers Album of the Week)
“Newcomers to Xiu Xiu could do worse than starting with their hauntingly intense version of Robyn’s ‘Dancing on My Own’ — one of 12 covers that make ‘Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1′ a perfect introduction to the influential art-rockers’ dark allure.” — Pitchfork
A Practice of Reverence
Stewart has been refreshingly candid about the philosophy behind these covers. “We have a long history of doing covers,” he says. “The enduring and basic throughline with all of them is an attempt to say thank you to those songs. We never approach them thinking ‘how can we improve these’ but really ‘what can we learn from these?’“
That spirit comes through in every track. Their take on Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer feels like it’s been aging in a cellar since the sixties — howling organs, flute spirals, and swirling reverb that conjures Question Mark & The Mysterians more than David Byrne. The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb gets funnelled through industrial pulses and acidic distortion until it becomes something almost ritualistic. And then there’s the reportedly devastating Some Things Last a Long Time — a Daniel Johnston cover that moved Stewart to tears in the studio.
“If there ever were a sincere and wounded voice in the world it is his.” — Jamie Stewart on Daniel Johnston
Xiu Xiu are no strangers to this kind of deep listening. They’ve been paying tribute to artists they love since their 2002 inception — from New Order and David Bowie to Nina Simone and Angelo Badalamenti. ‘Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu’ feels like the most playful and expansive expression of that impulse yet.
‘Xiu Mutha Fuckin’ Xiu: Vol. 1′ (Deluxe Edition) — Full Tracklist
- Psycho Killer [Talking Heads]
- Warm Leatherette [The Normal / Grace Jones]
- I Put a Spell on You [Screamin’ Jay Hawkins]
- Hamburger Lady [Throbbing Gristle]
- In Dreams [Roy Orbison]
- Sex Dwarf [Soft Cell]
- Dancing on My Own [Robyn]
- SPQR [This Heat]
- Lick or Sum [GloRilla]
- Some Things Last a Long Time [Daniel Johnston]
- Triple Sun [Coil]
- Cherry Bomb [The Runaways]
- In Every Dream Home a Heartache [Roxy Music] (Deluxe Bonus)
- Pain [Boy Harsher] (Deluxe Bonus)
- Breakdown and Then [Rowland S. Howard] (Deluxe Bonus)
- Jolene [Dolly Parton] (Deluxe Bonus)
Catch Them Live — Spring 2026
Xiu Xiu are also hitting Europe this spring for a run of ERASERHEAD live performance dates:
- Apr 2 — Athens, Greece @ Danaos Cinema
- Apr 4 — Brussels, Belgium @ BRDCST Festival
- Apr 8 — Barcelona, Spain @ Miceli presents x Sala Upload
- Apr 11 — The Hague, Netherlands @ Rewire Festival
Follow Xiu Xiu
- 🌐 Official Website
- 🎵 Bandcamp
- 🎵 Bandcamp Subscription Series
- ▶️ YouTube
- 📧 Newsletter
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