“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,” he explains.

Every song is a duet, emphasizing how connection with others brought Stewart back from the brink. The pair execute this concept skillfully, if heavy-handedly. With the production prowess of Angela Seo (the other half of Xiu Xiu), Stewart uses OH NO to sort through his emotional pain, and eventually comes out on the other side bruised but not broken, thanks to the support of old friends and fans. While this explanation of what happened feels like the PR version of vaguebooking, we are left in no question about how Stewart feels over the course of their latest record. When Stewart began writing their 12th album OH NO, some of his friendships and working relationships ended due to what the album bio describes as “surprising acts of betrayal and disrespect,” leading to mental health struggles and canceled tours. He even wears them proudly on his sleeve-or, rather, on his guitar strap in the form of an “I HATE PEOPLE” pin. Instead, it is a reminder that even when we’re alone, we’re alone together.Jamie Stewart, the singer/songwriter of the experimental duo Xiu Xiu, doesn’t hide his misanthropic feelings. Listening to the songs on OH NO, it is hard to feel truly alone. “ 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. “ 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. Watch “A Bottle of Rum” directed by Angela Seo HEREĪccording 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.

All that intersected perfectly with the “Rumpus Room” song, and part II story of the video trilogy (1st being “A Bottle of Rum”).” Sometimes in my old teenage journals, I find flamin’ red dusted fingerprint smudges among melodramatic poems and fake runaway notes. Capcom – in the corner as long as I bought a slurpee and FHC. 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. 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. Here, the world feels off-kilter, the familiarity of these items juxtaposed against hers and Jamie Stewart’s roughhousing as it takes dark turns.įrom 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. 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. Let yourselves fall into the obscure new track, it’s everything you need right now! The rhythms cascade throughout this gritty ensemble.ĭIY and surreal, the “Rumpus Room” video which picks up where “Bottle of Rum” left off.

Rumpus room xiu xiu