Xiu Xiu (SCQ's Year-End Questionnaire Part III)

Despite arriving late for both La Forêt and The Air Force, Skeleton Crew Quarterly has long admired Xiu Xiu and was ready to pounce at the release of the duo’s latest LP. It must’ve been kismet; Dear God, I Hate Myself is arguably their finest recording yet and here Jamie Stewart discusses aspects of its creation alongside some personal 2010 favourites. (Photo by Huy Ngo.)

SCQ: Every list-lover's favourite question: what are your top albums of 2010? Feel free to include any older yet worthy records you discovered this year.

JS: Ethnic Minority Music of Southern Laos
Molam: Thai Country Groove from Isan
Princess Nicotine: Folk And Pop Music Of Myanmar (Burma) Vol.1
Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular 1960s-1980s vol.2
Ethnic Minority Music Of Northeast Cambodia
Sounds of North American Frogs: The Biological Significance of Voice in Frogs
Highway to Hassake: Folk and Pop Sounds of Syria

SCQ: What were you listening to a lot of while recording the excellent Dear God, I Hate Myself?

JS: years of refusal by morrissey
over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over

SCQ: Be cocky for once in your life: what was the finest thing you did all year? That moment where you actually thought "shit, I nailed that..."?

JS: taking a shower, an incredible shower and incredible clean, magnificent clean, whorishly clean.

SCQ: Effect and Cause: Arriving just as winter's stranglehold was tiring, Dear God, I Hate Myself was vulnerable yet ready to lash out, and became my go-to record for embracing/dispelling seasonal depression. The vinyl-only bonus track 'The Ropes Have Pulled Tight' ended up being my first favourite, an honour that has subsequently reached just about every other song on your new record. Okay, your turn: confess a true tale that inspired one of the songs on Dear God, I Hate Myself.

JS: you are very nice!!!!!!!
all the true tales behind these songs are so depressing. and would i think dim the tone of this interview in an unpleasing way.
so then, the only one that is worth hearing about is from the other bonus track "cute pee pee"
a woman from poland wrote to tell me that xiu xiu (at least how it is pronounced) in polish means "cute pee pee." i have been obsessed with piss sex for years although have only gotten to participate in it maybe 4 times in my life. so it was wonderful to find out that my band's name was what i have always wanted.
as well someone who i have had a filthy and unfulfilled sexy crush on once told me that she wanted me to piss in her mouth and then she would kiss tears of pee down my cheek. it will never happen but it drives me insane to think about it.

SCQ: If all the reasonable and implausible ideas in your head came to fruition in 2011, what would they be?

JS: see above.