Listen to Xiu Xiu's entire new album, 'Dear God, I Hate Myself'! Listen to Xiu Xiu's entire new album, 'Dear God, I Hate Myself'!

Xiu Xiu Premiere Dear God, I Hate Myself
Starting today, you can listen to Xiu Xiu’s entire new album on Spinner.com:http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/24

The songs “Dear God, I Hate Myself”, “Gray Death”, and “This Too Shall Pass Away (For Freddy)” are now available on iTunes.

Out February 23rd on Kill Rock Stars!

Read almost any piece about Xiu Xiu and you'll see words like 'harsh' or 'brutal' — the same words that appear before 'truth' when an unwavering eye is turned on any intimate detail of our lives. Fair descriptions of the themes central to the music, they sit incongruous to the refined, intricate, and beautiful approach taken in crafting the twelve tracks on Xiu Xiu's new album Dear God, I Hate Myself.

The two biggest constants throughout Xiu Xiu's catalog are honesty and evolution. This remains true with Dear God, I Hate Myself as it delivers a look at responsibility, fear, healing, and societal roles wrapped in rich gothic pop music. The sound is still distinctly Xiu Xiu, but Jamie Stewart's vocals are finally effortless paired with vibrant melodies full of subtlety and the distinct sonic accents expected of this anticipated Xiu Xiu release. The result is a record that proves that art can be pop and pop can challenge you to look inside yourself.

Stewart is joined by new full-time band member Angela Seo on piano, synth, and drum programming; with production handled by Jamie and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier. Together they've crafted a fully grown sound for Dear God, I Hate Myself with elements from goth and pop that are expertly performed by a crop of brilliant musicians. Saunier himself plays on much of the record as does Ches Smith (John Zorn, Terry Riley, Marc Ribot) who supplies timpani, conga and moog along with a broad range of other instrumentation. Deerhoof's John Dieterich is all over a rendition of the traditional folk song “Cumberland Gap” and Xiu Xiu is even joined by the Immaculata Catholic School Orchestra in Stewart's ode to heartbreak and healing, “This Too Shall Pass Away (for Freddy).” The title track, one of four songs done primarily on a Nintendo DS, explores the relationship between faith and despair with a layer of commentary provided by the bizarre sounds of the music itself.

Each new Xiu Xiu release has evolved alongside the lives of Jamie Stewart and company.

On this record you'll find more intensity and introspection than ever before, but sonically and lyrically it continues to move forward with a subtly new perspective — hyper-focussed yet aware of a larger, external picture unfolding. The pace of the record grips you, the music offers layers of detail, and the themes focus on not just the past or stark present but hint towards vespers of the future as well. Dear God, I Hate Myself will challenge you and force you to look inside yourself, but only after you get lost in the music. It's passionate, it's energetic, and it affects you.

Dear God, I Hate Myself is a beautiful piece of humanist art. It's an important addition to the growing body of intelligent music from Xiu Xiu. And it's a brilliant gothic pop record that can stand next to anything.

Xiu Xiu’s world tour kicks off next week!

feb 20 - Dublin, IE - Whelans
feb 21 - Glasgow, UK - NiceNSleazy
feb 22 - Edinburgh, UK - Electric Circus
feb 23 - Manchester, UK - Islington Mill
feb 24 - Sheffield, UK - The Harley
feb 25 - Cardiff, UK - Cardiff Arts Institute
feb 26 - London, UK - The Luminaire
feb 27 - Brighton, UK - Freebutt
feb 28 - Coventry, UK - Taylor John's House
mar 05 - Greensboro, NC - Guilford College
mar 06 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn (w/ Noveller, Girl in a Coma)
mar 07 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree (w/ Noveller, Girl in a Coma)
mar 09 - Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack (w/ Noveller, Girl in a Coma)
mar 10 - Norman, OK - Opolis Productions (w/ Noveller, Girl in a Coma)
mar 11 - Dallas, TX - The Cavern (w/ Noveller, Girl in a Coma)
mar 12 - Houston, TX - The Studio at Warehouse Live (w/ Noveller)
mar 13 - Austin, TX - Red 7 (w/ Noveller, Jonathan Mieberg of Shearwater)
mar 15 - Tempe, AZ - Sail Inn (w/ Noveller)
mar 16 - Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture (w/ Extra Life, Noveller)
mar 17 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah (w/ Tune-Yards, Noveller)
mar 18 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo (w/ Tune-Yards, Noveller)
mar 19 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place (w/ Tune-Yards, Noveller)
mar 20 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill (w/ Tune-Yards, Noveller)
mar 23 - Olympia, WA - Northern (w/ Tune-Yards)
mar 24 - Portland, OR - Holocene (w/ Tune-Yards)
mar 25 - Boise, ID - Neurolux (w/ Tune-Yards, Scout Niblett)
mar 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
mar 27 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
mar 29 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
mar 30 - St. Louis, MO - Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Norma, Br'erl)
mar 31 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
apr 01 - Northfield, MN - The Cave at Carleton College (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
apr 02 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
apr 03 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal, Zola Jesus)
apr 05 - Oberlin, OH - The Dionysus Discotheque (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
apr 07 - Cleveland, OH - The Spot (w/ Tune-Yards, Talk Normal)
apr 08 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place (w/ Tune-Yards)
apr 09 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom (w/ Tune-Yards, Zola Jesus)
apr 10 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs (w/ Tune-Yards)
apr 12 - Amherst, MA - Hampshire College Red Barn
apr 13 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church (w/ Tune-Yards)
apr 14 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel (w/ Tune-Yards)
apr 15 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 (w/ Tune-Yards)
apr 17 - Detroit, MI - Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (w/ TBD)

Listen/Download/Share

“Gray Death”
http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/audio/DearGod.mp3

“Dear God, I Hate Myself”
http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/audio/GrayDeath.mp3

“Dear God, I Hate Myself” (video)
http://krs5rc.com/krs/bands/xiuxiu/video/deargod.mov
http://stereogum.com/archives/video/new_xiu_xiu_video__dear_god_i_hate_myself_stereog_112171.html

Studio video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKWckRuz-gk