Pitchfork: Xiu Xiu, BARR, Grouper Get Artsy-Fartsy

Xiu Xiu, BARR, Grouper Get Artsy-Fartsy
As do Lucky Dragons, Woelv, This Song Is a Mess but So Am I

The lord above must have graced Xiu Xiu with an abnormally large creativity gland, nestled somewhere in the base of Jamie Stewart's spine ("there's a buzz in my backside," see), because how the hell else do you account for the trio's superhuman prolificacy of late? LPs, EPs, tours, Polaroids, videos, photo books, and now-- Ches Smith drum-roll please-- art.

According to Xiu Xiu historian and archivist David Horvitz, the band contributes a "sound sculpture" to the Horvitz-curated art show "Is That All There Is to Fire?", running from February 24-March 31 at Los Angeles' High Energy Constructs space. The show, like many art shows before it, celebrates boredom-- only deliberately.

Ironically, this boredom-influenced showcase should be anything but. In addition to their sound sculpture, Xiu Xiu will perform live, as will Creepshow partner in crime Grouper, sing-talker BARR, Freddy Ruppert (aka noise terrorist This Song Is a Mess but So Am I), and trippy Californians Lucky Dragons. Geneviève Castrée, aka Woelv, aka Phil Elverum's French Canadian wifey, will contribute a vocal recording.

Art comes courtesy of folks like BARR's Brendan Fowler (who contributes a "text piece"), Uta Barth, Krysten Cunningham, Ken Ehrlich, Zack Houston, Brandon Lattu, Lindsay Ljungkull, John Sisley, Mia Nolting, Miya Osaki, Mylinh Trieu, and Horvitz himself. Barth, Ehrlich, and Horvitz share writings on boredom as well, as do Linda Theung and Lia Trinka-Browner.

Horvitz is still looking for donations and sponsors for "Is That All There Is to Fire?", so if this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, drop him a line or a few grand at the link here.