Pitchfork

Pandapple-- "a boy panda who absolutely loves apples"-- is just about as precious as it sounds. The blushing mash-up of cute and cuter comes courtesy of Sanrio Co., Ltd., the Japanese company also responsible for such trinket fodder as Hello Kitty, Keroppi, and Chococat (links NSFW). Pandapple has many fans the world over, but perhaps none as fervent-- or unlikely-- as the folks of Xiu Xiu.

In a recent posting on the band's website, Xiu Xiu implore fans to bring them any Pandapple objects they can find at any and all stops on Xiu Xiu's imminent tour, which kicks off tonight in Portland, Oregon, and heads into Europe in May. Those who do will be rewarded with a "Xiu Xiu oriented party surprise." Who woulda thunk one of the more charming tidbits to grace these pages in months would come from friggin' Xiu Xiu?

What's more, Xiu Xiu documentarian David Horvitz has put together another Xiu Xiu Polaroid Project, albeit on a smaller scale. Attendees at the March 23 Xiu Xiu gig at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn can bring Polaroid film and receive some nice conversation pieces in return. Not a bad deal! Read up on the details here.

In other Xiu Xiu news, they've got a fine new record out called Women As Lovers, and they'd like you to sing over one of their tunes if you get a minute. But seeing as neither of those things have to do with Pandapple, uh, here.

Pandapple 4 LIFE:

03-07 Portland, OR - Someday Lounge *
03-08 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
03-10 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
03-11 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
03-13 Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop *
03-14 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club *
03-15 Chicago, IL - Reggie's *
03-16 Mount Pleasant, MI - Rubble's Bar *
03-17 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dee's *
03-18 Ottawa, Ontario - Babylon Nightclub *
03-19 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa *
03-20 Bennington, VT - Bennington College *
03-21 Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts Boston *
03-22 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY - Smog (Bard College) *
03-23 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *
03-24 Purchase, NY - Student Center (SUNY Purchase) *
03-25 New York, NY - Fordham University *
03-26 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
03-27 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
03-28 Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner *
03-29 Newport, KY - Southgate House *
03-31 St. Louis, MO - Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center *
04-01 Springfield, MO - Randy Bacon Gallery *
04-02 Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory *
04-03 Fort Worth, TX - Lola's *
04-04 Houston, TX - Orange Show Center for Visionary Art *
04-05 Austin, TX - Mohawk *
04-07 Santa Fe, NM - College of Santa Fe *
04-08 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
04-09 Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
04-11 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
04-12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
05-01 Krems, Austria - Donau Festival
05-02 Berlin, Germany - Magnet Club
05-03 Aarhus, Denmark - Pop Revo Festival
05-05 Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
05-07 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
05-08 Brussels, Belgium - Les Nuits de Botanique Festival
05-09 Nancy, France - L'Autre Canal
05-10 Paris, France - Point Ephemere
05-12 Düdingen, Switzerland - Bad Bonn
05-14 Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
05-15 Milan, Italy - Magnolia
05-16 Florence, Italy - Viper
05-17 Turin, Italy - Spazio211
05-19 London, England - ULU
05-20 Manchester, England - Roadhouse
05-21 Glasgow, Scotland - Nice N Sleazy
05-22 Dublin, Ireland - Whelan's
05-23 Barcelona, Spain - Apolo
05-24 Madrid, Spain - Neu!

* with Thao and the Get Down Stay Down