by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Xiu Xiu - I Do What I Want When I Want (MP3)

Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart @ LPR (more by Zach Stern)

It has been five years since Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu went on a solo tour...

The sets from this tour will be from a repertoire of over 80 songs plus several brand new pieces from a new Xiu Xiu record tentatively scheduled for a 2010 release to be called Dear God, I Hate Myself. The shows will be played in the most intimate of arrangements with just electric guitar, bird call whistles and a stylophone (a late 60s toy synth that one plays with a pen). Stewart will be playing several songs that have never been heard live before and some that haven't been heard in many years.

There will also be a parallel photo project in which long time Xiu Xiu accomplice/art brut David Horvitz and Stewart will take a solo photograph portrait of every single person at every single show. This includes the audience, the sound people, the promoter - everyone. These will all be posted on the Xiu Xiu blog and the best 300 will be published as a book. And don't worry about looking your best before you get there. Xiu Xiu combs will be available for you to fix up your hair. [Kill Rock Stars]

The first part of Stewart's tour runs through April, and includes a stop at NYC's Monkey Town on Monday, April 6th. Reservations (presuming the 50-person space hasn't filled) are available for that show's early and late sets.

For the second part of the tour, Stewart will head to Europe in May.

The photo project described above won't be David Horvitz's first time touring with Stewart/Xiu Xiu. Horvitz has been documenting Xiu Xiu tours for a while, and his photos of past tours have been distributed in book form (as Xiu Xiu: The Polaroid Project) and via your local Walgreens.

Recently, Stewart played a solo set at a Housing Works Bookstore &
Cafe benefit last December (Bjork and Dirty Projectors will play a benefit at the space this May.)

Stewart's also been playing with new group Former Ghosts, who have two recordings planned for '09: a "tba" full length on Upset the Rhythm Records and a split 12" w/ Felt Drawings on YoungCubs/Monsterhaus.

All tour dates and two videos from Xiu Xiu's 2008 Women as Lovers LP (Kill Rock Stars) below...

Continue reading "Xiu Xiu - 2009 solo tour dates, a photo project & a new band"