Xiu Xiu - Life and Live (Xeng)

Watching Jamie Stewart pour his heart out on-stange is half the joy of Xiu Xiu. So, a live album should be amazing, right? Right. It should be able to capture all of those beautiful and intense moments with ease. But in the case of “Life and Live,” this doesn’t quite happen. Although a handful of songs translate perfectly, especially the frantic “Sad Pony Guerilla Girl,” quite a few stumble in their attempts to convey the sheer emotion and power that Xiu Xiu has as a live band. So, what I would recommend is that perhaps you save up some money, build up some emotional strength and go see Xiu Xiu for yourself.

- Miles Clements