Hard to think of a better choice than Xiu Xiu to reimagine Angelo Badalamenti‘s classic Twin Peaks soundtrack! After being commissioned by Australia’s Gallery of Modern Art to perform interpretations of the classic tracks for their David Lynch: Between Two Worlds exhibition, Jamie Stewart and Co. would go on to perform the songs during select concerts around the world–including the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA and London’s Saint John-at-Hackney church. Following the success of those shows, the band recorded their reinterpretations as Plays The Music of Twin Peaks. Produced by Jherek Bischoff (Amanda Palmer, Ariel Pink), and mixed by Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier, the album is due out on Record Store Day (April 16) via Polyvinyl in North America and Bella Union in the UK/Europe. Seems proper that our first listen in on the upcoming release is “Falling“, the Julee Cruise track made iconic as the Twin Peaks‘ theme song. Might have been daunting for a male singer to approach Cruise’s light as air vocal delivery, but Stewart possesses a voice like few others. Boldly reimaging the track, he moves between registers and styles as only he can, adding additional dimensions to the song’s sublime naivete.
Xiu Xiu will be performing songs from Plays The Music of Twin Peaks this coming April when the band tours Europe. Here is a list of the upcoming dates…
04/03 – The Hague, NL @ Rewire Festival
04/04 – Duisburg, DE @ Grammatikoff
04/05 – Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten
04/06 – Istanbul, TK @ Salon IKSV
04/08 – Paris, FR @ Centre Pompidou
04/09 – Brugge, BE @ More Music!
04/10 – Offenbach, DE – Leder Palast
04/11 – Esslingen, DE – Komma
04/12 – Hamburg, DE @ Kamgnagel
04/13 – Copenhagen, DK @ Jazzhouse
04/14 – Malmo, SE @ Inkonst
04/15 – Berlin, DE @ Silent Green
04/30 – New York, NY @ The Kitchen
