New Recordings from Xiu Xiu and Sad13 Offer Distinct Sonic Journeys

While the term “Lynchian” has been overused to the point of exhaustion, Xiu Xiu stands among the few artists who rightfully merit the label. In 2016, the band released the tribute album Plays the Music of Twin Peaks with the blessing of David Lynch and composer Angelo Badalamenti. Following Lynch’s death early last year, the group fielded multiple requests to revisit that work but chose to break new ground instead. The result is Eraserhead Xiu Xiu, a concept record set within the world of Lynch’s seminal 1977 film. The LP arrives alongside a live concert film constructed from field recordings, modular synthesizers, organ, homemade instruments, and “electrical interference.” The outcome fuses musique concrète with otherworldly orchestral textures, concluding with a cover of “In Heaven,” the original Eraserhead song penned by Peter Ivers and Lynch.

Sad13: 1331 [Exploding in Sound]

Amid sweltering conditions, Sadie Dupuis embraced minimalism for the new Sad13 mixtape 1331, created during a period of personal upheaval. The 13-track release runs a brisk 13 minutes, its urgent tempo reflecting that restless state of mind. Nearly finished in June 2024, the project was interrupted when Dupuis suffered a severe elbow fracture in a cycling accident, necessitating a year of rehabilitation and prompting some physicians to doubt her full recovery. Rather than succumb to defeat, the Speedy Ortiz leader channeled resilience into the music, infusing the songs with raw intensity. “My body didn’t have the juice,” she noted in a statement. “But tracking in little bursts over more time gave me broader influences.”

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