This morning we saw what the new female face of Xiu Xiu brings to the table. Now we check in with her predecessor, Jame Stewart's ex-partner in Xiu Caralee McElroy, who's moved on to flesh out Wesley Eisold's darkwaved synth-pop project (and BTW) Cold Cave. Caralee's shining moment comes with "Life Magazine," a pop-outlying standout from the Lov...

Jamie Stewart's bleak, evocative art-pop's always had an element of catharsis, a figurative purging about it. As of today it also has an element of literal purging about it. Here he is talking about his (great) new album's title track: The title came from a night a literally being on my knees and speaking these words in a prayer to God. It is ab...

Before this most recent Xiu Xiu outing Jaime Stewart popped up in Former Ghosts and his former bandmate popped up in Cold Cave (and holiday RadioShack ads). Now, after doing his best Morrissey impression, Stewart's set to release the cheerfully titled Dear God, I Hate Myself. It's Xiu Xiu's seventh full-length in one form or another. The first w...

The bands split sides of a 7" to pay tribute to Moz, with Xiu Xiu tackling "I Am Hated For Loving" and Parenthetical Girls on "Handsome Devil." Hear the Girls' take at MySpace. More info at Upset The Rhythm.

The title track from BTW Cold Cave's Love Comes Close -- originally released on their own Heartworm Press imprint -- nails a dreamy, soul-sick New Order vibe, but the shape-shifting Philadelphia/New York outfit approach the formula with a much darker undertone (as if Ian Curtis sang "Bizarre Love Triangle," or whatever). The group, which now con...