''Ignore Grief'' is the thirteenth studio album by American

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

band

Xiu Xiu Xiu Xiu ( ) is an American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of Stewart (the only constant member since formation) and Angela Seo. The band's name co ...

, released on March 3, 2023 by

Polyvinyl In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Examples Vinyl polymers are ...

. It was written by band frontman Jamie Stewart and new member

David Kendrick David Kendrick (born March 23, 1955) is an American musician who is currently a member of the experimental pop band Xiu Xiu. A former member of Gleaming Spires and Devo, he has recorded and toured with Sparks, Andy Prieboy and Revolushn. He is ba ...

. It was produced by fellow member

Angela Seo Hyunhye Seo, professionally known as Angela Seo, is a South Korean multi-instrumentalist and vocalist best known for her role in American experimental band Xiu Xiu. Seo joined Xiu Xiu in 2009, and has contributed to every studio project by the ba ...

, and recorded by Stewart at his home studio in Los Angeles, alongside a wide array of guest musicians including

Charlie Looker Charlie Looker (born May 23, 1980) is an American composer, improviser, vocalist, and guitarist known for his work in experimental metal, contemporary classical, avant-jazz, and Renaissance and Medieval musical forms. Education and career Loo ...

, Ben Chisholm, Ezra Buchla, Patrick Shiroishi and Ian Wellman. The album artwork was designed by Janelle Abad, and depicts a white bat over a black background. ''Ignore Grief'' is a departure from the band's previous album, more in line with the sounds and themes seen in ''

Girl with Basket of Fruit ''Girl with Basket of Fruit'' is the eleventh album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu, released on February 8, 2019. It follows the band's 2017 album '' Forget'' and was co-produced by member Angela Seo and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier. The album ...

'' (2019). It mainly features a sound that embodies

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

, and

modern classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

. Instrumentally, it incorporates orchestral instrumentation including violins,

viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a Bow (music), bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), t ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, flutes and piano, in addition to the electronic percussion and synthesizers typically used by the band, as well as a variety of other instruments, including,

gong A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...

s, double reed flute and found objects. Its lyrical content explores life's horrors and human tragedy, dealing with prostitution,

sex trafficking Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the ...

, murder,

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. This ...

s and

substance abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, through two halves, one inspired by real stories, and the other one by imaginary ones, sang each by Seo and Stewart. Its lead single, "Maybae Baeby" was released on January 12, 2023.

Background

''Ignore Grief'' was announced on January 12, 2023, via the band's social media platforms. Regarding the lead single, frontrunner Jamie Stewart said: “In 'Maybae Baeby,' the singer's viewpoint is of a young person hiding in a fantastical conversation with a tarantula in order to escape a physically abusive parent". The album also marks the first project to feature contributions from new member

Composition

Musical style and influences

''Ignore Grief'' is a bit of a departure from the band's previous album, more in line with the sounds and themes seen in ''

'' (2019). It has been described by the band as an

, and

album.

Lyrics and themes

''Ignore Grief'' is a two-part album with one half depicting the suffering of five people connected to the band, and the other depicting imaginary stories. Lyrically, the album deals with said suffering, and acts as an " abstract exploration of the early

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

'Teen Tragedy' genre", through themes such as

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...

s and

. The imaginary songs are written as a way to offer levity to the band, due to the heaviness of the themes discussed. With the "aesthetic examination" of these issues, the band aspires "to see if there is any way to come out the other side or if there is even any reason. In either case there may not be but to simply turn away would be yet a further act of destruction".

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from Polyvinyl. Xiu Xiu * Jamie Stewart – vocals, synthesizers,

harmonium The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

, percussion, electronic percussion,

double reed A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece and c ...

flute, found objects, recording, arrangement *

– vocals, piano, gongs, no-input mixer, percussion,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

– percussion, drums Additional musicians *

– choral vocals *Ben Chisholm – synthesizer, piano, electronic percussion *Ezra Buchla – viola *Patrick Shiroishi – saxophones *Ian Wellman –

field recording Field recording is the term used for an audio recording produced outside a recording studio, and the term applies to recordings of both natural and human-produced sounds. It also applies to sound recordings like electromagnetic fields or vibra ...

s *Andrea Kopecká – violins *Radka Navrátilová – violins *Katrina Musilová – violas *Marie Vlčková – violas *Martina Čermáková – cellos *Jiřina Hájková – cellos *Pavel Kučera –

*Jitka Kašparová – flutes *Marika Nováková – flutes *Dominika Charvátová –

woodwinds Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and reed ...

*Sára Štěpánová – woodwinds *Pavlína Vlková – woodwinds *Chris Dostál –

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other with ...

*Katrina Lišková – brass *David Zelenka – brass Technical *

Lawrence English Lawrence English (born 1975/76) is an Australian composer, artist, and curator from Brisbane. His work is broadly concerned with the politics of perception, specifically he is interested in the nature of listening, and sounds' capability to occ ...

– mixing *Alan Douches – mastering Artwork * Janelle Abad – design

References

{{Xiu Xiu 2023 albums Xiu Xiu albums Polyvinyl Record Co. albums