| 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2024 | |||
| Studio | Nurse (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:10 | |||
| Label | Polyvinyl | |||
| Producer | Angela Seo | |||
| Xiu Xiu chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips | ||||
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13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips, colloquially referred to as 13", is the fourteenth studio album by American experimental band Xiu Xiu, released on September 27, 2024 by Polyvinyl.
13" was announced on June 25, 2024 with the lead single "Common Loon", which was accompanied by a music video featuring Alicia McDaid. [1] The singles "Arp Omni" and "Veneficium" were released on August 13, 2024. [2]
The album's title comes from a switchblade owned by band frontperson Jamie Stewart. [3] In an interview with Our Culture , Stewart explained, "Switchblades, since the 1950s, are an almost clichéd symbol of 'tough guy' aesthetics. But as an instrument of violence, they're pretty useless... Serving as a symbol for violence and fear while being pretty useless is a fascinating symbol of violence generally." Stewart said one driving force the record was "interesting uselessness", "a stupid contradiction that could have genuine consequences". They said that there were switchblades "around the studio or at our desks or whatever", which functioned as a sort of talisman, guiding the band throughout the production. [4]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 80/100 [5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Far Out |   [6] |
| The Needle Drop | 8/10 [7] |
| Beats Per Minute | 7.9/10 [8] |
| Sputnikmusic |  [9] |
| Paste | 8.2/10 [10] |
13" received generally favourable reviews on release. On the review aggregating website Metacritic, the album received a normalized rating of 80 out of 100 based on 10 critical reviews. [5] Dale Maplethorpe of Far Out praised the album for being an "unpredictable mesh of chaos," and wrote that it "is an absolute joy from start to finish." [6] The Quietus 's Claire Biddles said the album "might be Xiu Xiu's best," further noting that it's "funny, terrifying, extreme, horny, embarrassing, relatable – everything that Xiu Xiu have ever been at once." [3]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Arp Omni" | 4:22 |
| 2. | "Maestro One Chord" | 3:38 |
| 3. | "Common Loon" | 3:31 |
| 4. | "Pale Flower" | 5:00 |
| 5. | "Veneficium" | 4:08 |
| 6. | "Sleep Blvd." | 3:15 |
| 7. | "T.D.F.T.W." | 3:24 |
| 8. | "Bobby Bland" | 3:57 |
| 9. | "Piña, Coconut & Cherry" | 4:55 |
| Total length: | 36:10 | |
Credits adapted from Polyvinyl. [11]
Xiu Xiu
Additional musicians
Technical
Artwork
A knife is a tool or weapon with a cutting edge or blade, usually attached to a handle or hilt. One of the earliest tools used by humanity, knives appeared at least 2.5 million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools. Originally made of wood, bone, and stone, over the centuries, in step with improvements in both metallurgy and manufacturing, knife blades have been made from copper, bronze, iron, steel, ceramic, and titanium. Most modern knives have either fixed or folding blades; blade patterns and styles vary by maker and country of origin.
Xiu Xiu is an American experimental rock band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of multi-instrumentalists Stewart, Angela Seo, and percussionist David Kendrick. The band's name comes from the Chinese film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl, which has influenced the sound of their music, according to Stewart.
A switchblade is a pocketknife with a sliding or pivoting blade contained in the handle which is extended automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated. Virtually all switchblades incorporate a locking blade, where the blade is locked against accidental closure when the blade is in the open position. It is unlocked by a mechanism that allows the blade to be folded and locked in the closed position.
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