New Music Monday: The Woozy Rock of The XX

Author: Faith-Ann Young
Posted on: Monday December 7, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Filed under: exclusive, music, xx, london, pop, shoegaze, radiohead

Did you ever wonder why the equation for "rock band" tends to be at least four people - and their placement on stage seems to have been etched on the floor since The Beatles? Lead guitarist/singer front center, bassist on the right, drummer in the back. True, the arrangement exists to improve the band's sound and timing. But hell, who said a band has to have a drummer?

Well, The XX definitely didn't. While many other bands - from And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead (who also defied marketing stereotypes by going with a long, traiing name) to The Doobie Brothers or The Grateful Dead have challenged the rock band stereotype and enhanced their sound by adding multiple precussion, the South London hailing band The The XX is the latest band to have parred it down by not having any drummer.

The effect? Theirs is a type of icy, woozy shoegaze rock with slurred, unabashedy pop-sung lyrics, The Cocteau Twins and The Secret Machines'-influenced guitar builds and Radiohead-esque subtlety. Electric and intoxicating, their music will give you same sort of shivering goosebumps you'd imagine you'd get from whispering about sex while in church. Something about it feels so illicit?

Check out picts of the XX by talented Paul Birman, during their recent NY show: