September 16, 2005

xbxrx "sixth in sixes"

You really have to have a certain level of patience to deal with a band like xbxrx. Their music is best described as a flash of intense, loud noise accompanied by all kinds of screaming. Melody? Not relevant. Just hit ‘em where it hurts and get outta there. Throw in some feedback, keyboards and tribal drums, and you’ve got an interestingly arranged burst of loud noise. Repeat the formula over and over and over again, but never do it for more than a minute—two minutes, tops. Lyrics? Make ‘em weird, make ‘em oblique, make ‘em offensive…just make ‘em so listeners wonder why you even bother to make ‘em. At some point, you’ve got to wonder if a band like this is being clever, but then you quickly realize that you’re giving them a tad too much credit. Any band that can make a minute seem like an eternity is either doing something terribly wrong or something wonderfully right. After making an attempt to listen to Sixth in Sixes, I’m not sure which is which, and I'm not sure I really want to know...

--Joseph Kyle

Artist Website: http://www.xbxrx.com
Label Website: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com

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