this is one of those rare bands that manages to capture cool in their music without even trying. an indie band from the UK officially formed in 2005, their roots go way back as lead singer romy madley croft and oliver sim grew up together as children. their debut album xx released in 2009 was met with rave reviews and peaked the worlds interest in this mysterious band. their music is now all over television as it was featured on episodes of Gossip Girl, Lie to Me, Hung, Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order, and 90210. these semi-gothic misfits are known for being incredubly quiet about their private lives and manage to stay under the radar by simply not speaking. drummer jamie smith has been known to literally not say a single word during interviews. this laid-back, quiet, mystery comes through in their understated music. simple guitar riffs and smooth, lazy vocals are characteristic of all their work. none-the-less their music is catchy and interesting. perhaps most interesting of all is the fact that they claim that none of their songs are implicitly about sex despite what would appear to most people to be highly sexual lyrics. even so their lyrics are highly poetic such that mutiple interpretations to the meaning of the lyrics are possible, which is the original intent of the band. i look forward to seeing what this band comes up with next.
You will like them if you like: Two Door Cinema Club, Crystal Castles, Florence + The Machine, Passion Pit, Boards of Canada
Why they are important: The XX manage to create a new era of cool through their smooth, lazy vocals and spacey guitar riffs over strong underlying beats. Their relaxed and airy approach to music is refreshing in that they don't do this for anyone but themselves. It seems a privilege that we get to listen in on what they create.
Songs to listen to: "Crystalised", "Islands", "Shelter", "Stars", "You've Got The Love" (a cover of Florence + The Machine)
- J
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