for the first time I notice     NPR and Hypem/blog are feeding each other and leaving the usual big name media channel out of the loop.
The XX?  Mariah Carey and Britney spears days are over...

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103170148

April 16, 2009 - They may only have a couple of official songs and a handful of demos to their name now, but The xx is a band to watch. Both casually cool and absolutely magnetic, this young London four-piece makes music that's simple and raw, but utterly captivating.

Romy and Oliver, the two lead vocalists of the group, have known each other since they were three years old and seem to exude a kind of natural chemistry when they sing together. According to Oliver, however, this shared history initially made it harder for the two to sing in front of each other. Because neither of them wanted to be the first to pipe up, Oliver says they "decided to sing at the same time and it just seemed to work nicely." Besides singing together, the two often collaborate on writing the lyrics. "I feel we bounce off each other quite well," says Oliver who appreciates Romy's more cryptic writing style.

No... we won. Can I have my prize moneys now?

On the heels of their just-released UK debut LP, xx, this band of four London 20-year-olds is currently getting the type of hopped-up British press that makes savvy music fans raise an eyebrow in disbelief. (The record hits U.S. shores October 20 via XL.)

But, unlike many of their Next Big Thing ilk, the xx aren't another Britpop nostalgia band or synth-flavored act in a shiny top. Their music is as understated as the lowercase letters that make up their name. Centered around the soothing, wounded voices of co-leads Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft, xx offers a wholly realized sonic aesthetic that lies somewhere between, pop, soul, and indie; between Hot Chip, Sade, and Young Marble Giants.

It's an impressively mature bow, especially considering three of the four members still live with their parents. After starting out while at London's Elliott School (which was also home to Hot Chip and Burial), the group was noticed by UK label Young Turks, who allowed the band to suss out their haunting sound over a two year period instead of going for another overnight MySpace cash in. By all accounts, the patience paid off. We recently spoke with Sim about his band's rise, working with Diplo, and watching Beyoncé fly:

http://pitchfork.com/news/36330-rising-the-xx/

hey, for once pfork reporting is actually useful for me when I need it ...
Anybody has a complete set of the XX show schedule from the earliest? (I figure that's the easiest way to reconstruct the hype formation.)

GvB and Nieler blog them around january/march, earliest Hypem/elbo records.
At the very least several big blogs have note them before XL sign the XX.

after March it's all Beggar promo team handy work. (good job)

Anyway, too lazy to dig their early day schedule and do blog scoping.... maybe later.) Google trend has nothing, it's too smal.


http://sevennoises.blogspot.com/2009/03/xx.html

The XX are a band of four 19 year old people who has just been signed by Young Turks, imprint of Beggars Banquet. They kind of sound of 1989, like many bands do nowadays, but without the fuzz and distortion. They are slow and particularly minimalistic, using just the instruments and arrangements that are necessary to go with the voices of Romy (seductive and low as the most quiet PJ Harvey) and Oliver. I'm talking about the demos that have been circulating freely on line as they have not pubblished anything yet, but are currently recording their first record to be published in September but there are some rumours a single is about to come in the following weeks. The record is meant to be produced by them so I supose it's going to keep the spirit of these demos. While we wait you can listen to the rendition they make of Womack and Womack's Teardrops and their own Crystalized.

--------

NME earliest record is from June. It's a straightforward album plan announcement. 


http://www.nme.com/news/the-xx/45415

XX will probably be hated come their next album.

They really just aren't very good. Not bad, but no better than that.

And that is all there is to say on the subject.

Next!

+1

The "machine player" looks like the newer "fro" sprint guy from those annoying alltel commercials..

why don't you guys like Harlem Shakes

adam why do you hate blogs


also pitchfork didn't like the xx: http://bit.ly/3D8aVy


then they liked them: http://bit.ly/16BZBY

..adapt this chart for albums...

Posted by: adam_beggarsMan, the weekend cannot start soon enough.

 

hahaha adam, superwin :)

a bad cover of "wicked game"

Now I might actually have to listen to this...

yes, but at least there the weakness is somewhat accounted for with a lo-fi, noise pop aesthetic.

for the record, i'm not a big fan of either of those bands.

gee, don't you like 'bad' music?

of the *hundreds* of bands w/ similar aesthetics, i find it mind-boggling that vivian girls and wavves are supposed to be the forebears of this new sound. i'm a-ok w/ crap production and sloppy musicianship - in fact, i kind of love it. but all i can think of while listening to them is the dozens of bands who do the same thing so much better..

+1 Bond, you the man! xoxo