Xiu Xiu – The Polaroid Project: The Book

Mark Batty Publisher, 36 West 37th Street, Suite 409, New York, NY 10018, Usa
www. markbattypublisher.com

From the back of the book: “David Horvitz, road manager for indie rock band Xiu Xiu, devised the idea to document the band`s tours by encouraging fans to bring Polaroid film to shows. Photographs of life on the road – from towering truck-stop beacons reaching out into huge blue sky to motel-room antics – were shot and returned to the fans, but not before Horvitz scanned them and compiled a visual diary that captures the non-musical, bare-naked zen of touring life. These images do more than share with fans the moments in between shows; they mirror the landscapes through which we all may travel, signposted with poignant boredom and sublime absurdity, of which we should all be aware.”

What an interesting project, such a good idea, in the end Dave end up takeing around 1800 polaroids! I’m sure there is some happy fans out there that have their own uninque polaroid collection. Nice. On to the book, it is casebound (17×19,5 cm) has a couple of introductions/forwords by the photographer and others there is roughly 100 polaroids (1 each page) in here and I really hope most of the fans out there have better pix. Why? Well, I personally think that most of those photos could have been taken anywhere by anyone and don`t tell me much about Xiu Xiu on tour, the “best” is where someone stands in a toilet bowl and pisses at the same time, a few “band in hotel” shots and what not.

Most of the photos are, well, boring. Sorry. I’m sure fans of the bands will love this book. I’m not a fan and there is not much more I can say. It also comes with a Cd: “a soundtrack recorded and re-mixed exclusively for the book by the likes of This Song Is a Mess But So Am I, Grouper and The Yellow Swans. The soundtrack also features field recordings made by Horvitz as the Xiu Xiu crew crisscrossed the United States, their call and response antics seen and heard here now.” In short: great idea, poor outcome. 24,95 $
(dolf)

Isbn: 978-0-9790486-5-4

[Trust # 137 August 2009]