The Air Force

{{other uses|Air force (disambiguation)}} {{more citations needed|date=May 2011}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = The Air Force | type = studio | artist = [[Xiu Xiu]] | cover = XiuXiuTheAirForce.jpg | alt = | released = {{start date|2006|9|12}} | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = {{Flatlist| *[[Art rock]] *[[Experimental music|experimental]] *[[post-punk]]}} | length = 34:37 | label = [[5 Rue Christine]] | producer = [[Caralee McElroy]], [[Greg Saunier]], [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] | prev_title = [[La Forêt (album)|La Forêt]] | prev_year = 2005 | next_title = [[Tu mi piaci]] | next_year = 2006 }} {{Music ratings | MC = 76/100<ref name=MC>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/the-air-force/xiu-xiu|title=The Air Force by Xiu Xiu|website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=|accessdate=3 October 2016}}</ref> | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r854360}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Cokemachineglow]]'' | rev2score = 81%<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/751/xiuxiu-theairforce-2006|title=Xiu Xiu - The Air Force|website=[[Cokemachineglow]]|last=Eley|first=Craig|date=September 14, 2006|access-date=November 22, 2025|archive-date=August 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817165650/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/751/xiuxiu-theairforce-2006|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Drowned in Sound]]'' | rev3score = 8/10<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/8301|title=Xiu Xiu: The Air Force|website=[[Drowned in Sound]]|last=Cawley|first=Rachel|date=May 22, 2007|access-date=November 22, 2025|archive-date=May 22, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070522204153/http://www.drownedinsound.com/release/view/8301|url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev4score = {{rating|3|4}}<ref name=MC/> | rev5 = ''[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]'' | rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nowtoronto.com/music/xiu-xiu-2/|title=Xiu Xiu|website=[[Now (newspaper)|Now]]|last=Liss|first=Sarah|date=October 19, 2006|access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev6Score = 8.0/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/38549/Xiu_Xiu_The_Air_Force |title=Xiu Xiu: The Air Force: Pitchfork Record Review |accessdate=2006-09-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031091257/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/38549/Xiu_Xiu_The_Air_Force |archivedate=2006-10-31 }}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[PopMatters]]'' | rev7Score = 8/10<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/xiu-xiu-the-air-force-2495685481.html|title=Xiu Xiu: The Air Force|publisher=|accessdate=3 October 2016}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' | rev8score = {{rating|3.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/xiu-xiu-the-air-force/|title=Review: Xiu Xiu, The Air Force|website=[[Slant Magazine]]|last=Keefe|first=Jonathan|date=October 9, 2006|access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[Tiny Mix Tapes]]'' | rev9score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/xiu-xiu-air-force|title=Xiu Xiu - The Air Force|website=[[Tiny Mix Tapes]]|last=Haney|first=Paul|access-date=November 22, 2025}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]'' | rev10score = 8/10<ref>There aren’t any huge surprises or new developments on The Air Force;. Which, coming from a band that sounds like nothing else on the indie landscape, means that it’s another devastating collection of deluded, terrifying grandeur. [#15]</ref> }}

'''''The Air Force''''' is the fifth studio album by [[Xiu Xiu]]. It was released on September 12, 2006, and was produced by [[Greg Saunier]] of [[Deerhoof]], who also performs on the album with band members [[Caralee McElroy]] and [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]].

== Production ==

The album was produced by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof, and released on [[5 Rue Christine]] in September 2006. Stewart said that the year was "one of the first not dominated by personal tragedies" and that the album is about "making other people feel bad" instead of feeling bad oneself.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> Its major themes are "guilt and sex as opposed to sorrow and sex".<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/> Stewart considered it their best and most consciously pop album yet. They said that the band was obsessed with [[Weezer]]'s ''[[Weezer (1994 album)|Blue Album]]'' and [[The Smiths]]'s ''[[The Queen Is Dead]]'' while on tour, though the album does not reflect those albums particularly.<ref name="Pitchfork 2006"/>

[[File:Beato angelico, Cristo coronato di spine, livorno, 1420 circa.jpg|thumb|upright= 1.25|The album cover includes "Christ crowned with thorns" by Renaissance painter [[Fra Angelico]].]]

==Track listing== {{track listing |all_lyrics = [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]], except "Bishop, CA" and "Wig Master", which have additional lyrics by [[Angela Seo]] |total_length = 34:37 |title1=Buzz Saw |length1= 3:01 |title2=Boy Soprano |length2= 3:23 |title3=Hello from Eau Claire |length3= 2:54 |title4=Vulture Piano |length4= 3:23 |title5=PJ in the Streets... |length5= 2:57 |title6=Bishop, CA |length6= 4:06 |title7=Saint Pedro Glue Stick |length7= 1:17 |title8=The Pineapple vs. the Watermelon |length8= 3:28 |title9=Save Me Save Me |length9= 2:39 |title10=The Fox & the Rabbit |length10= 3:12 |title11=Wig Master |length11= 4:17 }} {{Track listing |headline = [[iTunes Store]] bonus tracks |total_length= 39:36 |title1=Bonus Track |length1= 1:28 |title2=Feeding the Raging Heart |length2= 2:18 |title3=Bonus Track |length3= 1:13 }}'''Notes'''

* "Feeding the Raging Heart" is the opening song to the 2007 Robby Reis film of the same name.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-14 |title=FEEDING THE RAGING HEART |url=https://natalifilm.com/portfolio/feeding-the-raging-heart/ |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=Natali Film |language=en}}</ref> * "Hello from Eau Claire" and "Saint Pedro Glue Stick" do not have vocals by lead member Jamie Stewart; instead, Caralee McElroy does all of the vocals on the former, while the latter is instrumental.

==Personnel==

===Xiu Xiu=== * [[Jamie Stewart (American musician)|Jamie Stewart]] - Production, vocals (1–6, 8–11), percussion (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9), drum programming (2–4, 6, 9, 10), synthesizer (2–4, 6, 8, 10), guitar (2, 4, 5, 8, 10), bass (4, 5, 8, 9), sampler (3, 5, 7), harmonica (4, 6), piano (1), accordion (2), recorder (2), autoharp (5), mandolin (9) * [[Caralee McElroy]] - Production, vocals (1, 3, 6, 10), flute (2, 4), synthesizer (4), glockenspiel (9), cymbal (10)

===Additional personnel=== * [[Greg Saunier]] - Production, vocals (1, 3, 5, 6, 10), sampler (2–4, 9, 11), synthesizer (1, 4, 6, 9), guitar (2, 4, 5, 10), percussion (1, 2, 5), piano (1, 8), drum programming (2, 4), bass (3), electronic drums (3), banjo (6), bass drum (6), snare drum (9), glockenspiel (9) * [[Devra Hoff]] - Double bass (2, 10, 11), bass (10) * David Horvitz - Koto (7) * Nedelle Torisi - Violin (9)

==References== {{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Pitchfork 2006">{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6305-xiu-xiu/ |accessdate=July 13, 2014 |title=Xiu Xiu |last1=Stosuy |first1=Brandon |date=April 9, 2006 |work=[[Pitchfork Media]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723092041/http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6305-xiu-xiu/ |archivedate=July 23, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Air Force, The}} [[Category:Xiu Xiu albums]] [[Category:2006 albums]] [[Category:5 Rue Christine albums]] [[Category:Polyvinyl Record Co. albums]]