Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart Talks with RIR News

Photo credit: Four Paws Media

Listen to the full interview here

The band Xiu Xiu has a unique sound. Blending a variety of acoustic instruments with a mix of electronic and synth noises, Jamie Stewart, the band's longest-running member, creates odes of melancholy and isolation with an intense emotional message. Founded in San Jose, California in 2002, Xiu Xiu has released 10 albums that vary in both mood and tone, but always yank at heartstrings. Their most recent album, Dear God, I Hate Myself, is available now on Kill Rock Stars. Xiu Xiu is playing at the Canal Club on Thursday, April 15. Stewart spoke with RIR news about what he listens to, the difficulty of finding bandmates, queer sex, and the impact of downloading music on smaller bands today.

-Brad Kutner

Comedian Mike Birbiglia Prepares to Get Candid with Richmond

Listen to the full interview here

You may have heard Mike Birbiglia on The Moth Radio Hour, This American Life or The Bob & Tom Show. He has also had three Comedy Central specials and has appeared on TV programs hosted by the likes of Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon. In 2008 he made his theatrical debut in a critically-acclaimed one-man show called Sleepwalk With Me, which was co-produced by Nathan Lane. Now he has a couple more projects in the works to share more brutally honest and hilarious stories. This Thursday, Friday and Saturday you can catch him at the Funny Bone in Short Pump. We asked him a few questions about what can be expected from his performance.

-Caroline Jackson