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The xx On World Cafe

The xx.
Alexandra Waespi
/
Courtesy of the artist
The xx.

Romy Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith are The xx, an indie-pop band formed in the London borough of Wandsworth. Layering spare arrangements with synths, pulsing bass and haunting vocals, The xx's minimalist approach helped win the trio's debut, xx, the Mercury Prize for Best Album in 2010.

For its second full-length record, Coexist, the band drew on electronic music its members discovered while on tour. On this installment of World Café, The xx plays a few songs from Coexistand talks with host David Dye about creating its sound and dealing with success.

This episode was re-aired on July 7, 2014.

Copyright 2020 XPN. To see more, visit XPN.

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  • Beneath The xx's tightly controlled image-making lays music that's raw and vulnerable; shy, worried tentativeness is wired into a sound that shimmers powerfully, but remains as fragile and delicate as a soap bubble.
  • The British group's moody debut carried the ring of 1980s post-punk. The grooves are magnified on its second album, and plenty of moments feel like straight-up club music.