Artist of the Day: The XX

With surprising frequency I find myself sitting at my desk growing tired of silence but incapable of choosing something to listen to. These moods are difficult to deal with, as doing nothing about it is frustrating but forcing myself to listen to something is often worse. A common resolution to such unfortunate situations is England’s The XX (also Jack Johnson’s On and On, but that is for another day).

Though my knowledge of the group’s history and discography is limited, I have a hard time turning down their 2009 release, xx. The group’s sound is pretty minimalistic, featuring programmed percussion, light guitar work, thick bass lines, clever orchestration and a male and female duet that is endlessly pleasing. Though occasionally edging on artsy, there is no pretentious attitude lurking to detract from the release. Anyone looking for an interesting soundtrack to their work or play will find something to value in The XX.

Definitely check out their Facebook page here.