Chapel Hill
The XX
Local 506The reception that R&Buzz (R&B + buzz) band The XX currently enjoys says more about the state of independent music in 2009 than it does about the South West London quartet’s music. Much of the fire-feeding back and forth between unsurprisingly breathless British press and the “first!” culture of the U.S. blogosphere has been based around a simple fact: These kids wrote a cohesive record. But has the Internet’s democratization of music distribution made us forget that that’s the point of this whole racket? Kudos is certainly due to singer-guitarist Romy Madley Croft and singer-bassist Oliver Sim, whose awkward sexuality and sinewy instrumentation make for some fine moments on The XX’s eponymous Young Turks debut, a definitely decent offering. Thanks, however, is due to the law of inflated returns, which has converted the band’s self-assurance into serious currency. Pay $8-$10 at 9 p.m., and see www.local506.com. For more thoughts on this law of inflated returns, see www.indyweekblogs.com/scan. Robbie Mackey
