Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart / Photo by Hilary Sol Allen

With the scorching, dry spring heat descending upon Phoenix, San Francisco's art rockers Xiu Xiu rolled into town just in time to up the ante with their blistering sonic blasts of stark, sweaty misery. And within the walls of the Rhythm Room last night (April 8), frontman Jamie Stewart wailed out his soul to the sun-kissed show-going denizens of Arizona.

Opener and fellow Kill Rock Stars recording artist Thao Nguyen and her band the Get Down Stay Down led a set of hand clapping, tambourine shaking, and country-tinged tunes, as Nguyen's voice occupied the sacred space between husky and ethereal, soothing the enthusiastic crowd and stoking the flames for Xiu Xiu's sizzling assault.

Though retaining the creaky, just-about-to-break tension of their studio work, Xiu Xiu transformed into a pulsating, storming live band. Copious percussion punctuated the driving emotion of material from their new album, Women as Lovers, while the eclecticism of flutes, xylophones, standup bass, and even a syncopated gym whistle solo during "I Do What I Want, When I Want," served to remind that Jamie Stewart and crew are much more than a common arty post-punk band. Witnessing their glimmering take on an oft-rehashed genre was a refreshing slap across many a sunburned mug.

We asked: On Xiu Xiu's latest album, Women as Lovers, the band cover David Bowie and Queen's "Under Pressure" with Swans' Michael Gira. If the planets aligned you were able to cover any Bowie song with an artists of your choice, which tune and musician would you choose?

Name: Thao Nguyen
Age: 24
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Occupation: Lead vocalist/guitarist of Thao with the Get Down Stay Down
"'Five Years' with Annie Lennox"

Name: Eric Roberts
Age: 19
Hometown: Mesa, AZ
Occupation:Student
"'Sound & Vision' with Bradford Cox of Deerhunter"

Name: Steph Carrico
Age: 32
Hometown: Salt Lake, UT
Occupation: Owner of Phoenix Venue "The Trunkspace"
"'Magic Dance' with John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats"

Name: Greg Holzmann
Age: 20
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Bookstore manager
"'Changes' with Barack Obama"

Xiu Xiu / Photo by Hilary Sol Allen

Xiu Xiu / Photo by Hilary Sol Allen

Xiu Xiu / Photo by Hilary Sol Allen

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down / Photo by Hilary Sol Allen