Jamie Stewart founded his post-punk project Xiu Xiu in '00 and guided them through two years of development during which they incorporated synthpop, experimental jazz and pure noise into their sound. Their first album, Knife Play, was released in '02, earning instant critical acclaim for Stewart's anguished vocals and borderline histrionic delivery. Positive word of mouth from intrigued listeners and a somewhat more accessible approach turned '04's Fabulous Muscles into something of a breakthrough. The band's eleventh album, Unclouded Sky, arrived in '14.