Correction: Xiu Xiu will perform at the Dining Commons, not the Red Barn.

Jamie Stewart’s joyfully despairing musical project, Xiu Xiu, will perform at Hampshire College on April 12. Fresh on the heels of their latest release, “Dear God, I Hate Myself,” this self-reflexive indie-rock group combines incredible pop hooks with chaotic (but not unnecessary) instrumentation and an ever-present surge of emotion.

Formed in 2000 by IBOPA alumni Jamie Stewart and Cory McCulloch, Xiu Xiu immediately began to receive attention with their 2002 release “Knife Play.” But it wasn’t until they released their 2004 album, “Fabulous Muscles,” that they truly began to receive the acclaim they deserved.

Although from that point on their music was infused with a slightly more pop-oriented bent, there was never a question of compromise. Lineup shifts and changing styles of songwriting meant that the band never stagnated. With the current lineup of Stewart and keyboardist Angela Seo, you can most likely expect a show with a slightly dance-oriented sound. But one can never be sure, due to Xiu Xiu’s frequent changing of lineups for shows. It is entirely possible that this will be a personal experience, with just Jamie Stewart on guitar. As of late, a Nintendo DS has been added to the sound. There are many possibilities for what may happen this Monday night. All of them, if you are a Xiu Xiu fan (or think that you could be), will be well worth pursuing.

Xiu Xiu’s sound is one of contradiction. Equally speaker-rattlingly dissonant and delicately beautiful, this band’s influences range far and wide. One obvious point of reference includes androgynous mope legend, Morrissey. But beyond that, one can surprisingly find traces of everything from Eastern classical to video-game music. It is always fascinating to hear just how Jamie Stewart is going to voice his despair.

One reason for this band’s appeal lies with their hook-writing abilities, which have sharpened and improved over time. Off of the latest release, we have what may in fact be Xiu Xiu’s catchiest song yet, “Chocolate Makes You Happy.” This ode to bulimia layers hook after hook in a consistently enjoyable and memorable manner. The fact that, in this case, the despair does not seem to be that of the lead singer’s has led to a bit of backlash from some of the more loyal fan base. A similar thing happened with the release of “Fabulous Muscles,” which was their poppiest effort to date at the time. However, this very fact also means that it has the capacity to introduce Xiu Xiu to something resembling the public sphere. “Dear God, I Hate Myself” may be this band’s watershed release, if the mainstream has the capacity to deal with music that thematically relates to something like reality.

Xiu Xiu is not a band for everyone. They deal with difficult subject matter, and their music has the capacity to be quite abrasive. But in addition to being a fantastic pop songwriter, Jamie Stewart captures the joy and despair of actual existence in his music. That is no easy task. If this sounds like a show that would appeal to you, be sure to head to the Hampshire College Red Barn Dining Commons on April 12.

Mark Schiffer can be reached at [email protected].