Belle and Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian were a group I'd always thought I'd love, like Queen and Def Leopard before them.
Allegedly formed in an all night caf� in Glasgow, the original incarnation was Stuart Murdoch, Stuart David, Isobelle Campbell, Stevie Jackson and Chris Geddes formed for a music project for Stow College.
I first heard Belle and Sebastian at University when I was a foppish soul with long hair and no girlfriend, no change there then. I heard 'The state I am in' on the Mark and Lard breakfast show and thought wow, this is one great song. Due to general apathy for getting up for 9am lectures I never caught the bands name and I just thought it was a figment of my imagination, a lost classic in the mould of Genesis ABACAB, or something.
Lo and behold I got a girlfriend, Naomi was here name. Now chance had it that she had a keen taste for music and she knew who this mythical band were. I must have thought that she was the coolest girl ever. Belle and Sebastian eh? Sound a bit fey, but I'll give them a listen.
The conclusion that I reached was that everyone should own Sinister and Tigermilk, simple as that. I wouldn't bother with the rest unless you are a hardcore twee fan, go listen to the BMX bandits instead.
Don't get me wrong I think their earlier stuff is something bordering on genius and I still love it, but later albums become more patchy and it seemed that they were taking the mick. Piss poor Storytelling and charging 25 quid to go see them in Brixton has forever tainted their name in my book. But hey, they may perhaps scale the heights of Sinister, Lazy Line and Legal Man again, here's hoping.
(Reviewed by G5)
Be sure to take a look at the Belle and Sebastian record label Jeepster site.
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Tigermilk These guys produced an astounding debut album on a shoestring budget, funded by a Stowe College project. Tigermilk was its name; it was initially pressed on a limited run of a 1000 copies whose scarcity is something of legend (bollocks to Jo Wiley who reckoned she owned 2 copies). It was subsequently re-released after their breakthrough album. Buy Tigermilk at Amazon.co.uk |
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If You're Feeling Sinister Their first 'album proper' was If You're Feeling Sinister, I remember listening to it in my seafront room with an Irish sea sunset, and thought this is the best band ever. The opener 'Stars of track and field' is up there with my favourite album openers building to a crescendo of Phil Spector-esque "wall of sound on a shoestring" proportions. Buy If You're Feeling Sinister at Amazon.co.uk |
