February 2000 - Sinister

Sinister: Fucking Amal(mentally insert little dots over a's)
by Georgine Skeene 12 Feb '00

12 Feb '00

hello my sinister doves, well let's see. About the tragedy of stuart david, i mean un-tragedy. I think there might be a lot more ruckus about it if there had been some kind of big fight. It sounds like the arrangement worked out well for everyone. stuart d. has a lot of irons in the fire, he seems happy with his own work, and it's important for everyone to get their priorities in line. It makes sense to me, anyway. megalomania will always take precedence over being a bit player. we all wanna be in control of our creations.... Westboro baptist freaks on the sinister list? i thought i'd never see the day. yes they are a bunch of inbred, ignorant freaks. Real christian people can tell you their beliefs have nothing whatsoever to do with the bible. and if you want to read a scary story about psychosis, chld abuse and hatred, this is the link of the day: http://www.qrd.org/usa/kansas/phelps/1994/addicted.to.hate-06.02.94 I don't know if it's 100% true. it was metnioned in the phoenix gay/lesbian magazine Echo in an article about a lawsuit or something. but if it is true, then we can be sure the Un-Reverend Phelps is a psychotic bastard. Even if it's not, it makes a good, sick story. I think sarah is secretly in love with me. she wants to be a lesbian too! always picking apart my emails, responding point by point, jabbing like a 5th grade boy who's too shy to admit he has a crush on that girl he's always blowing spitballs at. yeah, your game is up! and toilet duck does, indeed, rule forever. i would like to say that last night i had the distinct privilege of attending the phx gay/lesbian film festival, and viewing a swedish film called "Show Me LOve" or, for those not living in the puritanical united states, "Fucking Amal". i laughed, i cried. i'm cynical about lots of things, but when it comes to teenage girls in love, my disbelief can be suspended on anything available. i was reduced to nothingness by the end of it all. I was afraid the subtitles would detract from it, but they didn't at all. the most annoying thing was the rest of the audience, who seemed so amused by the "weird" swedish language that they kept laughing at totally unfunny moments and confusing me. it was kind of immature, i thought. but it's a really really good movie, as long as you're not a grumpy homophobe or something. It seemed (too) real to me, probably because i'm still a teenager at heart, having barely seen a first kiss at 23. (some call it pathetic). so i guess if you're cyni! cal you could call it cheesy, but if you like that sort of thing it's kind of like a magnetic fields song: sure ABBA did it a million times, but a good pop song, like a good love story, when it's done right it has to be perfect, cliches and all. I also wondered idly if Amal is a real town. anyone live in Sweden? not that it matters, i was just curious. "this is my new girlfriend. Now please get out of the way, we're going to go fuck now." ah, callow youth. love and poison too, LJ http://members.tripod.com/rebelstrange to the pure, all things are pure--- http://members.tripod.com/rebelstrange/buxoms.html ***The Buxoms: Svengali-free since 1998!!*** ______________________________________________________ Sent by FortuneCity Mail at http://www.fortunecity.com Join now and receive 20Mb of free web space and E-mail +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: part 2
by Alexander Borgia 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

Did I forget to mention there was a part 2 to my post of last evening? I guess that was intentional. Yesterday there was yet another high school shooting. This time it was in Toronto. Some of the people on the list are from Toronto, I myself live close to it. Luckily nobody was killed this time, but for sure there have been far too many of these in the last year. Although a motive was not given, in the other shootings the reason they took place were because the shooters had felt that the victims had treated them poorly, or they had been made feel that they didn't matter. Although this does not excuse the behaviour of the people who have done the shooting in these cases, I do think we should stand back and take a look at the world. The purpose of my post last night was to make you react. For some of you it did work. Albeit it was the sledge hammer approach, sometimes that is necessary. Everybody is guilty of thoughtless behaviour at some time or another, and I do include myself in that. Last night it appeared as though I was calling you all selfish assholes, and that is exactly how we are preceived at times by other people and we don't even realize it, unfortunately our behaviour can sometimes result in getting ourselves killed without ever really knowing why. Road rage, suicides, shootings, and all kinds of other things happen and they always will, but it seems as though they are happening with increasing frequency which is so sad. Too many times people are quoted on the news as saying that they never imagined such a thing happening in their town, but reality is that anything can happen anywhere at anytime. Personally I have known 3 suicides, two murder victims, and a few people who have died in alcohol related car accidents. I am sure that everybody has had their lives touched by this type of thing so I am not talking about some vague concept. For those who haven't, pray that you never do. I am completely aware that I have pissed some people off. Others have said that the world needs more compassion. Both responses are entirely acceptable because they have you thinking about the subject but I hope there isn't too much indifference. Sinister is a really good place with really good people, and I love you all, I really hope some day that we stop killing each other over this type of thing. Just as Rachel is sometimes overwhelmed with the urge to flee, I get overwhelmed with my own urges and I really don't want to see anyone sad this Valentine because you all matter. Okay, if you are still reading, then back to borking stuff. I am sorry to hear that StuD is leaving, but he will still be involved in the studio so he isn't completely gone and the door isn't completely closed so he just might not wander too far. My friend Lily who is a wonderful pianist is playing in Toronto this weekend. she was Bridget Fonda's piano coach in some movie and saw her and her boyfrined, some other actor, sneak away for sex on the set a few times. She plays blues, so if you are into it, here's the details.... This Saturday Feb 12: SISTER ACT - TORONTO APPEARANCE Featuring (alphabetically) Carrie Chesnutt - sax and vocals, Michelle Josef - drums, Sara Latendresse - vocals, Lily Sazz - keyboards, Doreen Smith vocals, Marg Stowe - guitar, Leo Valvasori - bass (replacing Suzie Vinnick who won't be able to make it.) MOCKINGBIRD CLUB, 580 King St. W (just east of Bathurst), Toronto 416-504-3081 Feb 12, 2000, doors open at 9pm $10 cover Comfy couches and candlelit atmosphere. Very nice venue. This lineup consists of many of the participants from past Toronto Blues Society Women's Blues Revues, coming together for one night as Sister Act. (no nun intended). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Still here? May as well offer a recipe for the sini-cookbook. This is the Shrimp Fettucine that people seem to like...... It is really easy to make and everyone seems to like it. The recipe is for 2 people and I will give everything based on how I make it. First you will need to start cooking the fettucine. Use a spaghetti measuring thing to figure out for 3 people, or just take a big handful and throw it in the pot of boiling water. Pour some olive oil in the pot first I put enough so that the slick on the water is about 2 inches in diameter, then stir it around in the water before putting the fettucine in. (I use the fettucine to stir it, one less spoon to wash!) When your fettucine is cooked, pour some olive oil in a pan and add two cloves of chopped garlic. Then throw 3/4 - 1 pound of shrimp (depends on how hungry you are, or how much you like shrimp) into the pan and sautée them. While the shrimp are cooking, put your futticine in a large bowl and add a bit of olive oil, some oregano, and a bit of basil. mix that around so that the fettucine is evenly covered in the green stuff. I would say that I use about a teaspoon and a half of oreganon and half a teaspoon of basil, but I go by eye so it will be hit and miss for you. Just as the shrimp are almost done, (this is optional) you can throw a large cubed tomatoe in with them. Just keep the tomatoes in the pan long enough to get them warmed up. Squirt the juice from half a medium lemon over it now. (if you forget to buy a lemon, don't worry because half the time I do too) Put a big mess of your flaky green fettucine on a plate, then dump a big mess of shrimp and tomatoe over top of it. Then sprinkle crumbled up feta cheese over everything. And voila, you have a really nice dinner that everyone seems to like. Serve it with a fresh baguette and a nice white wine. I like Remy Panier Blanc de France because it is inexpensive and it is very light. For those who don't like shrimp, or if payday is a long way off, you can make this with chicken just as easily. Have a happy weekend. Alexander +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: dividing canaan piece by piece get out of my garden waiting on sunday to drown
by Januarythaw＠aol.com 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

well i must say these past posts from thursday/friday were great. passion in its full extent for causes. :o) i was also quite sadened to see that my vote for crush has been revoked. i reckon it's a good thing i found me a feller last night haha. well ex feller but we've rekindled the flame so to speak. just in the nick of time too. yeah i spent the night at his house but no we did nothing but make out like regular school boys and girls. although we are abouve school age and our bodies aren't boy and girl bodies. *drrr drr i feel like i'm stu ck in third gear trying to take off from a dead stop* yes so my friend and her beau also stayed at his house last night and they thinking we were going to do the old heave ho trip around the daisy's bought us condoms and slid them under his door to his room. quite thoughtful eh? thats my best friend tho. she's glorious and wonderful like that. she always thinks of others before herself. i seriously don't deserve a best friend like her. being such a rude bitch that i am. so's today i help him 'bleed' the breaks on this hearse he's selling to a mutual friend thom. i pumped the break pedal for an hour today. my knees are killing me. D; oh well. i'll get over it. uh. yes. ok um. stuart ds' untimely departure. or perhaps timely? who knows. it rather pisses me off, to have a band. to be in a band it requires trust in the other members. to be there especially after putting out records and being on a label and what not. i think it's rather rude of him. i've decided to respond to a few posts with quotes from songs. being so moved by music as i am i feel it only appropriate to plagerise. and use their wonderful ideas instead of my own 'cuz i'm smoove like dat' David Moore said: > My first B&S dream! and i sez. "so strange. victory- 1200 spires. the only sound moscow burning. empty like the tuileries. like a dream vienna seems. only not to be of use-impossible." tori amos. 'josephine' jarkko says: Sometimes the freedom of speech is not such a good thing. and di said too as for jarkko's letter that brought tears to my eyes. why can't people be better creatures. we think we are so wonderful b/c we can think yet look at what we do with that capacity. i am ashamed for all humanity. and then i feel badly b/c i am not doing anything to stop hate and ignorance. what can you do about things like that web-site? i don't think it's a case of ignoring tham and they will go away, but if people acknowledge them and publicly discuss it then they are getting free publicity. i feel as though i'm complicit (is that the right word?) no matter what. to which i think of: the sun is setting on the century. and we are armed to the teeth we're all working together now to make our lives mercifully brief schoolkids keep trying to teach us what guns are all about confuse liberty with weaponry and watch your kids act it out every year now like christmas some boy gets the milkfed suburban blues reaches for the available arsenal and saunters off to make the news and the women in the middle are learning what poor women have always known that the edge is closer than you think when you men bring the guns home look at where the profits are thats how you'll find the source of the big lie that you and i both know so well in the time it takes this cultural deathwish to run it's course they're gonna make a pretty penny and then they're all going to helll he said the chickens all come home to roost yeah malcom forcasted this flood are we really gonna sleep though another century while the rich profit off our blood? true it may take some doing to see the undoing though but in my humble opinon here's what i suggest we do open fire on holly wood open fire on MTV open fire on NBC and CBS and ABC open fire on the NRA and all the lies they told us along the way open fire on each weapons manufacturer while he's giving head to some repulican senator and if i hear one more time about a fools right to his tools of rage i'm gonna take all my friends and i'm gonna move to canada and we're gonna die of old age ani difranco. 'to the teeth' right well there was more but those are the ones that matter to me. he he . or perhaps not matter but i feel compelled to say something about. well i must run it's my aunts birthday so i must spend money that i don't actually have. he he the story of my life. i'm sorry for such a boring post. but well i'm not that exciting of a person. or something like that. right well ciao and take care and have a loverly weekend. ciao, iris bayou. i'm sure that you've been briefed my absorption lines. they are frayed and so i fear. my fear is greater than my stength but i walk the missionary way. _tori_amos_suede_ www.anglefire.com/journal/standhere/index.html step on a crack break your mothers back. go to my sight. her back will still be broken. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: white city, it's a joke of a name
by Blake 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

yea, er, well, um. i'm prepared to go the self indulgent way once again, but first, some B&S content, if you will (and you will, darn ya). there's been the news of big STU leaving. well, ok, i'm not ok with that, but i'm ok with that. stuff like this happens. it's no keith moon departure but it will still sting struan and isobel and stevie and mick and sarah and richard and chris. i think that's all of them. lets just hope kenney jones doesn't become the next member of our darling troupe. i can't imagine a B&S album with so much unneeded hi hat. sister disco, back me up on this. hi hat + WHO = face dances/it's hard = so so stuff. i like face dances and it's hard, i do, i can't avoid liking them, but they're no QUADROPHENIA. enough about the who. no i can't. in my short story class yesterday my teacher was reading her story and in it were the words 'meaty big and bouncy'. granted, the smut factor of my post just sky rocketed, but for good reason. i raised my hand and in front of the whole class we started talking about mods, rockers, and windmills. that is, until....... someone read a story and it had the word 'dame' referring to a girl in it. you see the point of the exercise was to write, if you were a girl, as a guy. so this girl was trying to write as a guy, and how he'd react to some beautiful brod. and she wrote 'dame'. now afterwards i raised my hand and exclaimed that i'd never heard such a word, except in the movies. when asked for a worthy substitute, i said 'bird'. i was crucified. it was horrific. i was lambasted with scorn and dirty looks. even though i realized that it wasn't a big deal, it was ugh, so silly and regretful. lovely laura llew sent me a valentine! it really is quite lovely, and it has lots of candy in it. the little package she sent it in was covered (and i mean absolutely covered) with tape. it took me at least half an hour to get it all ready to play with. sheesh dahhhling. my throat hurts a bit. perhaps i need to kiss someone soon. yea that'll do it! SMUT FACTOR (out of 10) -- 8. meaty big, and yea, get saucy. SELF INDULGENCE FACTOR (out of 100) -- 74. normally it's around 95. REFERENCES THAT NOBODY WILL GET (out of 10) -- 7.5. there aren't too many WHO fans anymore. until. love blake xx http://members.tripod.com/nucleartrout aol thingee: galloshes icq number is er, um: 22810722 yea yea yea ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ "I am not Jesus, though I have the same initials." - Jarvis Cocker +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: the jury has reached a decision.
by Denise Power 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

hello list, hows things ? I've come to a decision regarding who is going to get my crush vote. It was kind of hard because I had my heart set on a particular person's email because it was great but when I went through the archives (I put alot of work into my vote - it has to be deserved) I couldn't find it - but it was great. But someone elses content is similar in style and abundance, i hope he gets it in time for valentine's day. And if i was a boy or a lesbian I would vote for jenowl's because her posts are the best. _____________________________________________________________________________ Denise Power. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: yeah i know i promised to go away, delete me if you wish
by ipecac spice 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

hello all. i was going to lurk but it turns out that i'm not very good at it. i felt prompted to write by 2 messages really: alexander's and jarkko's. i don't know if i really have much to say in response to alexander's. i don't think i've ever been called an asshole before. i want to cast my vote for someone deserving, but i'm not sure who is most deserving. if anyone feels they're deserving feel free to write me with your woeful tale and let me know. otherwise i will randomly vote for some lucky person. i think that i need to stop worrying so much about what people think of me and try harder to make everyone else feel special. i think i'm a living self-fulfilling prophecy. i worry so much that people won't like me that i don't say anything and end up looking like a snob so than people don't like me and so on...i don't really agree about the importance of valentine's day. i find it is more of a day for single people to feel bad on than coupled people to feel special on. i ask everyone to join me in a boycott of valentine's and celebrate bitterness day. this is a day on which you get together with all your friends and eat and watch a movie. it is also fun to growl at all the couples on the streets. even couples themselves can participate, growl at other couples or stay in so as not to rub their relationships in the faces of lonely people. as for jarkko's letter that brought tears to my eyes. why can't people be better creatures. we think we are so wonderful b/c we can think yet look at what we do with that capacity. i am ashamed for all humanity. and then i feel badly b/c i am not doing anything to stop hate and ignorance. what can you do about things like that web-site? i don't think it's a case of ignoring tham and they will go away, but if people acknowledge them and publicly discuss it then they are getting free publicity. i feel as though i'm complicit (is that the right word?) no matter what. congrats to ailsa. happy birthday to fiona. -di "i respect those who have faith even though they are ignorant" -hemingway +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: a twisted friar's tartare
by Joss 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

Hello. I'm Joss. I've been here for some time, peering at you all. Some of you pick your nose. Hark at that Stuart David, then. Going straight to the NME with his tales of leaving B&S. I'll bet he's been dying to do tons of interviews but he had to wait until he got away from that mumsie Stuart Murdoch. He'd say "I think I'll go talk to Select and Sounds and Record Mirror today, Murdoch" to which Stu M would doubtless reply "awww.. no no, wittle man. stay heew, and i will put wittle pigtails in your haiw." "Ow! My hair's too short for bleeding pigtails..." "Pish and double-pish, Ronnie", Stu D would later say to his ever-faithful cousin who would give a wheezy laugh at grumpy old Stuart. "Will we ever be set free?" And finally they have. You can't but be pleased for the old curmudgeon. I just worry as to how Genevieve is going to take it. Props indeed to Mr Kevan to rescuing a pigeon. I rescued one recently too as some scumbags tried to kick the poor beggar. Far more impressive, though, is my attempted tiger theft. When I was about 10 I was brought to the circus where they had a little zoo out back. There was a cage full of the cutest little tiger cubs and when I pulled the door it turned out to be open. So I nabbed one of the little fellers and stuffed him in my jacket from where he poked his head out and licked my chin. On the way back to the car I started to think about how big he'd grow and how maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all so I brought him back. When I was outside the pub trying to stop the obnoxious drunks kicking the poor pigeon it occurred that if I had a tiger I could've had him bite their stupid faces off. But then, they wouldn't allow me bring a tiger to the pub so I would've had to stay at home and the pigeon would've been rightly fucked. So I like to think that everybody's better off as things are. Mad props to Owen for being nice about my name and proving diaryesque postings can be a good thing if your life sounds like the plot from a pornographic film, Cynthia for being nice about my cow game and the delicious Miss Honey for being the delightful Miss Honey. Cheerio now. xx Joss _____________________________________________ Scientific Laboratories Records http://www.thumped.com/scilabs http://www.esatclear.ie +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: b&s article from a horrible record collector-y magazine hot off the press...
by mark powell 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

i've been having 'fun' with the ocr software so i scanned in this article which is in the new issue of the subject-mentioned magazine which happened across my path. these sort of magazines leave me feeling empty and ill so i don't advise you to buy it so here's the article. hope it's not too long to post. bye, mark now-wishing-i'd-seen: le tigre AND some snow this winter. just a bit. or a lot. either would do. ------- <fontfamily><param>Courier_New</param><smaller>Record Mart & Buyer March 2000 Pathways of Belle & Sebastian Did Belle & Sebastian happen by accident? The answer is definitely 'sort of'. The inlay of debut album 'Tigermilk' has a little story. "Sebastian wrote all of his best songs in 1995. In fact, most of his best songs have the words 'Nineteen Ninty-five' in them." Sure enough, track one of the album murmurs, "I was puzzled by a dream/stayed with me all day in 1995". Back to the story. "Belle's most recent song is called 'Rag Day'. Sebastian's is called 'The Fox In The Snow'." You have to wait for the second album, but there it is, track five, 'The Fox In The Snow'. 'Rag Day' hasn't appeared yet. Is Belle all right? Does she not want us to hear her songs? You have to be careful, because this is the sort of thing that provokes interest in a band. And that is where the total is greater than the sum of the pads. In pop bands, two and two maim five. It is no accident that all of these little connections can be made between story and song, so we make them. The result is a pure accident Only, the accident is nice. Just like the music. That there are short stories is nice too., because it is, a whole world you are entering, where the songs exist in the stories and on the records. So do the characters. They appear in the story and the records and in the band name. It's all done very carefully, or caringly, but its quite accidental. The origins of the band are the same. They appear so closely knit, so tightly bound with a very carefully thought-out idea of how to deal with being in a band. But they were chosen almost at random. Its all rather like Winnie the Pooh. Just a children's book, but philosophically sound and eminently studyable. In tracing the Pathways of Belle and Sebastian, some cold hard assumptions have to be made, but if you look at all the available material, it reads like this. The band started as a result of Stuart Murdoch's enrolment in a Music Business course at Glasgow University. The course was run by an exmember of The Associates, Alan Rankine. For a final project the course members had to promote a band. Stuart had an ongoing concern in a band occasionally called Rhode Island. He had recorded some tracks and the results were the Rhode Island demos, consisting of 'Dog On Wheels', 'The State I Am In', 'String Bean Jean' and 'Belle & Sebastian'. The song-writing was exquisite and deeply unfashionable. But then a band started as part of a university course is never going to be fashionable. On the other hand, if you think about it (and that's what they're supposed to do at universities) they were bound to become fashionable. The'90s mainstream was so strongly pitched against the popetry of The Smiths it was bound to come around again. One obvious beneficiary was Martin Rossiter of Gene, who gained a little boost with his Morrissey poses. The same goes for Pulp. So, whether he suspected it or not, Stuart Murdoch's songs had commercial potential. The material is planted in a garden with that of the Smiths. In that first clutch of songs the childlike tone pushes through, with talk of a toy dog on wheels and a hefty chunk of school. The world is populated with boys and girls, not men and women. It is reminiscent of early Smiths, with the boyish confusion that left Morrissey asking "Will nature make a man of me yet?" Just like the Manchester band, Stuart Murdoch accepts the state he is in with a smile. "My brother had confessed that he was gay/It took the heat off me for a while". Small blessings. The result of all the hard work was not only the Rhode Island demos, but an album's worth of songs. The last one, 'My Wandering Days Are Over', was finished on New Year's Day 1996. That month, Stuart sat himself in Glasgow's Grosvenor Cafe and recruited a band. Stuart David was already hanging around, writing songs. He could play bass guitar. Isobel Campbell played cello and wrote her own songs, Richard Colburn was a modest-sounding drummer, Chris Geddes could play keyboards, Stevie Jackson could write songs and sing as well. Mick Cook was still around after playing his trumpet on the Rhode Island material, but was not yet made a full member because he was already in a band signed to Sony called 'Hardbody'. Stuart called the band 'Belle & Sebastian' after his song and they went into the studio to record and mix the songs he had written. It took them three long days and nights and they called the result 'Tigermilk'. It was released in April in an edition of 1,000 copies. Half were given away to friends and record companies and radio stations, while the others were sold via mail I order and eventually in the shops. Of all the Belle & Sebastian records, 'Tigermilk' reveals the most influences. One of the more intriguing pieces of folklore revolving around the band is the fact that Stuart Murdoch embarked on what has been represented as a pilgrimage to London to find Lawrence Hayward from '80s indie combo Felt. He didn't find him and returned to Glasgow. Lawrence has performed his own eccentricities over the years. It was his intention to record 10 albums in 10 years with Felt, although this target was never achieved. He later resurfaced to some acclaim with Denim, before disappearing without trace. The trappings of fame were of a similar confusion to Lawrence, who reportedly turned up at Glastonbury festival in a white suit, only to find it ruined. His explanation? "I thought they had cubicles for the stars." Felt were similarly an anonymous collective, with a fluctuating lineup that included Primal Scream's Martin Duffy on the ivories. For a hint of the quirk and attraction of the Felt project check out their 'Train Above The City' LP which is a virtually all-Duffy lounge collection. Lawrence's music with Felt was "the only music that would absorb me 100 percent," according to Stuart Murdoch. Their quietly jazzy style with an understated percussion and Dylanesque vocal informs Belle & Sebastian's output substantially, with emphasis on songs for the Despite the 'unfashionable' songwriting, Belle & Sebastian also tap into a very strong tradition of Glaswegian music. Orange Juice led to The Pastels, then came the Jesus & Mary Chain who split off into last month's Pathways feature Primal Scream and the equally 'difficult' Teenage Fanclub. Following that roughly chronological lineup, it seems that Belle & Sebastian progress naturally whilst lifting a digit off the feedback button. 'You're Just A Baby' and 'I Could Be Dreaming' have a definite feel of coming from the indie height of Orange Juice, with their jangle and saccharin tones. With the debut album finished, Belle & Sebastian sent a copy to Radio One, where it was picked up and played. And that was that. An indication of how busy and productive this time was can be seen in the 1996 schedule. The band was formed in January, released an album in April, wrote another album in June, and recorded a Radio One Session for July with the new material (namely the classics 'Judy and the Dream of Horses', 'The Stars of Track and Field' and 'Like Dylan in the Movies'). Only then did they sign a deal with Jeepster Recordings. Oh, and the new album was recorded and released in November 1996, shortly before even newer material was aired in another Radio One Session (December). In November 1996 the band supported Tindersticks at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. The professed distaste for bandcomparison has in the past been suspended by Stuart for Nottingham's finest export. "Poetry is usually pish, but it can be something special beyond everyday expression. Great words almost always reduce me to tears, because, compared to what's normally going on around you, it's a relief to know that beauty can exist. I remember hearing 'City Sickness' by Tindersticks and feeling elated and very jealous." The connection between the bands is not in sound so much as ideology. Generally over the years the importance of song writing has dimmed while the importance of image has glowed stronger, In music circles you can't move for people marrying failed actresses or rugby-tackling Michael Jackson or pouring water over John Prescott or confessing a Drugs Hell, all in the name of publicity. But the public gasps for a band like the Tindersticks or Belle & Sebastian. They are after all bands without image. Almost literally. The number of existing publicity shots of Belle & Sebastian can be counted on one finger. The Tindersticks are less camera-shy, but have provoked the same needlessly hurt reaction in the music press. "Nobody photographs them in colour any more, it's not worth it," bleated one journalist. But translating a band into words and pictures suddenly becomes deeply unimportant when you see the band actually play. A recent show at the Hammersmith Palais saw the Tindersticks perform an astonishingly assured, mesmerising set, perfectly realised, with perfectly-written songs. It was praise indeed when one review said of Belle & Sebastian "They play like the Tindersticks, and for this they should be worshipped." The successful holding-together of a seven- or eight-piece band dictates that a strong sense of community has to be present, and all the ego of press-handling is irrelevant. Is it any accident that Tindersticks have just produced an authentic soul album in last year's 'Simple Pleasures'? When the soul is strong, the press doesn't matter. The four Tindersticks albums have received consistently excellent reviews and, just like them, Belle & Sebastian have managed to stave off any back-stabbing. You have to say the press was going to be moved by a band that had managed to 'do' 1996 the way Belle & Sebastian did it. Indeed, they were very friendly towards the band, but it soon transpired that the band would not be rolling over. Rather than deliver pictures of themselves, the band preferred to deal in abstracts: a picture of Stuart Murdoch's flatmate for the cover of 'Tigermilk', and occasional compositions such as the bassist crouched over the 'dead' drummer. "The awkward, pretentious bastards," proclaimed the awkward pretentious bastards at the New Musical Express. But despite all of this, Belle & Sebastian managed to make everyone in the press respond in a friendly way. This probably rests as the band's most unlikely achievement to date. It had been tried and rejected before. A case in point is Manchester's James, whose early material is not unlike that of Belle & Sebastian. In 1985 they wanted to be photographed only in silhouette, and shunned the offer of a prominent front cover on the NME's New Year issue. But the hope that they might introduce themselves through music saw the band slapped in labels: 'loony Buddhists' and, familiarly, 'Smiths copycats'. Belle & Sebastian's response to the attention they provoked in their first year is encapsulated in a couple of songs penned by Stevie Jackson for their third album, 'The Boy With The Arab Strap'. Head of the US Sire record label, Seymour Stein (who screwed James over by signing them and then blocking the release of any material) showed an interest, but perhaps wisely the band weren't fussed. The nearapologetic flavour of the incident is captured in the track named after Sire's boss. 'Seymour Stein - sorry I missed you/Have a nice flight home/It's a good day for flying'. More US dealings are chronicled in 'Chickfactor', being the name of a New Yorkbased music magazine run by an 'Indie-Cool Queen'. The lyrics might be seen as a clear enough lament about the distance between the press hound and the superstar as human beings. "Pretty girl says 'Hi ... /What's the worst job you've had?/What do you read?/What's driving you mad?/ ... Are you talking to me?" The misalignment between the band and the big time is something that fuels the accident of Belle & Sebastian. All that can be done is to put across the message and hope it is misconstrued as little as possible. As Chris Geddes once put it, 'I think the deliberate air of evasiveness around us has led to some annoying misrepresentations of what we're like as people. The Sunday Times said it was great to find a band that don't like football. But we do. We're human beings, not sensitivity machines.' The upshot of which is you might just as well I throw a bucket of water over John Prescott as try to explain yourself in print. And then they had to. It was an accident, definitely, but Belle & Sebastian found their unlikely reputation bolstered in the quirk department with the following weird associations. In February 1999 The Sun newspaper (!) accused them of winning a Brit award (!!) for Best Newcomer (!!!) over Pete Waterman's Steps (!!!!) by rigging the votes. It was a storm in a teacup of course, but you can't help thinking that it would have been so much better to have actually rigged the thing. What they ended up with was a Brit (yes, Best Newcomer 1999) and a good yarn. Off they went to record the next album. But that's not it with Belle & Sebastian. They are not a band insofar as there are several different projects going on inside and out. Bassist Stuart David would probably not want to hear you call his band Looper a side project. Or himself a bassist. By all accounts he is last of all a bassist. He is a novelist, having just issued 'Nalda Said' through I.M.P Fiction, and an artist of the highest order when it comes to putting on a Looper live show. It's a multimedia experience, with image projections, TV screens, readings, music and illuminated spectacles going up to make the show. The Looper project also recently linked up with Pulp's Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey, who remixed 'Up A Tree Again' for the b-side of last year's single'Who's Afraid of Y2KT Stuart has also produced two books on Belle & Sebastian, the first called 'Ink Polaroids of Belle & Sebastian'and the second 'Little Ink Movies of Belle & Sebastian in New York'. Hart of an 'Ink Polaroid' provides an amusing take on Belle & Sebastian versus the corporate elite. "Chris swings on a tyre swing, and the rest of us are sitting on some rocks laughing at Mark from Jeepster as he tries to sound on his mobile phone. Mark told us later that, before the people from Virgin came to meet us in the playground, they had been saying to our distributors in America, 'Wait till you see. I will make Belle & Sebastian do all the things you and Mark have been unable to make them do.' Meaning set tours, and special releases, and press photographs and things like that. But after they had met up with us in the playground they only said to our other distributors, 'Well...perhaps not."' The Gentle Waves is the name under which cellist Isobel Campbell releases her songs. Their first album features Isobel and Richard Colburn, Chris Geddes, Stevie Jackson, Mick Cooke and Stuart Murdoch. Weighing up the number of readers-to-gossip ratio, I'll take a risk and give the following description: Isobel Campbell's band is to Stuart Murdoch's band what Belle is to Sebastian. Got the general idea? Good, now forget it. The Gentle Waves' album 'The Green Fields of Foreverland...' is innately feminine, working a girl's simple folk songs into breathy Continental styles or cowboy-country or Euro-pop. It took seven days to make, and clocks in at 30 minutes long, every one of them a delight. A second Gentle Waves album was started in October, and would appear to be in production simultaneously with the new Belle & Sebastian offering. Isobel has also played cello on three tracks on The Bathers' debut album 'Pandemonia' for whom Richard Colburn also plays the drums. Chris Geddes has worked with Glasgow's V-Twin, and Stuart Murdoch directed the video for the V-Twin single 'Thank You Baby'. Mick Cooke is also in the Glasgow ska combo The Amphetameanies, and Stuart Murdoch reckons "That's what he's best at." With the other projects occasionally being allowed their own non-Belle & Sebastian breathing space, all this stands up as being a pretty healthy state of affairs. And with the musical output having been stemmed for so long, an explosion is imminent. But a nice explosion. ----------------- Belle & Sebastian releases One of Pete Waterman's complaints about Belle & Sebastian winning the Best Newcomer award at the 1999 Brits was that they were "ineligible", having already released three albums. So it is that the band now find themselves holed up in the studio recording new songs while old material slips out behind their backs. - The publicity generated through all the music industry's tail chasing meant that first album 'Tigermilk' would have to come out again. Radio 1 DJ Zoe Ball claimed to have misplaced one of her two original copies, and her lack of concern over this made some of the Belle & Sebastian fans angry. So in July 1999 the album came out again for a curtain call, this time on glorious CD, and everybody was happy. A more contentious release is the forthcoming box set from Jeepster. It contains the three 1997 Belle & Sebastian E.P.s, 'Dog On Wheels', 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' and '3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light' together with bits of new artwork. The primary purpose of their release is to make them available to the European and American markets in advance of the new album, although a limited edition release is also scheduled for the UK. The general feeling in the B&S camp is not to be too interested in the box set release, most especially because the'Dog on Wheels' E.P. is made up of demos recorded when the band was called Rhode Island, by a line-up almost entirely comprised of session musicians or 'others'. Up until now the record's release abroad has been resisted. The song-writing on 'Dog On Wheels' is familiarly excellent with the title track flavoured by the Tindersticks in Hispanic mood. There is also an early version of the gem 'The State I Am In', (later resurfacing on 'Tigermilk') plus the only appearance of the catchy 'Belle & Sebastian'. This latter track is the exception that proves the rule about the band. Its randy drumming settles a thousand miles in the background compared to the gentle pop style of the song, and is quite unlike anything else they have had to offer. The'Lazy Line Painter Jane' EP is interesting for the fact that it contains the first Belle & Sebastian track written by Stuart David, 'A Century of Elvis'. He tells the tale of how he met his wife Kam (coconspirator in Looper), while underneath the band plays the track 'A Century of Fakers', which itself was not released until the next EP'Lazy Line Painter Jane' also sees the band experimenting with production (with the drums again veering off into the distance) and personnel, with Thrum's Monica Queen lending her vocal talents on the title track. The final of the summer E.P.s was'3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds of Light', containing tracks ranging back to Stuart Murdoch's early university efforts. 'Le Pastie de la Bourgeoisie' was, together with 'Rhode Island', one of the names tested out before 'Belle & Sebastian'. That track is fairly strongly Felt-inspired, with a nicely chunky Hammond part opening and a cowboy guitar picking out a quiff riff, before descending into an irresistible catchie-indie ending. As for the future, the fourth album was first pencilled in for last summer, and then for January or February this year. But with 20 songs recorded it all got rather out of hand, and the likely release is now May or June, preceded by the band's first ever prealbum release in the shape of a three-track EP The last EP the band released was 'This is Just a Modern Rock Song', which was not eligible for the charts under the new rules because it contained four tracks. As a result, the chart performance of the new EP is quite unpredictable. The word on the new material is that it sounds like Belle & Sebastian, only perhaps a bit 'shinier'. Isobel Campbell is also working with the band on The Gentle Waves'second album, which is'sounding very good'. </smaller></fontfamily> +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: Does this mean the Century of Elvis is over?
by Reid Dossinger 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

Oh, my! What a fascinating digest! I couldn't put it down! Frankly, I hadn't even heard the news until David Moore's sarcastic letter, which will now always my entry into the "how did you first find out about Stuart David leaving B&S" conversations. And did anyone else realize how perfect it was that Mr. Moore points out that Sinister is "up it's own collective bottom" and then is more or less proved dead-on right? Like I said: Fascinating. So I'm sorry that Stuart #2 left the band. It's like Nick says: his presence more than anything will be missed. I think that's pretty much true for a lot of the members of B&S. Because frankly (I'm in a frank mood today), none of them can write songs that come close to touching Stuart M's songs. I know Struan is a really, really nice guy who loves his friends and is good at sharing and wants B&S to be a 'band', but let's face facts. B&S minus Murdoch equals a twee, moderately talented (I do *like* the others' songs) band that's not known outside of the UK, if they're *lucky*. Mind you, I'm talking about songwriting, not musicianship. Because in the latter respects, they're ALL winners!! But really, there are several other members who I think would be better off concentrating their efforts on their solo stuff (no names mentioned). Stuart D's just making the right move. Rather than trying to make B&S more like Looper, he's taking his ball and going home, which is how it should be. Because all this talk about more and more of the new album's songs being non-Struan songs is making me nervous. This departure news just makes me a little less so. What I'm wondering if there're any bassists around who are offended by the NME's implication that they're not replacing the Space Boy because, hey, *anyone* can play bass. That's the way I read it, anyway. Faced with the reality of it, in a dream, Reid +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: making free with my lewd and lascivious boasts (fwd)
by The Narrow Wizard 11 Feb '00

11 Feb '00

OK you guys I sent the message below a couple of days ago but an evil wizard has obviously been messing round with my system cos we had some unexplained technical difficulties. first though I was thinking about the loss of Stu D I'm sorry to see him go but in a way I think it is for the best, Looper and his writing seemed to be consuming a large amount of his time and this is certainly a contributing factor to the time taken for the new album to be recorded. Also I think it will reduce the likelihood of a complete split of the band as they will be able to get on with their work without the difficulties of an often absent member. I don't know what I'd do if they split up the're one of the few groups that I listen to who are still active. I'm still recovering from the passing away of the wedding present and pavement, who were my two favourite bands back in 91 and who seemed to guide me through an entire decade with brilliant music. It worries me that ex members of these bands will start doing less brilliant music and defile my memories of their greatness. then again think how galaxie 500 are still treated as godlike beings even though Deans new band (well not new but you know what I mean) Luna are in fact a bit mediocre. well that's all from me for today but don't forget to read the stuff from me yesterday which is sitting down below there. love and nice thoughts owen With that the narrow wizard waggled his bushy eyebrows and disappeared in a flash of blue flame leaving behind only a faint smell of cinnamon ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2000 15:40:14 +0000 (GMT) From: The Narrow Wizard <ol01(a)STUDENTS.stir.ac.uk> To: sinister <sinister(a)missprint.org> Subject: making free with my lewd and lascivious boasts allo, I'm back. I was just wondering if anybody knew what any of the tracks were going to be on the new album. I mean will they all be ones we haven't heard or will the likes of paper boat and lonliness of a middle distance runner be on the album. Personally I was hoping for lots of new tracks on the album and an EP with the older tracks also appearing sometime, that would be pretty cool. Angel Blackwell said >I was rogering a vicar well it wasn't me, I'm not even a vicar just an ordained minister so you should call me reverand but not vicar OK. And now for a warning, the rest of this e-mail is an account of my last few days and as such it contains a story of much drunken buffoonery and lots of smut, there are no B&S references and those easily shocked are advised to stop reading now and delete this message. On sunday my new flatmates moved into the chalet, three american girls, being someone who knows his way around the local bars I offered to take them for a drink that night.after a few drinks an old friend called Angela came up to me, stuck an arm arround me and asked if I was out with my girlfriend, no sooner had the word single passed my lips then my lips were receiving a very passionate kiss. I didn't stay kissing her for too long though 'cos I didn't want to abandon the Americans and Angela didn't really want to abandon her friend Lesley (who by the way gave me a tape of tigermilk a few years ago). The night continued with more drink and more dancing and my flatmates started laughing at me and calling me studmuffin and saying that it was 'cos I look like hugh grant (which I don't). The friendly funny atmosphere and a bit of good music soon had us all dancing and ermm well the nicest looking one of the new flatmates was dancing quite close to me and pretty soon I was kissing my second woman of the day. We left soon after 'cos I was getting funny looks from Kathryn who I mentioned in a previous post. The american I was with, Jen, then found out the advantages of having a single room and not sharing like she does at Harvard. Unsurprisingly Monday was a bit akward round the flat but things are cool now. Later on monday night the Americans had some welcome meeting to go to so I went out with the lads. An ex of mine started snogging me early in the night but I managed to persuade the guys that we should go to a different bar and so we went and got very drunk. Tuesday night was the crazy one (yes even crazier than sunday) I went with a few of the lads and one of the Americans (not Jen) to a bar that was doing 50p vodkas, we drank a lot then went to the nightclub and drank a lot more. Getting home around 2:30 we refuelled on bacon sarnies before climbing to the top of a big hill nearby with a couple of bottles of wine. When we came back down it was around 4:00 and we started making cheese on toast. this was when there was a knock on the door and Hannah apeared with her friend Krissie and invited us over for a drink (they'd seen the light on). I said I'd go over after the toast and that's what I did. the first thing I saw when I got there was a naked bloke, I was just about to turn round and leave when Hannah poked her head from her room and told me to come through. We were talking in the bathroom as Hannah had a friend asleep on her floor, she told me that Krissie and stuart (who was the guy I'd seen) had decided to get naked cos it would be 'a laugh' and so I just stayed in the bathroom. Next Krissie walked into the bathroom totally naked cos she'd just realised what a stupid thing it was to be alone with stuart naked. For no apparent reason Krissie was embarassed by Hannah seing her naked but not by me seeing her and so to stop hannah seeing she decided to hold me close to her. At this point Hannah left and Krissie locked the door. I will just point out that bathroom floors are cold and uncomfortable but that fun can still be had there. By 5:00 though Krissie was screaming at me and crying accusing me of coming on to her and then using her. This was a bit strange as I've never come on to a girl in my life, I wouldn't know how to and so I just let them come on to me, it was even more strange when you consider that she was the one who walked into the room naked and started hugging me (I don't know what you guys think but I actually took this as her coming on to me, I obviously must have missread the signals at some point). Anway I left soon after that and have been behaving myself since. peace, I'm outta here owen With that the narrow wizard waggled his bushy eyebrows and disappeared in a flash of blue flame leaving behind only a faint smell of cinnamon +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister(a)missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo(a)missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+

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