December 2001 - Sinister

Sinister: Stuart Murdoch interview
by idleberry 20 Mar '02

20 Mar '02

Belle and Sebastian: Scots of the arch antics Forget Travis: Belle and Sebastian are your real sensitive indie band - they just aren't quite as famous. As Stuart Murdoch tells Fiona Sturges, it wasn't all about the limelight 30 November 2001 When Belle and Sebastian released their first album, Tigermilk, in 1996, Travis were still trawling London's toilet venues, Coldplay were at university and Starsailor didn't exist. Since then, sad, sensitive bands have become hard to avoid. Yet Belle and Sebastian, who are probably the saddest and most sensitive of them all, have yet to reach the dizzying commercial heights of their peers. I meet Stuart Murdoch, the band's singer and chief songwriter, fresh off the plane from Japan, where they've been on tour. When I say "fresh", I mean just that. Tidily dressed in a black polo neck, he looks unfeasibly alert. He's full of stories from Japan � about how he stood in the street during an earth tremor, watching people go about their business as if nothing was happening, and how, with true Japanese hospitality, the band were treated like kings. He's a serious-minded and circumspect individual � he doesn't laugh much � but he's still good company. When I ask if he feels Belle and Sebastian have anything in common with Travis and Coldplay, he replies: "Well, we all have a crack at a tune." He pauses for a while, then continues: "I feel very lucky; I'm quite happy with my group. In fact right at this minute I've never been happier and I think we'll give them all a run for their money now. We'll give anybody a run for their money with the way we're playing." You have to admire his optimism. The fact is that Belle and Sebastian have always been better, avoiding the empty emoting and formal rock structures of Travis in favour of a more subtle and pastoral sound. Songs such as "Fox in the Snow" and "The Boy with the Arab Strap" set flutes and shimmering strings alongside Murdoch's fragile vocals and splashes of acoustic guitar. The band, who come from Glasgow, have eight members, none of whom is called Belle or Sebastian. When they go on tour, the numbers can reach 13 with the extra fiddlers and flautists. Murdoch is brimming with confidence about their live performances: "Playing live's been a bit of a pain in the past. I know we've sounded awful. But we're very organised now. We're learning all the time, but it's going like a dream." Still, it seems the recording process hasn't become any easier. Murdoch says he came "close to a nervous breakdown" last year while trying to finish their fourth album, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant. The recording of their latest single, "I'm Waking up to Us" � a fabulously embittered song about a dissolving relationship � didn't exactly go off without a hitch either. They hired Mike Hurst, whose previous credits include Petula Clark and Cat Stevens, as producer. "He's a great guy but he didn't deliver the finished product," Murdoch explains. "We had to work very hard afterwards to polish it up. We really need a catalyst, someone who can harness the creative chaos of the group. I suppose we're dreaming of a George Martin figure, but it's not going to happen." If Belle and Sebastian were ever to reach the levels of fame that Travis have achieved, you wonder whether they would cope. In their early days, the band were pathologically publicity-shy. For a long time they wouldn't have their photographs taken, going so far as to stick pictures of their friends on their albums' sleeves, instead of their own. Murdoch avoided giving interviews, leaving the talking to other members of the band. "We didn't quite push away the limelight, as that suggests we weren't looking for it in the first place," he states. "But we weren't interested in that side of things either. There were other things to be getting on with. The band was developing, and for a lot of the time we were in a real mess." Does he feel like an outsider? "Yes � but then it's very easy to be on the outside where British music is concerned. If you're just yourself and you don't bow to the demands of the press and the music industry, then you're bound to be seen as an outsider." They're certainly a hard-working lot. They've made four albums in five years, as well as a handful of EPs, and there are any number of Belle and Sebastian side-projects � the Gentle Waves, Snow Patrol and V-Twin, to name just a few. The band were also the brains behind the Bowlie Weekender, the springtime festival held at Pontin's Holiday Camp in Camber Sands, which later spawned All Tomorrow's Parties. More recently, there's their somewhat controversial contribution to Todd Solondz's latest film, Storytelling. At the mention of Solondz, Murdoch becomes visibly irritated. "To tell you the truth, it almost isn't worth it, what we did. We had lots of ideas, and Todd used very little at the end. I know he was having a really hard time finishing the film, but it was very disappointing for us. I'd really think hard about getting involved in something like that again." Murdoch's musical aspirations arrived late in life. Whereas most musicians spend their adolescence listening to John Peel in their bedrooms, Murdoch preferred being outdoors and, for a while, harboured dreams of being a runner. In the end, he says, he just wasn't good enough. After school, he tried a variety of jobs: as a caretaker, a farm-hand and � this one's hard to imagine � a barman at Butlins. He didn't even start writing songs until he was 23. Murdoch and Stuart David, the band's bass-player, met on a youth opportunity scheme. "It was something the Tories cooked up to get you off the unemployed list," recalls Murdoch. "We were learning to be musical engineers or something like that." The pair then moved on to do a media business course at Glasgow's Stow college, set up by the part-time producer Alan Rankine. Every year he helped a group of students to make a record, usually a single, and put it out on the college label, Electric Honey. On recognising Murdoch and David's talent, he made an exception and allowed them to make a whole album. "We had to do it quickly," Murdoch remembers. "In three months we had to get a full band together and make a proper record. We ended up recording it in just a few days. Obviously, we had luck on our side." That record was Tigermilk. A thousand copies were released at the time � original copies now change hands for up to �400 � though, two years ago, because of popular demand, the record was re-released. It was with "3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds of Light", the third in a trio of EPs released in 1997, that Belle and Sebastian finally troubled the charts, albeit at No 31. Greater success came with their 1998 album The Boy with the Arab Strap, which reached No 12. Just last year they played on Top of the Pops and performed a show at the Albert Hall. Those are landmark events in the lives of most bands, although Murdoch, as usual, is underwhelmed. Then, of course, there was the notorious Brit award. Belle and Sebastian bagged the best newcomer prize in 1998, to the outrage of the other nominees. Rumour has it that Pete Waterman, the man behind Steps, called for a re-count. "I didn't pay much attention," says Murdoch. "I certainly didn't know what a big deal it was until after we had got it. But I remember, we were recording in the studio the day after. All these television crews were coming in and out � the BBC, ITV, the lot. After we'd finished in the studio we bought a newspaper. Suddenly we were front-page news in the tabloids � one of them said "Scots Band Cheat At Brits" or something like that. At first we were really angry but later we saw the funny side." Then he adds, with a sly smile: "Let's face it, it's probably the first and last time we'll ever be on the front page of a newspaper." 'I'm Waking up to Us' is out now on Jeepster. Belle and Sebastian appear tonight on 'Later... with Jools Holland' at 11.35pm (BBC 2). The band play Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow University, on 20 December and Mandela Hall, Belfast, on 21 December http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/interviews/story.jsp?story=107508 ===== http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/corduroysmoke and the world did get covered in a thick haze of corduroy smoke. And it felt good. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: her whole family are entertainers in Branson
by Melmoz 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

Hello to all in the Sinister world! Christmas has come and gone here in Texas, though this morning we got a small, finite dusting of snow. It was all gone and melted by 9am though in my part of the country. Now New Year's is upon me and I do not look upon its arrival with disapprobation. Let me tell you how much I love coming in to work everyday to find emails from all you lovelies out there! It makes my day much brighter to be able to imagine your lives and the cities that you live in. Living here all my life I can only see so much of life itself. I love to imagine all the things you talk about and the troubles you find yourself in. It is a good release valve for all of us to have, I believe. Well my duty has been performed by introducing a new list member to the group recently! VWest will be joining us soon after his stint in the nursery, and I am anxious to hear what he has to say about life. Welcome V! He has an absolutely stunning taste in music, in home furniture, and in friends (he recently picked my best friend Stacey and myself as pals)! He has the coolest house I have ever seen. Very Scandinavian. Not to mention the very cool and auspicious ba-gua skylight. On Saturday night, we three hung out at his pad and had a blast. We got Mexican food from this cool little shack, called a 'tacquiera' in Spanish. On the way there and back we played an interesting and somewhat difficult game of 'name that tune' in his car. I was amazed by his knowledge! When we got back to the house, we ate and talked, then we drove out to Tower Records in Dallas to buy some cd's. I picked up some good ones. The Reindeer Section is totally brilliant, thanks to whoever it was on the list who recommended them. I also got TBS, Rufus Wainwright, Tom Waits and Pulp. I got the Pulp idea from someone on the list too who recommended 'Pencil Skirt', which is now one of my fave songs! Thanks to all of you that I have gotten ideas from. Also, you guys should check out Spain, they are awesome. When we got back from that, we listened to music for a long time in his 'music room', then we watched High Fidelity. An awesome night that ended around 3am! I can't wait for the next one! Also, I got the Pete Yorn cd, and I highly approve of it as well. Hope that the four people I sent presents to liked them. I know that I forgot to send my Sinister handle with the package so you knew who it was from, but if you got a package from Melissa Williams from Texas then this is me! I really enjoyed the ones I have received so far. Kate (Katia913) sent me the coolest aqua hand knitted scarf that is so long and fluffy, and it works so well right now in our relative-Texas cold. I got another gift from someone (forgot the name on the gift right now, what it Chin?) that was a clay figure of a rock star with his guitar, assuming it was supposed to be Stuart or something but it was entirely broken into little pieces. All the same I loved it anyway, along with the stocking of candy with my name on it. I don't think that I have ever made New Year's Resolutions, and I am not about to start now. I just need to keep up with my workout routine and not buy too many cd's (OK, Vince, you can stop laughing at that one, you know how much I spend!). I have started work on my Master's degree now and my first semester ended in grades of all A's, so that was good. Now I begin work on the proper courses that are IT intensive, so that should be fun! Programming is such a blast. I wish I knew how to express myself better in words. If you can believe it, I am much worse in person.Astrid, I love reading your posts about your life! Reminds me of when I was young. I remember the point when I stopped being so self-conscious and thought 'what the hell, who cares what others think'. It is a great feeling. Of course, Stacey Dahling's posts are totally interesting with the Athens perspective. I hope that this new year brings lots of good fortune to everyone. Lord knows we could all use some good luck. Happy New Year everyone, Melmoz p.s. Why don't I live in the UK so I could visit you guys and get to go to B&S shows and Sinister get-togethers? I am so jealous of the lot of you over there! I think that us four Texans that I know should get together some time and have our own party, then we can rant and rave about it and make everyone jealous of us for a change! &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& "It was dark as I drove the point home, and on cold leather seats, well it suddenly struck me, I just might die with a smile on my face after all." -The Smiths &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: Beer Maps
by Madeleine McNeil 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

Stacey Dahling said: >Let it be noted that I will be seeing out 2001 wearing black knickers, a >racy black bra, and black and white striped socks. Such things are >important. Duly noted. But is that all? I thought about taking a second of the day to think of all the things that I have done this year. Then I got sidetracked by my new eye shadow. Actually, the loved one and I discussed our year over a few cheeky G&Ts last night. And we decreed that verily, this has been the best year ever. Perhaps. Maybe. Things have been better this year than ever, but I shan't bore people with all my "and then in May I did this ace thing, oh, and June was pretty good too....". Just that for a while I was in the wilderness and I finally feel like I've got an atlas to my life now. Or maybe just a wee map scrawled on the back of a beer mat, but that's enough for now. I don't have much planned for 2002, just getting pissed and eating toast (I think it's important to aim for the attainable). I do have a resolution: learn how to cook a roast dinner. I'm crap at cooking, but very good at eating. Some things are just sooooo unfair. Sorry, this really is a rubbish post. I just wanted to say hello and thank you to all the new people I've met this year since I joined Sinister in March. You're all very special and you have gone a long way to making the year so ace for me. I've met some of the kindest, most generous, genuine, smutty people this year on the list and have learn all sorts of fascinating facts about other cultures (did you know, for example, that a 'lollybag' is a man's 'package' in tight Y-fronts in Australian? See, the modern internet really is an educational tool). Thank you to Bad Girl in Training Honey, for managing us all and keeping an eye on us. I am very fond of you, one and all. Bulk Love and New Year Good Wishes Madeleine xxx _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: Many of our festivals celebrate moments of light or darkness
by Will Salt 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

This post is for *you* I can never think of subject lines. Dimitra picked this one for me. She spotted it in an art gallery in Sheffield, on a board explaining vision and shape and form and sight, trying to explain to everybody that artists can see the world in different ways to everyone else. I'm not sure if they can really. I mean: I'm not sure if they are *different* to everyone else; they are just better trained. More practised. We are having a Sinister Christmas this year. Greek Dimitra is visiting, from Greece, and we have taken over the stereo and made my parents listen to all sorts of music they have never heard before. "A lot of these songs seem to be about cigarettes," said my mother, listening to the Tindersticks. Dimitra arrived in Britain a long long time ago now. It was over a fortnight ago, in fact. I met her off of the train, and we went to the pub. I told her lots of exciting things, and showed her the large variety of fried food which can be obtained in a Scottish chip shop. "Don't you die if you eat all that stuff?" she said. On Christmas Eve I went out to dinner with some old friends. We ate and drank, and went into the town centre. I realised that last year, I did the very same thing and came home and posted about it. Looking back, it feels like *that* was the start of the last year, and Christmas Day last week was the start of the new year, not tonight. Time to tear up all the calendars and start writing in the new ones. Before Christmas, I went to Dundee for the weekend to visit Dimitra and Rachel and Danny. Rachel was feeling bossy, and arranged a weekend of "educational fun" for all of us. We went to the cinema, made our own CD, and cooked some rather spicy food. Belle the Kissing Dog was very licky, and kept barking at the hamster when the rest of us were trying to concentrate. If you want to reread the post I wrote last Christmas, you could go and look it up in the archives. I would tell you the address, but the archives don't seem to like me right now, so I can't find it. The same happened this Christmas as the last one, except that this year I sat talking to a girl I used to be in love with. We didn't talk about much important. But we talked, and that was nice. She looked like anyone else from that town does. Me and Dimitra looked like Sinister people, rather out of place. We weren't comfortable in the noisy, hot, cramped bars; but I stayed and talked anyhow. I did lots of other things with Dimitra whilst she was here. We went to a Belle and Sebastian gig, which was good, and then I stayed up all night with Danny and Matt and Calumn and Ken in an expensive-but-cosy cafe. The cafe had a bathtub in it, filled with water and with fish swimming around. Midway through the night, a group of men came in. One by one, they walked up to the bathtub and dipped the tops of their heads in it before being shown out by the doorman. I'm not sure what they were doing, or why. I hope the fish aren't poisoned now by cheap hair gel. They didn't look too healthy to start with. Also, I took Dimitra to the beach and she spun round in circles. We went to Sheffield and met John from Leicester. We sat around in my parents' house and drank vodka. On Christmas night, when all was dark, we sat leant back in my parents' big leather armchairs, listening to B&S on the stereo, and I told Dimitra about the girl she had just met. Who she was in my life story. I fetched down from my bedroom the box of letters I keep from her, from when I was younger, and we read through some of them. They touched me, greatly. If this is the new year, then I should start making resolutions. I resolve to change things this year. I resolve to change myself. All the changes I've made in the past year were on the inside, hidden under my clothes. Well, some of them were hidden out in the open, but they were still hidden. This year I want to change the things on the outside. Maybe I should wear my hair in pigtails more often, and be proud of it. Maybe I should change my voice. I've never liked the sound of my voice. I want to get back in touch with the girl I wrote letters to back when I was in school. [in case you haven't been to the archives, I loved this girl. we wrote letters to each other every week even though we saw each other every day but hardly spoke. then she got a boyfriend and stopped.] I want to get in touch with her just because I want to know what she is doing and thinking now, and I want her to know what I am thinking now. I told her nearly everything about myself back then. Maybe if I write to her again, I can tell her the rest of it. Tonight I am going to go out, and tomorrow I am going to rest. The day after, I want to go out and buy a notebook, so I can start writing things down. If I start writing things down, I will get better at putting things into words. If I start putting things into words, I might be able to explain things a little better. If I can do that, I will be able to do anything. Maybe even have plaited hair in public a bit more often. lots of love to all of you. it's wintertime, so stand round a bonfire, look up at the stars, and hug each other whilst thinking how far away and beautiful they are. xxxxx will -- Will Salt ICQ 66321009 http://www.btinternet.com/~wpsalt/ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: mourning the lack of space odyssey revivals
by stacey dahling 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

My family has this weird New Years tradition. It all started 25 years ago with a bottle of cheap champagne. My parents were getting together with this other couple on New Years Eve, celebrating a midnight over said bottle of champagne, brought by the non-host couple. When they emptied said bottle, someone had the brilliant idea of writing out their New Years resolutions and predictions on teeny slips of paper, slipping them inside the bottle and sealing the bottle with wax. Then the bottle was handed over to the host couple with the words, next year you come to our house, with the bottle, and we open the resolutions and see how many came true. So the host couple did just that. A year later, they showed up with the bottle, but the silly young things that they were played a trick on the other couple, pretending they had forgotten the bottle, disguising it in a fruit basket or something. Thus began a tradition that continues to this day. Every year, this couple meets with my parents, they alternate locations. The bottle is brought, decorated or disguised in clever ways. One year it was baked in a cake. Another - my favorite - a Cabbage Patch doll was beheaded, stuffing was removed, and the bottle was slipped inside and carried in all swaddled in clothes, looking suspiciously like a real baby. The bottle is bursting with 25 years worth of resolutions and they have great fun reading them all over again each year. Imagine reading resolutions at 50 years old that you made when you were 25! Every other year, however, around Dec. 27, my parents start running around the house in a mad frenzy, trying to come up with ideas about how to decorate the bottle. It gets tough after 25 years, I guess. Last time I think my dad rigged up this complicated mini-fireworks display, propelled out of the bottle. Silly nuclear physicists! Anyway, my sister and I tried to copy this tradition, with the couples daughter, with a ginger ale bottle, when we were 10. It didnt work as well, nor last as long. Maybe someday Ill have someone to do this with. There is a Greek saying that, roughly translated, goes: Those who walk the streets at night get poo on their shoe. I giggled when I first heard this. But now now I know its true. I was up walking the streets this morning at the ass-crack of dawn, apparently before all the earnest old ladies attack the sidewalk with hose and broom. Dont fret. I didnt get any poo on my shoe. But under veil of night I just mighta. There was shit everywhere! And not just in neat lil piles, but in smooshed lil streaks, as if someone had not only stepped in it, but slipped and fell in it. My heart went out to these poor souls. I imagined them walking home along the brothel street after a nice end-of-the-year paid shag, feeling quite pleased with themselves, when suddenly Shit! Literally. Speaking of weird sightings at 8 a.m. - today I saw two children walking from storefront to storefront jangling bells and singing songs. I thought this very odd at first, another syndrome of the weird Christmas-is-over-but-the-Athenians-refuse-to-admit-it thingie. Carolers? On Dec. 31? Then, as I was sitting here writing this and the doorbell went off three times at fucking 8:30 a.m. and I was cursing and wondering what the world was coming to, I heard the distant sound of more bells and children voices. And I remembered something about some tradition... children door to door singing for change or candy or something? Oooh! How exciting then! Another cultural first! I must research. Eek! I just looked in the mirror and realized I have Brady-Bunch era Florence Henderson hair today! Well, at least I can comfort myself in the knowledge that the rest of me does not look like Florence Henderson. This woman at work really did look like Florence Henderson. I wonder what that feels like, waking up one day, at age 55, and realizing you look like an old Florence Henderson. Let it be noted that I will be seeing out 2001 wearing black knickers, a racy black bra, and black and white striped socks. Such things are important. Okay..off to certain death at the hands of a pair of eight-year-old devils, on armed with a brand spanking new BB GUN. How can parents be so dumb? Kronia polla! MWAH! ~dahling _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: It's December and I'm cold
by MyMomSays＠aol.com 31 Dec '01

31 Dec '01

Half of yesterday was wonderful. I went with close friends off to the big city to look at records and eat food. My sisters and my friend Nicole ended up dining at a gimmicky mexican restaurant called "Casa Bonita": it's quite an odd place--it looks like a historic building, but it's located in a strip mall. Odd juxtaposition. I think I've posted about it before, a long, long time ago, when I first joined the list. On the drive back we all had a very weird conversation--about dreams, about the disappointment of never being able to be anyone else--and mainly about this strange sinking feeling, a nostalgia of sorts, like a longing to be outside of your own body--I've had this feeling ever since I was a kid, it leaves as quickly as it comes, but it seems to be indescribable. My older sister told us all that as a child she referred to this feeling as "the pear." I thought that was interesting. >From now on, even though as I've gotten older I have this feeling less and less, I will constantly think of eating a pear whenever I feel it again. For those of you who are interested--I found out that in the latest issue of "Open City", Stuart David has an article/story (not sure what it was, I only got a chance to glance at it)--but, anyhow, it looks interesting. Go Stuart, good job on your success in getting published! So this conversation in the car seemed to be somewhat of a precursor of things to come. When I came home I discovered that after a four-month struggle, my dog died. I keep seeing a phantom Reggie, keep expecting him to toddle into my room and settle down to sleep in a pile of dirty clothes. But he's not here. I had to keep myself occupied today so I wouldn't have to think of it. I know that I'm an adult and that I shouldn't get so emotional about a dog, but I can't help it. He was like a person to me; I mean, christ, I loved that dog. Sometimes he seemed to understand me. I feel so schmaltzy saying all of this, but it's true. I will miss calling him by his various nicknames--Reggums, buddy, baby, snowball, snowwy, ol' powderhorn, big fella--gosh, and I will miss the strange noises my dad makes whenever he sees him, my dad does something to the effect of a screaming baby talk, "OOOOOH! BIG FELLA! LOOK AT THE BIG PUPPY!" But mostly, I think I'll miss hanging out with Reggie at the top of the steps where he'd always sit. And as he'd see me walking up the stairs, he'd do his stretched-out-anticipating wiggle. So, rest in peace big fella. You certainly made my life better. Oh--special props go out to Youn, who may be the only person who reads my posts. Oh--and also--for those of you who are to receive Xmas gifts from me: I'm sorry I was so slow in sending them out. I promise you, they are on their way. They will have to be New Years gifts and not Xmas ones. thank you, mandee m a y +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: did wire do the original 'i am superman'?
by Matthew Henderson 30 Dec '01

30 Dec '01

A man in his mid-50's came into the record shop in which I am employed. He looked around a bit, then asked "where is the new belle and sebsatian single?" My ears perked up and I scooted on over and showed him. Sometimes life can be grand. This was the highlight of my birthday. The lowlight (???) was finding that the men who tiled my floor and moved my records had cracked my original pressing of the Clash' "London Calling", but only the second LP. I was very saddened by this. As some of you may know, whether you want to or not, I was in Glasgow last week for the concert. I would like to say hello to everyone I met. Truly, you are all wonderful people. A special thanks to Dimitra, for being nice and meeting with me before anyone else did. I'm very shy, and she made it quite nice. It was a grand show, although I was far in the back. Also thanks to Honey and Dimitra for providing a ticket to the Belfast show. I stayed up all night (hi will and danny) and then hopped on a train with Rachel Sunnyset and Dimitra to Belfast. The ferry ride was very rough. I felt very sick. I didn't help that I was mere feet away from the band. And what did I say? In my chance of a lifetime to meet my favorite band in the world? A brief word to stevie about sega rally championship, which I am sure is rigged. I'm such a git. (is that the right word?) The belfast show was fantastic, and I believe better than glasgow, mostly because I was very close. Both wonderful shows though. I actually met a few sinisters there, but not more than a few. hi to those I met. I have some lovely pictures of the sinisters. I won't post them. But I have them. And I like them. Best washing up album? Weezer's self titled. The first one. So shoot me, I've been listening to it for years. -Matt _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: A Bored Mind is not necessarily a good mind. Or, Lame-o Trade Stickers
by Rob Lorenson 30 Dec '01

30 Dec '01

Afternoon. It's a cloudy and gloomy day in Southern California. I am backing up my entire 10 GB hard drive onto CDs, which is probably going to take well into the wee hours. I have all these extra CD labels, so what am I doing? Making Belle And Sebastian Lame-o Trade Stickers (TM), THE LAMEST TRADE STICKERS YOU'LL EVER SEE! COLLECT THEM ALL! TRADE THEM WITH YOUR FRIENDS! STICK THEM ON GRANDMA! 1s OF USES! I don't know what I'm going to do with these. Maybe stick them somewhere. Maybe I'll send them to people. If you want one, tell me, and I'll send it to you. Maybe I'll see how long it takes until I get a lawsuit warning from Banchory or from the band. Note: Lame-o does not necessarily mean crappy. Well, maybe a little bit. OK, most of the time, lame-o means crappy. But, maybe not in this case. Well, back to burning CDs and making Lame-o Action Trade Stickers (TM). Rob ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "She's stuck in an infinite loop, and he's an idiot... that's love for you." - futurama. http://home.earthlink.net/~rtoad not stuck in an infinite loop. not stuck in an infinite loop. not stuck in an infinite loop. not stuck in an infi nite loop. not stuck in an infinite loop. not stuck in an ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: just a thought for astrid
by toadie291＠attbi.com 30 Dec '01

30 Dec '01

hi everyone. i would like to take this oppurtunity to wish you a toadie new year! i just read astrids post in which he said: Do you want to hear something really, and I mean *really* strange? I´m going to tell you anyway. Well, last nite (well, the night between yesterday and today) I was lying in my bed, listening to Ryan Adams and I thought "FUCK, I hate being alone and I *HATE* sleeping alone in my bed, cause it makes me feel even lonelier" and about ten second after that thought, I listened to what Ryan sang, and what do I hear? "But, tonight you´re sleeping alone Without him Tonight you´re sleeping alone Without him" And I went like "WHOA!" because of several reasons: a) I know for a fact that I hadn´t read those lyrics or heard that song ever before b) he only sang that line for the first time when I heard it, I´ve checked and he wasn´t even mentioning it before in that song c) Something like that had never happened to me before Isn´t it strange? I think it´s really weird. Anyway. this reminded me of the song as you are which goes: As You Are Everyday I wake up alone I'm not like all the other boys And ever since I was young I had no choice But it's OK to lead me on I admit it's not much fun To be led on by such a one As you are As you are As you are And ever since I woke up I felt the net Was lifting me out of the sea And even when I'm sinking I feel the need But it's OK to lead me on I must admit it's not much fun To be alone with such a one As you are As you are As you are And ever since a long time I felt the rain And there was no danger And no more strangers As you are aww, i also love the lil poem that pseuo-inspired that As you are so once was i remember this as time goes by as i am now soon you will be remember this and pray for me i "try" to keep that sentiment in mind as i meander through life. love to you all ~~stine...oh yeah..im not a boy! +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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Sinister: either way i´m dead.
by Astrid Wiezell 30 Dec '01

30 Dec '01

Hey Sinister, how are you all? Well, I haven´t posted for quite a while. I wrote a long, long, longer post some time ago, but then when I was about to send it, something went wrong and it all got erased, and since then I´ve felt too tired to write a new one. Christmas came, and then it left me with lots of fabolous present as eight CDs, a new chair for my room, two new gorgeous cd-racks, two t-shirts, three boks, a rhyming dictionary, and the cutest thing, a black candleholder with goldletters around it saying "Stuart", this was made by my really sweet kind-of-sister (dad´s girlfriend´s daughter, as I´ve explained LOTS of times before) and underneath it it said, aslo with goldletters "Made with love from Stuart Murdoch to Astrid Wiezell" which I found quite amusing. I gave her a Strokes-wallcalendar fro 2002, which was highly appreciated. Oh, I didn´t buy it, I made it. And then I bought Strokes-vinyl-stuff for her. Did I mention that her favourite band is the strokes? I´ve given up on that 13-yr-old now. Not because of what someone else thinks, but just because he seems like such a superficial snob. And I definetly don´t like superficial snobs, so when I realised that, my feelings went away quit quickly. Do you want to hear something really, and I mean *really* strange? I´m going to tell you anyway. Well, last nite (well, the night between yesterday and today) I was lying in my bed, listening to Ryan Adams and I thought "FUCK, I hate being alone and I *HATE* sleeping alone in my bed, cause it makes me feel even lonelier" and about ten second after that thought, I listened to what Ryan sang, and what do I hear? "But, tonight you´re sleeping alone Without him Tonight you´re sleeping alone Without him" And I went like "WHOA!" because of several reasons: a) I know for a fact that I hadn´t read those lyrics or heard that song ever before b) he only sang that line for the first time when I heard it, I´ve checked and he wasn´t even mentioning it before in that song c) Something like that had never happened to me before Isn´t it strange? I think it´s really weird. Anyway. A couple fo days ago I realised that I think I´ve become a more happier person, not always, but in general. Because I am so much confident with myself and all that. I dunno, though. I kind of realised it when I was going to get off the bus when it came to my bus stop a couple of days ago, it amy have been yesterday but I think it was the day before that, my memory is crap, but anyway, because of the ENORMOUS amoutns of snow in Stockholm right now, the buses stop at real strange places and you have to kind of jump off or else you´re going to land in a big pile of snow, so you have to try and jump over it. The bus was full with people and when I landed I kind of slipped, and I didn´t fell over, but I was damn close to, and I made lots of strange gestures with my hands and legs and all that, trying to stand up straight and not fall over. And I just, didn´t feel strange about it. it was more like "Oops, heh heh" and I strated to walk, but if that had happened to me about three months ago maybe, I´d be horribly embarrassed and be like "OH MY GOD EVERYONE IS LAUGHING AT ME" and feel really ashamed. But I didn´t. And it felt so good, so damn GOOD, being able to laugh about it and just don´t care. I haven´t been able to do that for, well, any part of my life, but I feel so much more selfconfident and just.. well, glad nowadays. Maybe I´m growing up or something. Oh, wait, I can recall me laughing hysterically whilst listening to the song "Meatballs in your nose" with the chorus You shouldn´t put meatballs in your nose Marcüs you can´t put meatballs there stop putting meatballs in your nose Marcüs you shouldn´t put them there today, and also listening to songs like "You´ve got dandruff" and "Dirty underwear" and laughing madly to that too. So, no, I haven´t grown up yet. But the meatballsong is just HILARIOUS, a guy singing it with a german accent, in swedish of course, oh and I haven´t met a single person yet not to have laughed about it. What does that say about my friends? (Don´t answer that!) So, yesterday was Sinister International Bowling Day if I´m not wrong, but I might be, as I´ve already mentioned, my memory is not the best. Anyway, I hope you all had a great time and had fun. I´ve talked about Ryan Adams already, but I´m going to mention him again. I got Gold for christmas, and it´s just such an amazing album, and Mr Adams´ beautiful voice keep me company wherever I go now, even in this very moment. I´m going to go see him when he comes to Sweden, I MUST or else I´ll.. ok, not DIE, but almost! I long for the Strokes´ gig on the 4th of March, it´s going to be great and I think that I´m going to get a backstagepass as well, not sure yet, but I just might. It would be so nice. AH. Yesterday before I fell asleep I thought about the dilemma: Julian Casablancas wanting me to come along to his room, would I say yes or no? Well, if that was the only question, I´d say yes, oh yes, but Amanda is almost obsessed wiht him so I´d hurt her badly if I did. So I wouldn´t. He´s not my favourite Stroke anyway. I like Nick Valensi, but also Fab Moretti. I just like Nikoali Fraiture because he always seems so shy and insecure and lost. Our internet at home is gone, so I´m at my grandparent´s house now, sitting at their comupter, don´t worry though, my mum is paying for it. Our internet connection + nice channels as VH1 and MTV2 is going away from my life, but as well as that my mum´s husband is, because he payed for that, but I must say I´m glad about it. He was one of the strangest persons I´ve ever known. He lived with us for ten years, and I still didn´t really know him. Awfully strange man, but now he´s gone, yes! they´re not divorcred, but I guess they´re going to, which is for everyone´s best. Before I quit, I of course have to say "hullo" to some people; *Corduroy Boy (the mixtape is brilliant, gorgeous! But come to Sweden!) *Lindsey Baker (kittenmittens! yay! thank you!) *Joe Vester (not for any special reason, but he´s just really cool) *JohnJohn (haven´t heard from you for quite some time now..) *Paul (thank you SO MUCH for the B&S-video! It´s SO good, i watch it every day!) Sorry if I forgot anyone, but it wasn´t because i want to be mean, oh, yes, i remebered one more: AN Monchihi! My little snowangel, hi to you too! So goodnight Sinister boulevard, goodnight see ya soon goodnight Sinister boulevard, see you sometime Astrid x Goodnight, sinister boulevard _________________________________________s_p_r_a_y_ Här börjar Internet! Skaffa gratis e-mail och gratis Internet på http://www.spray.se Vinn en Nokia 5510, spela spray quiz http://quiz.spray.se +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the 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 +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

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