October 2002 - Sinister - missprint.org

Sinister: From the view I saw today
by Steven Rhodes 30 Oct '02

30 Oct '02

I've had a few beautiful belle & sebastian moments recently. One was when i was driving home from work, stuck in traffic, listening to 'women's realm' in the afternoon as the sun was going down behind the hills. That song builds up so well and by the time it got to that wonderful ending part with stuart dueting with himself... (the part that goes: 'You slept better in a sleeping train in a shed in a station with a torch and a Woman's Realm to keep you warm to keep you company' )... I was in an amazing trance-like state (sure, maybe it was the lead infused exhaust fumes) just listening in complete fascination. Even better, the two harmony parts where coming from two different speakers on opposite sides of the car. The strings in that song are like poetry. I recommend everybody goes and listens to it after reading this. If you choose not to, I'll understand. It's not like i'm hung up about it. Another really nice song is the finale to 'marx and engels' where stuart sings the first verse again and isobel sings a completely independant harmony part about the social history of feudalism. (or something...i never studied social sciences but got quite good grades in art. Now life in general eludes me). How those 2 harmonies meld together to create the perfect bittersweet melody is beyond me but it is truly wonderous etcetera. I don't think I recall ever hearing anyone from brisbane, australia on the list. If there is anyone from here happening to read this by some bizzare stoke of coincidence, then could you please let me know? (Perhaps off list so as not to entangle innocent bystanders in the inconsequential misadventures of my self indulgence.) Brisbane is such a small town Maybe it would be fun to meet up. Maybe it would be really good and quite nice. Anyway, must dash and sleep and dream of things that I don't seem to be able to do properly. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: Solidarity, or the lack thereof
by Jay Eckard 30 Oct '02

30 Oct '02

Hello there, Sinister folk... I had planned to being writing right now of the utterly fantastic time I had tonight, seeing Trembling Blue Stars and Aberdeen. It was going to be even better because I was to be there with Aruni, mother of the Great North American Tape Tree. Alas, that's not what will follow. On my way there, I ran out of gas. A nice police officer gave me a lift to the nearest Waffle House (O glorious rapture, that) to make a phone call. When that didn't work, I decided to dash to the venue, so that I could at least glimpse TBS and gaze on Aruni. So, like Flock of Seagulls, I ran. Turns out it was farther away than I anticipated. By a lot. I was too late by the time I got there. So I never even saw my friend. I sat down and grieved that I didn't have a cigarette. But I eventually got back to my car, got gas and even a jump as the battery in my car had died (Thanks to my friends at WXDU: the jump, not the death. They're non-violent folk.). Did I mention it was pissing down the rain? You see, my lack of Solidarity was not seeing Aruni. My Solidarity with you folks is the rain. Many people talk about the start of Winter. It's not yet cold here, so I can't say it's Winter properly, but it has started to rain again. All the time. Which is good, as this whole summer was a terrible drought. There's even talk of lifting the water rationing and restrictions we've had. But soon enough, it will turn cold and scarves and coats will be broken out. Which means: yay! If you all lived closer, I'd ask you round for hot, spiced wine. I make it on the first really cold night of the year. So, you know, let me know if you want to drop by. The color of the leaves is quite nice though. Ms Llew must be very lucky living in the mountians where she can see the display. So there you go: Solidarity and the lack thereof. Enjoy a cat-nap, l'Autre Jay -- "The Posby falls into a Trance In which it does a little Dance." Edward Gorey _________________________________________________________________ Unlimited Internet access -- and 2 months free! Try MSN. http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/2monthsfree.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: winter's reign
by Dirty Vicar 29 Oct '02

29 Oct '02

Winter - there are lots of great things about it, like getting to wrap up in my PLO scarf, simultanaeously keeping warm and showing my solidarity with The Struggle. Other great things are the way I get to walk around in my long coat, indulging my Joy Division fantasies. And it's very important to eat lots of food in the winter, something I always like having an excuse to do. Certain aspects of the winter are less excellent. Like the way it pissed rain all day today, and because of my rub shoes my little feet got all wet. Hopefully my new shoes will solve this annoying problem. I also don't like the way it's dark before I leave work every evening. This is distinctly not good. Perhaps I shall move to a country further south where there is less of an imbalance between day lengths at different times of the year. I wonder will The Great Band Of Our Times decide to tour this winter? Last time they played up in that Belfast and I went up to it and met loads of the Irish Sinister posse. Great days, but will they be repeated? Musically, it's all been a bit action packed lately. Popular American band Fugazi played here on Friday, and I went to see them in the interests of science. They were a lot less humourless than I thought they'd be, and the one who looked a bit like the Pinefox jumped around like a little muppet. But while thinking they were a pretty good band they haven't become my new favourites or anything, and I don't really get why so many of the people there think they're the best band in the world. The next day I met a Sinister subber called Robin who was over to see Fugazi. Small world, eh? Meanwhile, I was taken to task for suggesting that The Other Place was doing something cooler than us by having a big meetup in Manchester. All I really meant was that no one had organised a monster get together of all the Sini-subbers of these islands in the time I've been subbed to this list. But I've learned my lesson, and I will not mention the Realm Of Darkness by name again. and now I must go. DV +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: The Machine in the Ghost
by P F 29 Oct '02

29 Oct '02

Winds batter the country: gold leaves fly across the green grass and stone pavements. Amid classical columns I meet my editor. I never did write a column. In a quiet auditorium we wait for our man to arrive and share his fantastical world. He stands at the front of the stage, seeming to tower over us: starts the experiment, the performance, disavows being a film critic. In his accent Joan Didion meets Peter Osgood. Words fly, a whisper to a dream. How his reviews closed down magazines he wrote for; how he likes writing about films he hasn�t seen; how Pauline Kael could write the review during the film. � Remarkable capacity � and she was a remarkable woman... a bit of a witch, but a remarkable woman. What film does in our heads. - Now, I�m going to stop being that figure, lecturing at the front of the stage. He sits down in a director�s chair. � I�m tired... didn�t realize how tired I was... Gosh, I think: this is �fiction�. - But sometimes when you�re tired, unexpected memories can come through... I remember my mother, talking to me about going to the cinema when I was a teenager... she didn�t mind this passion I had.... parents want that kind of engine to come and propel kids out of the teenage years... She said: - Maybe you want to be an actor? � But I said, no, I don�t think so: I think what I�d really like to be is a character. Walker Percy�s The Moviegoer is out of print. William Holden walks a New Orleans street, seeking a light. Presences. - Bill, meet Phil. Phil, this is Bill Holden. - See, you get film this afternoon, too! Fernando Rey walks from one screen, one country, to another. On the subway he steps in and out of a train, jams and opens doors. At a party 20 years ago he�d told barrel-chested Mitchum he knew him. Did he? Beatty had dithered over banning that book: - Wow, that book... - Yes. - Wow: that book. - I know. - Wow - that book! Nicole Kidman walks on. Nicky D, you should have been here. We should be so lucky. I reckon our man wrote her script on the back of an airline napkin. Now, he says, I�m going to stop being that figure in the chair, and come back to the front of the stage. My editor pops the question. The instant reply is � You�re my kind of guy. Time freezes a second, or warms up. My editor and I drink overpriced, over-strong beer at a table near the new dictionaries. We meet his editor. Wow, I think: his editor. She asks my editor about his fiction plans. They sound impressive. Our man asks my editor about his name. Discoloured bleeps start to emerge in the background: to smudge my already fragile consciousness of what�s happening. I ask our man about songwriters: like, why Berlin and Porter aren�t in the book. - That�s a very good criticism, he says; and: - I would like to write lyrics for songs. I won�t tell you what else he said. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? HotJobs - Search new jobs daily now http://hotjobs.yahoo.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: all messed up with no place to go
by Dean Gillon 29 Oct '02

29 Oct '02

hello the sinister collective I hope everyone is well nourished and happy with their lot. I also hope everyone is togged out in old, large jumpers in front of lovely warm fires with tea, jam on toast and an old black and white film, preferably starring David Niven. It's the only way to be when the weather is cold and damp I find. Good things today. Charles Bukowski. I've motored through three of his books in the past month, excellent stuff let me tell you. Top alcoholic waster - I couldn't possibly understand why I enjoy him so much. hmmmm. 'Women' is probably the best though if anybody is interested - they're all a bit Henry Miller, but only the real life sections. (does that make sense?) 'Gentlemen' by the Afghan Whigs. Very old album about coming to terms with your masculinity. I can't stop listening to it, especially the title track. 'so please allow me to present you with a clue/if I inflict the pain then baby only I can comfort you'. And other class lines I can also recommend The Coral and grated courgettes, chilli, garlic and parmesan on some cooked and salted pasta. Have fun and brush twice a day Dean XX "I think, therefore I think I am" - Robert Rankin. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Everything you'll ever need on one web page from News and Sport to Email and Music Charts http://uk.my.yahoo.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: beckoning eucalyptus or some such
by laurel lemming 29 Oct '02

29 Oct '02

proof that we all should move to glasgow. http://www.sundayherald.com/28806 from the article: "The population of Scotland is plummeting faster than previously feared and is set to dip below five million by 2010. "It was initially thought the declining number of people living in Scotland would fall below that psychologically crucial level in 2018. But new projections from the government's official statistician show there are 50,000 fewer people in Scotland than previously thought, and so the country will fall beneath that mark only eight years from now." so, c'mon, do your part. now you have an official excuse to move to belle-and-sebastian-land. -lemming __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site http://webhosting.yahoo.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: Junior Praise (HarperCollins, ISBN 0551040149)
by Daplyn Elizabeth 28 Oct '02

28 Oct '02

AUTUMN DAYS WHEN THE GRASS IS JEWELLED Nearly Hallowe'en once again, and I've turned another year older, this time having made a break for it and run away to join the London Village circus. "Hurrah!" cry all the people who moved to Glasgow just in time to avoid my arrival. Have spent far too much time in 'the' pub destroying brain cells, but with such nice company. This recalls foolish drunken ramblings about setting up a dedicated Sinister venue where twee pilgrims from all over the world could rest their weary heads in pools of beer on the shining counter presided over by their genial host. I vote for Stout Robin to provide all relevant landlordly bonhomie. Ribena on tap! Tigermilk wine thankfully not on tap! Buckfast maybe! And a back room with silly dancing quite literally a-go-go. I'll bake cakes for the clientele, even. If anyone has a big thumping lottery win we could be on our way, lads. AND THE SILK INSIDE A CHESTNUT SHELL A lovely crispy day, the piles of chlorophyll-bereft fallen leaves on the way to the bus stop looking seasonally gorgeous, having dried out overnight and thus not sticking to my nice shoes. I hope no-one in Britain was damaged by the gales (not hurricanes despite headless chicken action by newspapers) over the weekend. Those in areas of the world with exXxtreme weather may laugh indulgently at our own little Tornado Alley in Hampshire, but a storm in a teacup is exciting to the teabag. Or summink. Oh, and we have, like, EARTHQUAKES now and everything. It's the end times, I tell youse. What's the number of the Beast, man? I need to make a collect call. JET PLANES MEETING IN THE AIR TO BE REFUELLED Overweight pigeons; Spindly naked cherry trees oscillate wildly This was composed on Friday evening as I passed through the beautiful Alexandra Palace park on the bus from work. Nothing like observational comedy haiku. Nothing, I tell you. But this reminds me that there must be a Sinister Skating exStravaganza at the ice rink within the palace at some point. There's even a pub to go to afterwards in order to soothe sore fallen-over-on bums and knees, not to mention a view to rival that from Primrose Hill. In other meetup news, Elle (hello, person with my sister's name!) said: <<Anyway, I was just trying to say Tigermilking was great. Cheers, Mark.>> It was indeed the grandest of fun, as things organised by Mr C generally are (notwithstanding porn viewings). Cheers boyo, even if you have deserted us to have fun in America at the moment. So what things _are_ there to do in Denver when you're bald? ALL THESE THINGS I LOVE SO WELL Harrumph. I must admit it now, although it galls somewhat: the Magnetic Fields' triple album "69 Love Songs" is a work of genius, and it only took people playing it to me for 6 months for it to filter through. Jeez Louise but I'm always behind the Times, rather like Uncle Bulgaria. To add substance to this statement, I only saw "Fight Club" for the first time this weekend. Mmm, falling skyscrapers as affirmative imagery connected to happy ending of film, that's not going to happen, well, ever again, probably. SO I MUSTN'T FORGET, NO I MUSTN'T FORGET Eek, will need to post tape tree tape on soonish. On this subject, the next tape that I make is going to have some quality stuff on it, as I haff mostly bin exploring junk shops' vinyl sections, coming up for air this Saturday with, amongst others, "Best of Dolly Parton - volume 2", "Non Stop Erotic Cabaret" by Soft Cell, and a Stylistics album. How freaking eclectic. TO SAY A GREAT BIG THANK-YOU People who got me cool stuff (and pints) for the occasion of my turning 24 years young are officially wonderful. Especially *you*. Yikes, now I'm the age that I am, I'll have to watch out that heart disease doesn't put the kibosh on "My Brilliant Career" by Miles Franklin (Virago Press, ISBN 0860681939). Ahem. Love, Liz :x I MUSTN'T FORGET p.s. Now that the answers to the treasure hunt clues have been released, I wonder if Ken will be a happier boy, and maybe drive me and Marianna to the Oriental City sometime to eat noodles and look at pretty tropical fish. ************************************************************** This e-mail is a personal communication from the above and is not authorised by or sent on behalf of any other person or Organisation. Haringey Council cannot guarantee that any files attached to this e-mail are free from viruses or any other program code that may be harmful to your computer system, and as such is not liable for any damage that may be caused as a result. ************************************************************** +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: more *v*nt g*rd* wallpaper
by Kieran Devaney 27 Oct '02

27 Oct '02

Dear Sinister, This morning when I got into the shower it was 9am, when I left the shower it was 8:45am. I know what youre thinking thats a really long shower! But seriously, far from being some kind of Tardis (half the time the showers here arent even decent enough to transport me to cleanliness, let alone elsewhere) or similar time travelling device, the showers were not to blame for my temporal shift, and neither was I. But dont worry, Im not about to rewrite the lyrics to a popular Belles tune and refit them to the problematic experience of the onset of Daylight Savings Time (although La Pastie de la BST - no). You see, every week here theres a pub quiz, and Im usually quite good on the music questions, I take part just to be sociable (you might like to put that into inverted commas) you understand but a couple of weeks ago one of the questions was Who was the original guitarist with the group Suede? Now I thought that pretty much everyone knew that Justine Frishmann had been in Suede very early on, playing guitar, before she departed to form Elastica. You might say that Justine was Suedes original guitarist. Put that down. But apparently not not knowing their pop, the writers of the quiz thought that boring old Bernard Butler was correct. This is what I have to put up with. Worse still, the people I was with took it as fact that *I* was wrong think outside of the box, guys, think outside of the box. Speaking of which, where does irony start and finish? Its not that important actually. Cliff Richards Millennium Prayer for example, played by a professed Christian at high volume in between Hot Stuff (that might not be the title actually, and I dont know the artist/artistes but the song from The Full Monty anyway) and Eye of The Tiger (again! Fucks sake) ironic or not? Cut to Friday. I am in bed reading; its just gone nine in the evening Malone Dies incidentally, by Beckett, worth taking a look at. Oh Lord. Actually before that theres something else. Cut to a week or so before that, a Wednesday in the afternoon. I am sitting in a philosophy seminar trying to defend Mark Rothko well, um, actually if you look at how the pieces progress in series and you see how his use of, er, colour moves from bright tones and contrasts to the almost exclusive monochrome works of his later life and how his canvasses got slowly smaller and stuff then, er, I think you *can* discern something about his life he wasnt getting any happier really. Er, yeah oh, Ill just get rid of whoever this is. Having spent the past three or more years decrying mobile phones (thats cell phones to our American cousins - my hat goes off to you all), and having been finally persuaded to bring one out to Sheffield with me (my family likes them enough to have spares even), and having found it surprisingly, almost irritatingly useful whilst here, despite resolving never to take it out with me here I was with it ringing in the middle of a lesson. In short, I had turned into everything I hate. Dear. But let me explain I had had two people over the previous evening, who had slept on my floor. I had to get up for a lecture in the morning, but rather than turf them out at such an ungodly hour (i.e. one in the morning they arent morning people), I thought they could leave when they wanted and give me the key back later in the day. But how? Oh phone me when youre ready Which meant I had to take the phone out with me, not being used to having it about my person I neglect to switch it off before the seminar etc etc. Still. In said seminar there is someone called Luna and someone Called Tristian good names all. Luna asked me where I got my pink tshirt from, and said that she liked it. The north is like that. Ha ha the north. Oh, no Im not going to get into any stereotypes about shitpit northern sink estates or people being friendlier but if I count up the amount of sartorial compliments Ive had whilst in Sheffield (four!) with the amount I had in Birmingham (one) this year then Sheffield wins by a mile and Ive only been here a few weeks. Two girls stopped me on the street to say that they liked the beads I was wearing; Ill show them to you sometime, pink and purple hearts. They were fifteen though, and one of them had a skateboard. Why arent you in school? Anyway I was reading, it was Friday evening, I wasnt going anywhere, and the phone goes. I thought about not telling you for a minute there, it isnt all that interesting. It was my brother: Im in town, its absolutely pissing it down here, Im stood in the Phones 4U shop doorway, I cant find anyone.. So you thought youd ring me? I told you it wasnt that interesting I suggested he should go home, after he ran through all the possible places his friends could be and werent and the call ended with him actually spotting his friends, shouting ALRIGHT LADS! and hanging up. Actually thats an interesting internet protocol thing (not as in the ISP type of protocol netiquette if you will), if I indicate that someone is shouting by saying shouting do I still need to put the shouted phrase in caps? It loses some of its impact if I do. Funny that. Hey, I was just listening to Pulps Help the Aged thinking back to, I guess, last year when Pulp played John Peels fifty years in broadcasting party, a ripple of laughter running through the audience when Jarvis dedicates it to John. Awww. But then theres a bit in the chorus: No big deal/So give us all a feel. And I thought itd be nice if he wouldve sung: No big deal/So listen to John Peel. A chance missed. Ive decided I like Pulp a bit more than I used to, actually, I might run to buying the earlier albums (which I think have been recently reissued) even, if only so I can say things like: Jarvis appearance on Stars in their Eyes was his Urinal, and almost as important without any real justification. Why do some trees lose their leaves and others not? I dont want the biological explanation either, make something up. Hm. Did I ever tell you about the time my aunt taught me transcendental meditation? I probably have, I cant check the archives on this computer though. Its a good story, Ill leave it for another time. Ok, well it appears as though nobody in Sheffield wants to meet me at the moment, but thats fair enough. I could give a lengthy list of reasons detailing why that is, in which the fault never lies with me, but rather with circumstance or obligation etc, but that wouldnt make for great reading. On the other hand several people said nice things after my previous post, including Hannah Brown, who has sampled first hand my professed conversational ineptitude and yet still offers kind words thats dedication isnt quite the word, something close to it though shift F7 devotion, commitment, enthusiasm, keenness, perseverance, allegiance, ardour, loyalty for you. Hm. According to Microsoft Word twee isnt a word. Its come up here with the red underline, indicating that I am somewhat in error. Well ha ha ha. On the subject of Belle and Sebastian oh, yeah, I really like the idea of avant-garde wallpaper by the way, though I have a feeling it would involve stapling actual real life in the flesh roses to your wall; is that even possible? Too late in the year to try, isnt it? In Birmingham, I might have told you this before, the bus that I get into town, either the 96 or the 97 goes down a long duel carriageway, along which are planted several trees which in the course of growing have jutted foliage out into the road. Now youve probably had the slightly unsettling experience of being on a bus which brushes past overarching branches the disturbing ripping and scratching sounds as the wood scrapes along the side of the bus and springs back into place. Imagine though, what would happen if buses, about five every hour during peak time and a few more besides came into contact with those branches the tree couldnt take it, and eventually a bus shaped hole would be worn away, a negative of a rectangular double-decker side and roof. Well, and you mightve seen this one coming, thats exactly what has happened on the duel carriageway I mentioned above. Not just to one tree either, but lots, on both sides of the road. I wonder if anyone else has ever noticed it. Perhaps. Its interesting. And sad, profoundly sad, sad in a way that I cant even come close to describing. Ill show you them sometime perhaps youll just say: This is how things are. I dont mind. This is bitty. Where was I? Oh yes, the similarities between Belle and Sebastian and Boards of Canada thematic and musical, look out for them. What else, what else? The Sinister tape tree! Remember that? Hardly anyone has spoken of it on list, other than regarding boring admin and so on, so Ill put in a good word. I must admit that I approached said tree with some trepidation (for your delectation now I shall overwork the tree metaphor to the point of collapse), because it seemed that it was a tree, as it were, arboretum - a forest, a copse perhaps of similar trees indie trees. See, if Belle and Sebastian are a big tree in the forest of indie, with lots of similarly minded, though not nearly half as nice trees growing nearby, oh I wont sully them with the names of the actual bands they represent, you know what Im on about, but there they are. Its a nice forest, plenty of shade and so forth, but you wouldnt exactly want to live there not when there are other nice forests just round the corner with various different trees, conifers I think (aside: if this were not just half hearted, which musical genre would be the non-deciduous; that is the evergreen?), and other more exotic strains. Cacti. And so forth. See, I worried that the branches of the tape tree would all be taken from those saplings that had sprung up from the windfalls of the Belles tree and grown in its shade. Happily this is not the case, cross fertilisation is abound the tapes I have so far received have, whilst remaining fairly true to the indie, er, genus, that is species, not been afraid to dally with seeds and cuttings taken from as far afield as, well, quite far afield. Lets just say that youd have to climb right to the top of the Belle and Sebastian tree to see trees that far away and that you cant see quite so far from the top of chez T*mp**l*n. Take that however. For my own twig of the tape tree, though actually now I think about it there are two, a tape and a CD, which is Im sure currently providing entertainment to someone, somewhere I selected flora which often grows just against the walls of the indie forest (walled forest isnt a nice image, but its one Im prepared to play with would I better say hedges or fences?), but on the other side so that it is not quite of the indie soil but is close, close. And also some stuff which isnt close at all, but I thought would be of interest to the average b&s fan. And just looking at the tracklist for the tape there is some stuff on it which is pretty indie. So there you go. But what I also wanted to say was that its nice to be so connected whether the tapes are just chucked together or minutely constructed through a series of graphs and charts there is a bigger sense of personality and internal logic to them that goes beyond just the songs in the order that theyre in. Is tape maker A trying to affirm what I like about indie, perhaps even to show me what I dislike about it, are they trying to create discord, to attack the status quo, to attack Status Quo? Which leads me back to my own tape and the CD, and I think: Was I saying This is the kind of stuff you should be listening to as well as the Belles or This is the kind of stuff I listen to as well as the Belles? It seems like an important difference, but lets not exaggerate it too much. The tape, Id say, of the two, reflects my taste better though I did make it much more recently. But lets not dwell on it too much. Um, so. Well actually this really fascinated me when I first started reading Sinister I shall extend the tree metaphor yet further, are we, the peoples of Sinister like the above cited saplings, growing around the mighty tree of Belle and Sebastian, feeding off it and waxing as it waxes, waning ditto. Or are we branches of one tree, the band, us the whole shebang? Which seems more appropriate? Ill let you ponder that one. I.e. what is the lists relationship with the band? I ask because even when new songs, new albums are released there seems to be very little in the way of close dissection of the meaning or relevance of the songs. I dont mean this at all as a criticism (in some ways its actually a blessing), indeed it would seem to be a recurring feature of fansites and mailing lists that when fans of bands get together there seems to be very little analysis. Perhaps this follows you think, everyone likes the band, where is the source of debate? But consensus on a band being good does not at all equal consensus on which bits are good and why. What is Stuart getting at in, say, I Could be Dreaming? Really. Really really really. I kind of want to take a stab at it, I know Ive gone on enough already and most people have stopped reading by now. Or perhaps Im just mildly deprecating to fish for yet more compliments Are you still reading? doesnt quite tally, does it? So I wont, I honestly just plucked that song out of the air, but its quite a good one to pick apart, mixed images and so forth. Have a go if you like. Perhaps its something to do with the rock vs. academia dichotomy, that whole Youre just killing the music by over-analysis, maaaan schtick. Perhaps. Similarly, in the way that this train of thought seems to be circular, viz I dont want to make feel obliged to discuss songs as they would Hamlet if they dont want to, Id be interested in reading stuff like that, but who wants to write it? Some people do, there are a couple of excellent pieces about b&s dotted about on the internet, but again I dont want to guide the list into waters it isnt familiar with (hubris indeed there, people will do as they like Kieran, not as you instruct them). More circularity. Like a Venn-diagram. Round one more time? Ok. Conclusions from last weeks philosophy seminar (not mine): Free Jazz isnt music. Music has rules. John Cages 4:33 = The Emperors New Clothes (I owe Dave Q of ILM fame for my Thinking youre being fooled by an artist = philistinism rebut, which is more or less all I said that day). Westlife and Shakira are talentless rubbish. You have to have an objective standard of quality in order to discuss things rationally. Enough. Just as this post started this morning when I got out of the shower fifteen minutes earlier than I had got in (I doctored the numbers, you know, for the sake of elegance it may have been more 9:03 when I got in, more 8:41 when I got out. Forgive me) were this yesterday then, as the time clicks over 11pm it would have been today, for midnight would have passed. But today persists. Sunday persists. Will it be Monday in an hour? Who can honestly say? Love from Kieran. p.s. To clockwatchers: Yes it is almost midnight, actual midnight here now - a long story involving corrupted disks and slow lifts. Smash imperialism. _________________________________________________________________ Internet access plans that fit your lifestyle -- join MSN. http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/default.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: You're my luv S.C.U.D.
by Miss Marianna Longmire 27 Oct '02

27 Oct '02

Okay, so I am like, THE NICEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. I'm so considerate of other people's well being that I don't hesitate to step in and save a little old lady from being mugged and throw a couple of punches when the assailant starts on me. All hail the Glam Avenger! Single-handedly cleaning up the streets of Hackney. Ahem. I'm so considerate of not offending people, that when I succumb to my guilty pleasure of watching teen movies and I go to a big fuck-off sized cinema to watch "Slap her, She's French" and they assign seats, I sit in my assigned seat. And I stay put. Even when the ticketing office decides to make someone else sit RIGHT NEXT TO ME when there's like, 600 other seats available. No, I stay put as I don't want to appear rude or have them thinking they smell or something. Even though they did. A little. I'm so considerate of not upsetting my "We're so in love" flatmates, that when they start HEAVY PETTING WITH THE DOOR OPEN and their moans begin to echo around the apartment, I don't complain, I simply plug in my headphones and listen to eighties metal. God, I need to be more selfish. So, lately I've been succumbing to geekdom again. It's an on/off love affair that started in primary school when I was the only girl to join the boys' dungeons and dragons club. It lasted two weeks before an overzealous religious parent put a stop to it for devil worshipping purposes. I know, I was confused as well. The point is (was there a point? I'm going for the whole 'post full of digressions and not making much sense' look myself). The point is, after pouting and refusing to play my dreamcast for a few weeks due to major Gum hatred issues, I came back, switched characters and nailed THREE LEVELS in like, five minutes. How much do I rock? Answers on a postcard c/- The Middlesex Hospital Occupational Therapy Department, Mortimer St, London. Presents, love letters and strippergrams are also encouraged. I'll never be an indie purist. I just don't understand it. Justin 'I used to have hair like Leo Sayer' Timberlake is my new pop hero. Now, don't get me wrong here, after the demise of Take That I swore I could never love a boy band again. And, despite occasional dalliances with the Backstreet Boys, I haven't. N*Sync would often amuse me as they managed to become the first ever U.G.L.Y. boy band to succeed in the industry, but their music rarely took me. But hand me some candle wax and call me Mrs Hardwick if Little Michael hasn't completely won me over with his hip pop fabulous solo debut. Honestly, it's four minutes of pure heaven. And the part where he says "Drums!" and the drums come in is divine. It's not terrifically original, but the hook and falsetto notes are fab and it's done with such enthusiasm it should be commended. "You talk to Marianna when you want to know about porn or the Powerpuff Girls." I also know far too much trivia about Press Gang, Bis and the health of Dido's father if you're interested. Speaking of Bis, I was given a cartoon mocking my beloved the other week. Caption reading: Bis Headquarters, 1999. "Hey guys! Maybe instead of rocking, we should suck!" Which is funny, given that I had the pleasure of watching "The Powerpuff Girls - THE MOVIE" last week with Miss Liz Daplyn and Mr Rob Brennan and the end theme tune (written by Bis, natch) which, ordinarily, is a pogo-tastic bubblegum rock ditty, totally SIX FINGERS OF RAWKED OUT! It totally ruled my world. As did the film, which included an opposable thumbs joke that was worth the admission alone. I love Bis. I love the fact that they're electropop and yet completely ignored by the electro poseurs du jour. They're totally hip and completely ostracised and don't give a damn. They're my heroes. So you can understand the sacrifice I made when I skipped their London gig to attend a farewell soiree for Mr Ben Apps who has fled the country in search of wedded bliss with the cutie Miss Rachel Fruitloop. Bless their little cotton socks. Had enough? I have. Next time, amusement and eloquence. Promise. xXx Miss Marianna Longmire. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: lights bursting and splurting
by hannah brown 27 Oct '02

27 Oct '02

well, i have just spent the past three hours bent over my guitar learning "fruit tree" by nick drake in minute detail. I am most definitely getting good at it but my hands are shaking and my belly feels like it's got a big punchy thing inside it. It's quiet here and the only company i have is a cheeky looking homemade pumpkin light glowing in the corner of the room. I have to take my sock off ( i don't have a hat and i don't really like that phrase, yeh anarchy!) to Kieran Devaney for another cracking post, admittedly i haven't read it yet (i will when i am less dapsy)but it filled my whole screen with text, i might copy it and use it as some avante-garde wallpaper. Perhaps you are the reason this place has been so quiet lately, maybe you are the word thief who creeps into peoples homes at night and sucks the words out of innocent sinisterees,ay, wink,point,wink,point. On the subject of words, (what a smooth link) i, like ken chu, have been recieving messages from my beloved flatmates, one said: "thanks for eating my cereal you bunch of cunts" and the other was cunningly placed on an empty bottle saying: "jody's "my gay bum hurts" juice" Yes, i know it's offensive and horrible, but it is funny and it made jody very angry, he he. isn't this time of year just fantastic? I vote for autumn all year round because you get lovely yellow sunshine and brown leaves and conkers and gloves and-it-is-good-i-like-it. well, i think i'm going to get back to that guitar now and i hope to see some of you sooooooooonnnnn please. love and new shoes hannah b " he was creeching out loud and waving his rookers and making real horrorshow with the slovos, only the odd blurp, blurp coming from his keeshas, like something was orbiting within..." = how cool is that, anthony burgess, clockwork orange _________________________________________________________________ Unlimited Internet access for only $21.95/month. Try MSN! http://resourcecenter.msn.com/access/plans/2monthsfree.asp +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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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