- Sinister - missprint.org

Sinister: another professional review of DCW(dickywuss, dickwank, dicksaw, don'tcatchwildebeests)
by Kevin Hyde 06 Oct '03

06 Oct '03

Hi everyone, here's the Pitchfork review from today, for those who don't read it all the time: Belle & Sebastian Dear Catastrophe Waitress [Rough Trade; 2003] Rating: 7.5 One of the most beloved, bewitching, misunderstood, and eventually disappointing bands in recent history, Belle & Sebastian did the near-impossible in the Internet era: They seemed to appear out of nowhere. Admittedly, there was also a time (recently, in fact) when I'd wished they'd have mysteriously vanished as well, exorcising the dark spots of their post-1998 output in order to keep their reputation-- or at least Stuart Murdoch's-- in respectable shape. >From their inauspicious beginnings in 1995, the collective emerged from Scotland with wistful, nostalgia-laden indie pop that examined sexual frustration, shiftlessness, loneliness, and isolation. Murdoch's songs-- often punctuated by proper and place names-- painted expressionist, detail-oriented worlds that, when they connected with a listener, often left an indelible, deep impression. What went wrong is typically chalked up to a split in songwriting duties, a practice that made their third and fourth albums, The Boy With the Arab Strap and Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, disjointed, frustrating listens. The band's choice to democratize, allowing a fair number of songs from each band member, negated the singularity of Murdoch's vision, often at the cost of his wit and charm. This all-inclusive measure also resulted in the band drifting toward a pastiche of too-familiar touchstones: 60s baroque pop, Northern Soul/Motown, and folk-rock. On their fifth proper album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Belle & Sebastian continue their exploration of pastiche, diversifying their sonic palate to include 70s soft-rock, the irreverent pop of 10cc and Squeeze, and bubblegum. Here, the band's once-misguided ambition is tailored and cut by famed producer (and founder of notorious 1980s art-pop groups The Buggles and The Art of Noise), Trevor Horn, who aids the band in making a complete 180-degree turn from wry, wistful folk-pop to sophisticated, tight, sometimes-complex arrangements with a keen attention to detail. Horn's touch is most effective on "Stay Loose" and "I'm a Cuckoo", two ambitious classic AM pop gems that-- like the best of his past production work-- threaten to spill over into the absurd but instead remain delightfully audacious. Ironically, with a new-found ability to rectify their once at-odds musical interests, Belle & Sebastian have emerged as shiny happy people, becoming that of which they were always falsely accused: t*ee. That label was always more appropriate to the infantilism-obsessed, Sanrio-loving element in their fanbase, while the band itself traded in innuendo, sinisterism, anxiety, and sketches of unfulfilled childhoods. But here, songs such as "Roy Walker", "You Don't Send Me", and the semi-creepy Godspellian "If You Find Yourself Caught in Love" are so bubblegum they could have been staples of any number of early 70s TV families, from the Bradys to the Osmonds to the Partridges. That may sound dreadful but Belle & Sebastian manage to do a lot of things right-- including "You Don't Send Me", whose strength lies in its effective application of aesthetic. "Piazza, New York Catcher" manages to come off like a woozy, drunken version of the Murdoch demo "Rhoda", and it's his most lyrically complex work here, reminiscent of highlights from the past couple of albums such as "Sleep the Clock Around", "The Boy With the Arab Strap", "The Model", and "There's Too Much Love". Certain tracks do flirt with reminders of Belle & Sebastian Mk I-- namely "Lord Anthony", finally given a proper release years after it was written, and "Wrapped Up in Books"-- but these throwbacks are temporary, bones tossed to diehards unable to cope with the band's decision to trade their bedsit infamy for bouncy, pogo-pop. On one hand, Dear Catastrophe Waitress ranks as one of the most delightful surprises of the year, although that's primarily because I'd completely given up on them. On the other hand, it's a very flawed record that at its quirky worst features harmonies so brow-furringly cheery they'd be comfortable amidst a cruise-ship revue or one of Up With People's halftime routines. It's not at all what one might call a "return to form"; rather, it's a large step toward a new, more appealing direction than the band had otherwise been heading. At present, they're almost a new entity entirely, which makes this the Belle & Sebastian album for people who never really liked Belle & Sebastian. I realize that for a large portion of Belle & Sebastian fans-- most of them young and American-- lots of elements of the band's past matter little. The myth, the shambolic performances, the radio sessions, the dubbed cassettes of Tigermilk, the band's refusal to talk to the press, releasing only non-LP tracks as singles, not featuring the band on its sleeves, Murdoch's place in a songwriting lineage that includes early Orange Juice, The Smiths, and Felt-- it's now all ancient history. If that's indicative to you of what's become problematic with the band, you may want to approach this album with caution. If, however, "Legal Man" is among your favorite Belle & Sebastian songs, buy this immediately. ________________________________________________________________________ ____ I especially liked how he stars out part of the word 'twee'. Seems like a decent review though, overall. Kevin +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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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Re:Sinister: Adrian Evans? Christ on a bike!
by adrian.evans＠blueyonder.co.uk 06 Oct '03

06 Oct '03

Mark "Sheep Worrier" Casarotto wrote: >go and lock yourself in a cupboard with "I'm A Cuckoo" on repeate until the spirit of Phil Lynott apparates in front of you and sets fire to your bum. Did he have long arms then Mark? I'm guessing he apparated behind you and burn't your bum, but then he wouldn't have apparated cos you wouldn't have seen him and he wasn't actually there, you were just hideously mashed and put your burn in your back pocket whilst reading the credits on the CD inlay card. He also mentioned: >"You Don't Send Me" is next on my list of disappointments. It's got an irritating melody. It's my daughters favourite B&S song behind Legal Man. I'm equally disappointed but have no choice in the matter when the shisters in the car. Talking of three year olds and referencing Mark's subject line - Am I the only one who used to ride their bike like the clappers in the street and then jump off the back and watch in delight as careered into parked cars? I'd be really f***ed off if that happend to my motor. Kids are great - don't have any though. ev. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: Adrian Evans? Christ on a bike!
by Mark Casarotto 06 Oct '03

06 Oct '03

Can Vanilla Flavid Davoured really never have heard T-Rex? Hewitt Minor, go and lock yourself in a cupboard with "I'm A Cuckoo" on repeate until the spirit of Phil Lynott apparates in front of you and sets fire to your bum. "You Don't Send Me" is next on my list of disappointments. It's got an irritating melody. "Roy Walker" is taking his revenge on me by BEING IN MY BLOODY HEAD ALL THE BLOODY TIME and, like the old steering wheel down the pants, it's driving me nuts. And "Stay Loose" is now reminding me of Dexy's. Fair? You decide. So, Sinister, I was wondering. Which TV game show should I go on? It seems churlish not to make the most of one of the few qualities I have, namely the ability to get fist-pumpingly het up whenever I get a tricky general knowledge question right. I practically moonwalked when I identified the Corrs' "Talk on Cor(r)ners" album sleeve the other day. Even on Mastermind I got 13 (thirteen) of the general knowledge questions right in one round. And I even feel the need to boast about it? So give me your suggestions, especially if you're serious and/or know the producer of any of said quiz shows who'd have me. "Russian Roulette" with the David Blaine it's okay to like, Derren Brown, was on telly last night. It was a good programme! And not all portentous and wanky like some other illusionists I could mention. As for Mr Blaine, he must have some severe problem with flatulence as he looks as chubby as when he went in his little box. Talking of flatulence, that's a potential problem. I find my wind plays up no end when I start digesting my own internal organs. Finally, and most importantly, who here knows how to set up a decent online petition? Because I want Stuart Lee "Mad Dog" Murdoch to motherfuckin' KNOW that tha kidz want to hear a re-worked version of Rhoda more than anything, ever. Work with me on this, yo. Miss Laura Llew, please forgive me. Mark xxx ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: baps cuppin' boobs
by Kenneth P Y Chu 06 Oct '03

06 Oct '03

It must have been a while, I almost sent this to sinister(a)hotmail.com. All I want to say is, I have never seen Robin Stout naked, but he said... >>and I probably said that BOOB is a good word because it both looks and >>sounds like what it describes << The boy must have some funny shaped boobs! I've seen a few pairs of sinister boobs over the years (once even the pinefox's! and Stuart Murdoch's!!!!!!!) and none of them look like the word BOOB. Unless it's a topview of two girls with fairly ok sized boobs standing either side of a girl with GIGANTIC BOOBS lying down (who incidentally has not a head or arms or legs or a torso) in some kind of pornographic movie style arrangement. If robin stout makes a porno film what would it be called? Robin's nobbings? Robin Stout's in-outs? Stout of tit's world? Drobin does Dallas? Who's got the new album already? We've already had some reviews of songs but what's the actual album like? What textured paper does it use? Does the little booklet thing come out easily or is it a struggle to get it out (ahem). Is it the same shade of mucky yellow as the one that is on amazon.com? Was boobs mentioned in the sleeve notes? If you look carefully at the picture at the front can you really see nipples showing through the girl's t-shirt or did they use textured paper so you can cop a feel as you run your finger over the thing? Or is it a scent thing that when you rub the plate of food you get the smell of the food coming out? Or maybe it's just an ordinary CD case. Ken _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail messages direct to your mobile phone http://www.msn.co.uk/msnmobile +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: probably something about girls
by chris_t_opher 05 Oct '03

05 Oct '03

people, "the time will come in this world when everyone will know someone whose favourite band is belle and sebastian. and then no one will be able to listen to a damn thing" - a variation on lyrics from a song i dont know by a band i dont know. it is on a sinister tape tree tape circa 1998 (or so). to whoever is even slightly organised on this list: please start up another tree. the song always brings a smile to my face on the occasions - few and far between - when i actually get to drive. yesterday was one of them. today was another. 'downsize' practically won our scrabble game. 'down' was already there, as was the e. i cant claim all the credit - my playing partner suggested 'size', i just found a snug fit. triple letter score for the z, 45 points total. it is funny how we go through life assuming things and making things up. like scrabble rules. a blank tile... you dont get however many points the letter you choose is worth, you get none. if you place a word that isnt in the dictionary, you lose your turn. no plurals allowed. things i took for granted for years arent actually correct. i used to score close to 500 with my faux-rules. today, 195 was easily enough to win. last night was the new album's playback at the star+garter. i didnt hear a single new b+s song all night. i did hear plenty of people exclaiming "Camera obscura!" at me though. i was wearing the tshirt so maybe i shouldnt be so surprised. that place is like its own little community, my friend said earlier. if it were an actual community, the lack of diversity might be its downfall but its members' friendliness and taste its saving graces. i would explain what the s+g is but whenever i mention it, you always seem to know anyway. like many of you, i am still undecided about the new album. i havent heard it, i dont know if i want to. and yet, the idea of a new b+s album being in the shops when i wake up tomorrow is exciting. with storytelling, i heard plenty of bad things about it and therefore didnt buy it til a good six months after it was out. i was pleasantly surprised (though not overwhelmed). with dcw, i am hearing good reports. it would be more of a letdown now if im expecting something of value and find that... i just dont like it. but maybe itll become my favourite b+s album ever. when i do finally get around to buying it. if you love the old, live version of lord anthony as much as i do, download it quickly. i tried the other day but found dozens of dcw version and not a single bootleg version. someone stepped in and saved me (thank you) but it was looking hairy for a moment or two. maybe, if we all wish hard enough, one day i'll have the same trouble finding rhoda. an american girl was in my house earlier. before leaving, she took a quick glance into my room. she saw my 3..6..9 poster and maybe my sinister poster too. i know because i heard her sigh. cheerio, chris. ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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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Re: Sinister: Climpy*
by Kate Keenan 05 Oct '03

05 Oct '03

Hi All, I've also been lurking - mostly hiding out until I get my act together to send lovely thank-you cards out to those kind, longsufferers who sent me Christmas pressie exchanges. Never fear - their tardiness is proportionate to their eventual fabulousness. You probably oughtn't to send me such lovely stuff - it just overwhelms me (oh go on, then). Anyway, had to stick my nose in at "Climpy". Paulo, I'm in complete support of your campaign and I promise to do my bit but thought you might also like to know that Douglas Adams (terribly missed) defined "Climpy" in his brilliant book "The Meaning of Liff" as: Allowing yourself to be persuaded to do something and pretending to be reluctant. I don't see why it can't have two meanings in the spirit of the "bust", "colon", "prune" and "taipan". More the merrier, really. Lots of love to all (plus some sheepishness to some), Kate >From: "Paulo Stinsoni" <paulo_stinsoni(a)hotmail.com> >Reply-To: "Paulo Stinsoni" <paulo_stinsoni(a)hotmail.com> >To: sinister(a)missprint.org >Subject: Sinister: Climpy* >Date: Thu, 02 Oct 2003 12:12:03 +0000 > >Hello, > >I wanted to say something, just something, but I can't think of anything. >I haven't sinisterated for such a while (been mailin' people off list a bit >tho') and I just felt you needed to hear my voice, to show I haven't been >scared away by the threat of rectally inserted oars. > >TOPIC > >I don't have one. Oh sure I could easily glide down the "I can't wait >until the album comes out" route, or "I'm going to the gig in London", (oh >that cool set in London) but I think this has been covered by so many >others. > >Ah well. Bit pointless really. Still, it's better than working (I'm at >work at the moment) > >OK, here's something I say when lying in bed in the dark, with Theresa >Lovely, "Tell me something I don't know". It's great, you find out all >sorts of stuff. > >I'll start you off - As well as being a musical junky, I play Dungeons and >Dragons. Check that - a 35 year old playing D&D. Every week too! > >Now your turn. Go on tell us all (or I'll look a fool, again) > >Well, I'm off. > >See you all > >Paulo > >*PS - Climpy - I thought I'd made this word up, but it's a town in >Scotland. I've been getting my son, Spike, to use it on his friends at >school, to try to get it in the dictionary, or at least in popular slang. >Go on, call someone a Climpy. Basically it means "a fool". > >_________________________________________________________________ >It's fast, it's easy and it's free. Get MSN Messenger today! >http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger > >+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ > +---+ 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! +-+ >+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: what noise does a rabbit make, anyway?
by robin stout 05 Oct '03

05 Oct '03

Hullo Ah, I was supposed to be writing my belle and sebastian review today, but i don't think i'll get the album till tuesday, and seeing as i haven't heard it i can't possibly review it, can i? I think If She Wants Me will be a really good song. I think that Sharon might be spot on with her Morricone comparision for the title track, too. I hadn't really thought of that until she mentioned it. There have been lots of reviews of the album in the press, though. Most of them pretty good, too. Look: http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1055915,00.html The Pinefox traduced me thus: << Stout Robin, of whose regular sinister appearances I in principle approve, averred that rude words are, or were, inherently funny. (I don't suppose he used the word 'inherently'. Perhaps I am traducing him; save that I am not.) I think that he is wrong. He does not even trouble to register the REAL LIFE DEBATE we once had on this question. I think we were in Greenwich Park (at the time). >> I think the conversation was actually about whether certain words are inherently funny, or appropriate, or, indeed, have any intrinsic value at all. I think I argued that TROWEL was a funny word, as was PAMPHLET, and I probably said that BOOB is a good word because it both looks and sounds like what it describes. I might even have made absent-minded grabbing motions in the air when I said this. I dunno, I was probably just being obnoxious anyway. I think the thing with the absurd album acronyms is that it's All A Bit Of Fun. They're rather surreal, really. I mean, what is a twatty bus? What's a fishy clap? Whatever they are, I think someone should call a doctor, and quick! r o b i n x _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with cool emoticons - download MSN Messenger today! http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: blue VOT and silk? no VAY!
by Zsa Zsa Gabor 04 Oct '03

04 Oct '03

My Dahlinks, It is so GOOD to speak to you. I have vaited for many, many veeks. I said 'don't you know who I AM?' but zey said yes, and made me vait anyway. I am not USED to such insolence. We are on ze vay to....vere is it, driver? Ah, some dull little place on Park Lane. How I DESPISE zese society functions: 'Have some caviar, Zsa Zsa'; 'Won't you have another glass of champagne, Miss Gabor?'; 'Can't I just have you...for one night, Miss Gabor? I will pay handsomely - I will grovel and beg. I will buy you a country'. Zey are so crashingly DULL I vould rather zit in the back of my little, little limo and listen to my new favourite band. Oh! Yah, Dahlinks, how I LAVV zem! It is so SAD for you poor little people, who have to VAIT to hear zem sing! Just EVERYBODY I know has had a copy for VEEKS! I lavv to sit in my little jacuzzi, viz, elton, and liza and ze cambridge rowing crew, and some of zeir friends, and I lift my martini and I shout to Liza... 'Listen, dahlink, there is NATHING you can do to offend me!' and how ve laaf.. Me, and Liza, and Elton, and ze cambridge rugby tem, as she cries back 'Caarsss You Don't Sshhhend Me!'. Oh, and Elton. He lavvs them too. He vonts to perform a DUET, viz BOTH of zem. Imagine zat! Viz Belle AND Sebastian too! He says if he can get Ryan Adams and zat silly leetle man with ze bleached hair to sing viz him, he can get a leetle band like zis for nathing! And think of how ze kids vill LAVV him again! Oh, it is true. EVERYONE, simply EVERYONE lavvs Belle and Sebastian. Zey are in all ze magazines - zey look so GLAMOROUS. Zis week, ve vill ALL be singing their songs. Next veek, ve might sing someone else's. Ve are very of the moment, me and Liza and Elton. A shame for zose of you who haven't heard ze album. Such a SHAME, for zose fans. Anyvay, I have come here to meet new people. I have heard ze fans of zis band are STRANGE and UNUSUAL, and me and Elton and Liza vould LAVV to meet some FREAKS to play viz! Ah.... IMAGINE! You maast be so HAPPY zat your strange, strange ways have found zeir way onto ze radio. Zat everyone is now liking vot you once thought you liked only! Anyvay, I must go. I vont something expensive to drink for tonight, after meeting viz all zose BORING kings and qveens! And I must start to drink it NOW, to see if it will be right for LATER. It is a hard life, being famous, dahlinks. Until another time, remember: A voman's heart should be like her handbag. Capable of holding many, many zings, and yet, viz strong, strong handles. Lav, dahlinks Zsa Zsa +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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: friday night record shopping
by David Hewitt 04 Oct '03

04 Oct '03

G'day Sinister. Well, many's the time I've had occasion to moan to the list about not being able to get such and such a thing in this little backwater of the world. But for once, we got something first. For some reason, unexpectedly, Spunk! released Dear Catastrophe Waitress in Australia yesterday. Right on. I was walking home from dinner with the missus and a few mates last night (cold rolls, hot and sour soup, szechuan fish and bok choi and all that - very tasty indeed) on Brunswick St, Fitzroy, and walking past Polyester Records on the way back to my place, something caught my eye, and I darted into the shop. Sure enough, sitting on a shelf next to the window was the new Belle & Sebastian CD. I even got a free poster with it. Bonus. Here's some things you might like to know. The cover image is the one that they're showing at Amazon. It's nice enough. It looks like a Belle & Sebastian record, only orange. There's a similar picture on the back, and a back and white picture of the waitress inside. She's apparently someone called "Shantha Roberts". I don't know who she is or who she plays for, though. I guess there's no reason why I should. Inside the sleeve, along with the lyrics and thankyous and all that, is a five page story entitled 'The Way Of The Egg'. In it, Stuart covers such topics as Chicken Licken, Del Amitri, purchasing a new camera, posting items of clothing to himself, Felt and The Lord of the Rings. It was a moderately interesting read, but didn't seem particularly polished or relevant (other than that it dealt a little bit with the photo shoot for the album's cover). In fact, I'm almost certain it's just a diary entry (it's written in that unselfconscious sort of style), that for some reason (perhaps just the timing of it?) got put in the sleeve rather than on the website. It seemed an odd choice, but I guess it gives those whose interest in the band extends as far as buying albums, but no further, a bit of a sense of the man and what he's about. It seemed to give away a bit more than the stories they used to favour for the sleeves, though, and was a bit less satisfying for it, in my book. Anyway, that's not important at all. It gave me something to read as I took the tram into work today. Working on a Saturday? That's dedication for you. Still, I'm also going to sit here and listen to this album a few times, and give you some impressions of it. I'll put them below, track by track. Note that the track order on the Australian (Spunk!) version of the CD is the order I've listed them in below. CDDB has an American and a UK version in its database, neither of which match what I bought last night. Amazon has the track listing that I have here, though, which I guess means that it's been changed at some point, so what you get will likely be the same as what I have here. Generally, my first impression of the album was reassuring, I suppose. I embrace the 'new' B&S, and the direction in which they're heading. I loved the last two EPs, and Storytelling had some lovely moments as well. This is a further step in that direction for them, and I'm pretty sure that for most of you, your preconceptions about whether you like where they're going aren't going to be changed by this record. It's a bit of a departure in some places, with some real throwback moments, too, but it seems more than anything like a fairly natural progression. Having heard so much about the radical change in production, I guess I was expecting an even more dramatically different record to the one I got. It's still the same band, but it's not the same old, same old. That's about the best we could have asked for, I reckon. A strange aspect to this album, though, is that many of the songs sound quite familiar, though I can't quite say what, specifically, they remind me of. This could just be my clumsy way of recognising memorable song writing, or it could be that there are references here to the sort of music you hear about the place, but never really paid attention to. Perhaps the sort of thing your parents might have played in the car from time to time. I really don't know. Anyway, here are some impressions. Bear in mind that I have little knowledge of music, generally, and my taste is usually described as 'questionable' at best. My opinions have no authority whatsoever, and will likely not match with yours, or even stay the same from one day to the next. This is very much 'just some guy' speaking here, I'm afraid :) STEP INTO MY OFFICE, BABY A rip-snorting, ball-tearing, stomper of a song. Instantly accessible. The slow build-up that happens after the mid-track quiet bit is particularly nice. It's got a confident sort of swagger about it, with some nice horns and guitar noodling, but still somehow maintains that fragile 'it could all fall apart at any minute' thing that most of this band's best songs have. A better opening track, it'd be hard to imagine. It's unmistakably Belle & Sebastian, alright, but it's just as unmistakably something quite new. It's the classic 'track one' - a statement of intent. DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS This one reminds me a bit of I'm Waking Up To Us, for some reason. Probably just the way Stuart's voice sounds here. Other than that, it's got a really generous, lush instrumentation about it. Seems like a slow-burner, though - it's not really that remarkable on a first listen, unless you're really listening properly. It's a bit quirky and cute though, so it'll probably be a grower. Not a bad song, but it definitely sounds like an 'album track', compared the previous song. Oh, and there are a lot of lyrics for this one that aren't in the liner notes, for some reason. IF SHE WANTS ME This song is the sun on your face. It's driving with the top down, in the country. You couldn't really imagine this song on any of the previous LPs, but you couldn't really imagine another band having come up with it, either. There's a great little keyboard bit, and I'm not sure I've heard Stuart sing higher, either. If this one doesn't make you smile - you're made of stone, and no mate of mine. Definitely an early favourite, and good evidence that there's no need to worry about the quality of the lyrics slipping. More like this, please. PIAZZA, NEW YORK CATCHER Things start a bit 'thinner' here, following the breadth and scope of the preceding tracks. There's more space between the voice and the instruments, somehow. It's very sweet, and has loads of character. This is the one you'd listen to when you get home and you're taking your shoes off. Simple, pure and a bit folksy, maybe, but satisfying. ASLEEP ON A SUNBEAM Now this one's sweet and lilting, and a nice change of pace. Sarah's voice sounds absolutely magnificent. Then Stuart joins in, and the two really knit together. I don't miss Isobel at all. There are some really great, and slightly cheeky, horns on this one as well. Nice touch. This one doesn't really have a hook, somehow, but that's about all it's lacking. I'M A CUCKOO Hang on, what's this? I'm not so sure. I think this one will take more than a couple of listens to really get the hang of. I could almost swear that I've heard this one before, but I'm sure I actually haven't. If you heard this one on the radio without knowing it, you'd likely not pick that this was Belle & Sebastian. It's got a bizarrely 'chiming' sort of guitar sound, that I don't quite know what to make of. I'm pretty sure that this song bears the signs of all sorts of influences with which I'm not familiar. It doesn't quite click with me, but it's not a bad song. Lyrically, it's actually pretty nice. There's just something about the sound of it that is going to require some getting used to. I suspect there'll be some of you who'll really like it - you'll probably have been listening to some of the bands that have influenced Stuart here. They're a bit lost on me, though, I'm afraid. For now, this is probably the lowest moment on what would have been called 'Side A' back in the bad old days. Actually, there's a good bit of silence on the end of this track to divide the album in two, as is also suggested by how the track listing is laid out on the back cover. YOU DON'T SEND ME More horns. I really like the horns on this record a lot. Catchy, toe-tapping sort of a thing, with that slightly cheesy sort of backing vocals that either join in on, or echo, the last bit of a line. It works for them here, though. Just :) This one sounds a little bit disposable to me, but that could change with time. It's charming, and more sixties than seventies, which suits me alright. It should be on the soundtrack to a Peter Sellers movie or something. WRAPPED UP IN BOOKS This one sounds a little like The Aislers Set to me. Aside from the vocals, obviously. It's got that edgy, jangly sort of sound to it, though. More accurately, it probably sounds like some other band that both of them listen to, but I don't. There's a rare (this time around) bit of Stevie here too, which is always a good thing, and a bit of all the voices singing together, a la Jonathan David. Word. LORD ANTHONY Well, you all know this one. There's always that slight unease with a new version of an old song, but I reckon they've done a pretty good job here. It stands out as one of the better songs of the album, I reckon, which might be a slight concern. That's could just be familiarity, though, as these are very early impressions indeed. I don't think the songs are getting any worse, really, but this is the sort of song that made us love the band in the first place, isn't it? I guess it's only natural that it stands out, then. The strings really work well here, I should probably add. Overall, it's 'fuller' sounding than it used to be, but the actual song doesn't get crowded out. They seem to like trickling out these few remaining old songs on new releases lately - a policy that I'm completely in favour of. When do we get a clean version of Rhoda, eh? I think that's the last one that I'm really hanging out for. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF CAUGHT IN LOVE If Belle and Sebastian was an eighties sit-com, this would be the theme song. Not necessarily a stand-out, but pretty good fun. ROY WALKER Just quietly, this song is a bit shit, isn't it? It might grow on me, I suppose - it's certainly not as unspeakably awful as Beyond The Sunrise, or anything, but it's by far the worst thing on this record. STAY LOOSE Well, the record has sort of tapered out, after a really strong start, and threatens to go out with a whimper, rather than a bang. And I'm not yet sure whether it does or not. This one's certainly a bit Bowie, as has been said already, but I reckon it's at least as much Split Enz. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing - just a bit out of character, somehow. It's actually quite a nice song - I think, like I'm A Cuckoo, it'll just take a while to settle in. Also, it fades out. I hate that. ... Alright, phew. I didn't mean to write this much, honest. I'm meant to be catching up on some work today, but I got into a bad mood, and also sort of sidetracked, so that I couldn't concentrate on it properly, so I ended up just prattling on about this record at great length instead. I like that it's so varied, and I appreciate the risks they've taken with it - it'd be churlish of me to complain that it's a bit patchy as a result. I think the approach they've taken beats the pants off either rehashing or trend-following, and I wouldn't want it any other way. They're still obviously channelling it down from the same place they always did, and I'll be listening to it a lot, in any case. I'd really better get a bit of work done now, or I'll be here all night. Bulk love, -Vanilla Flavoured David. _________________________________________________________________ Get less junk mail with ninemsn Premium. Click here http://ninemsn.com.au/premium/landing.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: the octoberists. D-R rock rings anew.
by Kevin Hyde 04 Oct '03

04 Oct '03

Hi Sinisterines and -ettes, DISASTER RELIEF First off, the hurricane which struck the land mass known as North America about two weeks ago, specifically its chin (the Southeast! Where I live!), forced me to flee with my trusty Buick between my legs. A well-deserved break of 12 days followed, during which I luckily was able to download "Step into my office, baby" from Insound.com before they took it down (did anyone else notice this? Is anyone else mystified by the mp3's disappearance?). The song is pretty amazing, in my opinion. Having not heard any more of the album, I really don't have anything to add ballast to my raving, or temper my love of it, but yeah: it's grand. The beginning felt like such a departure, such a welcome departure, that I was nearly entranced by the handy Windows Media Player 'ambient bubble' visualization (which always struck me as being particularly tailored for stoners). I'm going to buy the album the day it comes out, like the shameless fanboy that I am. DATE-RAPE ROCK GETS ITS 'WHITE ALBUM' That's right, John Mayer. The man him-fucking-self. Released a new album in the beginning of September I think, by the name of "Heavier Things". Album cover features just a picture of him and his guitar. Suggesting a 'back to basics' approach perhaps? Indeed. With his new follower (Jason Mraz, an addition to the post-Mayer canon of D-R rock) doing quite well for himself (and by 'quite' I mean: he's on VH1. Aww.), John obviously wanted to reclaim his position as king of the prognathic-jawed. Let me just talk for a second about his new video. He is playing guitar and singing on a street. People start to walk over to the wall of amplifiers which sits at a cul-de-sac, ignoring poor John in the process. Only a very perceptive and tightly-clothed young lady (this video was evidently filmed in a very cold studio as well. Ahem.), whose perspicacity may even be a direct result of her breast size, stops and smiles coyly at John, realizing that he is the source of this INSANELY GORGEOUS MELODY. Basically, the moral lesson presented by this awesome piece of film is that playing music makes you a pariah at first, but what the fuck does that matter when you consider the enlightened groupies? I can almost hear the fluorescent tubes of thought humming to life above a thousand frat-boy (is there a U.K. equivalent to this stereotype?) heads- "Damn, you mean. Wait. Is this video saying what I think it is? Yes. Good God. That girl is so hot. I can get girls that hot, with the help of this song?.", etc. The sales of "Heavier Things" will be fueled by mothers who have discriminating tastes in dishwashing liquid, and guys who use impregnation as relationship therapy. The only mitigating factor in all of this comes from the August issue of The Believer, which contains an interview with Questlove, the drummer of The Roots. He says that he played with Mayer a few times in the studio, and that JM is writhing within the constraints of his major label deal, and longs to make an album that is (as Questlove says) on par with D'Angelo's "Voodoo", which he apparently has the talent to do. Pretty cool. I hope he does it. THE DECEMBERISTS Are pretty much the equal of B&S, in storytelling song power. Castaways and Cutouts is also my vote for the (reissue) make-out record of this year, just beating out Neil Young's "Hawks and Doves". I can't get enough of a band that has lines like "but the angles and the corners/even though my work is unparalleled/they never seem to meet". Hot damn! The boy can write a song. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes fun. I HATE FUN I was recently shamed into dancing the Charleston in front of 30 of my own employees (long story). Of all the retro dances that you might choose to do, I'd suggest refraining from the Charleston. It's not a particularly dignified dance, and I'd say that, all things being equal, I would rather have gone with the Watusi. Not my choice though. off to consult my dancing atlas, Kevin P.S. Happy après-belated birthday to Laura Llew- you're the only person I've ever known to use the word defenestration outside of my 10th grade European history class. Awesome. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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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