'hello, we're the pastels, and we're seminal.' that was over ten years ago, and what's changed? they always told fibs. actually the whole pastels story is weird as hell. i mean, who'd have thought they'd still be around, still be making ostensibly the same sounds and still meaning, well, something peculiar anyway. i can't say i love the pastels, but i can't say i hate them either, they just seem to me to be... THERE. they're influence has been large, it must be said, in very strange and unobtrusive ways. their influence on the americas seems to have been much bigger than it ever was allowed to be in the UK, probably because there wasn't some stupid music journo antagonism, but it's strange all the same. i agree with whoever said that it doesn't matter that all their songs sound 'similar', because there's always been a formula in the best Pop, from Motown to Stax to Felt. i have one question though: whatever happened to Brian Superstar?? fluffy tittered on thinking how i looked when i first heard Denim. well titter ye not, because when i first heard Denim i was all a quiver with excitement, the reason being that the songs sounded fabulous. I get to sound like a trainspotting twat now, but it was the demos for the first LP i heard, and it was on the flip of a tape with the ditched Eno produced Television LP, and man, it was a magical tape. i wigged out on the tape for ages, telling everyone who came within earshot that Denim were the thing to dig. Typically everyone laughed... i think too that they WOULD have made it if it hadn't taken so bloody long for the record to actually come out... the buzz was passed. Shame. years later i was telling everyone within earshot that B&S were the thing to dig... everyone laughed at me then too, but who's laughing now, eh? Well, okay, everyone who was laughing then is still laughing cos they're the kind of person who'd probably prefer the new Ace of BAse record, if such a thing existed. But that's hardly the point. i am glad that people are talking about Gram Parsons again. well, Mr Moore was... although i suspect it was another ruse to simply mention Meester Meeller again. on the subject of rhinestoned troubadours though, can i just say two words: Richard Buckner. go on, you'll love him. although he doesn't wear rhinestones to the best of my knowledge, he does write the most magical songs you'll hear this side of a B&S or Stephin Merritt record. i was baffled at the lack of coverage given to B&S in the end of year cultural reviews across the board... i guess this means they are in that deadly hinterland between being the new cult darlings and being so ubiquitous you end up hating them. i wonder which way they will swing? nice to see Mrs Murdoch posting, although i think she needs to read the FAQ. keep the faith, the duke ------------------------------------------ 'what's the name they call ones like us?' ------------------------------------------ Tangents On-Line http://www.tangents.co.uk PO Box 102, Exeter, EX2 4YL, UK editor@tangents.co.uk ------------------------------------------ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list please mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". For list archives and searching, list rules, FAQ, poor jokes etc, see http://www.majordomo.net/sinister +---+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" +---+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+