Slip open the windows and let the breeze slide in. Smell the sweet Spring air. Something about this day must be factored into all equations. It is as pristine and serendipitous a day as I can remember. Whisk that feeling of malaise under the rug and pour yourself a cold beverage of your choice. So, Belle & Sebastian in the news again. And is the timing a coincidence? I think not! Struan and company must have been lying low, forefingers held up to gauge for the perfect breeze. Song titles and release dates, these are the tools of the dreamer. And I would be lying if I said I cast a blind eye upon such news. Nothing gets me more excited in fact. So, from a variety of sources we can determine we shall be listening to a new EP not long after the passing of this season, and a second at the end of the next. Belle & Sebastian have a thing for summer EPs, do they not? Can we expect such "hidden" gems as "Songs for Children," and that gorgeous Martin Duffy-inspired piano / organ instrumental on Legal Man? Such tiny prizes make these EPs works of Belle & Sebastian and not some other oft-admired band. And a tour! It is wishful thinking to imagine New York will be a destination anytime soon, but hopefully it would not be so far behind. It occurred to me today that Loneliness is finally getting released, when they played it on their last U.S. tour. Ten thousand playings of MP3s and hissy tapes has dulled its insistency for me somewhat, but I am excited that it will finally see the light of day. It seems it has found its outing sooner than lonelier still Lord Anthony. My life has not been without Belle & Sebastian moments lately. I find myself these days a bit detached from Sinister. I can't connect with the lives of people I will never meet in the way I used to I guess. Or at least by this template. But don't take that as a dig, I'm not bitter. And to be honest I do skim most of the posts and read some. I just feel a bit guilty sometimes, not being a lurker when really I don't read enough posts myself. But the best Belle & Sebastian moment of note lately was last Saturday. I went, with no small degree of trepidation, to Tiswas here in New York. It has been described in various shades of black and white to me, so I was expecting a dull grey, but really the naysayers seem to have been wrong, at least on this Saturday. Again, perhaps that Spring Breeze is to blame. Not without its faults surely but I had a lovely time dancing to Legal Man and other songs too numerous to note. In a perfect world it would have been The Boy with the Arab Strap, but perfection is boring. That was my first ever experience dancing to Belle & Sebastian. Here's to hoping it's not the last. That is the extent of what I wished to impart. My comings and goings of late seem to be tied closely with the occurrance of content. News of Belle & Sebastian always makes me listen to Belle & Sebastian, I don't know quite why. But as the distinct possibility of more news and content looms on the horizon I will surely be around. I am always here, of course. Resting on couches and desk chairs, making tapes, watching my desk slowly become messier and messier, meeting friends on shaded patios and in smoky bars, writing stories with no characters or settings. Until then I will put The Boy with the Arab Strap on and sip my cherry Kool-Aid. Maybe go for a walk... Brian Pennington | cellophanesky@mac.com | AIM: aVespertineDream Semi-regular observations: <http://mcmcmc.scribble.nu> the Cellophane Sky: <http://www.mp3.com/thecellophanesky/> Sandcastle Records: <http://www.indiepages.com/sandcastle/> "Better a tear of truth than smiling lies." - Duncan Browne +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@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 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+