Lucy Munro wrote:
Not having been particularly precocious, and not being inordinately wealthy either, I don't know that much of the Field Mice's stuff, but I did decide a couple of weeks ago that "Sensitive" was the best song ever made (if only for that week, when it was continually on my walkman) - which *isn't* greeting-card or naive or any of those things, just *beautiful*, and much more direct than you'd expect from their reputation - and Northern Picture Library's "Paris" isn't far behind. The B&S comparison's more valid than a lot that I've heard - Stone Roses?! - although it's partly to do with the unabashed sensitivity (for want of a better word) of both groups.
Yeah, the Field Mice were fab. I have to confess, I like them a weensy bit more than B&S. Maybe I'll change my mind when the new album comes out... Anyway, I suppose I can see a vague kind of connection between the Field Mice & B&S. I think that it's more their common influences (Nick Drake, Felt, 60's pop, the Go-Betweens) than B&S being influenced by the Field Mice. I guess it stands to reason that a B&S fan has a good chance of liking the Field Mice as well. Northern Picture Library are very different-sounding, though. At times they were similar to the Field Mice (an example would be the brilliant and already mentioned "Paris") but mostly they were fairly different-sounding from the Field Mice, mining a lot of electronic & wall-of-sound things, coming off at different times similar to later MBV (but better if you ask me) or St. Etienne. In other words, not much like B&S. Still, very very very good, though. And what's more, virtually everything they did is still in print. Too bad "Paris" and the 3 other songs they released on Sarah aren't, though =(
for Field Mice singles, so there's no excuse... And there is going to be a lovely Field Mice retrospective soon, so you can all decide whether the comparisons are at all justified (look at the Shinkansen
Yes, and some day there will be a Field Mice tribute, too. I think the retrospective will come out sooner. As a fan who was 9 years old when they formed, I think it's good that they are giving us the opportunity to hear their songs again without paying a ton of money.
The other Sarah band I've heard likened to B&S are The Orchids, who shared a dancey tendency with the Field Mice's later stages - I've just got some tapes of their stuff, which I haven't had a chance to listen to properly yet, but I'd say that "Electronic Renaissance" is the closest reference point. That and a similar Scottish slightly mumbly vocal style (that's supposed to be complimentary).
I'm not as sure about the Orchids comparison. They seemed more rock & roll to me. Idunno, it's all a matter of what you listen for. Personally I liked the last Orchids album better than Lyceum. I've yet to hear a song of theirs I enjoyed more than "Avignon." Wonderful.
Hell, there are other people around who are much better qualified to say all this stuff that I am...
Well, seeing as how the person who runs a Field Mice webpage is on this list, I'd say that about myself too, but it doesn't mean I still don't have some insight, or that I didn't get any from your post =) /"\_/"\_/"\ Mick McMick - mick@indiepop.com - ICQ#5056758 \ / Sandcastle Records - sandcastlerecords@indiepop.com | | Sandcastle Homepage - http://indiepop.com/sandcastle/ | | | | "Everyone has their own cup of tea. | | Some just happen to like a lot of sugar in it!" | | - Me! +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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 +---+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +---+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+