Some stuff in no order: 1. TOTP. Bluddy grate. Just after they were on, my boyfriend phoned and was raving about it, as was I, then I was juggling two phones because my best friend rang talking about the same thing. It was a bit frantic to say the least. I went round for the rest of the evening with a massive smile plastered on my face, not being able to stay still. 2. The Times 'Metro' section has Fishyclap as their album of the week this week. The review: ********************************************************************** Bloody awkward coves, Belle and Sebastian. They have a profile so low that even though they beat the evil Steps to win the 1999 Best Newcomer Award at the Brits, people still think they're French. They get offered a lucrative Radiohead support tour, but turn it down so that they can play at a local Glasgow community centre instead. They spend more than a quid on a video and think they're 'selling out'. And when was the last time anyone even cared about that? Then there's the matter of their dealings with the press: they have never sent out a photo of the full band line-up. Occasionally, as an alternative, they mail pictures of their friends. Or toy dogs. They don't do interviews, except to discuss why they don't do interviews. The downside of all these shenanigans is that the music tends to be forgotten. Which is a shame, because Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant is a great album. Musically, B&S just get better and better. their roots remain the classic Love album Forever Changes, the pop symphonies of Pet Sounds or (whisper it) some of mike Oldfield's finer moments. The best songs are again written and sung by Stuart Murdoch, in the endless circular sentence style of Nick Drake. The opener I Fought In A War is like Donovan sings the letters of Wilfred Owen. Yes, it's that miserable. Murdoch's finest moment, though, is Chalet Lines; it's unlikely you'll hear a song as sad, touching and heartfelt as this all year. It's about a rape, with Murdoch narrating as the attacked girl. It's a hugely dark moment put into starker contrast by the fact that the song that follows it is a hilarious piece of self-mockery entitled Nice Day For A Sulk. 'Nice day for a sulk/That girl smells of milk', sings Murdoch cheerily, then 'Nice day for a mood/The forecast is gloom' set to a skippy, bouncy march and falling downstairs piano. Terrific. Other highlights include Murdoch and cellist/vocalist Isobel Campbell doing their impression of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra on Beyond the Sunrise, and The Wrong Girl, the kind of upside-down pop song the Monkees wrote when they were set free. A few years ago the NME ran a regular satirical item with the headline 'God Help Us If There's A War'. Under this banner would be pasted a picture of the latest floppy-fringed indie group foolish enough to send the publication a single. Back then, in the wake of Morrissey and The Smiths, when alternative rock was glad to be fey, the world was full of earnest young men with the physique of a sheet of A4 paper. These days they are something of a rarity, and in a world containing Bloodhound Gang's Hooray For Boobies, it's actually a relief to hear a band prepared to be whimsical and sensitive. Truth is, we need Belle & Sebastian far more than they need us. *********************************************************************** Nice review, non? Oh yeah, they got 8/10. 3. Um I got another list crush vote. I thought I knew who it was but truth is, turns out it isn't that person. So I'm baffled now; a)I thought it was my boyfriend, b)Whoever it is is a wee bit silly, because I'm silly and un-crushable. Mail me anyway - I'm intrigued. And I feel all arrogant now for announcing it. Sorry. 4. Oh, one last thing. Just want to say hi to some people - David :), Hib - post, you silly girl!, and Ayesha who just rejoined. Okay, I'll go. Sorry for the copied and minimal content :) Bye bye, Katy. PS The Nottingham/Sheffield/Midlands picnic is looking good for July. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead 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 +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "peculiarly deranged fanbase" "frighteningly named +-+ +-+ Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+