Hullo, fellow Torquay United fans: Scott said of "We Rule the School": I prefer to read it not as Stuart speaking as a girl (which of course he does alot), but instead as Stuart's worldview as a bit different than that of a "man". "Man" here being different than simply "male" (which is having the proper genitalia), but "man" signifying the common Macho- business - boy -fully -competent-a t-all-things-manly type of social construction (social gender and genetic sexuality don't need to be identical). I think stuey and the b&s ethic are a pretty good expression of something different than the "world made for men". Don't ya think? Absolutely. I never got the impression that he was being a female at all, but rather that it never even occurred to him that he could be considered a "man", which for me has as much a sense of convention as machismo. It also could be a rejection of responsibility, coupled with the wistful nostalgia over school days (I find it a little too cloying to envisage Stuart picturing himself as a schoolboy once more) - he seems to be equating growing up with being no longer able to do things like ice skating, which is a fine analogy, in my opinion. Nostalgia - a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there, etc... The Stereolab/B&S connection, to me, seems to be both bands' debt to the Velvet Underground and it's constituent members - Mo Tucker's sparse, simple songs do have something in common with Isobel's, even if it is a lazy comparison. I agree with the Sleep the Clock Around similarities, and would add the start of Tyjamas and Electronic Renaissance, not to mention the Sister Ray in miniature that Judy is trying to be before dissolving into a gorgeous winsome singalong. But the most important thing that simply has to be said is BUY THE FIRST STEREOLAB ALBUM, "PENG!", as it is utterly fantastic, nowhere near as poncey and self-indulgent as their more recent drum'n'jazz noodlings, much as I like them, and sounds the most like B&S (just about). It is the only album in the world as good as Tigermilk, even if it lags just that crucial bit behind IYFS. That's all, really. Except to say to Mick that he must, must persevere with Hefner who are simply beautiful - sell your kidneys to get the "Breaking God's Heart" album of last year. I promise you, it'll make you come. Buckets. Se you on Friday, Salvatore "The Marsupial" Del Fantone +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ 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" +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+