I have a really wierd question. Is the fact that Belle and Sebastian have been pretty much inactive in 1999 so much a bad thing? Let me explain. When I started listening to Belle and Sebastian, I had to be dragged into it. They were constantly being lauded by people on the indiepop list and all I could think to myself was, "No band can be THIS good." Then I found out people like Beth Arzy and Pam Berry really dug B & S, and since I dug the kind of music they were doing, I had to give the music they liked a shot. But it did nothing for me. And I had other, more reliable stuff to listen to, like the Softies and Poundsign and so I just let it slide. Then one day, I was sitting on the porch, shucking corn (this is true. You can't make this sort of thing up.) and I decided to listen to Sinister again. And while I was there, sitting on the porch, shucking corn the album captured me. I was totally drawn into the phenomenon that is Belle and Sebastian. (Plus my mom got the totally wrong idea about the band because she walked by the stereo just in time to hear Stuart M. sing "She was into S & M and bible studies" and then proceeded to ask me what "this kinky crap I was listening to was.") Suddenly I had to have more Belle and Sebastian. Anything Belle and Sebastian related was soon owned by me as I tracked down many of the hard to find UK EPs. I got excited hearing about Looper and the Gentle Waves. I had bought into the popular misconception that the band could do no wrong. But then my critical self took over. Yes, i admit, I still claim that Sinister is the greatest album recorded this decade, but to be honest, ever since The Boy With the Arab Strap, I have been a bit disappointed with them. The Looper album, which initially amazed me, ended up disappointing me because most of the songs were the same song played different ways. And I won't even touch the Gentle Waves. So maybe it's better that they are quiet. Maybe the vacation will help them put out a fabulous new album in 2000. Brandt "Don't worry lads. I always poo before I get up in the mornings." --Vivian From the Young Ones +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the reborn Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail "sinister@majordomo.net". To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to "majordomo@majordomo.net". WWW: http://www.majordomo.net/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 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+