Sinister: The matted hair in the Sinister drain pipe

[Reid]

Oh, you wacky Sinister kids, writing until your sensitive little fingers
are splitting open.  God bless you for staying on relevant and
interesting subjects and not meandering off into "I got in a fight with
my girlfriend.  I should ask 700 strangers what I should do.  They'll
all be perfectly interested."  Hooray for, um, us!  Okay, you.

So much to comment on...I've been a good little Sinister boy and have
piled all of my insignificant comments into one convenient-to-delete
post.

> i think that we should all share how many copies we've made of B*S
> albums, ep's, singles -- how many people we've infected with this
> pleasant virus.  i've got twelve, i think.  90-minute masterpieces of
> IYFS and all the summer 97 EP's.  and all my converts are growing in
> their dedication.
>
I really shouldn't even bother responding to the "Indie vs. Huge record
stores" topic, since Mr. Kitchen (sung to the tune of "Sister
Christian") said what should be considered the final word.  But I really
don't think that it has anything to do with Indie stores
being...better.  It has to do with the quality of record store
experience.  I won't rehash the good points of David's letter (being
that indie stores take chances with their stock that major stores never
will, and that they'll promote local bands), but I'll add this: I don't
know how things are in the UK, but here in the US, it's getting to be
that every town is exactly the same.  Same restaurants, same stores,
same everything.  Sure, when you go into a bigger record stores, you can
get cheaper prices and bigger (major label) selection, but when you're
sitting in a Best Buy, you could be anywhere in the country.  Indie
stores are unique, and that, among all the other points, is a good
enough reason to give them my money.

And trust me, I listen to enough major label and pop music that I've
been laughed at more than a few times at every indie store in North
Carolina.  But I'd rather get laughed at my some indie store record
clerk than get gawked at by some teenager in a Blockbuster shirt as I
spell out B-E-L-L-E and S-E-B-A-S-T-I-A-N right before I try to explain
where "Scotland" is.  At an indie store, you'd probably get, "Oh, great
album."  Or maybe they'd laugh at you for listening to such sissy crap.
But either way, at least they'd know what it was.

> I've heard fans complaining when other people 'steal' 'their' bands- but it is
> usually the old fans who complain, not the new ones. I'll risk being the voice
> of reason  by saying that most of us on the list would like to see B+S
> successful, solvent, and remembered in 20 years time by more than just a bunch
> of saddo record obsessives.
>
I try to convert everyone I know too. For the record, most of the bands
that I truly love are all major label bands (or are at least well
known), so I'm not saying that I hate huge bands.  But what it comes
down to is *who* else is listening to your favorite bands.  I would love
to see Belle and Sebastian debuting at #1 rather than Korn or Snoop Dog
nee Doggy, BUT what that means is that you have to listen to people say
things like, "Belle and Sebastian are my favorite band!  I have their
album, "Arab Strap" something."  And you get more hecklers and talkers
at the shows and let's not forget that you also get more people who will
gladly go on for hours about how much they HATE Belle and Sebastian.
And all I'm asking, and I think all anyone else arguing this point is
asking, is this what you really want?  Don't not try and "convert"
people, but just realize that there are definite downsides to a favorite
band of yours getting big.

> I don't think there's really any need to worry about Belle and
> Sebastian getting too famous, their music isn't really garish or
> danceable or radio-ready enough to make any kind of real mainstream
> impact, I don't think
>
Yeah, after I busted my ass with that poorly written excuse for a point,
I completely agree with this above remark.  I think they're already at
the point where they will be remembered for a long time, but I don't
really see them getting huge.  Although I do think they'll get bigger
than any of us think they will.

> Does anyone know if the Matador vinyl is out yet?  I haven't seen it at any
> shops so I was wondering if there was a delay.
>
Yes, it's out.  I was a total fucking Belle and Sebastian nerd and
bought one yesterday.  At the indiest of the indie shops no less
(although the guy who sold it to me thought that the spoken word on
Spaceboy Dream was done by the guy from Arab Strap).  I walked around
downtown with it under my arm thinking, "Yeah, that's right!  Belle and
Sebastian!  On vinyl!  Who's cool now?!", fully realizing how much of a
geek that made me.

It's quitting time.

~Reid

--
"I told myself I'd head to someplace exotic, Portland maybe or Tacoma,
Washington, but deep down I knew that once my bags were packed, I'd
return to North Carolina."
     -David Sedaris


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