Sinister: In defense of Pastelism

[duke of harringay]

'hello, we're the pastels, and we're seminal.'

that was over ten years ago, and what's changed? they always told fibs.
actually the whole pastels story is weird as hell. i mean, who'd have
thought they'd still be around, still be making ostensibly the same
sounds and still meaning, well, something peculiar anyway. i can't say i
love the pastels, but i can't say i hate them either, they just seem to
me to be... THERE. they're influence has been large, it must be said, in
very strange and unobtrusive ways. their influence on the americas seems
to have been much bigger than it ever was allowed to be in the UK,
probably because there wasn't some stupid music journo antagonism, but
it's strange all the same. i agree with whoever said that it doesn't
matter that all their songs sound 'similar', because there's always been
a formula in the best Pop, from Motown to Stax to Felt. i have one
question though: whatever happened to Brian Superstar??

fluffy tittered on thinking how i looked when i first heard Denim. well
titter ye not, because when i first heard Denim i was all a quiver with
excitement, the reason being that the songs sounded fabulous. I get to
sound like a trainspotting twat now, but it was the demos for the first
LP i heard, and it was on the flip of a tape with the ditched Eno
produced Television LP, and man, it was a magical tape. i wigged out on
the tape for ages, telling everyone who came within earshot that Denim
were the thing to dig. Typically everyone laughed... i think too that
they WOULD have made it if it hadn't taken so bloody long for the record
to actually come out... the buzz was passed. Shame.

years later i was telling everyone within earshot that B&S were the
thing to dig... everyone laughed at me then too, but who's laughing now,
eh? Well, okay, everyone who was laughing then is still laughing cos
they're the kind of person who'd probably prefer the new Ace of BAse
record, if such a thing existed. But that's hardly the point.

i am glad that people are talking about Gram Parsons again. well, Mr
Moore was... although i suspect it was another ruse to simply mention
Meester Meeller again. on the subject of rhinestoned troubadours though,
can i just say two words: Richard Buckner. go on, you'll love him.
although he doesn't wear rhinestones to the best of my knowledge, he
does write the most magical songs you'll hear this side of a B&S or
Stephin Merritt record.

i was baffled at the lack of coverage given to B&S in the end of year
cultural reviews across the board... i guess this means they are in that
deadly hinterland between being the new cult darlings and being so
ubiquitous you end up hating them. i wonder which way they will swing?

nice to see Mrs Murdoch posting, although i think she needs to read the
FAQ.

keep the faith,

the duke




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