Sinister: Seven Weeks of Staying Up All Night

[Brian Pennington]

	Slip open the windows and let the breeze slide in. Smell the sweet 
Spring air. Something about this day must be factored into all 
equations. It is as pristine and serendipitous a day as I can remember. 
Whisk that feeling of malaise under the rug and pour yourself a cold 
beverage of your choice.

	So, Belle & Sebastian in the news again. And is the timing a 
coincidence? I think not! Struan and company must have been lying low, 
forefingers held up to gauge for the perfect breeze. Song titles and 
release dates, these are the tools of the dreamer. And I would be lying 
if I said I cast a blind eye upon such news. Nothing gets me more 
excited in fact. So, from a variety of sources we can determine we shall 
be listening to a new EP not long after the passing of this season, and 
a second at the end of the next. Belle & Sebastian have a thing for 
summer EPs, do they not? Can we expect such "hidden" gems as "Songs for 
Children," and that gorgeous Martin Duffy-inspired piano / organ 
instrumental on Legal Man? Such tiny prizes make these EPs works of 
Belle & Sebastian and not some other oft-admired band. And a tour! It is 
wishful thinking to imagine New York will be a destination anytime soon, 
but hopefully it would not be so far behind. It occurred to me today 
that Loneliness is finally getting released, when they played it on 
their last U.S. tour. Ten thousand playings of MP3s and hissy tapes has 
dulled its insistency for me somewhat, but I am excited that it will 
finally see the light of day. It seems it has found its outing sooner 
than lonelier still Lord Anthony.

	My life has not been without Belle & Sebastian moments lately. I 
find myself these days a bit detached from Sinister. I can't connect 
with the lives of people I will never meet in the way I used to I guess. 
Or at least by this template. But don't take that as a dig, I'm not 
bitter. And to be honest I do skim most of the posts and read some. I 
just feel a bit guilty sometimes, not being a lurker when really I don't 
read enough posts myself.

	But the best Belle & Sebastian moment of note lately was last 
Saturday. I went, with no small degree of trepidation, to Tiswas here in 
New York. It has been described in various shades of black and white to 
me, so I was expecting a dull grey, but really the naysayers seem to 
have been wrong, at least on this Saturday. Again, perhaps that Spring 
Breeze is to blame.  Not without its faults surely but I had a lovely 
time dancing to Legal Man and other songs too numerous to note. In a 
perfect world it would have been The Boy with the Arab Strap, but 
perfection is boring. That was my first ever experience dancing to 
Belle & Sebastian. Here's to hoping it's not the last.

	That is the extent of what I wished to impart. My comings and 
goings of late seem to be tied closely with the occurrance of content. 
News of Belle & Sebastian always makes me listen to Belle & Sebastian, I 
don't know quite why. But as the distinct possibility of more news and 
content looms on the horizon I will surely be around. I am always here, 
of course. Resting on couches and desk chairs, making tapes, watching my 
desk slowly become messier and messier, meeting friends on shaded patios 
and in smoky bars, writing stories with no characters or settings. Until 
then I will put The Boy with the Arab Strap on and sip my cherry 
Kool-Aid. Maybe go for a walk...

Brian Pennington | cellophanesky at mac.com | AIM: aVespertineDream
Semi-regular observations: <http://mcmcmc.scribble.nu>
the Cellophane Sky: <http://www.mp3.com/thecellophanesky/>
Sandcastle Records: <http://www.indiepages.com/sandcastle/>
"Better a tear of truth than smiling lies." - Duncan Browne

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