Sinister: Sticking my twee oar in

[Paulo Stinsoni]

Ah my lovelies, my sweet cherubic lovlies,

I remember the good old twee days, the Inspiral Carpet fans wore their "Cool 
as Fuck" badges, and we wore our "Twee as Fuck" ones.  "The Field Mice" 
drifted in and out of our minds with beautiful "Emma's House" adn "When 
morning comes to town".  Tallulah Gosh spat out "Beatnik boy" to their sharp 
twangy guitars, and the Pastels slapped on the twee with "Truck, train, 
tractor".  I can list more - The Fat Tulips, The Haywaines, The Shop 
Assistants.  All wonderful.  All wonderfully twee.

I lost it all.  Britpop swallowed up all the tweeness with snarls and rock 
guitar, but there's no other way, according to Blur.  All I was left with 
was the shadows of memories.  All those flexis, all those compilation tapes, 
all those fanzines, all of my teanage life.

In 1999 I was working in Ware, fairly near London, and I had been in email 
communicatiion with the sister of a friend at work.  Her name was Sarah.

Sarah was at London Uni at the time, and invited me over for a drink.  She 
was a beautiful girl.  She had the voice of an angel, was so charming, and 
witty in her emails, I was struck down with this awesome girl.  I found it 
so difficult not to say stupid stuff when with her, because I was so 
overcome.

She let me sleep on her bed with her.  We didn't "do" anything.  I couldn't 
spoil her perfectness with my oafish body.  She was so perfect.

She played "The Boy with the Arab Strap".  The first time I ever herad Belle 
and Sebastian.

The hairs rose on the back of my neck, tears welled in my eyes.  When "Is it 
wicked not to care" came on I was in raptures.  It is soooo twee.  It gave 
me back my teanage life.  I felt so good, and yet so awful inside, as I know 
you can't bring back all those things, it will never happen.

Sarah found someone else at Uni.  I live over 200 miles away anyway.  But 
she gave me Belle and Sebastian.

I bought everything of theirs after that.

I'm all sad now.

Still, I have my Belle and Sebastian collection.  They'll talk to me.  
They'll bring me round.  And I have you Sinisterators too.

Love, twee and biscuits

Paul.

PS - For my birthday (it was 9th August, in case you want to put it in your 
diary for next year) a friend of mine put together a CD of the stuff I used 
to listen to, with Tallulah Gosh, Field Mice, Heavenly, Sea Urchins etc.  If 
you really want to feel the twee, send me a mail, and I'll do you a tape.

PPS - Dirty Vicar - I haven't forgotton that I promised you some Strawberry 
Story too, I still have your email, and I'll sort it out when I've finished 
decorating.

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