From unpopular at xxx.com Sat Apr 11 17:51:57 2015 From: unpopular at xxx.com (alistair fitchett) Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2015 17:51:57 +0100 Subject: Sinister: reporting back from the all-night cafe Message-ID: I was fortunate enough to have a copy of Stuart David's book waiting for me on the doorstep the other day. Needless to say it immediately went to the top of 'to-read' pile. Needless to say too, having polished it off last night, I thoroughly enjoyed every last moment of it. It connected with me in a number of ways, not least in being a vivid portrayal of being on the dole in the West of Scotland in the early '90s, looking for ways to avoid the attentions of the DSS and effectively using benefits as an arts subsidy - bloody scroungers the lot of us ;) I think anyone of a certain age will certainly find that evocative. Certainly for me too the whole notion of everything taking place in Glasgow helped connect with me - does knowing the places make it feel more real? Maybe. I think anyone who knows/knew Glasgow in the '80s and '90s will find the book as a comfortable friend, and anyone who's yet to experience the city will certainly want to visit it, even if only to see if the sun really does shine as rarely as Stuart suggests (in my experience, yes it does). I guess the real reason any B&S fan will want to read the book though is to discover lots of juicy stories, and if that's the case then I think they'll be pleasantly disappointed. By that I mean there are no revelations, at least for anyone who's a long-time Sinister dweller, but that's okay. Rather it kind of cements in place what you already knew, or felt you knew, or knew you felt. And that's a good thing. If the book does challenge anything, it's in the way that Stuart David's own notions of how to be in a band and how to 'make it' in the music industry are challenged and shaped by meeting Stuart M - and in itself it feels like this is a document that kind of lays out the blueprint for how an 'indie' scene could/would be established in the nineties and beyond. The sense of having a clear vision and being pretty uncompromising in chasing that vision, regardless of what 'experts' might think you should do. That tension between assuredness and shyness that Belle & Sebastian records certainly seemed to embody comes over well, I think. There is a charming warmth that pervades the book, and the characters are sympathetically drawn. The ones you think you know feel like you think they ought to, and the ones you don't feel like one' s you at least kind of do. It helps that Stuart is a Proper Writer too. He'd make that previous sentence of mine make sense. I think the Tigermilk launch party is absolutely the right time to end the story because you do sense that because this is Stuart David's story, it is inevitably just about to head off in other directions. Not that it's about to get messy or anything, but you know the rest of the story is going to be more about the history of a Pop Group, and I know some people love those kinds of things, but personally I find them a wee bit dull. Finally, maybe it's just me, but I couldn't help but hear the two Stuart's voices reading the text to me in my head. That's a good thing too. It's officially released (do books have release days like records?) the day the day after my birthday and even though I have this proof copy I'll happily spend some of my birthday money on a copy of the hardback. You should to*. I think you'll enjoy it. The Duke *it doesn't have to be birthday money +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From honey at xxx.org Sun Apr 12 00:25:18 2015 From: honey at xxx.org (honey at xxx.org) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 00:25:18 +0100 (BST) Subject: Sinister: The great digest competition cockup of 2015 Message-ID: Brief, I promise. Firstly my thanks to El Duke for a fine words of Stuart's book which makes me feel that it wasn't necessarily just me on happy pills thinking it was quite good. If *you* won a copy, please let us all know. Secondly my apologies to Robert who stands in for everyone on the digest who received it too late to enter the competition. I am sorry! I forget how this thing works. By way of pathetic apology there's some sort of related competition doodah at: https://www.waterstones.com/blog/in-the-all-night-cafe-stuart-david and a link to a playlist of songs that Stuart M gave Stuart D one day (pre-B&S) on a cassette when he was ill. Here's that playlist. The last song still never fails to makes me glow attractively. Salad Days - Young Marble Giants Veils of Colour - The Blue Aeroplanes Hours of Darkness Have Changed My Mind - Felt Ballad of The Times - Everything But The Girl Almost Prayed - The Weather Prophets Oomingmak - Cocteau Twins Sorry For Laughing - Josef K Brighter - The Railway Children Outdoor Miner - Wire Afterglow - The Servants High Expectation - Stereolab Savage Sea - The Pop Group Streets of Your Town - The Go Betweens City Sickness - Tindersticks Honey +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From unpopular at xxx.com Sun Apr 12 10:38:22 2015 From: unpopular at xxx.com (alistair fitchett) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 10:38:22 +0100 Subject: Sinister: of playlists and corrections In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4E5042FB-051E-4AA1-B78C-0E2DF879830D@mac.com> I’m glad to see that the playlist has been corrected from the uncorrected proof that I read, and that Blue Aeroplanes have been reinstated as the purveyors of ‘Veils of Colour’ in place of Felt. Two tracks in a row by the same group would of course break one of the key rules of mixtapes. If rules existed. Which of course they do. I am playing the mix right now. It makes me feel simultaneously horrifically old and deliciously happy. In other ‘corrections’ news, I should point out that in my wee report back about the book I said it was released the day after my birthday. This was in fact an inaccuracy based solely on my inability to read a calendar. The book is actually released the day BEFORE my birthday. So there’s a chance someone might buy a copy for me, thereby allowing me to spend my birthday money on something else entirely. Like some swedgers*, for example. You really all ought to enter the competition because the tote bag is just this season's thing for toting about all your hipster belongings. I used mine yesterday to transport provisions from the local farm shop. And yes, there was a copy of The Guardian in there too. I am such a stereotype. Is the sun shining where you are? It is here. I might even go out and see if it warms me a little. cheerio The Duke xx *swedgers = Glasgow talk for sweeties. Well, it was Glasgow talk for sweeties when i was there. Fashions may have changed. www.unpopular-culture.com the home of unpopular culture > On 12 Apr 2015, at 00:25, honey at missprint.org wrote: > > Brief, I promise. Firstly my thanks to El Duke for a fine words of > Stuart's book which makes me feel that it wasn't necessarily just me on > happy pills thinking it was quite good. If *you* won a copy, please let > us all know. > > Secondly my apologies to Robert who stands in for everyone on the digest > who received it too late to enter the competition. I am sorry! I forget > how this thing works. By way of pathetic apology there's some sort of > related competition doodah at: > > https://www.waterstones.com/blog/in-the-all-night-cafe-stuart-david > > and a link to a playlist of songs that Stuart M gave Stuart D one day > (pre-B&S) on a cassette when he was ill. Here's that playlist. The last > song still never fails to makes me glow attractively. > > Salad Days - Young Marble Giants > Veils of Colour - The Blue Aeroplanes > Hours of Darkness Have Changed My Mind - Felt > Ballad of The Times - Everything But The Girl > Almost Prayed - The Weather Prophets > Oomingmak - Cocteau Twins > Sorry For Laughing - Josef K > Brighter - The Railway Children > Outdoor Miner - Wire > Afterglow - The Servants > High Expectation - Stereolab > Savage Sea - The Pop Group > Streets of Your Town - The Go Betweens > City Sickness - Tindersticks > > Honey > > +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ > +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ > To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe > send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to > majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister > +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ > +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ > +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ > +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ > +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ > +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ > +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ > +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From jonathan.skinner at xxx.com Mon Apr 13 07:33:02 2015 From: jonathan.skinner at xxx.com (Jonathan Skinner) Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 23:33:02 -0700 Subject: Sinister: the catcher hits for 318 Message-ID: Dear Sinister, I am just in the door after transversing the transbay tube from Berkeley back to San Francisco. Belle and Sebastian played a blinder - We got on stage for Boy with the Arab Strap, but alas brunch and mimosa's kept me from being up to be on stage for the whole show. I was sad and happy at the same time, I teared up during "dirty dream" and 90% of the tears were of happiness - thinking about where I was when I first heard that song, how B&S was my first ever concert way way back in Dublin when Stuart smashed his guitar. Thinking about how their albums moved with me through sad times and happy times and now much happier times. Basically thinking how everyone of those artists on stage meant a lot to me, and seeing them playing in the greek theater with Venus and Jupiter shining on them ( i checked - they were the real stars we could see) I also now am thinking how those mimosas and subsequent $12 glasses of wine at the venue are going to hold me in bad stead for my 7am meeting tomorrow. But alas, that is hours away, and all I can think about is the fact that they ended with La Pastie Love Jonathan +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ From pykachu at xxx.com Fri Apr 24 01:56:15 2015 From: pykachu at xxx.com (Ken Chu) Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2015 01:56:15 +0100 Subject: Sinister: Write about muff Message-ID: Just as a public service announcement I'd like to clarify that I am not Laurel Violet. I'm listening to GIPWTD (awaiting backronym) - I thought it's quite good. I particularly enjoy "Enter Sylvia Plath" as it reminded me of a particular dirty dream. I've been meaning to write ever since Sinister returned. Actually, I've been meaning to write to you for ages. One time, talking to an old Sinisterine (old as in old friend, not age-wise - well, to be fair we're all getting on a bit) I'm pretty sure I boldly claimed that I would write one post a day, and won't stop, until everybody starts to write again. But it seems everybody is back, and I have not yet written a single thing - which saved me a job, but also exposes the fact that I hadn't made the effort to get in touch even more. That is not to say that I do not think of you though, which happens more often than one expects: Every time I ride a bus (very often), or when I listen to TWATTYBUS or FISHYCLAP or the red one with the boring acronym and the blue one with the breast (quite often), or when I go to primrose hill (not frequent) or Scotland (long overdue) or flying to US on adventures with woefully inadequate planning (those were the days). I even went to the LAST EVER ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES (which later turned out to be only the SECOND LAST EVER, and now turned out not to be even that - but that's another thing altogether) at Camber Sands. What memories of that place, eh? It was pretty weird, actually. Being an ADULT - as much as I pretend not to be one. We brought wine that wasn't the cheapest on offer, and actually made food using that kitchen and went to bed at a respectable time, in my own chalet - come of think of it, it was pretty shit, to be honest, so I'm glad that that was the last ever one (except it fucking even wasn't the last ever one at all, or the second last ever, but that's another thing altogether). What else do I remember? Falling asleep upstairs at the garage. Falling asleep and getting ejected from Tron. Falling asleep on 5 different night buses after Tigermilking at Bar Oporto. Most of those times, I was probably dreaming of you. I have lots more to write, but this is already long. I will write again soon, I promise, and you should too. Ken +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister at missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo at missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+