Me *again*, I'm not really prejudging the album the basis of the track titles. I'm just with the Dossinger boy in detecting a current of 60s pastiche that I don't ultimately think brings out the best in the band. Where do I detect this current? Well, on the basis of some of the new songs that I have heard live (not all of them making it to the album) and other people's descriptions of 'Legal Man' and some of the tracks on the album. It was 'Dirty Dream Number Two' that first got me worried. A favourite of many, I know, but for me the first time I heard it was the the time it sounded best, unlike other tracks which grew and grew on repeated listening. There's something about pastiche that precludes a song really mattering, having a life of its own. Now I know this could all be idle speculation, and the album might not be one big 60s fest, or it might confound my prejudices and *be* a 60s fest and still wonderful, but I was just wanting Reid to know that he wasn't the only one with slight worries. Having said all that, I think judging a record solely on the basis of its tracklisting is a *fantastic* idea anyway. Stop being so sensible. It's weird the way the artwork has disappeared from both the Beepster and band sites. Do you think they're trying to stop bootleggers or something more sinister is at work? Have the twins of evil objected to their representation? I'm still reeling from Alasdair's latest missive. He's right about 'Being John Malkovich'. Terrific script. If you're put off by the worry that it's just zany art-wankery then don't be. It's played so straight, that's what's so good about it. The characters have their on-screen existence pared down to the status of puppets (ooh - ironic) in the film's comic vision. They don't display the usual boring 'human' ways of dealing with events such as you normally expect in films. Except John Malkovich himself, who therefore has rings run around him by everyone else. In a way it reminded me of Hal Hartley's short film 'Ambition', which is a blast too. Oh, and if anyone is interested what my idea of the sexiest thing on earth is, then see Catherine Keener's Maxine in 'Being John Malkovich'. Vilkas said:

Ok, call me a traitor; but this 'twee' business is getting annoying. I like twee, I like beer, just not that much at once. And...to make this pertinent: Belle & Sebastian's music is much more than twee.  Ok, flame me for this...

Ooh no, we don't go in for that flaming business round here. And anyway, you're quite right. Please remember that not all of us go along with the idea that being a B&S fan means being a sickly sweet thumb-sucker and proud of it. I don't mind if people want to be that way, but please don't drag me into it. I'm in danger becoming the self-appointed Sinister version of the Academie Française on this point, but seeing as the bloody word won't go away, and people keep asking about it, perhaps I ought to stick a dictionary definition in a sig file. Yes, have your own definition if you like. Nick xx +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ Twee adj. Brit. excessively sentimental, sweet or pretty. [C.19 from 'tweet', mincing or affected pronunciation of SWEET] ie. NOT GOOD (Collins Millennium Dictionary) +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+