Today's album is Belle and Sebastian's Tigermilk, with their BBC sessions thrown in. I have everything else the band has done, but only on vinyl, so Ben's spared the full horror. Why Ben? Because Belle and Sebastian represent everything he despises: they're mostly middle-class, they sing about middle-class things, he claims they're sexless (despite an album called The Boy With the Arab Strap), they're named after a French children's novel and TV show, and they're in thrall to the 1960s.
All this is true. But. They write thrilling tunes (not always, but often), I'm middle class (as is Ben), sex isn't everything and I don't care where they got the name. It's good to hear Scottish accents rather than faux-American, I like listening to songs of ordinary life, and they aren't nearly so unadventurous musically as their reputation suggests. They're great to dance to and good for listening to alone. They're pretentious and precious: good. The world needs them.
Tigermilk was made for the band's college course, and only 1000 copies were produced - I got my CD bootleg under the counter at my favourite record shop, as word spread. I loved the excitement of such a new band becoming popular by word of mouth. I also liked the envious glances at indie night when James and I turned up with the first B+S t-shirts in North Wales!
'Electronic Renaissance' is my favourite track.
Sorry Ben. Suck it up!
7 comments:
I have Tigermilk on my iTunes - never listened to it.
"Piazza, New York Catcher" is my favourite song of theirs, if only for the fact it's on the soundtrack of the greatest film of the decade.
Favourite B&S tracks - Seeing other people, The Model, Jonathan & David, The State that i am in, Dog on Wheels, Lazy Line Painter Jane. In fact most of them. Who couldn't love a band whos singer sounds like a Scottish Noel Coward?
A few points to bear in mind Vole
1. My objections to Belle & Sebastian are absolutely nothing to do with class.
2. My childhood was not as nearly 'middle class' as you probably imagine and if my mom heard you calling her middle class she would knock your block off.
3. Yes, Belle and Sebastian have done some good songs, but generally someone else did them better the first time round. They are no more or less derivative of their sixties influences than Oasis, they just have slightly more obscure references.
4. Can we not agree to disagree about Belle & Sebastian with out you painting me as a middle class oik pretending to be a working class hero?
Sorry Ben, didn't mention your childhood. I said you ARE middle class, not that you have always been so. That said, didn't mean to offend you.
btw, to anyone who's interested. My band, Stray Soul Remedy are playing on sat night at 'The Hang Up' in Walsall. Cheap drinks, we will be on around 10.30-11.00.
my apologies for the shameless spamming.
Would love to, but I'm refereeing a fencing competition this weekend. Hope it goes well.
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