Belle & Sebastian

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antiditz

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I’ve just been getting into these guys. I have some random songs here and there. Some of you have been speaking highly of their latest “Push Barman to Open Old Wounds.” Which would you say is/are their best album(s) for a beginner crash course?
 

neb

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antiditz said:
I’ve just been getting into these guys. I have some random songs here and there. Some of you have been speaking highly of their latest “Push Barman to Open Old Wounds.” Which would you say is/are their best album(s) for a beginner crash course?
The album you mention is the collection of their previous LPs, which seems like a logical place to start. That's the one I'd recommend you get. I'm sure Dan will give you a more thorough analysis ;)
 

Doug Gilmour

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B&S are just about my favourite modern group currently. I was introduced to them by an Argentinean friend back in 2002/03, but my interest didn't take off until early '05.

"Barman" is a compilation of their EPs from 1997 to 2001 so it's a good indicator of their work over a fairly significant number of years. It's not recycled music from albums, most people have never heard these tracks before. Don't be put off by the fact that it's only a bunch of EP work, these are great tracks - my favourite B&S track, 'Lazy Line Painter Jane' (including some of the best vocals from Isobel Campbell), appears on it.

Besides that, the two true albums I'd recommend would be 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister and 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress, both being quite different from the other, but two masterpieces. The latter is much more lively effort than anything else I've heard from them, very revitalized (as their two previous albums didn't fare very well) and much more upbeat.

You should also look out for their new album, The Life Pursuit, which will be released on February 7 on Matador (Feb. 6 on Rough Trade in Europe). From what I've heard it's quite good, a continuation of the up-tempo style as heard on "Catastrophe Waitress", much poppier than anything I've heard them release before. Their single was just released yesterday and is titled 'Funny Little Frog', a nice little indie pop song.

That should be enough to get you started.

-Dan
 
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Pod Newton

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I don't post too much, but a discussion on Belle & Sebastian will get me out !!!...

As Dan noted, "If You're Feeling Sinister", their first LP, is a pretty cool place to start simply because its their first. Its always good to begin at the begining to see how a band has progressed. But even the LPs that some B&S fans would argue are their least favourite contain some of their best individual tracks. For example, the title track of "The Boy with the Arab Strap" is great and "The Model" and "There's Too Much Love" from "Fold Your Hands Child ..." are outstanding as well.

IMHO, you'll find some amazing stuff on all of their discs. Even if you randomly chose one, you'd be impressed.

By the way ... they're bringing their tour to NYC in early March. YOU SHOULD GO if you can still get tickets. I've got mine for the Toronto show and I can't wait.
 

antiditz

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Thanks for the enthusiastic recommendations, you guys. I think I may start with Dear Catastrophe Waitress. 'If She Wants Me' was on a mix a friend sent me the other day, and I'm digging the sound.

Pod Newton - I already have "The Boy With The Arab Strap" (the song, not the album); Great song, in fact, that's one of the songs that turned me on to these guys in the first place.
By the way ... they're bringing their tour to NYC in early March. YOU SHOULD GO if you can still get tickets.
I'll look into it! :)
 

bdb

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antiditz, do you ever sign up for eMusic? AFAIK, all of B&S's albums are on there. They also have the Lucksmiths, who sound similar (to me).

If you're wanting to buy something, you might want to wait for the new release. It sounds pretty good (though I'm not really into this all that much). There's an MP3 on: http://www.matadorrecords.com/belle_and_sebastian/music.html
 

antiditz

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bdb said:
antiditz, do you ever sign up for eMusic? AFAIK, all of B&S's albums are on there. They also have the Lucksmiths, who sound similar (to me).
I keep meaning to, but then I can't find an artist I want, so I push it off. Maybe my new Belle & Sebastian fixation would be a good place to start.
 

bdb

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You could get a ton B&S it there, and you could have saved some money on the Minus The Bear or Dogs Die CDs. Make sure to find how to get the 125 free songs your first month; PM me if you can't find it.

So many artists to choose from; just picking the best of last month's loot:
Aimee Mann
Animal Collective
B.C. Camplight
Beulah
Bloc Party
Blusom
Broken Social Scene
Calexico
Crooked Fingers
Dogs Die In Hot Cars
Echo and the Bunnymen
Elbow
Ida
Matt Pond PA
Minus The Bear
Mogwai
Of Montreal
Okkervil River
Oranger
Pinback
Spoon
The Clientele
The Decemberists
The Hold Steady
The Lucksmiths
The National
The Shipping News
The Spinto Band
The Stills
Vashti Bunyan
Vetiver
Yo La Tengo
 

detonation

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Mmm. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is my favorite album.

The Life Pursuit is quite a good album as well, though.
 

antiditz

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bdb said:
You could get a ton B&S it there, and you could have saved some money on the Minus The Bear or Dogs Die CDs. Make sure to find how to get the 125 free songs your first month; PM me if you can't find it.

So many artists to choose from; just picking the best of last month's loot:
Aimee Mann
Animal Collective
B.C. Camplight
Beulah
Bloc Party
Blusom
Broken Social Scene
Calexico
Crooked Fingers
Dogs Die In Hot Cars
Echo and the Bunnymen
Elbow
Ida
Matt Pond PA
Minus The Bear
Mogwai
Of Montreal
Okkervil River
Oranger
Pinback
Spoon
The Clientele
The Decemberists
The Hold Steady
The Lucksmiths
The National
The Shipping News
The Spinto Band
The Stills
Vashti Bunyan
Vetiver
Yo La Tengo
Looks like I have a project for the weekend! :D
 

Doug Gilmour

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detonation said:

The Life Pursuit is quite a good album as well, though.
I've given it a few listens now and don't like it as much as "Catastrophe Waitress". Still a good album, but I'm not into this new poppy style of theirs, maybe it'll grow on me though...

-Dan
 

papayaninja

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I really like The Life Pursuit, I don't have much B&S but this is very good. I like their old stuff just as much though, from what I do have. (Push Barman To Open Old Wounds).
 
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