Belle and Sebastian
Group: Belle and Sebastian
Style: Chamber Pop/ Indie Pop/ Indie Rock
From: United Kingdom, Scotland
Site: BelleAndSebastian.com, Myspace.com, Last.fm
Band:
Stuart Murdoch - Vocal/Guitar/Keyboards
Stevie Jackson - Vocal/Guitar
Chris Geddes - Keyboards
Richard Colburn - Drums
Sarah Martin - Violin/Keyboards/Guitar/Vocal
Mick Cooke - Trumpet/Bass
Bobby Kildea - Bass/Guitar
About:
Coming ten years after going public with their debut album, ‘Tigermilk,’ Belle and Sebastian’s sold out show with the L.A.
Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl offered both a fitting way to mark the anniversary but also served as a reminder of the
group’s longevity and decade of quiet achievement. The arenas and contexts could not have been more different. In 1996,
the musical climate in the U.K. did not look promising (Oasis were the biggest band in the U.K. and Britpop / lad culture was
rampant) for the modestly brilliant songs on ‘Tigermilk.’ These had been assembled by Stuart Murdoch over the preceding years,
and were brought into focus by his recruitment of kindred spirits, Stevie Jackson, Isobel Campbell, Richard Colburn, Chris Geddes
and Stuart David. Recorded for Electric Honey Records - as part of a Stow College student project - 1000 copies of the album
were pressed on vinyl. The launch took place in CaVa Studios in Glasgow and within a few weeks there was not a copy of the
record to be found. In pre-E Bay times, copies were later selling for around the £500 mark. Word spread quickly, and the band
responded by setting to work immediately on a follow up. By this point signed to Jeepster Records in the U.K. and the short-lived,
The Enclave in the US, and with new member Sarah Martin (violin) in tow, ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’ has subsequently been hailed
as the group’s masterpiece, though reaction at the time was more muted. This was partly down to an avoidance of traditional rock routes.
Touring was not high on the agenda. Instead there were occasional one-off shows, including an American debut at CMJ and a show at
the BAM festival in Barcelona. Equally, there was little media profile, with band members rarely photographed or interviewed. The album’s
success - built over a number of years and culminating in a ‘Don’t Look Back’ performance at the Barbican in 2005 - was built mainly on
word of mouth and genuine fan excitement. If ‘Sinister’ is seen as the benchmark album, its successor, ‘The Boy With the Arab Strap’ was
the one which singularly did most to raise the band’s profile, helped by a run of singles/ EPs which culminated in ‘3..6..9 Seconds of Light’
reaching the U.K. top 40. The singles from the Jeepster era were later compiled on the ‘Push Barman to Open Old Wounds’ set in 2005.
Trumpet player, Mick Cooke, who had featured as a session player on the previous albums was by now a full-time member of the band,
with Stuart David heading in the opposite direction to form Looper. ‘The Boy With The Arab Strap’ debuted at 12 in the U.K. charts and
propelled them towards a Brit Award in 1999 for ‘Best Newcomer.’ Even though it was their third album, this and Pete Waterman’s
reaction suggested that the band had finally reached the fringes of the mainstream. They also embarked on their first batch of
international touring, with a few dates in Europe and the USA, before a period of reflection and stepping back from the growing feeding
frenzy surrounding them. Yet if 1999 and 2000 were quiet years by the standards of those preceding them, it was only relative.
The Bowlie Festival, curated by the band at Camber Sands featured Mercury Rev, The Flaming Lips, Teenage Fanclub, Godspeed You
Black Emperor and a cast of hundreds. It sold out. John Peel and Jarvis Cocker Dj-ed. Side projects were undertaken (Stevie and Chris
with V-Twin, Mick with the Amphetameanies, Isobel with the Gentle Waves and Richard with Snow Patrol) and work on the fourth album,
‘Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant’ commenced. Although it was a lengthy process and the results at the time perceived
as something of a disappointment, time has served the record well. It was their first top ten album in the U.K. and its preceding single,
‘Legal Man,’ (not on the album) made the top twenty and it remains the band’s biggest seller in the U.S.A.. If an insularity had marked
the band’s recording (they were largely made with Tony Doogan within walking distance of their flats in Glasgow), the years following
‘Fold Your Hands. . . ‘ were characterised by collaboration and change. The collaborations began with the ‘Jonathan David’ single -
the first time the band had worked with a producer. Mike Hurst came with form dating back to the sixities, though his CV also included ‘
discovering’ Showaddywaddy and Shakin’ Stevens. The band’s increasingly wide vision also saw them embark on work on the soundtrack
to Todd Solondz’s ‘Storytelling.’ Although little of the music made it to the film, it yielded another Belle and Sebastian record - their last for
the Jeepster label. As well as changing label - signing to Rough Trade in 2002 - there were personnel changes within the group. Bob Kildea
joined on a full time basis from V-Twin to replace Stuart David, and Isobel left to pursue a solo career. By way of farewell, Jeepster
released ‘Fans Only,’ a DVD covering the band’s career from 1996-2002 in loving detail. With the new label came another collaborator
with a history - Trevor Horn, best known for his work with Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal and the Pet Shop Boys, and as a member
of Yes, The Buggles and Art of Noise. The album, ‘Dear Catastrophe Waitress’ was a critical and commercial success, and was backed
by a concentrated touring regime, with the highlights being outdoor shows at the Greek Theatres in both Los Angeles and San Francisco,
and a free hometown show in Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens, watched by over 10 000 people. There were other landmarks along the way.
‘I’m A Cuckoo’ became their most played and successful single. The Avalanches did the first (and so far only) B&S remix for the same track.
All three singles from the album (‘Step Into My Office, Baby’ and ‘Books / Your Cover’s Blown’ were the others) made the U.K. top twenty.
Global sales reached new peaks and there was a nomination for the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize. This period culminated in bizarre
fashion, with an appearance at Wembley Arena as part of a night to celebrate Horn’s 25 years in pop. Sharing a stage with Yes, The Buggles,
Grace Jones and Seal surely signified something, though what is uncertain. If ‘Don’t Look Back’ and the ‘Push Barman. . . ‘ compilation made
2005’s output retrospective in flavour, the band were thinking ahead, working with producer Tony Hoffer in Los Angeles on the songs that
were to make up the core of their eighth album, ‘The Life Pursuit.’ Released at the start of 2006, it was devoid of the string parts that had
characterised its predecessor, but marked the start of the band’s most intensive year to date. There were 3 singles in the U.K.
(‘Funny Little Frog’, ‘The Blues Are Still Blue’ and ‘The White Collar Boy’) all of which were accompanied by an appearance on Top of the Pops.
In addition, there were nearly one hundred shows spanning Europe, Japan, Australia, U.S.A. and Canada ranging in size from a show in
the Icelandic fishing village of Borgarfjordur to appearances on the main stages at the Reading and Leeds festivals as well as at Pukkelpop,
Lowlands and a number of leading European festivals. If these shows, the Hollywood Bowl and outdoor shows in New York and D.C. showed
Belle and Sebastian at a new peak of performance and popularity, then summer 2006 also marked the end of another chapter in the band’s
life. Since then the band members have been taking a break and working on individual projects. For example, Mick curated the children’s
album, ‘Colours Are Brighter’; Richard is DJing around Europe and Stevie is collaborating with a number of artists and musicians on
different projects. The Belle and Sebastian story will continue when everyone is ready, but in the meantime an album of songs recorded
for the Mark Radcliffe and John Peel programmes on Radio 1 between 1996 and 2002 is scheduled for release later this year on Jeepster.
Photo: Photofile.ru - Glam_Rock_Lover - Tags - Belle_and_Sebastian
Music:
1996 - If You're Feeling Sinister (192-224 kb/ps) ~ 58.64 mb
01 - The Stars of Track and Field
02 - Seeing Other People
03 - Me and the Major
04 - Like Dylan in the Movies
05 - The Fox in the Snow
06 - Get Me Away from Here, I'm Dying
07 - If You're Feeling Sinister
08 - Mayfly
09 - The Boy Done Wrong Again
10 - Judy and the Dream of Horses
1996 - Tigermilk (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 62.80 mb
01 - The State I Am in
02 - Expectations
03 - She's Losing It
04 - You're Just a Baby
05 - Electronic Renaissance
06 - I Could Be Dreaming
07 - We Rule the School
08 - My Wandering Days Are Over
09 - I Don't Love Anyone
10 - Mary Jo
1997 - 3.. 6.. 9 Seconds of Light EP (320 kb/ps) ~ 29.09 mb
01 - A Century of Fakers
02 - Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie
03 - Beautiful
04 - Put the Book Back on the Shelf
1997 - Lazy Line Painter Jane EP (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 23.63 mb
01 - Lazy Line Painter Jane
02 - You Made Me Forget My Dreams
03 - Photo Jenny
04 - A Century of Elvis
1998 - The Boy With the Arab Strap (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 65.77 mb
01 - It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career
02 - Sleep the Clock Around
03 - Is It Wicked Not to Care!
04 - Ease Your Feet in the Sea
05 - A Summer Wasting
06 - Seymour Stein
07 - A Space Boy Dream
08 - Dirty Dream Number Two
09 - The Boy With the Arab Strap
10 - Chickfactor
11 - Simple Things
12 - The Rollercoaster Ride
1998 - This Is Just a Modern Rock Song EP (222-320 kb/ps) ~ 31.58 mb
01 - This Is Just a Modern Rock Song
02 - I Know Where the Summer Goes
03 - The Gate
04 - Slow Graffiti
1999 - Dog on Wheels EP (224-320 kb/ps) ~ 22.57 mb
01 - Dog on Wheels
02 - The State I Am in
03 - String Bean Jean
04 - Belle & Sebastian
1999 - The Bowlie Weekender (224-320 kb/ps) ~ 104.42 mb
01 - Slow Graffiti
02 - Seeing Other People
03 - Dog on Wheels
04 - The Wrong Girl
05 - Winter Woolly
06 - If You're Feeling Sinister
07 - I Don't Love Anyone
08 - The Boy With the Arab Strap
09 - Photo Jenny
10 - Lazy Line Painter Jane
11 - Dog on Wheels
12 - The State I Am in
13 - I Could Be Dreaming
14 - We Rule the School
15 - Just a Modern Rock Song
16 - Seeing Other People
17 - Judy and the Dream of Horses
18 - Like Dylan in the Movies
2000 - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 38.79 mb
01 - I Fought in a War
02 - The Model
03 - Beyond the Sunrise
04 - Waiting for the Moon to Rise
05 - Don't Leave the Light on Baby
06 - The Wrong Girl
07 - The Chalet Lines
08 - Nice Day for a Sulk
2000 - Legal Man EP (320 kb/ps) ~ 13.89 mb
01 - Legal Man
02 - Judy Is a Dick Slap
03 - Winter Wooskie
2001 - I'm Waking Up to Us EP (224-320 kb/ps) ~ 17.56 mb
01 - I'm Waking Up to Us
02 - I Love My Car
03 - Marx and Engels
2002 - Storytelling (192-320 kb/ps) ~ 46.61 mb
01 - Fiction
02 - Freak
03 - Dialogue - Conan, Early Letterman
04 - Fuck This Shit
05 - Night Walk
06 - Dialogue - Jersey's Where It's at
07 - Black and White Unite
08 - Consuelo
09 - Dialogue - Toby
10 - Storytelling
11 - Dialogue - Class Rank
12 - I Don't Want to Play Football
13 - Consuelo Leaving
14 - Wandering Alone
15 - Dialogue - Mandingo Cliche
16 - Scooby Driver
17 - Fiction Reprise
18 - Big John Shaft
2003 - Dear Catastrophe Waitress (192/ps) ~ 65.09 mb
01 - Step Into My Office, Baby
02 - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
03 - If She Wants Me
04 - Piazza, New York Catcher
05 - Asleep on a Sunbeam
06 - I'm a Cuckoo
07 - You Don't Send Me
08 - Wrapped Up in Books
09 - Lord Anthony
10 - If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
11 - Roy Walker
12 - Stay Loose
2004 - Books EP (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 25.54 mb
01 - Your Cover's Blown
02 - Wrapped Up in Books
03 - Your Secrets
04 - Cover (Version)
2005 - Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (256-320 kb/ps) ~ 151.02 mb
01 - Dog on Wheels
02 - The State I Am in
03 - String Bean Jean
04 - Belle & Sebastian
05 - Lazy Line Painter Jane
06 - You Made Me Forget My Dreams
07 - A Century of Elvis
08 - Photo Jenny
09 - A Century of Fakers
10 - Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie
11 - Beautiful
12 - Put The Book Back on the Shelf
13 - This Is Just a Modern Rock Son
14 - I Know Where the Summer Goes
15 - The Gate
16 - Slow Graffiti
17 - Legal Man
18 - Judy Is a Dickslap
19 - Winter Wooskie
20 - Jonathan David
21 - Take Your Carriage Clock and S
22 - The Loneliness of the Middle D
23 - I'm Waking Up to Us
24 - I Love My Car
25 - Marx & Engels
2006 - The Life Pursuit (192 kb/ps) ~ 67.61 mb
01 - Act of the Apostle
02 - Another Sunny Day
03 - White Collar Boy
04 - The Blues Are Still Blue
05 - Dress Up in You
06 - Sukie in the Graveyard
07 - We Are the Sleepyheads
08 - Song for Sunshine
09 - Funny Little Frog
10 - To Be Myself Completely
11 - Act of the Apostle II
12 - For the Price of a Cup of Tea
13 - Mornington Crescent
2006 - White Collar Boy CDM (221-320 kb/ps) ~ 20.56 mb
01 - White Collar Boy
02 - Heaven in the Afternoon
03 - Long Black Scarf
04 - Baby Jane
Video:
Dirty Dream Number Two ~ 42.54 mb
The Boy With the Arab Strap (Live at Jools Holland 2003) ~ 63.00 mb
The Wrong Girl ~ 66.78 mb
I'm a Cuckoo ~ 35.43 mb
Step Into My Office, Baby ~ 42.50 mb
Dog on Wheels ~ 11.74 mb
I'm Waking Up to Us (Live at Jools Holland 2003) ~ 37.40 mb
I'm Waking Up to Us (Live 2003) ~ 36.01 mb
Jonathan David ~ 28.32 mb
Lazy Line Painter Jane ~ 58.30 mb
Legal Man ~ 10.19 mb
This Is Just a Modern Rock Song ~ 26.79 mb
Funny Little Frog ~ 59.43 mb
White Collar Boy (Live at BBC) ~ 24.23 mb
The Blues Are Still Blue ~ 40.38 mb
Comment:
Потрясающая indie/pop группа. Переслушал все альбомы и настолько проникся течеием времени, музыки и стиля
насколько это было возможно. Последний альбом просто бесподобен! Ни одного плохого трека. Слушать не переслушать.
Download: All this music and video here!
Password: glam_rock_lover
P.S. Если у вас есть что нибудь ещё или в лучшем качестве, пожалуйста, выложите это тут.
If you have something else or in better quality, please, upload it here.
P.P.S. Сообщайте мне о любых найденых ошибках или удалённых файлах.
Communicate me about any found mistakes or deleted files.
Update! 03.03.08/12.03.08/16.04.08/29.04.08