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secret fireworks

a music blog with a northern irish twist

 

the boy done wrong again... (free download of the week)

Belle and Sebastian have been a long running obsession of mine. Ever since the first few bars of "I'm A Cuckoo" back in the day the ever changing troupe have never been off my MP3 player- twee they may be, but without doubt they're one of the best bands to come out of the UK in the past 20 years. Witty lyrics and ridiculously poppy melodies are all the hallmarks of Belle and Sebastian and with seven albums released they're stalwarts of the music scene. From the techno brilliance of "Electronic Renaissance" the disco extravagansa of "Your Cover's Blown" and the T Rex inspired "Blues Are Still Blue" there simply isn't a genre that Stuart and the lads haven't explored.

With the upcoming release of the God Help The Girl soundtrack (the soundtrack is scheduled to be released before the film of the same name, oddly) I thought it was time to pay homage to Belle and Sebastian. I went to see the band at the Ulster Hall the last time they played here, and to be honest I was disappointed. Musically they were excellent, but the crowd were lacking a certain something. It's difficult to appease everyone in a crowd when you've been around for so long- everyone has their favourite album or favourite track and it's pot luck whether you get your perfect setlist. However, this Washington recording of the band at the 9:30 Club shows what can happen when the crowd and the band are on form. 

It's a long ol' concert but it doesn't drag on- Stuart Murdoch and Stevie Jackson have this wonderful on stage chemistry with a fair bit of banter and a live "confession" from Stevie. There's even sectarianism! Joys of joy. Old favourites like Expectations and newer tracks like Sukie in the Graveyard seamlessly mix while tracks from Tigermilk sound better than ever. Stuart even gets to fulfill the dream of every single frontman alive- he introduces his band, part by part, as an intro to White Collar Boy. Quality. 

Listen and love, my dear readers. Ignore the negative connotations associated with Belle and Sebastian and enjoy.

Download NPR All Songs Considered (Belle and Sebastian Live In Washington)

 





By Patrick
On Wednesday 15 April 2009
At Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Comments :
 
 

competition time!

(edit: this is a repost because the first attempt didn't go into the original Feedburner RSS feed.)


Thanks to the lovely Hazel at Shazam Music, I've got a small treat in store. I've got CDs to give away-

Dear Loney's album Dear John,

Hatcham Social's quality CD You Dig The Tunnel, I'll Hide The Soil

Handsome Furs' album Face Control

and the incredible And So I Watch You From Afar album.

All you have to do to win one of the CDs is to email me and try and sell me a band in less than 50 words. The more obscure, the better! I don't want the standard press blurb or a cut and paste job from MySpace- I want to know why you like a certain artist/band.

Everyone who emails in will be put into a draw and it will be one CD per winning entry. The competition is open to those within the UK only. Good luck! The closing date of entries is the 31st of April.