BEHEAD THE PROPHET N.L.S.L. I Am That Great And Fiery Force (Outpunk) cd 11.98
Back in stock! This 1996 release by BTPNLSL -- featuring members of Mukilteo Fairies, Noggin and Tight Bros From Way Back When -- still rocks hard as fuck in 2004. An ear-splitting cacophony - 20+ short, fast bursts of frenetic hardcore (average song length being about 45 seconds) combined with a thick wall-of-noise punctuated by evil violin scree, and unlike much modern noise / metal / whatever, completely sans irony. This stuff rocks hard. Seriously hard. While their namesake may have been a Deicide song, their music comes from the '90s school of chaotic, complex punk / grind that has given birth to bands like Heroin, The Locust, Antioch Arrow, Clickitat Ikatowi, although the vocals are way less growly and demonic and more wildly gutteral stuck-pig squeal. Aside from having their own string section (in the form of the violinist from Northwestern free noise mavens Noggin) they also manage to pull off the best hardcore-and-saxophone combination ("Zero Zero Night Vision") since Siege's '84 dirge "Grim Reaper." Brutal and unrelenting like the best of them, yet smart too... underneath the neo-satanic stylings you can see their twisted Olympia-style humor (campy metal interludes lifted from Ted Nugent and "Heavy Metal Parking Lot") as well as lyrics with political themes and references to gay sex. Hardcore fans, noise-rock enthusiasts, metal warriors, homopunk faithfuls -- all will gratefully bow before the mighty Prophet!
MPEG Stream: "The Apocalypse Through Sound"
MPEG Stream: "Sacrifice On The Altar Of Convenience"
MPEG Stream: "Adam Faith"

BEHEAD THE PROPHET NO LORD SHALL LIVE/THRONES split 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Blue Oyster Cult covers from both bands!

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Arctopocalypse Now...Warmageddon Later (Epicene Sound Systems) 3" cd 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The 3" cd format is perfect for this band's music, as their ultra-technical instrumental metal is so intense that it could easily compact itself into an "infinitely hot dense dot" and I guess a 3 inch cd is the next closest thing! Two songs, 11 minutes is plenty really 'cuz when it's over you'll just want to hit play again and again in order to absorb fully the head-jarringly complex and crazy compositional mayhem these guys crank through with seemingly effortlessness. The interestingly named Behold...The Arctopus is a trio featuring Colin Marston on "hyperfutureguitarbass" (or, the 12-stringed instrument otherwise known as the much maligned Chapman stick), Charlie Zeleny on "lead drums", and Mike Lerner playing the "nuclear yellow guitar" whatever that means. He sure knows how to play it anyway. We know Colin from his other band Infidel!/Castro? and here he proves that the hints of prog-metal we thought we heard in that rather more experimental, electronic group weren't just in our imagination! This is chopsy progressive metal taken to a ridiculous extreme, like Tony Macalpine vs. Melt Banana in a computer simulation of WWWIII. Definitely not for everyone, but if you know and enjoy such bands as Watchtower, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, Theory In Practice, and if GIT (Guitar Institute Of Technology) and PIT (Percussion Institute of Technology) aren't bad words for you, you'll probably consider the purchase of a Behold...The Arctopus disc to be six bucks well spent. It's the first in a series of 3" cds on the Epicene imprint devoted to "complex, difficult" music, and we imagine it's gonna be hard to top this one.
MPEG Stream: "You Will Be Reincarnated As An Imperial Attack Spaceturtle (Pt. 1)"

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Nano-Nucleonic Cyborg Summoning (Troubleman Unlimited / Vothoc) cd 14.98
First lesson you learn from these guys: you don't mess around with something like nano-nucleonic cyborg summoning. Leave it to the pros. It's dangerous, but that's what they're paid to do. Paid handsomely, in fact, as this $14.98 cd turns out to be only 17 minutes and 38 seconds long. But again, start cutting costs and those nano-nuke cyborgs could just get loose and wreak havoc. But the only havoc being wreaked here is all by the Behold The Arctopus guys, whom it will be remembered last blew our prog-lovin' minds with the instrumental tech-metal tour-de-force of their Arctopocalypse Now...Warmageddon Later 3" cd. Now that they've graduated to the 5" cd format, you can only imagine how much more insane their music has gotten! These musical nerd-athletes will bring a gleeful smile to the face of anyone into the extremes of technical complexity practiced by, say, Meshuggah or Melt-Banana. Headspinning stuff, recommended to all who think that the Chapman Stick is the under-utilized lead instrument that most other metal bands are lacking, and that somebody should do something about it -- that somebody being Behold The Arctopus' Colin Martson (also of Infidel!/Castro?, who have a new double cd coming soon on Crucial Blast by the way). Those for whom straightforward, 4/4, less than triple digit bpm drumming is a problem will also happily approve of this.
So, again, sorry this is so relatively expensive for the length -- but for sure they do cram a fuck of a lot of music in those 1,058 seconds!!
MPEG Stream: "Exospacial Psionic Aura"
MPEG Stream: "Sensory Amusia"

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Skullgrid (Metal Blade) cd 13.98
In the time it takes to read this review, your head would have spun around about 1000 times if you'd been listening to this album, instead. It's the latest tour de force from hyper technical math metal geeks Behold The Arctopus, and it's chock full of their usual blazing fast fretboard acrobatics (on instruments with WAY more strings than most guitarists would want to contend with) and blasting superprogalistic complexpialidocious drumming. Imagine a jazz fusion band called Melt-Meshuggah, with Eddie Van Halen sitting in to shred, that's kinda what BTA is all about. Whew! We can really only stop and stare at the stereo when these boys get going, though they do let up for some post-rock atmospheric bits too at times. It's all instrumental, also as per usual, with song titles like "Canada", "Scepters", "You Are Number Six", and the sorta Champs-ily named "Some Mist".
MPEG Stream: "Canada"
MPEG Stream: "Scepters"

BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS / ORTHRELM Paincave / Pithot 1 (Crucial Blast) cd ep 7.98
Wherein these two bands try to outdo each other (and everyone else in the world) at being absolutely the most INSANE, frenzied, complex, technical-prog-metallic-masturbatory band ever. Good thing it's so short (two tracks, a little under nine minutes total for the disc) 'cause both bands (and listeners!) would be utterly exhausted if they went on any longer.
In one corner, you've got Behold The Arctopus from New York, who have wanky prog gizmo the Chapman Stick in their instrumental arsenal. In the other, from right here in San Francisco, guitarist Mick Barr's Orthrelm, and Mick don't need no stinkin' Stick. Well, get this and you can judge who is the winner.
Pretty clearly, fans of either or both bands need this for sure, and will additionally be tickled pink by the cool cover artwork, by none other than Voivod drummer Away (who's got an art book coming out on Troubleman sometime soon, we hear).
MPEG Stream: ORTHRELM "Pithot 1"

BEIRUT East Harlem (Pompeii) 7" 6.98
It's been couple years at least since we last heard from Beirut, and knowing the meticulous care that goes into each release, we imagined it would be well worth the wait, and were VERY excited to discover this brand new 7". Turns out that "East Harlem" while never recorded before, was written by Beirut boy wonder Zach Conden, when he was just 17 years old. An orchestral pop stunner on which he plays trumpet, ukulele, Hammond organ on top of his usual guitar and vocal duties. The B side is pretty dang great too, "Goshen" opens with somber piano and Conden's emotive vocals setting the stage for the perfect Sunday morning serenade. We hear bits of Rufus Wainwright, Antony, and Jeff Buckley in both these great tracks, and Conden has proven he belongs in that great league of amazing singers with equally stunning musical minds.

BEIRUT Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing!) cd 13.98
It would be all too easy and short-sighted to draw up a musing comparison such as "if The Arcade Fire were a band of Balkan gypsy minstrels, they would be Beirut", but it might be a pretty accurate place to start. Now let's take into consideration that Beirut is one nineteen year old Albuquerque lad, Mr. Zach Condon. Quite a boy wonder, indeed he's been making music for a quarter of his life, and it's not been the usual crashing 'n' bashing about in the garage expected of restless youths nor is it just the regurgitative sounds of musical heroes. Condon finely crafts a remarkably broad spectrum of timeless music well beyond his years. His singing voice is reminiscent of Adrian Belew and David Byrne, and his lilting, often calypso-y melodies also bring to mind the offbeat, worldly elements that those two venerable artists have embraced in their music over the years. You can easily envision the brass instruments glowing in the light of oil lanterns as they emerge from the shadows bringing in tow a carnivalesque procession of accordion, mandolin, clarinet, piano, ukelele, cello and bustling percussion. It's not at all surprising that he's become comrades with Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trosk of the very like-minded A Hawk And A Hacksaw (both of whom assisted Condon in the studio). An utterly captivating listen. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "The Gulag Orkestar"
MPEG Stream: "Bratislava"

BEIRUT Gulag Orkestar (Ba Da Bing) lp 13.98
NOW AVAILABLE ON VINYL!
It would be all too easy and short-sighted to draw up a musing comparison such as "if The Arcade Fire were a band of Balkan gypsy minstrels, they would be Beirut", but it might be a pretty accurate place to start. Now let's take into consideration that Beirut is one nineteen year old Albuquerque lad, Mr. Zach Condon. Quite a boy wonder, indeed he's been making music for a quarter of his life, and it's not been the usual crashing 'n' bashing about in the garage expected of restless youths nor is it just the regurgitative sounds of musical heroes. Condon finely crafts a remarkably broad spectrum of timeless music well beyond his years. His singing voice is reminiscent of Adrian Belew and David Byrne, and his lilting, often calypso-y melodies also bring to mind the offbeat, worldly elements that those two venerable artists have embraced in their music over the years. You can easily envision the brass instruments glowing in the light of oil lanterns as they emerge from the shadows bringing in tow a carnivalesque procession of accordion, mandolin, clarinet, piano, ukelele, cello and bustling percussion. It's not at all surprising that he's become comrades with Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trosk of the very like-minded A Hawk And A Hacksaw (both of whom assisted Condon in the studio). An utterly captivating listen. Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "The Gulag Orkestar"
MPEG Stream: "Bratislava"

BEIRUT Lon Gisland (Ba Da Bing) cd ep 6.98
Here's a new five song ep from Balkan gypsy music revisionists Beirut! Mainman Zach Condon has picked right up from where his luminous debut album Gulag Orkestar left off... and he's assembled a full band in the process! You might recall that A Hawk And A Hacksaw's Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trosk provided musical support on the album. This ep is comprised of four new songs and an alternate full band version of "Scenic World" (which originally appeared on the album). If you dig the abovementioned A Hawk And A Hacksaw, you're probably already familiar with their pals and collaborators Beirut (and vice versa). If not, what're you waiting for? Wonderful stuff!
MPEG Stream: "Elephant Gun"
MPEG Stream: "Carousels"

BEIRUT Lon Gisland (Pompeh) lp 10.98
Now available on vinyl!
Here's a new five song ep from Balkan gypsy music revisionists Beirut! Mainman Zach Condon has picked right up from where his luminous debut album Gulag Orkestar left off... and he's assembled a full band in the process! You might recall that A Hawk And A Hacksaw's Jeremy Barnes and Heather Trosk provided musical support on the album. This ep is comprised of four new songs and an alternate full band version of "Scenic World" (which originally appeared on the album). If you dig the abovementioned A Hawk And A Hacksaw, you're probably already familiar with their pals and collaborators Beirut (and vice versa). If not, what're you waiting for? Wonderful stuff!
MPEG Stream: "Elephant Gun"
MPEG Stream: "Carousels"

BEIRUT March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland (Pompeii Records) 2cd 13.98
Previous Beirut records have taken the listener on a Gypsy tour of Europe, narrated by the croon of frontman/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Zach Condon. The first disc of this newest release, March of the Zapotec, takes us instead to Mexico, where Condon's instrumental proficiencies are utilized beautifully, though his vocals only really appear on one of the tracks. The first track is a thirty second field recording "of an unknown band" (so says the liner notes), which sets up the brevity and Mariachi-influence of the rest of the disc. Accompanying Condon on three of the tracks is Band Jimenez, a 19 person orchestra from Oaxaca. Needless to say, these tracks are even fuller and lusher than the fullest and lushest of any of Beirut's previous recordings. Though the cover of the record boasts of "new recordings from the state of Oaxaca," only 2.5 of the tracks were actually recorded there, our guess is because of the expense of flying all 19 members of Band Jimenez to Brooklyn.
We find ourselves more drawn to the second disc, entitled Realpeople Holland, despite the lack of horns. It's full of muted electronic percussion and strange keyboard lines, with Condon's voice turned WAY up in the mix. Sometimes his lyrics betray his youth (the corny naivete of "And I believed her then, ohhhhhh..."), but his vocal tone adds beautiful layers, so we end up not really caring what he's saying. The keyboards sound like something out of an '80s sci-fi movie soundtrack with just a hint of flange thrown in for good measure. There's a bit of variation in the instrumentation too on the fourth track "The Concubine," where an accordion and a triangle revolve around a pulsing acoustic drum beat. This track sounds more like previous Beirut records than anything else on this disc, the other songs bearing more resemblance to Walter Carlos or the Magnetic Fields on an acid trip.
Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "La Llorona"
MPEG Stream: "My Wife, Lost In The Wild"

BEIRUT March of the Zapotec and Realpeople Holland (Pompeii Records) 2lp 15.98
Previous Beirut records have taken the listener on a Gypsy tour of Europe, narrated by the croon of frontman/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Zach Condon. The first disc of this newest release, March of the Zapotec, takes us instead to Mexico, where Condon's instrumental proficiencies are utilized beautifully, though his vocals only really appear on one of the tracks. The first track is a thirty second field recording "of an unknown band" (so says the liner notes), which sets up the brevity and Mariachi-influence of the rest of the disc. Accompanying Condon on three of the tracks is Band Jimenez, a 19 person orchestra from Oaxaca. Needless to say, these tracks are even fuller and lusher than the fullest and lushest of any of Beirut's previous recordings. Though the cover of the record boasts of "new recordings from the state of Oaxaca," only 2.5 of the tracks were actually recorded there, our guess is because of the expense of flying all 19 members of Band Jimenez to Brooklyn.
We find ourselves more drawn to the second disc, entitled Realpeople Holland, despite the lack of horns. It's full of muted electronic percussion and strange keyboard lines, with Condon's voice turned WAY up in the mix. Sometimes his lyrics betray his youth (the corny naivete of "And I believed her then, ohhhhhh..."), but his vocal tone adds beautiful layers, so we end up not really caring what he's saying. The keyboards sound like something out of an '80s sci-fi movie soundtrack with just a hint of flange thrown in for good measure. There's a bit of variation in the instrumentation too on the fourth track "The Concubine," where an accordion and a triangle revolve around a pulsing acoustic drum beat. This track sounds more like previous Beirut records than anything else on this disc, the other songs bearing more resemblance to Walter Carlos or the Magnetic Fields on an acid trip.
Recommended.
MPEG Stream: "La Llorona"
MPEG Stream: "My Wife, Lost In The Wild"

BEIRUT The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing) cd 13.98
On Beirut's third album main man Zach Condon has shaken up their Balkan gypsy music-centric status quo with a baker's dozen less specifically Eastern European folk inspired numbers. Even with this unexpected, freshly broadened scope, Beirut still charms with a lushly beautiful, captivatingly otherworldliness. In fact Condon's transformed himself into something of a balladeer with a dramatic lilting croon that draws easy comparisons to Adrian Belew. Now living in France, you can hear the influence his new home is having on him. Check out the melancholic carousel waltz of "A Sunday Smile" and the deceptively titled sprightly paced "In The Mausoleum". It's like being privy to a stranger's vivid sepia toned memories of distant lands, lives and loves. As always, very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Nantes"
MPEG Stream: "A Sunday Smile"
MPEG Stream: "In The Mausoleum"

BEIRUT The Flying Club Cup (Ba Da Bing) lp 14.98
Now on vinyl!
On Beirut's third album main man Zach Condon has shaken up their Balkan gypsy music-centric status quo with a baker's dozen less specifically Eastern European folk inspired numbers. Even with this unexpected, freshly broadened scope, Beirut still charms with a lushly beautiful, captivatingly otherworldliness. In fact Condon's transformed himself into something of a balladeer with a dramatic lilting croon that draws easy comparisons to Adrian Belew. Now living in France, you can hear the influence his new home is having on him. Check out the melancholic carousel waltz of "A Sunday Smile" and the deceptively titled sprightly paced "In The Mausoleum". It's like being privy to a stranger's vivid sepia toned memories of distant lands, lives and loves. As always, very recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Nantes"
MPEG Stream: "A Sunday Smile"
MPEG Stream: "In The Mausoleum"

BEIRUT The Rip Tide (Pompeii Records) cd 14.98
Zach Condon and his entourage are back for another album of lush, orchestral pop. Piano, pump organs, horns, keyboards, and more creating the rich tapestry for Condon's soaring and emotive vocals. Sure to please fans of the band, as this displays both their more subdued and melancholic side as well as their more bright and poppy leanings. Music that makes you want to head to the shore with nothing more then a blanket, a small bag of your most precious belongings and a bottomless bottle of red wine.
Special deluxe packaging while they last, cloth-covered hardback sleeve, both the cd and vinyl (the latter of which comes with mp3 download code).
MPEG Stream: "East Harlem"
MPEG Stream: "A Candle's Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Port Of Call"

BEIRUT The Rip Tide (Pompeii Records) lp 15.98
Zach Condon and his entourage are back for another album of lush, orchestral pop. Piano, pump organs, horns, keyboards, and more creating the rich tapestry for Condon's soaring and emotive vocals. Sure to please fans of the band, as this displays both their more subdued and melancholic side as well as their more bright and poppy leanings. Music that makes you want to head to the shore with nothing more then a blanket, a small bag of your most precious belongings and a bottomless bottle of red wine.
Special deluxe packaging while they last, cloth-covered hardback sleeve, both the cd and vinyl (the latter of which comes with mp3 download code).
MPEG Stream: "East Harlem"
MPEG Stream: "A Candle's Fire"
MPEG Stream: "Port Of Call"

BELFI, ANDREA Between Neck And Stomach (Hapna) cd 16.98
So many good releases on the Swedish label Hapna, it's hard to keep up! But we didn't want to overlook this one, 'cause Italian experimentalist Andrea Belfi is one half of the duo known as Crista Pfangen, whose Watch Me Getting Back The End, an album of (in our words) "fragmented yet melodic, experimental avant-indie pop", appeared earlier this year on Die Schachtel, and got a big thumbs up from us.
As a solo artist, Belfi delves here into a weird (but successful) conceptual minimalist electro-acoustic experiment based around something about making music from ordinary household sounds. Hmm... it's an interesting house Belfi must live in! It's a dwelling of gentle drones, glitchy mystery, and shimmering, skitteringly propulsive percussion (sounding at times not unlike that recent excellent Tarentel double cd). And the neighbors doing strange things upstairs, moving furniture and stuff. Field recordings, electronics, vague voices, and regular ol' instruments mesh into a lovely bit of work here. Definitely worth investigating especially if you're into the Italian scene populated by Belfi's pals like 3/4hadbeeneliminated, Stefano Pilia, Giuseppe Ielasi, etc.
MPEG Stream: "Extraevil"
MPEG Stream: "Sleeping With Extraevil"

BELIEVER The Magic Sequence (Land And Sea) cd-r 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Believer is the new musical project of Danny Paul Grody and Trevor Montgomery (both from Tarentel and The Drift as well as various other side projects and solo outfits including Lazarus, and Moholy-Nagy). For their debut release put out by Land And Sea, who brought us the Coconut 7" from a couple of lists ago, the duo recorded three expansive synth-based compositions that are beautifully minimal and impressionistic. Using loops, sweeping bell tones and guitar washes, the three tracks encompass a kind of melodic formlessness, beginning with a pattern and then slowly letting it dissolve into something much airier, all the while still maintaining a sense of gravity and musical purpose. A fine debut that makes us look forward to whatever comes next. Super limited to 50 copies in handsewn paper covers (that you have to rip or cut open to get to the disc!). Highly Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Nocturnal Sea"
MPEG Stream: "Carrier Wave"

BELIEVER, THE June/July 2005 Music Issue (McSweeney's) magazine + CD 8.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The Believer is always a good read, but you won't want to miss the 2005 Music issue. Plenty of good reading this time around as well: articles about Beck, the Danielson Famile, Carrie Brownstein of Sleater Kinney interviews Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a discussion between comedian Patton Oswalt and musician Aimee Mann, an interview with teenage rock combo Smoosh, an article about singing drummers and much much more. But you also get a cd jam packed with Aquarius faves, covering -other- Aquarius faves: the Decemberists cover Joanna Newsom, Spoon covers Yo La Tengo, the Constantines cover Elevator To Hell, the Espers cover Fursaxa, the Mountain Goats cover the Silver Jews, Coco Rosie cover Damien Jurado, The Shins cover Postal Service, San Serac cover Ida, Josephine Foster covers the Cherry Blossoms, Cynthia G. Mason covers Richard Buckner, and Jim Guthrie covers the Constantines. Wow!

BELL GARDENS Hangups Need Company (Failed Better) 12" 11.98
Anyone responsible for helping make such stunning sounds over the years with Stars Of The Lid definitely demands our undivided attention with any other related project or band. So when we heard that Brian McBride of Stars Of The Lid had a new band with Kenneth Gibson of Furry Things, we knew we needed to check it out. With a large ensemble backing them up, the two have crafted an immaculate orchestral pop record, that sounds nothing like any of their previous bands, but proving that McBride is a master of creating such beautiful and moving sounds no matter what shape or genre he is working with. Imagine the dreamiest version of The Byrds, the emotional impact of Elliott Smith, the most seductive elements of the Beach Boys, the shoegaze country vibes of Mojave 3, and you start to get an idea of the warm sounds that make up this beautiful debut.
Understated yet totally lush and full of soft sweeping melody. There doesn't seem to be a lot of press or hype surrounding this, but under the radar, Bell Gardens have crafted six of the most satisfying songs of the year!

BELL ORCHESTRE Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Sky (Rough Trade) cd 15.98
Arcade Fire alert! Sonically the Canadian ensemble, who go by the name Bell Orchestre, distill together all of the disparate sounds of the highly lauded music collective lead by Godspeed You Black Emperor and Broken Social Scene, but it actually features members of, yes, Arcade Fire! At times richly and expansively atmospheric, at others things adhere to more traditional pop structures. Incorporating traditional and less traditional instrumentation (yes, lots of bells, brass, strings, metallic percussion, recordings of animals, a typewriter and other noisemakers), Recording A Tape The Colour Of The Sky is quite a wonderful encapsulation of the many fine sounds coming out of Canada these days (Montreal, in particular), sans vocals. Fevered violin bowing here, a roaming gypsy-ish interlude there, a driving beat here, a lonely french horn over there. And to endear it even more to our ears, the album all begins in a similarly wistful, foghorns in the distance fashion as recent AQ fave Yha Hamaraa by the Finnish band Paavoharju. Packaged in a cool die-cut cardboard sleeve.
MPEG Stream: "Les Lumieres pt. 1"
MPEG Stream: "The Upwards March"

BELL, CHRIS I Am The Cosmos (4 Men With Beards) lp 15.98
Chris Bell was an original member of mighty pop legends Big Star, but quit the band after their debut, #1 Record failed to propel them to super stardom. For the next few years years, Bell struggled with depression while recording demo after demo. In 1977, Bell released the single "I Am The Cosmos", an amazing little slab of practically perfect pop, an absolutely beautiful gem, dense with wistful harmonies and glistening instrumentation, which ended up being a big enough hit that it drove Bell to form a band to begin work on a new album. But before that could happen, Bell died in a tragic car accident. I Am The Cosmos was a collection of all of his unreleased demos, but played like some lost classic album. As good as any of the Big Star records for sure. A dark and brooding, dreamy and glistening pop masterpiece, from beginning to end. Super varied, from crunchy melodic power pop to deep introspective ballads, but somehow all the parts fit perfectly. So goddamn good.
180 gram vinyl!

BELL, CHRYSTA / DAVID LYNCH This Train (La Rose Noire) cd 12.98
This Train is most definitely a solid record, one that serves as a compliment to film auteur David Lynch's recent solo effort, Crazy Clown Time. Cave-like reverb that echoes and deepens, surf-esque tremoloed guitars, simple drum loops and synth pads. Chrysta Bell, unknown to us until this record arrived, has a superb voice: pretty but not showy, thick but not overbearing. She's no Julee Cruise, though, and this record is not The Voice of Love. Missing are the unique songwriting skills of Angelo Badalamenti, his emotional depth and incredible sense of melody. Whereas Crazy Clown Time held its own (the humor, the strange meditational rant in the middle of the record), This Train feels a bit flat at times. Overall, it has a very soothing mood, the production and the tones, but it's not a very energetic or varied record. Halfway through, "Real Love" and "Bird of Flames" pick up the pace a bit and add some heavier sounds and distortion. The opening track "This Train" also stands out. Bell sings on every song, backed up by Lynch and Dean Hurley (Lynch's collaborator on Crazy Clown Time), and John Neff.
MPEG Stream: "This Train"
MPEG Stream: "Real Love"
MPEG Stream: "Bird Of Flames"

BELL, CHRYSTA / DAVID LYNCH This Train (La Rose Noire) 2lp 40.00
This Train is most definitely a solid record, one that serves as a compliment to film auteur David Lynch's recent solo effort, Crazy Clown Time. Cave-like reverb that echoes and deepens, surf-esque tremoloed guitars, simple drum loops and synth pads. Chrysta Bell, unknown to us until this record arrived, has a superb voice: pretty but not showy, thick but not overbearing. She's no Julee Cruise, though, and this record is not The Voice of Love. Missing are the unique songwriting skills of Angelo Badalamenti, his emotional depth and incredible sense of melody. Whereas Crazy Clown Time held its own (the humor, the strange meditational rant in the middle of the record), This Train feels a bit flat at times. Overall, it has a very soothing mood, the production and the tones, but it's not a very energetic or varied record. Halfway through, "Real Love" and "Bird of Flames" pick up the pace a bit and add some heavier sounds and distortion. The opening track "This Train" also stands out. Bell sings on every song, backed up by Lynch and Dean Hurley (Lynch's collaborator on Crazy Clown Time), and John Neff.
MPEG Stream: "This Train"
MPEG Stream: "Real Love"
MPEG Stream: "Bird Of Flames"

BELLA No One Will Know (Mint) cd 16.98
Bella lead the charge of Vancouver's next generation of new new new wavers! Surprising how a trio of such dour faced kids can whip up such peppy synth pop. No doubt there reside a few Blondie, New Order, and Kim Wilde records (ahem, cds?!) in their music collections? We're not complaining though 'cause while these gals and guy are not winning any originality awards, they are winning our hearts with their youthful exuberance and infectious hooks. No One Will Know was recorded with the very complimentary help of John Collins of New Pornographers as well as Roddy Bottum and Will Schwartz of their genre elders Imperial Teen. In fact, many tunes here could easily be mistaken for those of a younger I.T. Super breezy and catchy, and oh so teen movie soundtrack ready!
MPEG Stream: "Give It A Night"
MPEG Stream: "No One Will Know"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Books (Rough Trade) cd ep 11.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
On one half of this little 4-song slice of Belle & Sebastian heaven, the band gets all charmingly '80s funky with lotsa ching-a-ling guitars, grooving synths, tight drumming ("Your Cover's Blown" and a remix version). The other two songs are of their more characteristic sunshiney pop -- the deliriously wonderful "Wrapped Up In Books" from their Dear Catastrophe Waitress album and "Your Secrets". Some AQ folks wince at the B&S toothsomeness, but Cup adores it... particularly their ability to bring together the wide-eyed sugar and the sharp-tongued wit. So if you share her sweet-tooth and/or dig B&S yourself, you'll prolly wanna scoop this up asap. Truly a fan's delight, the 'enhanced' disc is filled with other fun B&S stuff too -- namely a video and computer game!
MPEG Stream: "Your Cover's Blown"
MPEG Stream: "Wrapped Up In Books"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Come On Sister (Rough Trade) 12" 9.98
Belle & Sebastian remixed??!! On paper that sounds like a potential recipe for disaster. And we have to be honest, when we first saw this 12" we were kind of hesitant to listen to it at all, but after really digging the Interpol remix 12" we decided to give it a spin. We're glad we did cause the Cold Cave remix of "I Didn't See It Coming" from the last Belle & Sebastian album, Write About Love, is one of the best remixes of the year. Cold Cave turns the twee indie pop song into a soft synth stunner. They don't try to make Belle & Sebastian all techno and dark (which we had feared) but instead give it a slight dancefloor push, reminding us a lot of the sound of Stephen Merrit's electro-pop project Future Bible Heroes. The other two remixes come from Richard X, and Tony Doogan, and there's also a brand new song called "Blue Eyes Of A Millionaire."

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade) cd 17.98
For a lot of folks, myself included, Belle and Sebastian always seemed a trifle too fey, too twee, too foofy and melodramatic, with their aloof beret-wearing, Pynchon-reading misunderstood hipster vibe and affected disaffectedness. And musically too, their sound was too 'lite', a little too wispy and bittersweet, even for those of us who love wussy pop. But this new record has us reconsidering all of that, and thinking maybe we ought to go back and re-assess our B&S position, maybe it was BS. Although it should be noted that part of our new found appreciation, stems from the fact that the new Belle And Sebastian are a whole different beast that the B&S of old. Okay, maybe not a WHOLE different beast, but you can tell from the opening track that something is very different. A bouncy, perfect power pop gem that sounds remarkably like AQ faves Silver Sun, or maybe the High Llamas, with a jaunty, bouncy rhythm, lush Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and hooks galore. The next few tracks manage to retain some of that power pop quirkiness while veering back towards more decidedly familiar B&S sonic territory. The eighth song "Wrapped Up In Books" is arguably one of the band's best -- the sweet boy/girl vocals, jangly guitars and breezy horns just sweep you up in B&S's warm pop sunbeam. Eventually things do settle down, the mood gets a bit more somber and the sound becomes much more like the B&S of old, but that opening salvo's effects can still be felt all the way through the very last note. Recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Step Into My Office, Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
MPEG Stream: "If She Wants Me"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
For a lot of folks, myself included, Belle and Sebastian always seemed a trifle too fey, too twee, too foofy and melodramatic, with their aloof beret-wearing, Pynchon-reading misunderstood hipster vibe and affected disaffectedness. And musically too, their sound was too 'lite', a little too wispy and bittersweet, even for those of us who love wussy pop. But this new record has us reconsidering all of that, and thinking maybe we ought to go back and re-assess our B&S position, maybe it was BS. Although it should be noted that part of our new found appreciation, stems from the fact that the new Belle And Sebastian are a whole different beast that the B&S of old. Okay, maybe not a WHOLE different beast, but you can tell from the opening track that something is very different. A bouncy, perfect power pop gem that sounds remarkably like AQ faves Silver Sun, or maybe the High Llamas, with a jaunty, bouncy rhythm, lush Beach Boys-esque harmonies, and hooks galore. The next few tracks manage to retain some of that power pop quirkiness while veering back towards more decidedly familiar B&S sonic territory. Eventually things do settle down, the mood gets a bit more somber and the sound becomes much more like the B&S of old, but that opening salvo's effects can still be felt all the way through the very last note.
MPEG Stream: " Step Into My Office, Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Dear Catastrophe Waitress"
MPEG Stream: "If She Wants Me"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Fans Only (Matador) dvd 15.98
Massive collection of videos, live performances, interviews, outtakes, TV appearances and a full length documentary. Over two hours of goodies. Haven't watched the whole thing, but from what we've seen it's pretty great, set up nicely, and some of the footage is truly breathtaking, fuzzy and dream like, while the behind the scenes stuff is pretty fun and funny. As the title makes clear, fans will definitely need this!

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (Matador) cd 14.98
We figured that since all the B&S records were getting the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment, we might as well re-list the cds as well as they have long been big sellers around these parts.
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant was Belle & Sebastian's fourth album. Although this album from 2000 is still filled with their early trademark fey Scottish songsmithery that so frequently is compared to Nick Drake and Donovan, it proved to be a leaping off or transitional point for the band as they pushed open the garden gate to venture beyond the twee boundaries into grander scale productions. The results are heartmeltingly splendid, but not without a wonderfully wry bit of biting humor here and there.
MPEG Stream: "I Fought In A War"
MPEG Stream: "Beyond The Sunrise"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant (Matador) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Hey all of you Belle And Sebastian luvvin' audiophiles, today's a hip-hip-hooray day!
Those Scottish darlings' first four albums have received the super duper vinyl reissue treatment. Yes, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant, The Boy With The Arab Strap, If You're Feeling Sinister, and Tigermilk have been repressed (or pressed for the first time in the U.S. in the case of the latter two) on 180 gram vinyl! Plus, each one includes a free full album MP3 download.
Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant was Belle & Sebastian's fourth album. Although this album from 2000 is still filled with their early trademark fey Scottish songsmithery that so frequently is compared to Nick Drake and Donovan, it proved to be a leaping off or transitional point for the band as they pushed open the garden gate to venture beyond the twee boundaries into grander scale productions. The results are heartmeltingly splendid, but not without a wonderfully wry bit of biting humor here and there.
MPEG Stream: "I Fought In A War"
MPEG Stream: "Beyond The Sunrise"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN I'm Waking Up To Us (Matador) cd ep 5.98
A li'l cd ep for all you Belle & Sebastian fans out there. Three songs in all. As you'll be happy and not at all surprised to discover, their folksy, honeyed, bittersweet romance brand of Scottish pop is in full bloom. With a puppy dog record sleeve to match the soft'n'cuddly tunes.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN I'm Waking Up To Us (Matador) 12" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A li'l 12" EP for all you Belle & Sebastian fans out there. Three songs in all. As you'll be happy and not at all surprised to discover, their folksy, honeyed, bittersweet romance brand of Scottish pop is in full bloom. With a puppy dog record sleeve to match the soft'n'cuddly tunes.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN If You're Feeling Sinister (Matador) cd 10.98
We figured that since all the B&S records were getting the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment, we might as well re-list the cds as well as they have long been big sellers around these parts.
If You're Feeling Sinister was Belle & Sebastian's second album and was first released back in 1997. It continued in the same ultra soft folk pop vein as its predecessor Tigermilk. So mellow and twee it could almost be a suitable soundtrack to a child's storybook if it weren't for the occasional darker lyrical twists. The musical equivalent of an Edward Gorey bedtime story. Adorable and precocious. Over the years, this is the album that invariably got recommended most to folks seeking "the best early B&S album"... that is, until their formerly very hard to find debut Tigermilk got rereleased. Now we have to say it's sort of a toss up as to which is "better". Aww heck, get 'em both, you probably won't be disappointed!
MPEG Stream: "The Stars Of Track And Field"
MPEG Stream: "The Fox In The Snow"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN If You're Feeling Sinister (Matador) lp 15.98
Hey all of you Belle And Sebastian luvvin' audiophiles, today's a hip-hip-hooray day!
Those Scottish darlings' first four albums have received the super duper vinyl reissue treatment. Yes, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant, The Boy With The Arab Strap, If You're Feeling Sinister, and Tigermilk have been repressed (or pressed for the first time in the U.S. in the case of the latter two) on 180 gram vinyl!
If You're Feeling Sinister was Belle & Sebastian's second album and was first released back in 1997. It continued in the same ultra soft folk pop vein as its predecessor Tigermilk. So mellow and twee it could almost be a suitable soundtrack to a child's storybook if it weren't for the occasional darker lyrical twists. The musical equivalent of an Edward Gorey bedtime story. Adorable and precocious. Over the years, this is the album that invariably got recommended most to folks seeking "the best early B&S album"... that is, until their formerly very hard to find debut Tigermilk got rereleased. Now we have to say it's sort of a toss up as to which is "better". Aww heck, get 'em both, you probably won't be disappointed!
MPEG Stream: "The Stars Of Track And Field"
MPEG Stream: "The Fox In The Snow"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Jonathan David (Matador / Jeepster) cd ep 5.98
Three new tracks from these delicately fey, ever-popular Scottish types: "Johnathan David", "Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It", and "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner".

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Jonathan David (Matador / Jeepster) 12" 5.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Three new tracks from these delicately fey, ever-popular Scottish types: "Johnathan David", "Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It", and "The Loneliness of a Middle Distance Runner".

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Lazy Line Painter Jane (Matador) 3cd 15.98
No, that's not a typo. We, um, lucky Americans can now get all three previously import-only 1997 cdeps from these Scottish wimp-pop phenoms for the low, low, low price of $15.98! "Lazy Line Painter Jane," "Dog On Wheels," and "3..6..9 Seconds of Light", twelve tracks total. Even though they could have all fit on one disc, Matador decided to leave them as three individual jewel-cased cds packaged together in a cardboard slip cover.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Legal Man (Matador) cd 5.98
Three exclusive tracks not on their new album: Legal Man, Judy Is A Dick Slap (extended version), and Winter Wooskie.

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Push Barman To Open Old Wounds (Matador) 3lp 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Why be all cluttered and downright messy when you can be all neat and consolidated? Well, with the assistance of Matador Records, Belle And Sebastian are tidying things up a bit. This B&S collection gathers up all of the band's EPs that were previously released between 1997 and 2001 on Jeepster Records in the U.K. Although Matador released three of them as a box set back in 2000, the rest have been incredibly difficult to track down. Look no further, twenty five Scottish sweet folksy pop treats all in one place (or two). Wheeeeeeeeeee! B&S super fans take note: Push Barman has been released as a regular ol' double CD, a limited edition deluxe double CD and a limited edition triple LP! We've opted to carry the latter two special versions (but of course, if you prefer the plain jane version we'll certainly order a copy especially for you). Mind you if you choose to get this release without actually getting rid of the redundancies, that just means more stuff! Ack, one step forward...
MPEG Stream: "Put The Book Back On The Shelf"
MPEG Stream: "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Push Barman To Open Old Wounds (deluxe version) (Matador) 2cd 17.98
Why be all cluttered and downright messy when you can be all neat and consolidated? Well, with the assistance of Matador Records, Belle And Sebastian are tidying things up a bit. This B&S collection gathers up all of the band's EPs that were previously released between 1997 and 2001 on Jeepster Records in the U.K. Although Matador released three of them as a box set back in 2000, the rest have been incredibly difficult to track down. Look no further, twenty five Scottish sweet folksy pop treats all in one place (or two). Wheeeeeeeeeee! B&S super fans take note: Push Barman has been released as a regular ol' double CD, a limited edition deluxe double CD and a limited edition triple LP! We've opted to carry the latter two special versions (but of course, if you prefer the plain jane version we'll certainly order a copy especially for you). Mind you if you choose to get this release without actually getting rid of the redundancies, that just means more stuff! Ack, one step forward...
MPEG Stream: "Put The Book Back On The Shelf"
MPEG Stream: "This Is Just A Modern Rock Song"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Storytelling (OST) (Matador) cd 9.98
If you've been following the adventures here at AQ for some time now, you probably already know that there are definitely strong pro- and anti-B&S folks here, but it should be noted that our Jim (who usually sides with the latter team) has said this is perhaps the only B&S album he can take. Cup (who hasn't seen the movie, but does like B&S) thinks the music's lovely (especially the title track), but the dialogue samples are somewhat intrusive. All of that said...
Hopping aboard the film music train (along with the recent likes of Badly Drawn Boy's About A Boy and Stephin Merritt's Eban & Charley), Belle & Sebastian combine their trademark lush folk with dialogue snippets from Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Unlike BDB's soundtrack which can almost be taken on its own as his second full length, B&S's film music is more distinctly a soundtrack like that of Mr. Merritt. At times this sounds like a '70s Afterschool Special score (in a good way), or the Bugaloos (particularly on "Scooby Driver") or like a Charlie Brown/Peanuts cartoon with its Vince Guaraldi-esque piano moments. Upliftingly sweet and lovely compositions with strings that soar and plink, guitars that jingle jangle, and shakers that keep perfect chika-chika-chika time. Oh yes, and of course gracing the six new B&S vocal songs are those familiar velvety soft voices of Stuart Murdoch, Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell (who, fans will undoubtedly be crushed to hear, makes her final B&S appearance on this release).
RealAudio clip: "Fiction"
RealAudio clip: "Storytelling"
RealAudio clip: "Wandering Alone"
RealAudio clip: "Scooby Driver"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN Storytelling (OST) (Matador) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If you've been following the adventures here at AQ for some time now, you probably already know that there are definitely strong pro- and anti-B&S folks here, but it should be noted that our Jim (who usually sides with the latter team) has said this is perhaps the only B&S album he can take. Cup (who hasn't seen the movie, but does like B&S) thinks the music's lovely (especially the title track), but the dialogue samples are somewhat intrusive. All of that said...
Hopping aboard the film music train (along with the recent likes of Badly Drawn Boy's About A Boy and Stephin Merritt's Eban & Charley), Belle And Sebastian combine their trademark lush folk with dialogue snippits from Todd Solondz's film Storytelling. Unlike BDB's soundtrack which can almost be taken on its own as his second full length, B&S's film music is more distinctly a soundtrack like that of Mr. Merritt. At times this sounds like a '70s Afterschool Special score (in a good way), or the Bugaloos (particularly on "Scooby Driver") or like a Charlie Brown/Peanuts cartoon with its Vince Guaraldi-esque piano moments. Upliftingly sweet and lovely compositions with strings that soar and plink, guitars that jingle jangle, and shakers that keep perfect chika-chika-chika time. Oh yes, and of course gracing the six new B&S vocal songs are those familiar velvety soft voices of Stuart Murdoch, Stevie Jackson and Isobel Campbell (who, fans will undoubtedly be crushed to hear, makes her final B&S appearance on this release).
RealAudio clip: "Fiction"
RealAudio clip: "Storytelling"
RealAudio clip: "Wandering Alone"
RealAudio clip: "Scooby Driver"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN The BBC Sessions (Matador) 2cd 15.98
For many of us the classic era of Belle & Sebastian is when Isobel Campbell was still in the band and they made truly classic and timeless albums like Tigermilk, If You're Feeling Sinister, The Boy With The Arab Strap, and so many great ep's too.
Dedicated to the memory of John Peel, this collection of BBC recordings originally recorded between the years 1996-2001 is packed with tons of their instantly recognizable heart melting classics, as well as four previously unreleased tracks, that fit perfectly amongst all of the super smart and heartfelt songs Belle & Sebastian have crafted over the years. Stuart Murdoch's voice sounds so amazingly effortless and seductive throughout and we still get tingles when Isobel Campbell makes her way to the mic. The first batch of these come with a bonus disc featuring a live show recorded in Belfast in 2001 and include endearing covers of "I'm Waiting For The Man" and "The Boys Are Back In Town." B&S have inspired way too many wannabe lisp-having over-sensitive pop peddlers but that's not their fault, and no matter how many bands try, none of them will be able to match the true ease, breeze and nostalgia that Belle & Sebastian are able to evoke with their beautiful sounds.
MPEG Stream: "I Could Be Dreaming"
MPEG Stream: "(My Girl's Got) Miraculous Technique"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Dream (Live)"
MPEG Stream: "Legal Man [Live]"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN The BBC Sessions (Matador) 2lp 26.00
For many of us the classic era of Belle & Sebastian is when Isobel Campbell was still in the band and they made truly classic and timeless albums like Tigermilk, If You're Feeling Sinister, The Boy With The Arab Strap, and so many great ep's too.
Dedicated to the memory of John Peel, this collection of BBC recordings originally recorded between the years 1996-2001 is packed with tons of their instantly recognizable heart melting classics, as well as four previously unreleased tracks, that fit perfectly amongst all of the super smart and heartfelt songs Belle & Sebastian have crafted over the years. Stuart Murdoch's voice sounds so amazingly effortless and seductive throughout and we still get tingles when Isobel Campbell makes her way to the mic. The first batch of these come with a bonus disc featuring a live show recorded in Belfast in 2001 and include endearing covers of "I'm Waiting For The Man" and "The Boys Are Back In Town." B&S have inspired way too many wannabe lisp-having over-sensitive pop peddlers but that's not their fault, and no matter how many bands try, none of them will be able to match the true ease, breeze and nostalgia that Belle & Sebastian are able to evoke with their beautiful sounds.
MPEG Stream: "I Could Be Dreaming"
MPEG Stream: "(My Girl's Got) Miraculous Technique"
MPEG Stream: "Dirty Dream (Live)"
MPEG Stream: "Legal Man [Live]"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador) cd 10.98
Well-informed customer tells us that an arab strap is a sexual aid for horses that helps their penises to point in the correct direction. Customer also tells us that the particular B&S song with this title is making fun of (the band) Arab Strap's lead singer who is forever whining about his failed relationships. And the lyric does in fact read, "the boy WITH the arab strap". Make of this what you will. Bestseller in the lispy pop department.
MPEG Stream: "It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep The Clock Around"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador) cd 10.98
We figured that since all the B&S records were getting the deluxe vinyl reissue treatment, we might as well re-list the cds as well as they have long been big sellers around these parts.
The Boy With The Arab Strap was B&S's third album and was first released back in 1998. A well-informed customer once explained to us that an arab strap is a sexual aid for horses that helps their penises to point in the correct direction. Oh my! The very same customer also told us that the particular B&S song with this title is making fun of (the band) Arab Strap's lead singer who is forever whining about his failed relationships. And the lyric does in fact read, "the boy WITH the arab strap". Make of this what you will. Bestseller in the lispy twee soft folksy pop department. Be forewarned, this band's music might trigger an irresistible urge to snuggle in even the most cold-hearted of beings.
MPEG Stream: "It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep The Clock Around"

BELLE AND SEBASTIAN The Boy With The Arab Strap (Matador) lp 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Well-informed customer tells us that an arab strap is a sexual aid for horses that helps their penises to point in the correct direction. Customer also tells us that the particular B&S song with this title is making fun of (the band) Arab Strap's lead singer who is forever whining about his failed relationships. And the lyric does in fact read, "the boy WITH the arab strap". Make of this what you will. Bestseller in the lispy pop department.
MPEG Stream: "It Could Have Been A Brilliant Career"
MPEG Stream: "Sleep The Clock Around"