I have found myself pining for the countryside of late. I don’t know what it is: it could be the promise of spring that keeps being snatched away, an inability to keep up with the pace of the city, or an insatiable appetite to watch as many episodes of Escape to the Country as I possibly can on a daily basis (there’s no better entertainment than watching people with no TV experience look around properties under the stare of a huge camera lens).
I’ve also had a fair bit to deal with *emotionally* over the past couple of weeks or so, which has made me pine for wide open spaces, relative normalcy and sea air. Oh, and The Kinks. The Village Green… album always reminds me of coming back from my first Glastonbury in the car with my best mate – the most perfect pastoral album to conclude a weekend spent camping. That’s why songs from this album feature twice on this playlist, something that’s been a joy to collate. Taking the time to put together playlists is a form of self-care like no other, and making paper *visuals* to go alongside them is a proper self-luxury. Finding the perfect music to piece together helps me figure out my mood, what I’m in need of; and painstakingly scrutinising the order to put them in is anxiety-inducing at first, but oh-so satisfying once done.
Here are 10 tracks if you want something to play for the next 40 minutes (especially dedicated to all the wonderful people who’ve offered some kind of solace over the past fortnight). Click the pic below to listen:
(Caitlin Moran said something once about if you want to be a writer, you must learn how to be a writer on a treadmill, lest you will die from eating biscuits. I feel the same applies to a gap year.)
A still from the band’s new video, Nobody’s Empire.
Hi hello hi! I haven’t written for around 2 months, but I’m back today for a specific reason- we have had the new Belle & Sebastian album unleashed to us, and I couldn’t help but take a listen, in the same way that I can’t help but eat another biscuit. It’s called Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, which we so do, and it’s released on Matador next week. I feel guilty, and ashamed as J pre-ordered the LP for me for Christmas, but I still couldn’t help but take a listen. In a way that a New Year often promises a feeling of fresh starts and beginnings, it seldom does compared to the excitement behind a new album, especially when it’s their ninth studio album, and the previous 8 have been highly regarded as ‘my jam.’
I saw them play in Paris, Halloween 2014, where they played some of the new material- much to the approval of myself and Ella, and these 2 or 3 European guys who we befriended for the night, quietly discussing beforehand which was our favourite B-side as we sat on the ground in our cardigans so we were near the front (we weren’t in cardigans but let’s just create the twee dream.)
The album opens with Nobody’s Empire, and although not initially loving it, I now really really rate it, especially as an opening track. I think I wasn’t listening to it at all at first, I was just playing it as background music, tossing my hair back like ‘Zzuuh, nothing will ever beat The Model, or whatever.’ But then I played it, thought about it, listening to the lyrics along with the lovely Marx-and-Engels-y piano, and decided I was into it, really hard. Essentially, an autobiographical song about the frontman of your favourite band, is the best thing ever in a fangirl sense. The song talks about Stuart’s struggle with ME, dealing with a chronic illness, lying in bed feeling all useless,
“I was like a child, I was light as straw
When my father lifted me up there
Took me to a place where they checked my body
My soul was floating in thin air”
Very cool. A great opening choice, it reminds me of Thunder Road, the notorious opener of Born to Run by Springsteen, with it’s storytelling-y, piano-y beginning, into a big sounding, life affirming sound as the song builds and builds. Also he sings, “If I had a camera I’d snap you now, cause there’s beauty in every stumble”, which makes me swoon- BECAUSE I AM ALWAYS STUMBLING, METAPHORICALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
Track 2 is called Allie, supposedly the female perspective in which Stuart writes from for this album. I can’t possibly comment on this track as it opens with Stevie, ‘ba-da-da’ing, which is too much for a fangirl. You’re just like, OMG! It’s Stevie! And he’s ba-da-ing!
Anyway. What I can disclose about this song, what I like about it, is the same old, trusted B&S formula- which is all like, ‘Angry girl gets angry about things and we sing about it with pretty 60’s melodies and instruments.’ It just works, “You made a list of all your heroes & you thought about what they went through/ It’s much harder, much darker than anything that happened to you.” I can relate to that, I’m ashamed to admit. That frustration of being a teenager and wanting anything ANYTHING to happen to you, no matter what, it’s just something that will trigger you to move out, or write a song, or get a haircut. Kind of wanting to pursue the *ahem* struggle of something to get a story, if anything, out of it- but then in reality just sitting around in your pants eating Wotsits watching Netflix. Adolescence.
Next up, The Party Line! This is the first single released from the record, so if you haven’t heard it already, you probably already have in H&M or something. (I’m not denouncing them as sell-outs, I did actually hear this in H&M, and internally squealed, bopping my head in a nervous, twitchy sort of way for 3 minutes, probably looking like I’d shoplifted something.) I totally hated this song when I first heard it, and mourned the loss of my band- before the curse of the fangirl hit and I was like- HEY!! GUYS!! CALM IT! IT’S JUST A DIFFERENT DIRECTION!’ I thought it was too repetitive and tinny-sounding, and nothing *sigh* like Judy and the Dream of Horse *sigh*, but then I got over it, and now it’s my alarm. It dances me out of bed, every day. Favourite line goes to: “Where were you when I was king in this part of town?” I love the idea of fallen popularity, the more local the better; being ‘famous’ within the teenage population of your hometown. Just for wearing a cool leather jacket, shaving your head, etc.
The Power of Three is lovely, and Sarah is singing. The Cat With the Cream has some lovely, beautiful melodies with some sacred sounding strings. Enter Sylvia Plath is a total mess, and sounds like the Pet Shop Boys, but hey, I’ll probably love it by next week. The Everlasting Muse is a fantastic load of fun, with a Greek sounding chorus, a sound favoured by me and my friends, who happily danced to Zorba the Greek and Dominick the Donkey, on repeat for a long time on New Year’s Eve. Before I get quoted on that, it doesn’t sound remotely like Zorba the Greek, but hey, I am not equipped to write serious, proper album reviews. It just reminded me of NYE. This is a first listen, OK, guys.
Perfect Couples has the perfect (lol) Sympathy for the Devil sounding introduction, before it explodes into BASICALLY THE BEST PARTY SONG OF 2015. Maybe not a party party song, but the song to play as you set out the cheese before the party. It could so be in a musical. Oh, a Belle & Sebastian musical. They played this in Paris to a background montage of a very stylish, very choreographed scene of a living room party. It was all just très cool, bèbè.
The next song, Ever Had a Little Faith?, was so perfect for today, and is good, old fashioned B&S, with lyrics so perfect for rainy bus journeys, “Something good will happen, wait and see/ Do you spend your days second guessing fate?” & “Drop your sad pretence/ You’ll be doing fine, you will flourish like a rose in June.”
Aural proof new albums provide more hope than a new year ever could. (The last 3 tracks also exist for you to stream, along with all the above tracks I’ve spoken about, but I have a to-do list the length of my leg. Also, with my ideal album at 35 minutes, the running time of just over an hour is too much for my ears and their poor stamina)
In other news, I’m glad Christmas is over, spent 4 nights in 2 different hotels in the past 7 days, was in Dublin last week, am in London twice this week and in Cambridge at the weekend to see First Aid Kit, again. Things could be worse.
Thanks for staying with me, if you did (which if you’re reading this- you did! So like, uh, thanks!)
TAGLINE: ~A really really half-hearted unworthy post about Camera Obscura’s wonderful new release, ‘Desire Lines’~
I haven’t post for a week or whatever, because I’ve been busy trying to perfect my puttanesca sauce, learning lines for this ol’ play I’m in, and listening to Camera Obscura’s new album Desire Lines.
Since pasta is carb-y therefore not particularly stylish, Shakespeare is old therefore not so rad, I guess Camera Obscura are hip enough to write about (by hip I mean really fucking good, as in- I can’t listen to anything else until I’ve learnt at least all of the lyrics to the first side.)
OKAY: I can’t remember where I first heard Obscura, but I presume it was as a recommendation I read when scouring Belle & Sebastian fan pages for days and days when I was 15 (I pretend I’m no longer like that, but I sort of am)
With most pieces about bands, it’s nice to read what the first album the writer heard was because usually it’s kind of accessible and a good place for the ever faithful reader to begin
‘Let’s Get out of this Country’, released in 2006 is perfection, every song is wonderful, AND REALLY EASY TO PLAY ON GUITAR, but I’m tired and it’s Sunday and my brain is coping with two hangovers so just shut up and listen:
‘Dory Previn’
‘Razzle Dazzle Rose’
‘voir tout en rose’
But of more importance, let’s talk about Desire Lines- because I’ve overplayed it to such an extent that I can’t properly write anything of value about their former stuff.
Let’s talk about ‘New Years Resolution’
New Year’s Resoultion to write something of value
A new year’s resolution to write something would be fine
&
You offer a friendship I cannot reciprocate
So don’t beg me in a garden for it not to end this way
&
I’ve been cool with you
I’ve been cool with you
I’ve been cool with you
Which is so wonderful and perfect, ‘I’ve been cool with you’
It seems older and her vocals stronger than aforementioned ‘Lets get out of this Country’ and it has come and SUCH a relevant time in my life, (which I can’t really talk about on here being the internet and really not private etc.) All for which makes a really bad, bad, post.
Still I love you all. And I’ll keep coming back to WordPress, I promise. For now though, please go and buy it. Walk to a shop and buy it. It’s really worth your wages.
Fixed the punctures on my bike. Dad was like you won’t be able to see the puncture, you’ll have to pump it up, put it in water…AND THEN WE SEE A PUNCTURE THE SIZE OF A 50P PIECE. I know how to fuck shit UP!
Bought Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane on CD. (The Bowie post will come soon I promise.)
Listened to Tigermilk- Belle & Sebastian 3 TIMES.
This is kind of a specialist post, so I’ll try and keep it succinct.
The debut album of Scottish twee group Belle & Sebastian, written in 1996 (my birth year, so it basically is the same as me)- with some of their best moments as a group of musicians ever.
Look here: I own it, twice! (The picture of the wall is just the record stuck up, which is a great, cheap way to decorate)
I even drew my eyebrows on today. (EDIT: scary panda)
The album opens with ‘The State I am In’ with baby Stuart quietly whispering to all lonely girl (and boy) listeners everywhere. There is something in listening to the first track of an album, if it’s something really significant you’ll like the band/artist for ever and ever and ever. (See: Thunder Road/Bruce Springsteen/Born to Run;;;;;;Gloria/Patti Smith/Horses etc)
In truth, the first B&S album I heard was Dear Catastrophe Waitress, with the stellar opening track, “Step into my Office Baby” I remember first listening to it really late in bed, saying, “I will listen to the first track and then go to bed.” Unfortunately this song got me so excited that I had to listen to the entire thing, one time and a HALF (then i did fall asleep. I blame Asleep on a Sunbeam for being so calming.
Oh, Tigermilk.
In the sleeve notes, it reads, Sebastian (aka Stuart) wrote all of his best songs in 1995. In fact, most of his best songs have the words “Nineteen Ninety-Five in them”. What would happen in 1996?”
I think this is beautiful. It’s not horrendously dramatic, it simply is all like, Oh wait! I’m having quite a good time right now, but how soon will it all end? You can easily hear that Stuart was influenced by The Smiths and the lyrics of Morrissey, but it isn’t quite so heart-wrenching, so maximal.
Where Morrissey is all like: “what a terrible mess I’ve made of my life”, Stuart is: “You know my bip-bopping days are over, I hung my boots up and then retired from the disco floor”
It’s a little more playful, and the stories are endless. B&S create so many characters, and yes- you can probably relate! That’s the joy. One of the lovely moments in my life was lying on some bed with some guy ~mysterious and not naming names and weird and bookish~ when suddenly, and for some reason I thought of the lyric,
“We lay on the bed there, kissing just for practice”
And I was instantly comforted by the fact things like this happen all the time, in bedrooms everywhere with boys and girls (and girls and girls and boys and boys too)
It’s just a bit of fun, we’re enjoying being young that’s all (that is what this band says to me.)
Also: THIS ALBUM: GREAT WALKING MUSIC. If it’s your kind of preferred pastime, buy or download the CD, and next time you’re in school walking past some absolutely fucking morons, play Track 9 ‘I don’t love anyone’ and walk in time past them, to
“Out on the street today/the kids are out playing having fun/I pass ’em by I’m not a kid, no/I don’t love anyone”
That’s how I deal with people anyway
And then, of course, there is Track 5- Electronic Renaissance. Which is perfection, as it sounds so different and it works so well. It is so well placed, with them ~synth vibes~, ugh I love it. Do you get that I love it? Have I fulfilled the purpose of this crazy fan post?
I think I’ve said what I’ve wanted to. For further reading, I’d recommend The Celestial Cafe, by the man himself. It’s a really great read, but, hey, you’re so rad you’ve probably read it already.
“You know the world was made for men/And not us” – We Rule The School, Track 7
Oh. He’s a feminist too. Hey.
Go out and buy it!!!!
Stay in and download it!!!
Or, most importantly, be all like, “Fuck you! Fucking bitch telling me what to do and to like, fucking Belle and shit” You’re the best kind of person.
I was at work today. I waitress every Saturday at an italian restaurant. I am actually italian, so it feels quite good to be around people that my grandparents were friends with.
There is something quite glamourous about waitresses. I mean, in music, waitresses are hyped about for some reason, but in reality all waitressing does is smudge your eyeliner (I think I just need to invest in some new eyeliner- see yesterdays post) and make your hair smell like pizza. I say music glamourises waitressing, I’m not entirely sure whether it really does- I just really adore belle and sebastian and after reading the Celestial Café, Stuart seems pretty hyped up about the idea of shitty, broken waitresses.
It has helped me to talk to people though, as essentially thats what I get paid for, that, and sprinkling parmesan over carbonaras. I get loads of ideas from the people I meet for characters which helps me write journal entries or short stories (some of which I might post if you behave)
Fashionably, my job isn’t couture-like. In fact, it’s similar to schoolwear, apart from I get to wear a skirt that makes my ass look real good. I can’t even paint my nails, which I can for school. Well, I’m not allowed technically- but schools only really fun if you break the rules loads
If I were to post an outfit for what I think of when I think of waitressing, no pretense allowed (i.e no geek glasses, pleated skirts etc) here it is:
Bit bland isn’t it. Its smart, I suppose- and unfortunately a small Italian restaurant in an unimportant city in England isn’t exactly New York Fashion Week. There is something quite nice about a dress code, though- if I went to work dressing as I pleased- I’d probably get fired for being insane
At work today, I watched a man on the table outside drinking a morning coffee as the sun rose up. The decor of the place is supposed to look authentically Italian, and in some ways I suppose it is, EVERYTHING i’ve ever prepared, cleaned, or polished says Made in Italy on it. Seeing the lone man drink his coffee made me think of the Style Councils ‘Cafe Bleu’ album. I don’t even know much about this album, what the critics thought of it, whether it’s considered Good Paul or Bad Weller, but I love this. My dad has it on vinyl and I discovered it. Properly atmospheric cafe music
I’m a little sleepy, and I’m gonna go curl up and watch the Virgin Suicides. I’ve never seen it, and I hope it’s good. If it’s bad then I’ll fall asleep, and that will be good too. So no time wasted here.
The cafe in Amelie looks similar to where I work, which is a perk, a perk I can’t tell my colleagues because they’ll think I’m much too bookish~~
