Chances are, you haven't heard of the Scottish folk-pop group Belle and Sebastian.

Normally, I would subject you to a severe tongue lashing, but this time I'll let it slide. It's almost like they don't want you to hear about them. They rarely give interviews, give maybe five or six concerts a year, have only been photographed together as a group something like twice, and hardly receive any airplay on eMpTyV. Yet the group has a rabid and devoted following, have placed albums pretty high up on the British music charts, and were invited to play on Top of the Pops, which is the top live music program in Great Britain (which they subsequently turned down). Oh yeah, remember those five or six concerts I mentioned earlier? They sell out. Quick.

Yet why does Belle and Sebastian have such a following? Maybe it's their low key status. Sometimes it seems the more unknown the group, the more devoted their following. But a large part of it lies in their unique sound. At the heart of this sound lies a folksy, gentle nature. Songs like "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" and "The Roller coaster Ride" (my personal favorite) off of The Boy With the Arab Strap are prime examples of this. Yet the group has soaked up some of that Brit-pop/techno/electronica influence too, like in the song "Electronic Renaissance" off of the group's first album Tigermilk . Sometimes the two different sounds collide. "Sleep the Clock Around," off of The Boy With the Arab Strap , combines a gentle, rollicking beat with space age synthesizers and sound effects.

The group has put out three albums to date. Their first Tigermilk was originally released for a music class project on vinyl only. It has since been reissued on CD, but I once saw an original copy on eBay. Buying it would have set me back a few dollars. If You're Feeling Sinister is Belle and Sebastian's second album, and the one which many fans regard as their best. I don't know if I would call it their best, but it is damn good. Check out songs like "Stars of Track and Field," "Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying" (voted in an online poll to be their best song) and "Judy and the Dream of Horses" if you want to see what I mean. It was the group's third album The Boy With the Arab Strap that brought me into the fold. It's my favorite, mainly because of sentimental value that I won't get into here. There are a number of great songs on it, such as the aforementioned "Sleep the Clock Around," and "The Roller coaster Ride." One of the album's standout tracks is "Seymour Stein," about a record company executive who steals away the singer's girlfriend. In the hands of lesser bands this would come across as silly or ridiculous, but Belle and Sebastian manage to make it into a genuinely moving song.

In addition to their three albums, the group has issued several EP's, among them Dogs on Wheels , 3...6...9 Seconds of Light and This is a Modern Rock Song . Right now, the group is involved in various side projects and is also finishing up their fourth studio album, to be released (hopefully) late this summer.

Tired and fed up with all the boy bands? Had it up to the gills with mindless alterna-pop? All these rock/rap atrocities driving you out of your mind? If you answered yes to any of these questions, don't walk, RUN to the nearest record store and pick up a Belle and Sebastian album (they're all in print and easily attainable). You won't be disappointed.

Name: Shaun
Year: The Boy With the Arab Strap
Major: Belle and Sebastian: Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant
Comments:
It would appear friends and neighbors that the days of the press shy, reclusive Belle and Sebastian are over. The group has been doing a ton of interviews in support of their new album Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant . They've been interviewed probably by every major music magazine in Europe, played Top of the Pops and have even been interviewed by *gasp* eMpTyV (twice!). Looks like they might be breaking big on this album. It entered the American album charts at number 80, which might not seem all that hot, but when you consider the fact that none of their previous albums broke the top 200, it's quite a feat. The first single "The Wrong Girl" has been released to radio, and should probably be getting airplay on alternative stations. "Legal Man" is nowhere to be found on the album, thankfully, as it doesn't fit the feel of the album. Oh yeah, that song entered the American singles chart at number forty seven. Take that soulless corporate pop! Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty (and no I don't mean the dirt band). If I had to pick one word to describe the new album it would be: big. By and far this is the most ambitous album the group has put out to date. Strings and horns can be heard all over the place, such as the aforementioned "The Wrong Girl" or "Women's Realm" (which, if they really rip it up, could make a boo-tay kicking live track), and the string section really highlights the rollicking "The Model" my personal favorite off the album. The major trend in Belle and Sebatian's music is for the songwriting duties to become more democratic. Lead singer Stuart Murdoch wrote the songs for the group's first two albums, but allowed cellist (and overall goddess of all that is cool) Isobel Campbell and guitartist Stevie Jackson to come to the table with The Boy With the Arab Strap. They also sang on their songs too. With the new album, Isobel and Stevie return, Isobel singing on the cute ditty "Family Tree" and dueting with Murdoch on "Women's Realm" and with Stevie on "Beyond the Sunrise, with Stevie singing "The Wrong Girl." But multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin makes her debut on the haunting "Waiting For the Moon to Rise," another standout track. Yet at the heart of it all, Belle and Sebastian stay true to the gentle and delicate sound that has been their hallmark. Songs like "The Chalet Lines" (which..umm..I won't tell you what it's about) and the aforemenitoned "Family Tree" would not have been out of place on any of B&S's previous albums. With this new album, it sounds like Belle and Sebastian just might be ready for the mainstream. Question is: is the mainstream ready for them?

Name: JR
Comments:
Shaun. Yet another kick ass article. Right on. Keep it up.

Name: Shaun
Comments:
Well, looks like Belle and Sebastian are all set to release their new album June 6th. It will be entitled Fold Your Hands Child You Walk Like a Peasant. The new single is out, entitled "Legal Man." It's really retro, sounding straight out of the sixties or something. It rocks out pretty hard too and is a departure for the group. This can be bad, as in the group could lose the things that make their music so cool and unique, although somehow I doubt it. I sincerely hope that B&S grow with this album. I'll probably pitch a tent in front of the record store the day before this album comes out, I can hardly wait. I'll probably post a review of it here after I've had time to digest it and take it in.

Name: Liam G
Comments:
Belle and Sebastian??? no way, I happen to own a copy of the boy and the arab strap and I did not like it a bit. Maybe it's because of the folk type songs. To me it does not tie in with the whole brit music. When I think if the brittish music scene i tend to lean on bands like Suede (the London Suede), Cast, Stereophonics, Supergrass and of course evident bands such as Travis, Oasis, and Blur. Sorry to disagree.