Tigermilk

This weekend I found myself trying to explain what it is about Belle & Sebastian that I just don't get. I couldn't. Generally, I just find a lot of their songs hard to connect with. I don't know if it's the songs, the production or just Stuart Murdoch's voice being too much. I can't pin it down to one thing.

Having said that, for a few months now I've really liked 'The State I Am In' and also 'Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying'. Just as I'm not sure what put me off their other songs, I don't know why these two seemed so great, especially since I guess they're supposed to be pretty typical Stuart Murdoch songs, as far as he does typical (even with my limited B&S knowledge I'm aware that they've progressed a bit in recent years).

Anyway, this weekend I found Tigermilk on vinyl in Out Of Time Records, and had to buy it (1999 version, of course). Partly this is just because I'm really shit with money, but it's also because I love 'The State I Am In' and I love the story behind Tigermilk and I really wanted to like the album. Also, have you seen the liner notes? They're way cute.

Anyway, I carried it home with a lot of other things that I'm wasting my life's savings on (I can't actually remember what else I bought... OH YEAH, some shitty werewolf romcom, some chocolates and Animal Farm for a friend's birthday, a Christopher Marlowe book from Oxfam...) and... I'm going to confess here that I didn't listen to it on my record player. I don't just want to own it, I will listen to it on my record player... but for now I just found myself suddenly listening to it in itunes after telling people that I thought that Camera Obscura were the far superior band (to be honest I actually think there's little point in comparing the two, but that's a less fun discussion for a different time).

There's something about Tigermilk. I don't know exactly what - I think it might be rhythm, it might be production, it's something to do with the songs. They stick with me like precious few others by the band do. Essentially, the horrible truth is that most B&S songs are unmemorable for me, I can't hum them or even remember a single lyric of snatch of melody once they're done. I'm not even compelled to listen again. Tigermilk is different.

There's something about the album, in the lyrics that move from "you've got permission, but you've got to make the bastard think he's right" to "the first cup of coffee tastes like washing up" and "I've never done this kind of thing / but if I kill him now, who's going to miss him?", in the melodies and then even in Stuart Murdoch's voice that just really hits me in a way that only a handful of their other songs do.

This isn't me trying to be like "I ONLY LIKE THEIR EARLY STUFF", although I guess it probably seems like that. Part of what attracted to me to Tigermilk in the first place was, as I've said, the story behind it, but if it didn't have the songs to back it up I wouldn't be writing this. I tried listening to Sinister all the way through earlier and nothing really jumped out at me as much. Dear Catastrophe Waitress is the other one that I find myself liking multiple songs from, actually, but even that is largely unmemorable for me in places.

Anyone want to recommend me the catchiest or most memorable non-Tigermilk songs by B&S then? I feel like I'm missing out.

Then again, maybe I just don't like B&S as much as other people do and that won't change. I'm cool with that, I guess. There are some people that don't love Los Campesinos! as much as I do. I may think they're crazy, but...

Anyway, all of this is sort of detracting from the main point of this post. TIGERMILK IS AMAZING.

weekend miscellany

I wanted to post something to keep this regular, because I'm tired of starting blogs and abandoning them. I don't want to do another track by track, though, since it's so late, so have some thoughts about music instead.

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Why are Los Campesinos! not currently one of the biggest indie bands in the country? I am genuinely curious. I was at a friend's 19th and was attempting to spread the word earlier tonight. They're just so much fun, and I want more people to understand! I think their new single, My Year In Lists, is finally out on Monday, but I'm not sure. I think everyone should buy it.

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Today I discovered Hefner's song A Hymn For The Postal Service. It's an amazing song, but I love the idea. I love the line 'every night I pray for mail in the morning' because I SO know that feeling. I spent a couple of frustrating weeks recently waiting for various things in the post, and I finally got them yesterday and it was magic. I'm currently reading one of them now, it's a massive poetry anthology, and it's so worth it. I'm so often waiting for things in the post though, it;s like magic, but a really frustrating kind of magic. Apparently, though, they may be stopping Saturday post altogether. Say it isn't so! I rarely get anything on a Saturday, but don't take away the hope! I love getting post. I seriously love it.

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Are there many songs out there that are better than 'Lonely Hearts Still Beat The Same' by The Research? I never hear about them anymore, I have no idea where they're from or who they are, even, but that one song has to be one of the greatest songs of the last few years. It's like an even more desolate, lo-fi Magnetic Fields. Or Casiotone for the Painfully Alone after listening to Camera Obscura. Or just something goregous and lovely and sad.

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I'm going to come clean; I don't understand Belle and Sebastian. I understand the appeal I guess, but the music? I can never remember what it sounds like after listening. Only two songs jump out at me as favourites. I find it hard to connect with. Anyone want to tell me where I'm going wrong or which to listen to to try and get it? I like Lord Anthony, The State I Am In and Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying the best I think.

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Is it wrong to believe that Let's Get Out Of This Country and I Need All The Friends I Can Get by Camera Obscura are possibly better pop songs than pretty much any B&S song that I've heard? Then again, B&S are way above Camera Obscura in my last.fm charts, so...

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I did buy Tigermilk today. Vinyl. 1999, though, gutted. Obviously not going to find an original sitting around in Ipswich though, let's get real. Considering my attitude towards B&S I'd hardly deserve it if I did find it.

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I decided that I sort of like 'Bleeding Love' today. Huh.

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If I keep buying music on a whim then I will have no money for anything this summer. Or later, when I'm at university. Fail.

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I'm kind of excited about the new album from Annie, even thoguh I only really know two songs by her. You know, the ones everyone knows - Chewing Gum and the one about heartbeats. A lot of my favourite songs are about heartbeats, it's such a meme/cliche. Other ones I can think of on the spot: Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats, With Every Heartbeat, Lonely Hearts Still Beat The Same...

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Lipgloss by Pulp must surely be one of their greatest? I really need to properly assess pulp, there are a few songs by them that I love but then a lot that... again, I just don't find memorable.

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My MP3 player is broken. This is not fun. I'm currently making myself a lot of mix CDs to try and make up for it. It's not really working, but the mix CDs are fun.

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I should go to bed. These thought trains are becoming smaller. I love The Wave Pictures. Good night.