Belle and Sebastian had solidified a place high, very high on my list of top bands after Dear Catastrophe Waitress. After acquiring The Life Pursuit, I had high expectations, and found that after a few listens; “Another Sunny Day” was constantly on repeat time after time.

Belle and Sebastian have strayed far from their original sound as heard in Tigermilk, If You’re Feeling Sinster, and The Boy With the Arab Strap. Songs like “White Collar Boy” and “Funny Little Frog” are much more upbeat while Stuart Murdoch’s unique voice that has a light Scottish accent is quite bouncy.

Lyrically, these songs are well worded, meaningful, and very emotionally provoking in such songs as “Dress Up In You.” In “The Blues Are Still Blue” and “For the Price of a Cup of Tea,” we hear catchy choruses and excellent drumming. I like the way the songs are ordered, almost as if it’s a story in its own. The Life Pursuit begins with “Act of the Apostle 1” followed by some fairly lively songs and ends with a more relaxing “Act of the Apostle 2” and “Mornington Crescent”.

“To Be Myself Completely” is another song that Stevie Jackson sings lead. In the previous album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, Jackson sings lead in “(I Believe In) Travellin’ Light” which did not fit the tone of the album too well. I didn’t get the same feeling here. Stuart Murdoch provides an excellent background voice as demonstrated at 1:12 of “To Be Myself Completely.”

This wonderful group have achieved great succes in Scotland, their home country and its spreading quickly as they begin touring here in the States. In January 2005, Belle and Sebastian were voted Scotland’s greatest band in a poll by The List, beating Simple Minds, Idlewild, Travis, Franz Ferdinand, and The Proclaimers, among others. The Life Pursuit is bold and inspiring.

The Words are intellectually stimulating. Belle and Sebastian has once again succeeded in creating a fun, riveting, and emotionally involving record using many instruments to convey this tone.

Most albums take a few listens to catch on, but this one had my attention the first time around and that’s what it’s all about, really. That’s what makes them special.

When I first conceptualized (what was to be) Indie Read about two years ago. I reviewed the two recent (at the time) Belle & Sebastian albums. The first being, Dear Catastrophe Waitress. But before I just copy/paste what I wrote, I just want to say the Belle & Sebastian should be on any indie lover’s playlist. They are a rather large and pretty old band that has influenced many whom have come after. In 2006, I was privileged to watch them play at the Hollywood Bowl. The opening act was The Shins and this had to be one of the most epic shows that I have ever attended. So without further ado…

With a new signing to Rough Trade Records, Belle and Sebastian have developed a different sound. It’s noticeably more polished and takes on a more pop-friendly role in contrast to their previews three albums which leaned toward the folky end.

Dear Catastrophe Waitress was nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize along with other bands like Keane, Snow Patrol, and fellow Scottish band Franz Ferdinand who ended up winning the award.

Songs like “I’m a Cuckoo” and “Step Into My Office Baby” were released as singles, and rightly so. “Step Into My Office baby” immediately connects you with them as the lyrics are worded familiarly, describing sexual frustration and loneliness. At about 1:45, the song changes tone. The only song seemingly different than the rest is “Lord Anthony,” but that was written years earlier and was not given a proper release until its appearance here.

The guitar riffs in “If She Wants Me” goes along with Stuart Murdoch’s relaxing vocals. “Asleep on the Sunbeam” is, I believe, the first time multi-instrumentalist Sarah Martin sang lead and WHAT A VOICE! I can only hope we hear her singing solo more often in future albums. Stevie Jackson also sings lead in “(I Believe In) Travellin’ Light.” While great, this track feels odd on this album. His voice is not very poppy and very folky which makes me feel that it would belong more on a previous record. This is followed by “I’m a Cuckoo.” This song has me at a loss for words…

“You Don’t Send Me” brings back Mick Cooke’s trumpet. Murdoch and Jackson take turns singing in “Wrapped Up In Books.” “Stay Loose” is a mixture of the many aspects of their music, plus mild suggestions of electronica. It’s not the first time they’ve done that. We heard it in “Electronic Renaissance” which appeared on “Tigermilk.”

This complete new sound is very inviting as Belle and Sebastian seem to have emerged out of nowhere. Welcome Back.

It seems like I’m going backwards in time with these reviews. The albums are getting older, but the bands are getting better. The Unicorns are a pop-synth band from Canada (where all the best pop-synth music is created) that broke up in late ‘04. After heated arguments and intense touring, the band collapsed due to rising tensions finally bursting. Later on, two of the three unicorns ended up forming a similar band called Islands, which is due to release a second album this April.

Now, this CD may be aged but just like a fine wine, it only gets better as it matures. Full of fun and fancy beats, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone? is not like all the other albums spawned in Montreal. These guys perfect the beloved essence of pop music to deliver you a dose of fully-polished songs that will infect your mind with their catchy tunes and childish lyrics. The only way to keep them out is to let them in; so, open your doors and welcome in their quirky choruses and whacky verses with arms wide open.

I tend to start at the beginning of this album to only find myself at the end moments later. The CD flies down your ears smoothly, banging on your ear drums with each pleasant, passing tone. In a way, their music lacks structure but they still manage to keep it ringing through your head. With silly lyrics and an immature disposition, their album is the Toys ‘R Us of the music world. It’s a place you still dream about, even as an adult.

Yesterday, Paramore’s lead singer Hayley Williams posted some disappointing news for some of their fans in europe. They canceled the last week of their UK/Europe tour due to “internal issues”. The band tried fighting through these problems for a few weeks, but decided that some time off would be best.

Today, she posted again to quell rumors that they were breaking up, or that she was pregnant. Now, does anyone really care? Maybe…but to me, they are just a dime a dozen in this industry. In other words, they ain’t no Blink-182.

hello everyone…

since we posted the last entry, we’ve gotten tons of phone calls and people posting things on websites saying that we are breaking up. i just want to make it clear, though, that by posting two nights ago we weren’t saying the band was over. we posted because we are going through hard times and we felt that because we have a really good support system in you guys, our fans, it would be better for us to just be honest about what’s going on - even though, it was a pretty vague explanation. man, some of the rumors that i’ve heard going around are insane! it’s weird how out of hand things can get even when you just try to tell a simple truth. (for the record, my eggo is not preggo). anyway, we just need to take time to make this band the best it can be… and we are doing that now.

thank you for all the love and the encouragement you guys have shown. and WE WILL! be seeing you guys on the 27th of March in Orlando, FL

Sometimes poppy, sometimes folky, Coconut Records is a solo project started by, drummer of Phantom Planet and actor, Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, I Heart Huckabees, and The Darjeeling Limited). He plays the majority of the instruments on one hand while juggling his acting career in the other. Quite the multi-tasker :)!

Nighttiming was an instant win for me. The entire album is composed of a little bit of everything, so it manages to keep it appealing to all audiences. Schwartzman is a “jack of all trades” kind of guy who can make anything sound good. From country songs like “Mama” to love songs like “Easy Girl.” “West Coast” screams out INSTANT HIT with lyrics that bring out your inner-apathy, but a melody that fits any mood you’re in.

Nighttiming’s tempo is always calm, its beat always smooth, and its vocals always crisp. Simply put, the album is like a swiss-army knife. It has a small amount of everything put into one compact size for your enjoyment. Not feeling well? Need something to dance to? Feel like going back home to the west coast? Coconut Records has you covered.