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Belle and Sebastian
On Tour673,699 listeners (29,672,522 plays)
Listening now: xanquete, Annaken23, Skirzit
indie, indie pop, alternative, indie rock, twee
Glasgow, United Kingdom (1996 – present)
Belle and Sebastian is a band from Glasgow — Led by guitarist/vocalist Stuart Murdoch, the seven-piece band has an intimate, majestic sound that is equal parts folk-rock and ‘60s pop. Murdoch has a gift for not only whimsy and surrealism, but also for odd, unsettling lyrical detail which keeps the songs grounded in a tangible reality.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle and Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996 at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain’s music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl that wasn’t in the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.
The idiosyncratic approach to building their career isn’t surprising given Murdoch’s approach toward beginning a band. A longtime fan of Felt, Murdoch left Glasgow for London in the early ’90s in hopes of finding the group’s leader, Lawrence Hayward, but he never found his idol. Upon his return to Glasgow he enrolled in university and he began writing songs and short stories. While at school, he took a music business course at James Watt College, where he decided to form a band and release a record for his final project (he had tried to form a band before to no success). For the project, he assembled the seven-piece Belle and Sebastian, featuring himself on guitar and vocals, choosing and recruiting members by instinct in a local all-night cafe in late 1995.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Belle and Sebastian released their first two albums in 1996 at the peak of the chamber pop movement. At first, some critics in Britain’s music weeklies tied the band into the subgenre, yet the group was too pretty, too delicate, to bear that label. Through their first two years of public existence, the band shielded their personalities, submitting publicity photos featuring a girl that wasn’t in the band and reluctantly posing for photo shoots. Furthermore, they performed in odd venues, playing not only the standard coffeehouses and cafes, but also homes, church halls, and libraries.
The idiosyncratic approach to building their career isn’t surprising given Murdoch’s approach toward beginning a band. A longtime fan of Felt, Murdoch left Glasgow for London in the early ’90s in hopes of finding the group’s leader, Lawrence Hayward, but he never found his idol. Upon his return to Glasgow he enrolled in university and he began writing songs and short stories. While at school, he took a music business course at James Watt College, where he decided to form a band and release a record for his final project (he had tried to form a band before to no success). For the project, he assembled the seven-piece Belle and Sebastian, featuring himself on guitar and vocals, choosing and recruiting members by instinct in a local all-night cafe in late 1995.
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See moreVideos
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Play
Belle & Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
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Play
Belle & Sebastian - Another Sunny Day
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Play
Belle and Sebastian - The Blues Are Still Blue
Top Albums
Shoutbox
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lovemusic0312 wrote:
Can't wait their new album… I love this band
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he-war wrote:
i dont have any of their top songs :[
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nappr wrote:
So I really like this chiptune cover of a b& s song, but I don't know anything bout these fellas or what song it is. Here's a link to the mp3: mediafire . com/?9mmlvmz0gmm
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musikenrullar wrote:
this is just so beautiful
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ToyzintheAttic wrote:
Well, I don't know. I couldn't really get into The Life Pursuit at all. Didn't know why everyone seemed to like it so much. Maybe if I gave it another listen, I don't know. If You're Feeling Sinister is an album that has a lot of charm, though. Just something about it.
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Glendabed wrote:
They're alright but a little overrated I think.. a small margin above average in my humble opinion
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Jay_Fiedler wrote:
I prefer the push barman version.
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DotsDisconnect wrote:
i wonder which The State I Am In is more popular, the push barman version or the tigermilk? And i just noticed that A Century of Elvis and A Century of Fakers are nearly the same exact song! OhmYg0D!
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raqueldrose wrote:
delícia
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deadgrandma wrote:
When are they going to make a new album gah!
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_meandthemajor wrote:
I would do anything for a new Belle & Sebastian album.
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Ekolod wrote:
New picture looks great!
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theystolemybike wrote:
Yes please. The old one's not coming back. I think the best we can do is make recommendations to improve this one.
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Mesouki wrote:
Get over it. Last.fm ain't gonna change. The new layout is not sooo great, but we'll get around. =/
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redrum84 wrote:
Bring back the old Last.fm over 4,000 members since yesterday!
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shoreline4 wrote:
dress up in you = best.
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oosmik wrote:
why is it that nobody likes the new layout adapt or see yah later!
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destard wrote:
[img]http://a185.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/18/l_f88cf0df2edebe5f003099e6539c1b08.gif[/img]
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jujuts wrote:
Another Sunny Day. Belle and Sebastian <3
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theystolemybike wrote:
Slow Graffiti is such a good song.
Listeners
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evena
Listening now
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xanquete
Listening now
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apecut79
Listening now
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pixienat
Top Listener
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asundaybeat
Top Listener
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punkrockchar
Top Listener
Events
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Sep
15
Kiddo
Teviot Row House, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Add shout
| 4 attendees
Recent Activity
- DominoRecords tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘scotland’. yesterday evening
- Ozzyneito tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘indie pop’. yesterday morning
- nickexclamation and tylerstravis tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘seen live’. yesterday morning
- spetsparasoll tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘british’. yesterday evening
- DFA1979 tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘scottish’. Wednesday evening
- mellowdoubt tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘indie pop’. Wednesday morning
- redrosesforme tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘seen live’. Wednesday morning
- Liquitex and removable tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘indie’. Tuesday evening
- fermano tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘alternative’. Tuesday afternoon
- twosouls82 tagged Belle and Sebastian with ‘indie rock’. Tuesday morning
Groups (550)
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music for people who dont get invited to parties
673 members
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belle & sebastian
2,008 members
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Scot-pop all the way!
264 members
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well i like great music and if you do too maybe you can make the cut
46 members
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the gentle waves
68 members
More Information
- Links
- Band Members
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- Bobby Kildea (2001 - present)
- Chris Geddes (1996 - present)
- Isobel Campbell (1996 - 2002)
- Mick Cooke (1998 - present)
- Richard Colburn (1996 - present)
- Sarah Martin (1996 - present)
- Stevie Jackson (1996 - present)
- Stuart David (1996 - 2000)
- Stuart Murdoch (1996 - present)
