Belle and Sebastian
Top Songs
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- The Boy With the Arab Strap
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- Piazza, New York Catcher
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- I'm a Cuckoo
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- Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying
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- Another Sunny Day
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- Expectations
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- If She Wants Me
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Essential Albums
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If You’re Feeling Sinister1996With intimate storytelling, intricate orchestration, and catchy melodies, If You’re Feeling Sinister established the Scottish collective among the most eloquent indie bands of the ‘90s. Using a breezy mix of influences (mid-century French pop, Brit folk, and ‘80s indie pop, to name a few) songwriter Stuart Murdoch creates characters who cast the mould for Wes Anderson’s twee, bookish heroes—they’re pensive and precocious, maudlin and mischievous. But ultimately it’s the shimmering melodies of songs like “Dylan in the Movies” and “The Fox in the Snow” that make the album an unforgettable triumph.
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Tigermilk1996Tigermilk was the end result of a vocational school’s class project from B&S leader Stuart Murdoch. The album’s initial pressing of 1,000 on their own Electric Honey Recordings in 1996 quickly sold out and became a much sought-after collector’s item as the band’s critical reputation subsequently grew. It was re-released in 1999 and confirmed all rumors of the Glasgow group’s superior melodic instincts. From the opening shuffle of “The State I’m In” with Stuart Murdoch’s earnest, childlike, mournful croon, the band were set to redefine the meaning of “Twee Pop” for an entire generation. Imagine Donovan tickling Nick Drake’s funny bone with nods towards the orchestrated pop of the High Llamas and a random skiffle craze or two. “Expectations” jams a brass accompaniment into its cramped quarters (the album was recorded in a rushed five days). “She’s Losing It” soft-shoes love through a Parisian rain shower. “Electronic Renaissance” shuttles over to dense synth-pop, while “I Could Be Dreaming” uses a garage rock crudeness to pine for the youthful days of old that “We Rule the School” recalls with gentle empathy.
Top Videos
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I'm a Cuckoo2004
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Wrapped Up In Books2004
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Nobody's Empire2014
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Poor Boy2018
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Olympic Village, 6AM2016
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Sister Buddha2019
Artist Playlists
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Belle & Sebastian EssentialsJust a modern rock band writing modern rock songs.
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Belle and Sebastian: Next StepsThe many dimensions of the introspective indie-pop band.
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Belle and Sebastian: Deep CutsThe poetic group gets exploratory with their delicate indie pop.
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Belle and Sebastian: InfluencesA rich lineage of dreamy and clever pop melody makers.
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Inspired by Belle and SebastianDescendants of the group's shimmering, romantic indie pop.
About Belle and Sebastian
Stuart Murdoch formed Belle and Sebastian as an ad hoc band to record a college music project, later released as Tigermilk by student-run label Electric Honey in 1996.
∙ When the initial 1,000 copies of Tigermilk sold out, Murdoch enlisted local musicians to make Belle and Sebastian an actual band.
∙ Pitchfork ranked Tigermilk’s “The State I’m In” No. 17 on its Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s.
∙ The group is named after a French TV series adapted from the novel Belle et Sébastien, about a little boy and his dog.
∙ Rolling Stone listed the band’s sophomore album, If You’re Feeling Sinister, No. 75 on its 100 Best Albums of the ’90s list.
∙ Their song “Seymour Stein” was featured in the film High Fidelity, and lyrics from “The Boy With the Arab Strap” were quoted in (500) Days of Summer.
∙ Voted Scotland’s greatest band in a poll conducted by UK digital guide The List, Belle and Sebastian also won Outstanding Contribution to Music honors at the 2014 NME Awards.
∙ Murdoch wrote and directed the film God Help the Girl, which was also the name of his 2009 musical side-project.
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ORIGINGlasgow, Scotland
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FORMED1995