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By Lily Moayeri Nocturnal transmissions Its all relative, isnt it? says Belle & Sebastians keyboard player, Chris Geddes. Geddes is referring to the fact that, on the television show Gilmore Girls, the terminally hip characters constantly namedrop his group as a sign of their musical savoir-faire. If they were really hip, theyd be onto grime or Welsh prog-folk by now, he points out. Geddes should know. He is the primary member of the Scottish group who put together their contribution to the LateNightTales series. The idea of the series is to give an insight to what cutting-edge musicians might be listening to at home after a long day/night out. Even if there has been a certain amount of cashing in on the idea, there has rarely been a LateNightTales compilation that hasnt been worth the money. Belle & Sebastians selection is no exception to this rule. [We] wanted to put together a selection of tunes that was fun to listen to and would include a few things people might not have heard before without coming across as a lecture, Geddes says. Soul and 60s pop are massive influences for the band and a big part of what we have in common. But [we] also wanted to make sure we went a bit beyond what some people might have expected from us: that were mainly listening to Beatles and Sa-Ra records. Their contribution is as unconventional as promised. There are as many old blues and soul references (Jimmy and Mama Yanceys How Long Blues) as there are new hip-hop references (RJD2s Heres Whats Left). Also included are classic songwriters (Johnny Cashs Ring Of Fire) and modern day tech-musicians (Paperclip Peoples People Make The World Go Around). Rounding out the selections are adult-oriented anthems (Steve Miller Bands Fly Like An Eagle) and 60s throwbacks (Donovans Get Thy Bearings). Despite the wildly divergent choices, LateNightTales flows easily. What is noticeably good about it is that no matter the musical inclination, Belle & Sebastian will find a way to make their tastes. Whenever Im DJ-ing or listening to music, I always get the urge for changes of style; dropping AC/DC at a soul night, switching from Bollywood to classical to Detroit techno while doing the housework, says Geddes. When it comes to putting together a selection of tunes that you hope people are going to enjoy from start to finish you can go too far. I didnt want anything on this compilation to feel like it was put there for the sake of token eclecticism. The better you know your records and the more stuff you listen to, the easier it is to find common threads between seeming disparate sources. Thrift store dollar bins, collectors shops, and Internet resources are excellent places for record obsessives such as the Belle & Sebastian members to find music. I sadly waste a lot of time on eBay, say Geddes. Im always checking out [Internet] radio shows, charts, record-related forums, blogs, soundclips and shop sites, etc. Im convinced Ive not heard the best music yet. And Im determined to waste as much time as possible looking for it. On the web: www.belleandsebastian.com |
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Copyright © 2002 Mean Street Magazine, LLC |
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