I read last month in the Times Literary Supplement that 'only twats like Belle & Sebastian'. This confuses me somewhat, because I quite like Belle & Sebastian, and I'm not a twat. Can anyone help?

I loved the track "the boy with the Arab Strap" it was the theme tune to "Teachers" on Channel 4- but otherwise I really havent heard of them. I always ended up whistling the flutey/penny whistle bit! The Times Literary Supplement-sounds like something written by old twats!
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..."all the things i really like to do are immoral,illegal or fattening"...

I've been a musician and music lover for a long time.
Got very wide knowledge of different kinds of music.
IMO, Belle and Sebastian are a brilliant band.
They have a totally unique sound.
Some think it's twee, but listen to some of their stuff and it's well dark! eg The Chalet Lines, on Fold Your Hands.
I don't care if people call me a twat for liking Belle & Sebastian.
For Christ's sake, most people on this site like R+B, Elton John, Guns and Roses and Bryan Adams!
I suppose the old adage holds true, there's no accounting for taste!

BTW what were you doing reading the Times.
Are you a David Cameron fan or something?

You are (probably) not a twat. Times journalists have to work quite hard to appear cutting edge and interesting. In their coke-fuelled little circle of know-nothings it is widely acknowledged that by saying something likely to offend people who've never heard of them before, they may raise their profile enough to keep their jobs when the next editor in chief comes to having a clear-out of worthless hacks.

It's a shame that the cancer has spread as far as the literary supplement, but there are no standards in journalism anymore. (sigh)

I find them a bit hit & miss - some songs are great but others don't keep my interest. I do like the sense of humour in the songs and they can write great lyrics.

Forum newbie here, so I thought I'd annoy people and revive some old threads

Never really got into Belle & Sebastian, but avidly follow any solo work that Isobel Campbell does, and her work with Mark Lanegan.

THIS MAKES ME ANGRY!

Belle&Seb are one of my favourite bands, I have interviewed them and got the whole discography on vinyl. And guess what- I AM NOT A TWAT! But let me go through this step by step:

a) Are they generic/casted/made for popular taste?
- No, they are a bunch of Glaswegians who just happened to hit the nerve of their time with albums like The Boy With The Arab Strap

b) Are their lyrics mindless and dumb?
- No, lyrics are sometimes funny, sometimes dark, but always witty.

c) Are they boring?
- Looking into what they created in the last 10 years you see so much difference between the albums and even the songs- this band has really worked on what they are doing?


So if you reckon that twats are dumb and boring idiots than I don't think that such people would listen to music as silently perfect as Belle&Sebastian. I have met more twats who listened to commercial hiphop and bland pop.


And if you are still in doubt-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjYRWRKb_Y
This is probably my favourite!

And the lyrics to this one are amazing! Sad- but not cheasy!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEf-ehc4fJc&feature=related

What a load of shit. I love Belle & Sebastian, they write such fantastic songs and some clever lyrics. If You're Feeling Sinister and Dear Catastrophe Waitress are my fave albums of theirs.