Sunday, June 15, 2008

The Boy With The Arab Strap

Twee is not one of my favourite words. The twee is hard to define, but you know it when you see it. For me it is epitomized by clay figurines of tartan clad haggises playing the bagpipes.

Herge Smith made the unforgivable error of describing Belle and Sebastian as twee. This is precisely what they aren't. They capture the underlying melancholy romantic Scottish spirit perfectly.

I rest my case on the untweeness of Belle and Sebastian on this video. I must advise that this video (containing images of the lovely Miss Isobel Campbell playing the recorder, tambourines, people clapping, and a drummer wearing a Perthshire Advertiser T shirt) is unsuitable for young children or those of a sensitive or nervous disposition.



Clap along now boys and girls.

Bitter sweet ain't twee.

34 comments:

The Mistress said...

Can someone explain to me where the accents of Scot and English singers disappears to when they open their mouths to sing?

It is one of the great mysteries.

garfer said...

David Bowie.

Go away.

garfer said...

Syd Barrett.

garfer said...

Johnny Rotten

pissoff said...

4 minutes and 51 seconds was way too long - I had to evacuate. It was painful.

What is an "Arab strap?" Is it some kind of middle eastern thong?

garfer said...

Dunno what an arab strap is, but there was another Scottish band called Arab Strap.

Very confusing.

The Mistress said...

An anagram of Arab Strap is Braa Strap.

Or Arab Prats.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure MJ knows what an Arab Strap is...

Anyway.

That vid clip.

Fucking torture.

Herge Smith said...

I knew it was dangerous to throw out the 'twee' with such careless abandon.

'Underlying melancholy romantic Scottish spirit'? Have you been to Cumbernauld?

That's a cracking track though, love a bit of B&S I must admit - and Isobel was looking mighty fine.

'Course Mark Lanegan could kick the shit out of every single one of them in that clip... not that music's all about fighting of course.

garfer said...

Cumbernauld would be much improved if a large bomb was dropped on it.

B&S wouldn't be much use in a fight. Even eight to one Lanegan would wup their asses.

pissoff said...

When all else fails try Wikipedia:

Arab strap (sexual device), a contraption used to help a man retain an erection during sexual intercourse.

garfer said...

Indeed April.

It looks like an instrument of medieval torture to me.

Anonymous said...

Some instruments of medieval torture look like they could be fun.

So I'm told.

garfer said...

I thought you sold arab straps on ebay Piggy.

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