Tellico: Keep your collections in Order

Those who know me, will know I am hardcore in the gnome camp, and will only rarely have good things to say about kde (generally, they are just to not come off as a complete zealot ;-) ) but Tellico is a great idea. Basically, it is a collection organizer. But a collection of what, you ask. Anything. Cards, movies, music, doesnt matter. Will definately be checking this one out.

Music: Belle & Sebastian

Been a while since I did a music post, but my love for these guys has just grown too much too fast to not throw some thoughts down.

How to describe B&S... Think 50s-ish vocals, acoustic guitar, driving acoustic bass, and then anything from surf guitar or an oboe, to a full string section. The orchestration is one of my favorite things about this band, the Beatles are the only group I can think of that comes close when it comes to using classic instraments in a contemporary song.

And thats not even mentioning the writing. My favorite artists include some of the best songwriters of all time (from the commonly recognised Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Paul Simon to the lesser known Jeff Mangum, Tom Gabel, or Wil Oldhelm). The writing is witty, intelligent, and has a habit of referencing great artists ("Your obsessions get you known throughout the school for being strange/Making life-size models of the velvet underground in clay" or "Don't look back/Like Dylan in the movies").

Last but not least, is musical creativity. If you are the average fan of music, you have your genre or two, and dozen or so artists that you listen to on the way home from work, or throw on as background noise during a dinner party. If that is the case, then hearing something new takes work, as you havent fully developed a sense of musical appreciation. On the other hand, if you love music, enjoy getting into new genres, and have a list of "favorites" numbering over 30, then a band that sounds nothing like anyone else, and where every song on an album sounds different, then musical creativity is something truely wonderful and precious. Bob Dylan isnt known for his self-titled debut, where he sang traditional folk tunes in a traditional folk style. He is known for Bringin' It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, and Blonde on Blonde, where he went wildly into uncharted territory, both lyrically and musically, and changed popular music for ever.

So, to wrap it up, Belle and Sebastian are a combination of stellar orchestration and musicianship, great songwriting, and creativity. It may take some work to get into (mostly cause of the vocals), but it is well worth it.

I would suggest starting with "If you're feeling sinister", their first Jeepster release, and currently my favorite. Follow that up with "Tigermilk", their debut, and then pick up "Push Barman to Open Old Wounds", which is a collection of their singles and EPs (if you are an EP kinda person, the "I'm Waking Up to Us" EP is probably my favorite.)

I'll end this with the lyrics to the song that made me sit up and listen, The State That I Am In (on Tigermilk), which is a wonderful song about starting from a relatively pure place, not nessicarily doing anything bad, but walking down some dark paths, comming back full circle with the knowledge that only experience brings.

I was surprised, I was happy for a day in 1975.
I was puzzled by a dream, stayed with me all day in 1995.
My brother had confessed that he was gay, it took the heat off me for a while.
He stood up with a sailor friend, made it known upon my sisters wedding day.
I got married in a rush to save a kid from being deported now she’s in love.
I was so touched, I was moved to kick the crutches from my crippled friend.

She was not impressed, that I cured her on the sabbath, so I went to confess.
When she saw the funny side, we introduced my child bride to whisky and gin.
The priest in the booth had a photographic memory for all he had heard.
He took all of my sins, and he wrote a pocket novel called "The state I am in".
So I gave myself to god, there was a pregnant pause before he said ok.
Now I spend my day turning tables round in marks & spencer’s.
They don’t seem to mind.

I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to providence
And I’ve been there and back again
The state that I am in

Oh love of mine, would you condescend to help me, cause I’m stupid and blind.
Desperation is the devil’s work, it is the folly of a boys empty mind.
Now I’m feeling dangerous, riding on city buses for a hobby is sad.
Lead me to a living end, I promised that I’d entertain my crippled friend.
My crippled friend.

I gave myself to sin
I gave myself to providence
And I’ve been there and back again
The state that I am in