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Spotlight

Belle and Sebastian

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What? It’s been two years since seminal Scots Belle and Sebastian released their last record, the astounding The Life Pursuit. But fans feeling the need to fill the void with the glut of second-tier imitators have another option: BBC Sessions, an aptly titled collection of the band’s BBC radio appearances between 1996 and 2001, out next week. Featuring renditions of classics like “The State I Am In,” “Sleep the Clock Around,” and “The Stars of Track and Field” — as well as a bonus live disc with covers of songs by the Beatles, the Velvet Underground, and Thin Lizzy — BBC Sessions is perfect for those awaiting Belle and Sebastian’s next move…whenever that is.

Who? Belle and Sebastian were formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1996 by bandleader/principal songwriter Stuart Murdoch and former bassist Stuart David, who crafted the demos that would result in group’s debut, Tigermilk.The pastoral indie-pop the band is known for was refined on 1996’s masterpiece If You’re Feeling Sinister, before the group — now sans cellist and Murdoch love interest Isobel Campbell — took a sharp left turn towards more pop-centered arrangements on 2003’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress and The Life Pursuit. Currently, Belle and Sebastian are comprised of Murdoch, Stevie Jackson (vocals, guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Richard Colburn (drums), Sarah Martin (violin, guitar, vocals, keyboard), Mick Cooke (bass, trumpet), and Bobby Kildea (bass, guitar).

Fun Fact: Belle and Sebastian’s name is taken from a popular children’s book by French author Cécile Aubry, Belle et Sébastien.

Watch: Belle and Sebastian, “The State I Am In”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/sgUAaHOM8W0
“Sleep the Clock Around”
https://www.youtube.com/embed/ap1GrISdo88