"DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (2003)

For the month of November, I’ll be selecting songs in conjunction with the music Twitter challenge: #WelcomeToTheOccupation.

Belle & Sebastian has made a career out of crafting volumes and volumes of character-based stories with a folk, 60’s-inspired flair. So leave it to Belle & Sebastian to write an eccentric letter to an eccentric character. The album of the same name had more well-known B&S staples like “Piazza, New York Catcher” and “If She Wants Me”. But “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” rises above them all.

“Dear Catastrophe Waitress” just does its own thing. Characteristic of the album as a whole, the song feels more polished and produced than previous B&S recordings. This title track is like a jovial slice of old Hollywood, incorporating musical embellishments such as horns and synth strings. While the unusual time signature and melody are what we expect from the band, the instrumental choices weren’t their standard fare.

“You'll soon be leaving this town to the clowns who worship no one but themselves.”

"SEYMOUR STEIN" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1998)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

Movie: High Fidelity

I have unreasonably high expectations for movie soundtracks — and those expectations are even higher when the movie is about music. So when High Fidelity came out in theaters, I wanted something epic. Nick Hornby’s book is one of my all-time favorite reads, mostly because it truly captured the obsessive, and often ridiculous passion we have for music. While the movie soundtrack left a lot to be desired, “Seymour Stein” was one of the few bright spots in my mind.

The Belle & Sebastian classic wasn’t even officially on the soundtrack album, but it appeared in the movie and there’s even a reference to the new Belle & Sebastian single written into the script. “Seymour Stein” is probably one of my favorite B&S songs because of that sleepy, melodic, retro vibe. It’s not something I’d listen to in large doses, but it’s a reminder of that interesting little niche that B&S has carved for itself in the music world that no one else can claim.

“Half a world away. Ticket for a plane. Record company man, I won't be coming to dinner.”

"PIAZZA, NEW YORK CATCHER" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (2003)

I generally gravitate to the music first before the lyrics. But as a writer, I still marvel at well-spun verses and choruses. This month, I’m joining the music Twitter community in #SeptSongLyricChallenge

Day 15

There’s an absurd charm to these lyrics. A song about a Major League all-star written like the lyricist doesn’t understand the first thing about baseball, or sports in general. This perspective portrayed Mike Piazza as a tragic, everyday man, likened to all the eccentric folk characters that Belle & Sebastian have created over the years. You want to laugh at it and with it simultaneously. And how many songs can you say that about?

“How many nights of talking in hotel rooms can you take? How many nights of limping round on pagan holidays?”

"EASE YOUR FEET IN THE SEA" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1998)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

If I could step into a time machine to experience a heightened music experience, one of the stops I would make is Laurel Canyon in the 60’s. The notion of groundbreaking musicians going over to other groundbreaking musician’s homes to jam and write music together is much too hard to pass up. I would die to hear the Byrds, CSN&Y, Joni Mitchell and others on their lawns and in their living rooms. But without a time machine, I still have Belle & Sebastian. What I love most about their catalog is that throwback, 60’s Laurel Canyon vibe, which is all over The Boy With the Arab Strap and one of my favorite tracks from it: “Ease Your Feet in the Sea”.

Over the years, B&S has created a wonderful eccentric world filled with eccentric characters, like Lazy Line Painter Jane, Judy, Seymour Stein, Allie, Jill Pole and many others. But one of the most refreshing aspects of “Ease Your Feet in the Sea” is that it’s all about us. The carefree spirit of the song feels as if it’s guiding me to the shoreline with every listen. The song transports me there. The acoustic guitar nudges me along only to be given that final gentle push into the water by the dancing string arrangements.

“Take your shoes off, curl your toes. And I will frame this moment in time.”

"SEYMOUR STEIN" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1998)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

I have unreasonably high expectations for movie soundtracks — and those expectations are even higher when the movie is about music. So when High Fidelity came out in theaters, I wanted something epic. Nick Hornby’s book is one of my all-time favorite reads, mostly because it truly captured the obsessive, and often ridiculous passion we have for music. While the movie soundtrack left a lot to be desired, “Seymour Stein” was one of the few bright spots in my mind.

The Belle & Sebastian classic wasn’t even officially on the soundtrack album, but it appeared in the movie and there’s even a reference to the new Belle & Sebastian single written into the script. “Seymour Stein” is probably one of my favorite B&S songs because of that sleepy, melodic, retro vibe. It’s not something I’d listen to in large doses, but it’s a reminder of that interesting little niche that B&S has carved for itself in the music world that no one else can claim.

“Half a world away. Ticket for a plane. Record company man. I won't be coming to dinner.”

"DEAR CATASTROPHE WAITRESS" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (2003)

Leave it to Belle & Sebastian to write an eccentric letter to an eccentric character. The album of the same name had more well-known B&S staples like “Piazza, New York Catcher” and “If She Wants Me”. But “Dear Catastrophe Waitress” rises above them because it just did its own thing. Unusual time signature. Unusual melody. And unusual musical embellishments that weren’t standard fare for the band.

“You'll soon be leaving this town to the clowns who worship no one but themselves.”

"SLEEP THE CLOCK AROUND" BELLE & SEBASTIAN (1998)

Belle & Sebastian’s better known tracks are the ones that paint portraits of some pretty eccentric characters, both real and fictitious. “Lazy Line Painter Jane”, “Seymour Stein”, “Piazza, New York Catcher”, “Judy and the Dream of Horses”, and the list goes on. But “Sleep the Clock Around” did a 180, penning an ode to the listener. I like how it took B&S’s signature 60’s nostalgic sound and smashed it together with a galactic, experimental mood.

“And the moment will come when composure returns. Put a face on the world, turn your back to the wall.”