Stop the eBay madness people! We're pleased as punch to announce a new vinyl reissue series, putting Matador classics back on wax 180 grams at a time. Making a win/win situation an even bigger winner, these reissues, like all recent Matador vinyl, will include a free download of the album in mp3 format.

An iTunes single of "White Collar Boy" will be available on June 26 with four non album b-sides.

Coming on July 6, Belle and Sebastian will be appearing on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Ecelectic", the same day as their massive Hollywood Bowl gig with the Shins.

It's been called to our attention that Columbus, OH's CD101 has been playing "White Collar Boy" at every available opportunity. Given the inability of the Columbus Blue Jackets to advance to this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, cynics might say the station has many more hours of programming to fill. Since we're not cynical however, we'll chock it up to quality being recognized.

The band will also be appearing in London's Trafalgar Square on Saturday, April 29 as part of the "Love Music, Hate Racism" event. In the spirit of solidarity, one of Matador's proprietors is trying to organize a "Hate Racism, Ambivalent About Big Crowds" demonstration, but the bulk e-mail keeps bouncing. So full credit to those who are making a real effort.

Fortunately for those not there – and there were many since the Barbican sold out in a matter of hours - the show was recorded for posterity and is now being available as a special download-only album, through iTunes, on December 6th, with all proceeds to be donated to the DEC Asia Quake Appeal.

On the night, augmented by additional string players, the Belles delivered a sterling performance, easily eclipsing anything the still-nascent band might have mustered nine years earlier on the record’s original release.
“Good tunes, badly played,” is how one band insider describes the original album. “It was an album the band were never happy with, and they viewed it as a chance to get it right.”

Despite these short-comings, ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’ is the Belle and Sebastian album of choice for a certain kind of cute cognescenti, and is within “a bawhair” of being their biggest selling album (48 “units” behind ‘The Boy With Arab Strap’ in America!)

Meanwhile, the first MP3 from the upcoming 'The Life Pursuit' (out February 7th) is now available — entitled "Another Sunny Day" and on the music page.

11/12/05 — Belle and Sebastian return to Matador
They say you can't go home again. And they're right, especially if someone else has moved in. You can, however, return to Matador Records if you're Belle & Sebastian. We'll be releasing the new 13 song Belle & Sebastian CD/LP 'The Life Pursuit' in North America (under license from Rough Trade) on February 7.

Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Tony Hoffer, 'The Life Pursuit' is as thrilling, funny and focused as any recording to date in the Belle & Sebastian canon. We're hesitant to say things like "it's their best yet" because there's every possibility we'll drag that one out of the bag 12-18 months from now, too. In fact, you can probably bet on it.

Following the UK dates below, we're looking forward to announcing US dates starting next March.

Jan-15 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
Jan-16 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
Jan-17 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
Jan-18 Aberdeen, Scotland - Music Hall
Jan-26 Birmingham, England - Academy
Jan-27 Liverpool, England - Academy
Jan-28 Newcastle, England - Academy
Jan-29 Manchester, England - Ritz

Feb-01 Bristol, England - Colston Hall
Feb-02 Cambridge, England - Corn Exchange
Feb-03 Brighton, England - Dome
Feb-05 Dublin, Ireland - Ambassador
Feb-07 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Ulster Hall
Feb-09 Sheffield, England - Octagon
Feb-10 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo

For more information:

http://www.belleandsebastian.com

05/23/05 — 'Old Wounds' game / ecard
Follow the link below to see the rather gory message, send even gorier
messages to your friends and have a chance to win loads of B&S goodies in the "Old Wounds" game. For mature audiences only!
http://www.belleandsebastian.com/oldwounds/us/showcard.php?id=71

03/24/05 — The true EP compilation — at last
Never let it be said that we don't know a thing or two about exploiting back catalog. Belle and Sebastian's first ever compilation album, a collection of all 25 tracks from the band's seven Jeepster EPs and singles entitled 'Push Barman To Open Old Wounds', will be released by Matador on May 24th 2005. (MC Paul Barman was unavailable for comment.)

In the UK and Europe the collection will be available in a deluxe casebound double CD package and a limited triple gatefold vinyl edition via the band's original label, Jeepster.

The album will be released by Matador Records in the US and Canada on May 24th in the deluxe CD and vinyl editions plus a standard 2CD jewelcase edition. In Japan, Toshiba-EMI will release the album on May 18th in a standard 2CD jewelcase and a 'semi-domestic' edition featuring the deluxe casebound packaging with Japanese liner notes.

The complete tracklisting of the album is:

CD1:
Dog On Wheels
The State I Am In
String Bean Jean
Belle and Sebastian
Lazy Line Painter Jane
You Made Me Forget My Dreams
A Century Of Elvis
Photo Jenny
A Century Of Fakers
Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie
Beautiful
Put The Book Back On The Shelf

CD2:
This Is Just A Modern Rock Song
I Know Where The Summer Goes
The Gate
Slow Graffiti
Legal Man
Judy Is A Dickslap
Winter Wooskie
Jonathan David
Take Your Carriage Clock And Shove It
The Loneliness Of The Middle Distance Runner
I'm Waking Up To Us
I Love My Car
Marx & Engels

[...]