Arab Strap

From Scottish Music Source

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At A Glance

Indie duo from Falkirk

Dates active: 1995 - present[1]

Arab Strap

Labels

Labels

Arab Strap is an indie duo from Falkirk[3] comprising Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat[4]. The duo are named after a sex toy and have been called 'the grimy sonic embodiment of hedonism and hangovers'[5] and 'cult-pop bon vivants'. They are known for their heartfelt lyrical storytelling; Moffat explained, 'I wanted to write love songs that were real. And that said things people actually said in real life. And not to poeticise the feelings and emotions too much.'. Although the band gained a reputation for excess, Aidan said, 'the reality was, we were in the studio, sober, working hard'[6].

Artist Biography

Aidan and Malcolm grew up together in Falkirk, putting together a demo tape containing tracks 'Deeper', 'The Clearing', and 'I Work In A Saloon'[7] which piqued the interest of Glasgow label Chemikal Underground[8]. In 1996, John Peel championed their first single The First Big Weekend[9] and the single got repeated play on Radio 1. Philophobia was recorded at Chem19 in Hamilton[10].

The duo parted ways in 2006, after the release of their album The Last Romance, explaining '“no animosity, no drama... We simply feel we’ve run our course.'[11], later playing a one off acoustic gig in 2011 in Glasgow[12]. The duo reformed in 2016 for a series of three concerts to mark their 20th anniversary, supported by Bossy Love and Man of Moon[13]. This led in turn to the 2021 release of the album As Days Get Dark[14].

Videos

Arab Strap - Rocket, Take Your Turn (live 2017)

Reception

...few writers in indie rock put male behavior under the microscope as eagerly and unflinchingly as Moffat, exposing all the fragile egotism, insecurity, and regret that lurks in the hearts of men - Pitchfork

The Week Never Starts Round Here is an audacious first project, proudly exploiting patchy, lo-fi recordings of demo quality to help establish an honest and singular vision. - Bandcamp

Memories

Arab Strap never failed to be unique. They were one of a kind and it’s not just Chemikal Underground that owes them a debt of gratitude, we all do. - Chemikal Underground

In Scottish culture

Glasgow pub and music venue The Hug And Pint is named after their song Monday at the Hug & Pint.

Belle and Sebastian referenced their name in their 1998 album title The Boy with the Arab Strap. Malcolm expressed dissatisfaction with this in an interview in 2001: “The words go well together. That’s why we chose it as a band name. We’re friends with them, but there’s a limit to putting someone else’s name on an album. They’re taking away something from us.”[15]

Arab Strap have influenced a whole generation of Scottish musicians, including Frightened Rabbit and The Twilight Sad[16].

References

  1. ↑ Bandcamp. 'A Beginner’s Guide To Arab Strap'. https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/arab-strap-list.
  2. ↑ The Guardian. 'The return of Arab Strap: 'Sex and death are our eternal preoccupations. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/03/return-arab-strap-sex-death-eternal-preoccupations-hedonism.
  3. ↑ Arab Strap. 'Facebook'. https://www.facebook.com/arabstrapofficial/.
  4. ↑ The Guardian. 'Arab Strap: ‘We’re the last generation that could get drunk without someone filming us’'. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/18/arab-strap-reader-interview.
  5. ↑ The Guardian. 'The return of Arab Strap: 'Sex and death are our eternal preoccupations. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/03/return-arab-strap-sex-death-eternal-preoccupations-hedonism.
  6. ↑ The Quietus. 'There Is No Ending: The Strange World of... Arab Strap'. https://thequietus.com/articles/20971-arab-strap-interview.
  7. ↑ The Quietus. 'There Is No Ending: The Strange World of... Arab Strap'. https://thequietus.com/articles/20971-arab-strap-interview.
  8. ↑ The Guardian. 'The return of Arab Strap: 'Sex and death are our eternal preoccupations. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/sep/03/return-arab-strap-sex-death-eternal-preoccupations-hedonism.
  9. ↑ Bandcamp. 'A Beginner’s Guide To Arab Strap'. https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/arab-strap-list.
  10. ↑ The Quietus. 'There Is No Ending: The Strange World of... Arab Strap'. https://thequietus.com/articles/20971-arab-strap-interview.
  11. ↑ Pitchfork. 'Arab Strap Share First New Song in 15 Years: Listen'. https://pitchfork.com/news/arab-strap-share-first-new-song-in-15-years-listen/.
  12. ↑ The Guardian. 'Arab Strap return for gigs to mark their 20th anniversary'. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/16/arab-strap-return-gigs-20th-anniversary-the-first-big-weekend-2016.
  13. ↑ The Quietus. 'There Is No Ending: The Strange World of... Arab Strap'. https://thequietus.com/articles/20971-arab-strap-interview.
  14. ↑ Bandcamp. 'A Beginner’s Guide To Arab Strap'. https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/arab-strap-list.
  15. ↑ The Guardian. 'Arab Strap return for gigs to mark their 20th anniversary'. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/16/arab-strap-return-gigs-20th-anniversary-the-first-big-weekend-2016.
  16. ↑ Bandcamp. 'A Beginner’s Guide To Arab Strap'. https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/arab-strap-list.

External Links

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