Arab Strap

Arab Strap were a post-folk indie band from Scotland who were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground.

History

Vocalist Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton grew up in Falkirk, Scotland and bonded over their mutual love for Drag City recording artists such as Smog and Will Oldham as well as their love of cheap alcohol. They began collaborating in 1995, and their debut album The Week Never Starts Round Here was released the following year.

Over the course of their 10 year existence Arab Strap worked with a number of musicians including Jenny Reeve, Stacey Sievewright as well as Adele Bethel and David Gow who went on to form Sons and Daughters. Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian was featured on the album Philophobia but the album/song "The Boy with the Arab Strap" would later create something of a feud between the two singers.

Arab Strap's marked characteristics include sordid, personal, yet honest, lyrics -- described by the NME as "fly on the duvet vignettes"^[1] At first essentially an electro-acoustic band with a brooding, spare sound later albums and gigs saw them develop a fuller sound which drew deeply on both indie and dance music.

In keeping with the theme of sexual allusion (see arab strap (sexual device)), Moffat records as a solo artist under the name Lucky Pierre - slang for the man in the middle of a gay threesome. This work is also characterised by brooding, spare sound but is instrumental in nature. Malcolm Middleton also has a solo career under his own name. His first two solo albums, including the critically acclaimed 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine were released by Chemikal Underground. He is now signed to Full Time Hobby Records, and released his third album, A Brighter Beat on 27th February 2007.

On September 9, 2006 the band announced on their website that they were to split up. They celebrated the 10 years since their first studio album with the release of a compilation record, entitled Ten Years Of Tears. They went on tour in Europe for the last time at the end of the year, and played their final show at the end of a secret tour of Japan at Shibuya O-Nest on 17 December 2006.

Discography

Studio albums

• The Week Never Starts Round Here Chemikal Underground 25 November 1996
• Philophobia Chemikal Underground 19 May 1998 UK #37
• Elephant Shoe Go! Beat 13 September 1999 UK #79
• The Red Thread Chemikal Underground 26 February 2001 UK #125
• Monday at the Hug and Pint Chemikal Underground 21 April 2003 UK #120
• The Last Romance Chemikal Underground 17 October 2005 UK #199

Live albums

• Mad For Sadness Go! Beat 3 May 1999 UK #138
• The Cunted Circus Private pressing 2003
• Acoustic Request Show Private pressing 2005

Compilations and EPs

• The Girls of Summer EP Chemikal Underground 1997 UK Singles Chart #74
• Live Too Many Cooks 1998
• Cherubs EP Go! Beat 1999 UK Budget Albums Chart #5
• Singles Bandai 1999
• Fukd ID #2 Chemikal Underground 2000 UK Albums Chart #163
• Quiet Violence Private pressing 2002
• The Shy Retirer EP Chemikal Underground 2003 UK Budget Albums Chart #25
• Ten Years Of Tears Chemikal Underground 2006

Singles

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