Signing for the slightly big Jeepster Records they released a album ''If You're Feeling Sinister in 1996 and a sequence of EPs through 1997. Their third album, The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998), was a top-20 hit in the UK. A band was so announced Right Newcomer at a 1999 Brit Awards. 1999 was likewise a month of the Bowlie Weekender, a music festival curated per band.

Within July 2002 they announced the switch to Rough Trade Records. A 2003 album Dear Catastrophe Waitress'' was shortlisted for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. Although a staple inside numerous college radio stations, the band has however to break beyond this niche to achieve notable mainstream profits in United states of america. Their British chart history has been additional steadily & respectable.

Presenting the slightly fey image to the public at big, Belle & Sebastian's bittersweet love-song inspire the fanatic loyalty amongst their fans, similar to it had by The Smiths during their heyday. A bit of of this loyalty is due to the fact that until 2003 the band did not include singles in their albums. So, existence within possession of their complete discography occurs as mark of admittedly devotion.

Within January 2005 Belle and Sebastian were voted Scotland's greatest band inside the poll by The List, beating Simple Minds, Idlewild, Travis, Franz Ferdinand, and The Proclaimers, among others.

A band's title is taken from either Belle et Sébastien, a babies's book by French writer Cécile Aubry all about the son (Sébastien) & his run (Belle). the book was processed into the French survive action tv series inside 1965 & a Japanese anime within 1981.

A todays members of the b& come Stuart Murdoch (vocals, guitar & keyboards), Stevie Jackson (vocals & guitar), Chris Geddes (keyboards), Sarah Martin (fiddle & vocals), Mick Cooke (cornet & bass), Bobby Kildea (guitar & bass) and Richard Colburn (drums). Retiring members include Isobel Campbell (vocals & violoncello) and Stuart David (bass). Side projects & spin-by-product include a elastic Gentle Waves, V-Twin, & Inchworm.

Discography

Albums
Tigermilk, 1996; #13 UK (album did not chart until rerelease within 1999) ''If You're Feeling Sinister, 1996 (did not chart) The Boy with the Arab Strap, 1998; #12 UK Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, 2000; #10 UK, #80 US Storytelling, 2002; #26 UK, #150 US Dear Catastrophe Waitress'', 2003; #21 UK, #84 US

Singles/E.P.'s
Dog On Wheels (EP), 1997; #59 UK Lazy Line Painter Jane (EP), 1997; #41 UK 3.. 6.. 9.. Seconds Of Light (EP), 1997; #32 UK This Is Just a Modern Rock Song (EP), 1998 Legal Man (single), 2000; #15 UK Jonathan David (single), 2001; #31 UK ''I'm Waking Up To Us (single), 2001; #39 UK Step into The Professional Toddler (only), 2003; #32 UK I personally'm the Cuckoo (individual), 2004; #14 UK Books (EP), 2004; #20 UK)

Compilations
Lazy Line Painter Jane (box of foremost 3 singles/EPs), 2000 Push Barman to Open Old Wounds (2xCD compilation of Jeepster EPs), 2005; #40 UK

DVDs
Fans Lone'', 2003