Sweet Troubled Soul single

I picked up the single today and I must say the b-side - she's gone is fantastic. This is the first time I've heard it, and I love the guitar and vocals. It makes the single all that much more worth it.... :D

i wonder if they r gonna release the single here, paying $10 for a single import sux

I ended up paying 2 pounds for it, which is a good deal. However, when I lived in Canada, I almost never bought singles as I couldn't afford to pay $10.

I think I listened to She's Gone at least 8 times today... heh :p

Like I said in another thread, I preordered the EP but couldn't wait to hear the B-Sides so I bought them on iTunes.

'She's Gone' is so good; it rivals quite a few A-sides on the new album. I was so happy when Mandy started singing her own solo verse - I thought it was about time ;)

I agree. She's Gone is a fantastic track, though I didn't really expect anything else, given the high standard of b sides we've had already.

i've only listened to sweet troubled soul which is great...

i bought 2 vinyl versions and the single on ebay but i'll have to wait two and a half weeks to go home to get them. At least i'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it now!!

the single didn't even get into the Top 75 :confused: :confused: :confused:

I couldn't even find the single or album in Virgin. Call me naive but surely things won't get very high in terms of sales if no one is selling it :confused:

yeah, that is a little worrying. I guess they're not exactly a priority for Sony/BMG these days. I hope they don't get dropped though, they're bound to do really well in the long run when you consider the fact that they're generating a pretty decent cult following.

I agree. She's Gone is a fantastic track, though I didn't really expect anything else, given the high standard of b sides we've had already.

woooooord.

oops, I bought the 7" with the remix on the bside. bugger. I love the remix though, works so well with the synth. Should have looked for the one with She's Gone on. never mind. This is what happens when you're easily seduced by 99p 7" singles. I love vinyl.

Sorry, don't mean to be rude, but what cult following? Since the new album came out we've had about 4 extra talkers on this messageboard. And people are saying its not in Virgin record stores.

Although i did find quite a few copies of all formats of STS in my Kingston HMV, i must say, not top 75 isn't what i was expecting. I didn't see the video once on MTV. And i think Sony BMG just havent made an effort. I mean i saw an advert for the album in The Fly and in the NME. And a appaulingly false review of HFTH in NME too. I think if Love and Longing is released next, and if us guys here on the boards make an effort to put out stellastarr*'s name and maybe a link to a ss* song on other messageboards etc. then I think they are in for a chance of getting a nice following. Currently, (hate to admit it) but im really disappointed with this outcome. I mean listen to The Killers etc. Top bands at the moment who are doing well. They sound like stellastarr*, only as we all know, ss* are substantially better. A few radio plays, a few worldwide TV appearances, and a tour that even U2 would be surprised of the number of shows, and stellastarr* would be flying.

I mean, hey lets not forget, ss* may not want fame etc, but they fucking deserve it. And i feel sorry for people who just dont get a chance to hear all this fantastic music on offer, cos theres no way of finding out about stellastarr* easily.

I know, ss* are probably working their arses off, and i admire them for that, but i just wish a few others would admire them too. It seems no one even has a chance of knowing ss* unless they frantically read all articles in the NME, accidentally come across this site, or a link... or hear of them from a mate. I mean i've managed to get a few people really into stellastarr*, but boy was it a struggle. I made them sit down and listen... i mean lets face it, Shawn's vocals (as beautiful and as great as we all know) just dont appeal to some people. Some listen to his voice and go "wow", others go "what!?". I've seen people do it. And the music, the same. But it's worth a try...

Stellastarr* are a basically a band you need to hear more than once. And with the airplay and attention they are getting, its a damn shame people dont have the chance. I just wish there was something i could truly do. I think if we all work together in spreading the word of ss*, we could get it across to quite a few other people who are interested in music, and stuff. I would offer to do things like hand-out flyers for stellastarr* at gigs (even if i had to print off them myself) but currently i haven't the money to see them myself, which upsets me - but hey, whatcha gonna do...

I do think it's about time (just as the new album is released in UK) to kick them off. So if anyone wants to help, then put their name out there on any other messageboards around, and tell more people you know, then do that, cos I am, and it's almost working.


Well thats was a rather long rant. But oh well, i hope my message gets out and people don't just ignore this. I've been meaning to say this for a while, but it almost sounds like im having a go at ss* (which i dont intend to, cos i love this band more than sense) so please don't start ranting on about how i said "ss* dont get enough attention" and shit, cos my intentions are all good.

And with that... i'm spent...

I don't think it matters that they aren't big like the Killers, it may lead to dilution of the music where the two albums so far are pure art with a pop edge which is what i love about them. If they were your run of the mill bandwagon band like Killers then I wouldn't be a fan. There aren't many "current" bands I actually like but Stellastarr* are right up there for me. The other main one is Electrelane.
As for the Virgin records thing, there are loads of copies in the Norwich Virgin Megastores and also HMV, and also the Guildford HMV. It's even in the Virgin Recommends section of VM.
Don't worry about the following, there IS a huge cult following just not everyone posts on messageboards, I know loads of people who like Stellastarr* a lot, they just don't spend as much time on forums as us :D.
For example, The Stranglers are one of my favourite bands with a huge following yet there last album only managed number #71 or something. Charts are not necessarily related to followings, cos it's mainly down to hype. And hype is something that would not benefit Stellastarr* as an artistic unit.
Furthermore: fuck the NME! it's shit! I bought for about a year starting from April 2003 (incidentally where i heard about Stellastarr* but it's not till i saw My coco on MTV2 that i took note), and the NME haven't reviewed any of the Stranglers records since 1998!! despite them having a top 40 hit!!

Sorry if this post is a bit long..

I also recognise all of what your saying.

a) i fucking know the NME are shit. But many people read the NME as if it spoke all the truth, and nothing but the truth.

b) It's mainly the airplay that worries me.

c) They deserve better.

aye, I'll agree with that.
That's another reason why Damn This Foolish Heart should be a single, it's more radio-friendly IMO.

Yeah thats also very true...

I also think stellastarr* DESERVE to be huge. But I'm not sure I really WANT them to be huge. Think about it - would you rather pay £10 for their show and see them with 500 hardcore fans at King's College, or pay £20 and see them at Brixton Academy with 4000 casual fans and the same 500 hardcore fans as before?

I am all for the spreading the word thing. Personally I find the best approach is simply to play the songs to people, or drag them to gigs. Everyone I have introduced to the band loves them. And I mean, they're not just casual fans who like one or two songs, they LOVE the band. They buy the records, they go to the shows, they tell their friends about it... That is what i meant when I say they have a cult following - not a large fanbase but a very dedicated one.

As for releasing radio-friendly singles, Sweet Troubled Soul was a radio-friendly as anything The Killers or the Franz Ferdinand ever released. If you think that all it takes is a radio-friendly song, then I'm sorry but you're quite naive. I think Stellastarr* don't get a lot of play mostly because the label couldn't care less. But I also think the band aren't too bothered about breaking into the mainstream. I think they are comfortable with their current fanbase, though I may be wrong about this point.

To summarise this stupidly long post, YeahYeahYeah - I agree with your points but I don't think the problem is with the way us fans go about promoting the band.

I think you misunderstood me somewhat...

I don't mean just airplay and a radio-friendly song. All i said was, that that would help.

Neither am i blaming us AT ALL for the way we promote the bands. I'm saying we could do more. You got to understand this band means a lot to me. i haven't done these 1,500 posts because i like the messageboard (although i do). I literally post to tell others things, to know about stellastarr and to have the odd occasional chat. The real fact of the matter is still RCA and its shoddy attitude towards its bands.

Although i did find quite a few copies of all formats of STS in my Kingston HMV, i must say, not top 75 isn't what i was expecting. I didn't see the video once on MTV. And i think Sony BMG just havent made an effort. I mean i saw an advert for the album in The Fly and in the NME. And a appaulingly false review of HFTH in NME too. I think if Love and Longing is released next, and if us guys here on the boards make an effort to put out stellastarr*'s name and maybe a link to a ss* song on other messageboards etc. then I think they are in for a chance of getting a nice following.

I know, ss* are probably working their arses off, and i admire them for that, but i just wish a few others would admire them too. It seems no one even has a chance of knowing ss* unless they frantically read all articles in the NME, accidentally come across this site, or a link... or hear of them from a mate.

Hey, that's me you just described there lol! Just one listen to STS and I was hooked! Off the back of one listen on XFM and hardly any mainstream coverage, I've bought both albums (and how pricey was that 1st album?!), the single (hardly ever buy cd singles) and saw them live, dragging a friend along... So like all converts, doing my bit to support some of the best new music I've come across with a passion.

You're right about the cross promotion though - this tour with the Editors should be the best opportunity yet to introduce ss* to the mainstream. It would help if both bands perhaps publicised the other on their respective sites/myspace pages for starters... and I've just had a quick look at the Editors' board and there are some fans doing their bit. There's obviously a creative synergy behind the reason for both bands touring together - an opportunity for perhaps a joint press release or summat?? (guess what I do for a living ; ) Or am I just being naive here...?

the Editors tour is only in the US, where stellastarr* are the better known of the two bands.

Back to YYY's point... I've been told Harmonies is selling better in the US than the first album did. And you know what it's like in the UK, trends sweep the nation and disappear just as quickly. When stellastarr* first emerged they were THE trendy band to see (I seem to remember NME calling them "the best new band in the world" after SXSW 2003). and like you said, NME is very influential in the trendy/indie circles, so stellastarr* did ok. NME made 'Somwhere...' and 'Jenny' Singles Of The Week, so that might explain the relatively high chart position.

But the band clearly went for longetivity rather than 15 minutes of fame. They could have released loads more singles off the first album, or re-released (there was definitely talk of a rerelease for 'Somewhere...') the way The Killers and Kaisers have done. They decided against it and I think that was the right decision.

These days, of course, they've fallen out of favour. I can't help feeling that this is mostly because the new album is high on the stadium-era U2 influences and low on the Gang Of Four influences. Personally I don't mind that stellastarr* are no longer seen as a trendy band. I think they should carry on the way they've been going, slowly building a fanbase through releasing quality singles and albums and through word-of-mouth and awesome live shows.

this is by far the biggest collection of long posts anywhere on these boards :p

The single's been a staple in my CD player for more than a week now; She's Gone is an amazing B-side, but is problematic as it gets stuck in my head and doesn't let me sleep.

does anyone else know if the band/label have considered having the next single be the free single of the week on iTunes? it would be a great way to just get the sound to people who might not have otherwise heard it. i think it worked pretty good for She Wants Revenge and Editors was this weeks free single. Either L&L or DTFH would be great for that. it would seriously hurt single sales but perhaps reap long-term benifits if it can get the album to 100 more people.

You don't even have to do the next single for free, just do one track off the album and make that the free download. It does work, it worked for The Subways.