Saint Etienne : Releases >>

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Saint Etienne have unbelievable musical cred. Indie-poppers love them for covering the Field Mice's twee classic "Kiss and Make Up" and rediscovering the reclusive '80s girl group the Dolly Mixture. Electroniacs dig them for being early movers in the disco revival. Everybody else loves them for being our generation's ABBA. But it wasn't enough--they wanted to cash in on the Northwest grunge scene by signing to Sub Pop! Fear not. Good Humor is a far cry from grunge. It is the cleanest, lightest, loveliest confection to grace any American label in ages, let alone the heavy, crunchy one. Longtime Saint Etienne fans will notice the clean focus of the electronic arrangements on Good Humor as well as the fancy horn section and the amazing, woozy bass playing of their Swedish producer, Tore Johansson. Haul this record out to bring back your favorite summer day or when you're wishing life were like a Mentos commercial. --Lois Maffeo

Tales from Turnpike House (Bonus Tracks) >>

If your first thought upon hearing of this release was "What the heck is British dance-lounge-pop act Saint Etienne doing on an American jazz label?," you are not alone. When you discover that the record in question is a full-on concept album and that David "Rock On" Essex is on the thing, you might wonder if the album might be sort of a muddled mess. And it is, though not in a bad way. Vocalist Sarah Cracknell sounds great throughout, but except for "Stars Above Us," the more straight ahead dance-pop songs fall a bit flat. But the rest is great, maybe even the band's best yet. More than half the songs (which offer slices of life in a housing project on the outskirts of London kind of like that famous Georges Perec book) do achieve an ideal of jet set sophistication. The songs pit house rhythms with sardonic name-dropping lyrics, vocal harmonies worthy of the Association with swooshy synthesizers, and big guitar riffs against whispered voices. It's swank! -Mike McGonigal

Saint Etienne Presents Finisterre >>

Finisterre is a hymn to London that takes us on a journey from the suburbs to the heart of the city, with a mesmerizing score by dance music pioneers Saint Etienne. The city has long been a source of influence, stimulation and curiosity for the band, and the film is a poignant `psycho-geographical' drama that celebrates the English capital in all its seediness and glory. Exploring the dreams the city holds for so many alongside the reality of urban life, the result is an extraordinary record of London today.

The film was originally conceived as a visual accompaniment to the Saint Etienne album of the same name, but soon evolved into something altogether more substantial. It became an entirely independent project that took shape through its unique development. Sequences were projected as live visuals behind the band on their Finisterre tour, and the completed film has played to festival and cinema audiences worldwide.

Travel Edition 1990-2005 >>

Since 1990, Saint Etienne has been putting out beautiful, high concept pop music that's as clever as it is catchy. This is their first compilation, collecting songs spanning the group's 15 year career to date and from multiple labels (Reprise, Sub Pop, Beggars Banquet, etc.) It includes their hits "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", "Nothing Can Stop Us", and "Avenue", domestically unavailable tracks like "He's On The Phone" and "Burnt Out Car", and a couple of unissued gems.

Sound of Water >>

Saint Etienne's delicate, perfectly crafted blend of '60s pop and of-the-moment electronica has been replicated by so many other acts over the years that the band is threatened with losing its musical brand. The artistic achievement in Sound of Water has been diminished somewhat by competent musicians such as Broadcast and Mono having picked up the gauntlet Saint Etienne first threw down in 1988, and having taken the sounds to new places. Trends are fleeting by definition, and Saint Etienne, in the precarious position of being an inadvertent trendsetter, would have served their audience better with a little reinvention (the Cardigans made this transition magically with 1998's Gran Turismo). Rather, they stick to their overly precious formula, mixing cheap-sounding drum loops, Sarah Cracknell's snazzy-cool vocals, drawn-out melody, and subtle instrumentation (flute, harpsichord, bongos) with butterfly-fluttering techno. As lovely as it all is, by the end of the album, the ear is desperate to hear something more assertive--it's as unsatisfying as eating cotton candy all day when you long for lasagna. In all, the abundance of emotionless na na na's and la la la's result in no no no's. --Beth Massa

Gounod: Sapho >>

Dance Remixes, Vol. 1 >>

Interlude >>

The follow up to their last full-length 'Sound Of Water', this is a collection of b-sides, instrumentals and exclusive new tracks. Includes CD-ROM video with two versions of 'How We Used To Live'. 12 tracks 'Roseneck', 'Northwestern', Queen of Polythene', 'Stevie', 'Red Setter', 'Shoot Out The Lights', 'Mountain Rain', 'Bar Conscience', 'Le Ballade De Saint Etienne', 'Thank You', 'Boy Is Crying' and 'Lose That Girl'.Standard jewel case. 2001 release.