Scarlet's Well: why aren't they more popular with a certain set?

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Actually I mainly was wondering how their 2006 album "Black Tulip Wings" is, since it's kind of expensive here in the US, and apparently difficult to find as a download.

But it seems sort of odd that they're not better known, presumably by the same sort of people who like A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Magnetic Fields, Smoosh, Sufjan Stevens, etc. And listing those makes me kind of want to hate Scarlet's Well, but I don't.

Still, given the market for precocity, vaguely literary "rock," faux-classicism, and unnecessary concept albums (not to mention catchy non-threatening pop), I'd think they'd be bigger (or at least big enough that I could get their stupid CD without paying import prices). What has gone wrong for these post-Monochrome Settlers (or have I missed a McSweeney's piece on them)?

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Sunday, 11 February 2007 02:09 (eighteen years ago)

it isn't so expensive from darla, i think most siesta things there are 15 dollars. it's more than vaguely literary. but he's charming enough to not come off as condescending, even his website is breezy and a joy. black tulip wings is as good as the other records, you should get it, not a lot of growth musically but it's, as always, top quality.

― keyth (keyth), Sunday, 11 February 2007 02:19 (eighteen years ago)

because most people who might love them, even decemberists fans, have never heard of them. siesta (their label) doesn't advertise and they don't ever tour the US. which is a shame because they're my favorite band ever.

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Sunday, 11 February 2007 03:56 (eighteen years ago)

I may have to bump this from time to time, in the hopes that some Decemberists fan will stumble across it and explain his/her ignorance. Is Siesta really that obscure? I thought that those children's albums they did some years back w/Momus and Bid and Alway and Louis Philippe were reasonably well known (for that sort of thing). I mean, in this day and age it seems odd that geographical boundries should matter that much. Though I may be an idiot when it comes to these things, given that I don't get out much. Still, can't help wondering if they'd be big if Gail O'Hara had stayed on at Time Out.

Anyway, thanks keyth...I just placed an order and it was indeed the cheapest spot around!

― dlp9001 (dlp9001), Sunday, 11 February 2007 04:10 (eighteen years ago)

if it makes you feel any better, i'm still waiting for people to discover the monochrome set.

― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 11 February 2007 05:14 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

They have another album, "Gatekeeper" that came out last year that I just found out about (forgot to do my googling). Usual gorgeous packaging, music is still more of the same. They're about as reliable as Robyn Hitchcock.

Seriously: how the hell has this band managed to put out 7 albums on CD over 10 years, with reliable quality control, without a single news outlet in the US (apparently) knowing who they are? It boggles my mind. And where does the money for all this come from? Is Bid just a billionaire who can do whatever he wants? Are they big in Peru?

And lastly, I didn't know until just recently that a bunch of the SW tracks are old Monochrome Set era songs rejiggered w/new lyrics. Interesting.

― dlp9001, Saturday, 11 July 2009 16:35 (sixteen years ago)

I saw Bid perform in NYC a few years ago with some young 'uns from local indie-pop bands. They all did quite well. Scarlet's Well and Monochrome Set songs.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 11 July 2009 17:14 (sixteen years ago)

Scarlet's Well are probably my favorite band ever. Their first three albums are utterly perfect, and the last three have plenty of great stuff. Gatekeeper is particularly good!

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Saturday, 11 July 2009 19:20 (sixteen years ago)

Oops, repeating myself.

― the girl from spirea x (f. hazel), Saturday, 11 July 2009 19:20 (sixteen years ago)

do you have the 'unreal scarlet's well' record? the live one? i wonder whatever happened to the fantastic everlasting gobstopper album he was meant to be producing. i've always wondered about siesta's finances as they seem to indulge in extravagances outside the normal range of an indie label. do they sell that many records in japan?

― keythkeythkeyth, Saturday, 11 July 2009 20:36 (sixteen years ago)

You know, I didn't get "Unreal" because the sound on the youtube clips wasn't so hot, but I recently read that the actual recordings are much better, so I'm about to order it.

I agree...I'd love to know how Siesta can keep up w/the packaging etc. on acts that sell like 5 copies in the US (and 10 in the UK).

― dlp9001, Saturday, 11 July 2009 21:22 (sixteen years ago)

maybe Siesta is faltering with the global meltdown because surely Giorgio Tuma should have ended up on Siesta rather than Elefant.

― keythkeythkeyth, Sunday, 12 July 2009 03:30 (sixteen years ago)

Dear S.Wellians,
Please come and pay us a visit on the Scalet's Well forum. If you 'google' 'em, their official site normally comes up first away.
We are alays looking out for 'fresh blood' so to speak.
Yours truly,
The Z- Chromosome (a.k.a The Love Zombie)

― The Z- chromosome, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 00:37 (sixteen years ago)

oops!Please forgive typo! I did of course mean 'Scarlet's Well forum'...

― The Z- chromosome, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 00:43 (sixteen years ago)

oops!another typo! I did of course mean 'We are always...'. Time for bed me thinks! I'm not usually so sloppy with my single digit typing! Night,night.

― The Z- chromosome, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 00:52 (sixteen years ago)

We played with Scarlet's Well earlier this year - they reminded me of the Triffids a bit. Bid looks *exactly* the same as he did in 1980! Some people age rather well.

― Dr.C, Wednesday, 15 July 2009 09:10 (sixteen years ago)

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