Show preview: Saint Etienne at the Showbox

I often daydream about a radio station that plays music for the adult pop fan (with a European tilt), and isn’t beholden to top 40 playlists and has a broader range than my own custom playlists. You would hear Annie, Goldfrapp and The Royksopp in heavy rotation, and only the occasional Rihanna or Katy Perry tune, but Robyn would be as “mainstream” as it gets most of the time. (If anyone knows of such a station, preferably one online, please drop a comment or e-mail me at chris@anotherrainysaturday.com.)

I mention this now because I think a lot about this more and more because British pop trio Saint Etienne would be in very heavy rotation on my ideal radio station. Its newest album, Words and Music by Saint Etienne, is quietly one of the finest albums of the year, and I tend to suspect that because the band has put out such high quality pop music over its twenty-plus year career that it gets overlooked by my friends and colleagues in 2012.

Saint Etienne is Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs; the latter two were former music critics. Words and Music is their eighth official album, and first since 2005. Their music often has a romantic, blissful sound that feels ready for the discotheque. On Words and Music, there is a song called “Popular,” which is about the must-read column of the same name by Tom Ewing on his website Freaky Trigger where he reviews every UK number one hit. It’s simply the best song ever recorded about a music blog, by far. (Yes, Travis, I know about that one.)

This is all relevant because Saint Etienne is playing at the Showbox at the Market next Thursday with Rose Melberg and Beat Connection. It’s their first show in Seattle in I don’t know how long and I couldn’t think of missing it.

{Saint Etienne plays Showbox at the Market with Rose Melberg and Beat Connection on Thursday, November 1, 21+, 8pm doors, $23.50 tickets.}

Chris (940 Posts)

Chris Burlingame is the editor of Another Rainy Saturday.