The band has a cult following in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, although the eclectic and unique sound Tindersticks possesses never made significant inroads in the mainstream.
Personnel
* Stuart Ashton Staples, born 14 November 1965 - Lead voice, guitar, melodica
* Dickon James Hinchliffe, born 9 July 1967 - violin, guitar, voice, piano, string and brass arrangements
* Neil Timothy Fraser, - born 22 November 1962 - lead guitar, vibraphone
* David Leonard Boulter, born 27 February 1965 - keyboards, percussion
* Alasdair Robert De Villeneuve Macaulay, born 2 August 1965 - drums, percussion, trumpet
* Mark Andrew Colwill, born 12 May 1960 - bass guitar
The band formed in late 1991, Staples, Boulter, Frazer, Macauley and Hinchcliffe having previously been members of Asphalt Ribbons. The final band line-up for the "old horse" mini-LP (1991) was: Stuart Staples (vocals) Dave Boulter (organ & accordion) Neil Fraser (guitar) Dickon Hinchliffe (Guitar & strings) Al Macauley (percussion & drums) John Thompson (bass). Mark Colwill was recruited when John Thompson left the Asphalt Ribbons, but it is not sure if he played any gigs under the Asphalt Ribbons name. Then they changed their name to Tindersticks after Stuart A. Staples discovered a box of German matches on a Greek beach.
Tindersticks started recording demo tapes in 1992, and were signed by Tippy Toe Records who released their first single, "Patchwork".
Their self-titled first and second albums established their signature sound and received widespread critical acclaim. Their live performances, often augmented by large string sections and even, on occasion, a full orchestra, were rapturously received. (The live album Bloomsbury Theatre 12.3.95 is a recording of one such concert.) By the time of the third album, Curtains, however, it was clear that a change of direction was called for. There was a certain ennui to the songs, and the lengthy "Ballad of Tindersticks" was a weary swipe at the pressures of being a touring band.
The fourth album, Simple Pleasure, lived up to its title with a series of snappy, direct songs influenced by soul music. The female backing vocals on several tracks, and the respectful cover of Odyssey's "If You're Looking For A Way Out", signalled the band's wish to move towards lighter, more soulful material. However, the inner sleeve's documentation of the number of takes each track went through was evidence that the band continued to adopt a painstaking approach to recording.
The fifth album, Can Our Love, continued the band's soulful direction, in particular evidence on the tender "Sweet Release" and in the nod to the Chi-Lites in the title of "Chilitetime".
The sixth and most recent album, Waiting For The Moon, was more stripped down and introspective in nature, particularly on the harrowing "4.48 Psychosis" (based on the play of the same name by the British playwright Sarah Kane) and "Sometimes It Hurts". Only the bouncy "Just A Dog" lightened the otherwise melancholy mood of the album.
In 2005 Staples embarked on a solo career and there was resultant speculation that the band had split. Staples has so far produced two solo albums, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 and Leaving Songs. The title of the second album, and Staples' notes on it, indicate that Tindersticks may indeed be at an end: "These are songs written on the verge of leaving the things I loved and stepping into a new unknown life, both musically and personally. I was always aware that these songs were the end of something, a kind of closing a circle of a way of writing that I started so long ago and I knew I had to move on from."
In September 2006, the band played a one-off concert at London's Barbican Centre, performing their second album in full with a nine-member string section and two brass players, including former collaborator Terry Edwards on trumpet. This concert brought the band's members back together. A new recording process in 2007 resulted in a new album, The Hungry Saw, which was released on April 28th 2008.
In the meantime, in July 2007, Island Records had released The BBC Sessions, a double CD compilation of the band's sessions for BBC radio programmes. Also in 2007, a stripped-down line-up of three of the original band, Staples, Boulter and Fraser, spent time writing and recording in a newly-equipped studio in Limousin, France. They were joined by Thomas Belhom on drums and Dan McKinna on bass, with Ian Caple engineering. The resulting album, The Hungry Saw, was released on Beggars Banquet in April 2008. Tindersticks played a number of other European dates during the summer festival season and also announced a winter 2008 European tour.
In 2010, the eighth album Falling Down a Mountain was released on 4AD / Constellation Records with a changed band line-up, with Earl Harvin replacing Belhom on drums and David Kitt, a solo artist in his own right, joining the band on guitar and vocals.
The group's ninth album The Something Rain was released in February 2012.
As well as their nine studio albums, the band has produced the soundtracks for four films by the French director Claire Denis: Nenette et Boni,Trouble Every Day, 35 Rhums and White Material
They recorded a cover of the Four Tops song, "What Is A Man", for the theme to the British TV series The Sins.
The Tindersticks song Tiny Tears was featured prominently in the Series 1 episode "Isabella" of HBO's The Sopranos. Additionally, a version of "Running Wild" was played during the ending credits of the penultimate episode of the series, "The Blue Comet". In the Season One Finale of Brotherhood, "El Diablo En El Ojo" is used twice.
* Tindersticks (aka First Album) (This Way Up, 1993)
* Tindersticks (aka Second Album) (This Way Up, 1995)
* Curtains (This Way Up, 1997)
* Simple Pleasure (Island, 1999)
* Can Our Love... (Beggar's Banquet, 2001)
* Waiting for the Moon (Beggar's Banquet, 2003)
* BBC Sessions (2007)
On 17th October 2014, Tindersticks released the commissioned soundscapes from the In Flanders Fields WW1 museum in Ypres, Belgium.
See the band's site at www.tindersticks.co.uk.
Milky Teeth
Tindersticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanted you for that mouth
Hey you know I'm a listener
I loved you for what came out
It's your mind and your body
That makes me feel so dirty
And it's my mouth
What comes out
You say you love me when I'm sleeping
It's the sleep of the innocent
But in my sleep, I'm still faking
If you could only see what that meant
You think my body is clean now
It's stretching out in your tub
But the more you soak me
The more I wonder what comes off
And what comes out
Yeah those teeth, they look so milky
You would trust them with your neck
Like a kitten and it's mother
Just secure you and fear no fall
These teeth, they'll break you
As they close around your scruff
You look my way, your smile opens
And I wonder about what comes out
What comes out
What comes out
What comes out
What comes out
The song "Milky Teeth" by Tindersticks is a melancholic love song with a hint of sexuality. The lyrics depict an intense attraction towards the physical features of the lover, particularly the mouth and teeth. The opening lines "Well you know I'm a kisser, I wanted you for that mouth, hey you know I'm a listener, I loved you for what came out" suggest that the singer is drawn to the lover's mouth for both its kissing potential and the words that come out of it.
However, there is also a sense of insecurity and hidden desires in the lyrics. The lines "You say you love me when I'm sleeping, it's the sleep of the innocent, but in my sleep, I'm still faking, if you could only see what that meant" suggest that the singer is not completely honest about their feelings or fully trusting of the lover's affections. The lyrics also hint at the idea of vulnerability and the potential for the lover's teeth to both comfort and harm: "Yeah those teeth, they look so milky, you would trust them with your neck, these teeth, they'll break you, as they close around your scruff."
Overall, "Milky Teeth" is a complex and emotionally charged song that delves into the intricacies of desire and intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you know I'm a kisser
I enjoy kissing and it's one of my favorite things to do.
I wanted you for that mouth
I was attracted to you because of the way your mouth looks, and I wanted to kiss it.
Hey you know I'm a listener
I'm someone who pays attention to what others have to say and listens well.
I loved you for what came out
I fell in love with your voice and the things you had to say.
It's your mind and your body
I'm attracted to both your intellect and your physical appearance.
That makes me feel so dirty
It excites me to have these thoughts and feelings about you.
And it's my mouth
My mouth is the tool I use to express my desires and feelings to you.
What comes out
The things I say and the way I express myself to you.
You say you love me when I'm sleeping
You express your love for me even when I'm not aware of it because I'm asleep.
It's the sleep of the innocent
When I sleep, I'm completely unaware, like a child who is innocent and free of worry.
But in my sleep, I'm still faking
I may be pretending to be asleep so that I can hear you say things to me that you wouldn't otherwise say.
If you could only see what that meant
If you knew what I was really doing, you would be surprised and maybe even hurt.
You think my body is clean now
You believe that I'm physically clean because I've just taken a bath.
It's stretching out in your tub
I'm relaxing in your bathtub and enjoying the sensation of being surrounded by water.
But the more you soak me
The longer I stay in the water and the deeper I soak, the more I contemplate what's really going on.
The more I wonder what comes off
I'm starting to feel like the water is washing away more than just dirt; it's also revealing something about who I am on the inside.
Yeah those teeth, they look so milky
Your teeth are so white and beautiful in appearance.
You would trust them with your neck
You would trust me to be close to you and to be intimate with you.
Like a kitten and it's mother
The trust and affection we share is like the bond between a kitten and its mother.
Just secure you and fear no fall
I can make you feel safe and protected, and you don't have to worry about getting hurt or falling down.
These teeth, they'll break you
My teeth can be sharp and dangerous, and they have the potential to hurt you or cause you pain.
As they close around your scruff
If I were to bite you like a mother cat might, I would grab hold of your scruff, the loose skin at the back of your neck.
You look my way, your smile opens
When you look at me, your face lights up with a smile, indicating that you're happy and comfortable with me.
And I wonder about what comes out
When you smile, I wonder what kinds of thoughts and feelings are behind that expression.
What comes out
The things you say or the emotions you convey to me.
What comes out
The things that we express to each other, both verbally and nonverbally.
What comes out
The hidden aspects of ourselves that we reveal through our interactions with each other.
What comes out
The unexpected consequences of our actions or words, which can have either positive or negative effects.
What comes out
The ultimate outcome of our relationship, which is still unknown and full of possibilities.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALASDAIR MACAULAY, DAVID BOULTER, DICKON JAMES HINCHLIFFE, MARK ANTHONY STEPHEN COLWILL, NEIL TIMOTHY FRASER, STUART ASHTON STAPLES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind