For the sexual device, see arab strap (sexual device).

Arab Strap
Background information
Origin	Falkirk, Scotland
Genre(s)	Post-folk Indie rock Alternative Rock
Years active	1995 - 2006
Label(s)	Chemikal Underground
Associated acts	Mogwai L. Pierre Malcolm Middleton
Website	http://www.arabstrap.co.uk
Members
Aidan Moffat Malcolm Middleton Jenny Reeve Stacey Sievewright
Former members
David Gow Gary Miller Adele Bethel

Arab Strap were a post-folk indie band from Scotland who were signed to independent record label Chemikal Underground.

History

Vocalist Aidan Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton grew up in Falkirk, Scotland and bonded over their mutual love for Drag City recording artists such as Smog and Will Oldham as well as their love of cheap alcohol. They began collaborating in 1995, and their debut album The Week Never Starts Round Here was released the following year.

Over the course of their 10 year existence Arab Strap worked with a number of musicians including Jenny Reeve, Stacey Sievewright as well as Adele Bethel and David Gow who went on to form Sons and Daughters. Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian was featured on the album Philophobia but the album/song "The Boy with the Arab Strap" would later create something of a feud between the two singers.

Arab Strap's marked characteristics include sordid, personal, yet honest, lyrics -- described by the NME as "fly on the duvet vignettes" At first essentially an electro-acoustic band with a brooding, spare sound later albums and gigs saw them develop a fuller sound which drew deeply on both indie and dance music.

In keeping with the theme of sexual allusion (see arab strap (sexual device)), Moffat records as a solo artist under the name Lucky Pierre - slang for the man in the middle of a gay threesome. This work is also characterised by brooding, spare sound but is instrumental in nature. Malcolm Middleton also has a solo career under his own name. His first two solo albums, including the critically acclaimed 5:14 Fluoxytine Seagull Alcohol John Nicotine were released by Chemikal Underground. He is now signed to Full Time Hobby Records, and released his third album, A Brighter Beat on 27th February 2007.

On September 9, 2006 the band announced on their website that they were to split up. They celebrated the 10 years since their first studio album with the release of a compilation record, entitled Ten Years Of Tears. They went on tour in Europe for the last time at the end of the year, and played their final show at the end of a secret tour of Japan at Shibuya O-Nest on 17 December 2006.

Discography

Studio albums