When we weren't looking -- presumably while we were busy waiting for the latest Family Guy to show up on Hulu -- bands joined magazines, cable channels, and crackpot theories on the list of Things You Can Subscribe To. Happily, the reason for this phenomenon's discovery is a new Belle and Sebastian side project inaugurated by B&S mainman Stuart Murdoch.

God Help the Girl is the name of Murdoch's new busman's holiday, and it's a (don't scream) rock opera realized by a 45-piece ensemble that also includes members of The Divine Comedy and, for some reason, Smoosh. The lead vocalist for most of the album, though, is the unknown Catherine Ireton. The album is set for a June 23 Matador release, but if you're a God Help the Girl subscriber, you can apparently get a couple of 45s, a deluxe version of the album, and a bunch of downloadable content as well. Where can you go to make this happen? We'll give you a hint -- the URL starts with "god" and ends with "girl," see if you can fill in the middle.

God Help the Girl track listing:

Act of the Apostle
God Help The Girl
Pretty Eve In The Tub
A Uni?ed Theory
Hiding Neath My Umbrella
Funny Little Frog
If You Could Speak
Musician Please Take Heed
Perfection as a Hipster
Come Monday Night
Music Room Window
I Just Want His Jeans
I'll Have To Dance With Cassie
A Down and Dusky Blonde

[Aversion]