The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad

Video: Vimeo - YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: zip file (right-click, save as)

The Toad Session I was probably most nervous about recording was Milk Maid, I think.  It was arranged at the last minute, they are a full, four-piece rock band, their profile is riding relatively high at the moment and I'd never really recorded anything so loud in our house before.

As it was, it turned out pretty fucking well, if you ask me, so when PAWS came in I was confident enough that we'd get decent recordings, but I have to confess I was a little nervous about how we'd get away with the racket and the general lawlessness of their performances.

There were some changes to the team this time as well, as a lot of the usual suspects couldn't make it.  Wee Matthew was helping out on cameras again, and Rory from Broken Records was back for a second batch of filming.  But we also managed to coax former ace Edinburgh gig photographer extraordinaire Nic Rue out of retirement to take the pictures, and Rory 'brought at friend' to help out with the filming.  And his friend just happened to be Chris Park.  Who just happens to be a serious professional.  So if you're wondering why this isn't as shit as usual, that's probably why.

As per usual, all the session mp3s are available to download for free, either below or in this zip file, we have videos of the songs and of the interview here, photos here, Nic's slightly larger portfolio of pics here, and of course the interview podcast below, with the playlist at the bottom of the page.  Enjoy.  And pity our poor neighbours.

01. PAWS - Jellyfish (Toad Session) (07.17)
02. Bronto Skylift - Cobblepot (15.50)
03. Mr. Peppermint - Carp Act (20.25)
04. PAWS - Bloodline (Toad Session) (26.47)
05. Ultimate Thrush - Complex Cat (35.31)
06. Crystal Swells - Waco, Wasilia, Waikiki (36.41)
07. PAWS - Bird Inside Birdcage, Ribcage Inside Bird (Toad Session) (42.35)
08. Pavement - Gold Soundz (48.59)
09. Dolfinz - Blowhole (51.44)
10. PAWS - Winners Don't Bleed (Toad Session) (61.49)

 The Dreichcast is so called because yesterday was fucking dreich. Dreich is another one of those wonderful Scots words which I, with my vague sort of RP/BBC/public school accent can't really pronounce properly, but I wish I could.

Nevertheless it worked out pretty nicely actually, and despite the drizzle and general unpleasantness, Mrs. Toad and I went out for a wander, had some lunch, bought some immensely smelly cheese, and then went and got utterly scooshed at the Emily Scott album launch, and then on to Papi Falso at Henry's Cellar Bar.

I really like Papi Falso actually.  The music is weird, but still upbeat, and far, far better than the doosh-doosh garbage or excruciating cheese you would hear at most other clubs.  And also, being Henry's, there is space to sit and shoot the breeze, rather than having to scream in one another's ears from half an inch away.

01. Only the Sea Slugs - She Said (00.09)
02. Wilco - Art of Almost (06.23)
03. Pet - Love Buzz (16.40)
04. Nirvana - In Bloom (21.37)
05. Benjamin Shaw - The Birds Chirp and the Sun Shines (29.15)
06. We Can't Enjoy Ourselves - Your Darkest Thoughts Will Shine (34.40)
07. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Taste the Floor (39.47)
08. Toto & the Bad Eggs - Little Naked (45.17)
09. Whirling Pig Dervish - A Question of Sport (48.17)
10. Tom Waits - Burma Shave (57.49)

The Clamcast is so-called not because of seafood, but because it all of a sudden became rather clammy here this week.  An unseasonable warm spell descended and I didn't personally adjust my clothing habits fast enough, meaning absolutely everywhere I went I ended up being uncomfortably warm.

So there you go, the Clamcast.

Anyhow, I am off to Glasgow to set up the Independent Record Fair, before scooting back through to Edinburgh to get the John Knox Sex Club, Easter and Fuzzystar Ides of Toad night sorted out at Henry's.  Actually, I say sorted out, but it's not me who sorts things out at this stage, it's really just down to the bands and the venue.  Still, I have to be there and look willing, just in case!

01. Thee Ludds - Parabolic Reflector (00.16)
02. Pregnant- I Wasn't Getting Paid (05.49)
03. Death Songs - Let This Body Go (10.58)
04. Fat History Month - Gorilla (15.00)
05. Aidan John Moffat - I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher Cover) (21.57)
06. King's Daughters & Sons - Volunteer (25.42)
07. Sons of Joy - It Was a Dirty Lie (34.32)
08. Ba Babes - Avon (Extended) (44.04)
09. Yalls - Our Place 1 (50.52)
10. Sic Alps - Cambridge Vagina (52.27)
11. Easter - Somethin' American (57.16)

Please note that this is called the Remmcast, rather than the Arriyemcast, for little better reason than that it sounds better. 

R.E.M. split up this week, which is sort of like the death of an elderly relative: you know it's sad, and you mourn the loss, but they hadn't been themselves for a while, everyone knew it was probably coming, and maybe it's for the best after all.

Due to not really wanting to pontificate too much, I haven't really produced what could be in any way described as a 'career retrospective' or anything, nor have I really gone into much about their contemporaries or influences nor indeed the enduring influence they themselves have had.  Nope, I have simply recorded a podcast as per usual, but with three R.E.M. songs in it because they were fucking brilliant.

01. Ezra Furman & the Harpoons - Hard Time in a Terrible Land (00.26)
02. Burning Yellows - False Horizons (04.33)
03. R.E.M. - Perfect Circle (11.44)
04. The Twilight Sad - Kill it in the Morning (17.52)
05. Niwel Tsumbu - It's All Vibrations (23.35)
06. R.E.M. - Star Me Kitten (33.03)
07. The Fair Ohs - I'm a Woman, I'm Your Wife (38:15)
08. Zoey Van Goey - You Told the Drunks I Knew Karate (GRNR Remix) (39.10)
09. The Whines - Electric Current (45.02)
10. Youthfall - Secular Child (49.01)
11. R.E.M. - Parakeet (59.47)

 Winecast because after soberly recording these on a Saturday afternoon for the last couple of years, I'm recording this after a bottle of wine on a Sunday evening for a change.  So don't expect coherence, but it honestly isn't all that bad.

Mrs. Toad and I were down looking at the Port O' Leith  Motor Boat Club today, wondering if we might buy the place, move in and try and turn it into the kind of recording space and performance space we already try and use our house as.  It's a great building, but I am not entirely certain how popular a place in Newhaven might prove to be to Edinburgh people reluctant to go more than a block or two for their musicfunz.

Anyhewww, here we have another ten songs of unbelievable brilliance, for which you will no doubt be enormously grateful and umm *cough cough* well, you're more than welcome.

01. Prize Pets - It Takes Time (00.09)
02. Ian Humberstone - House on the Hill (07.34)
03. Waiters - Tomorrowland (15.05)
04. Former Bullies - Golden Chains (20.21.)
05. Talvihorros - Beta (26.39)
06. Palms - Wolf (37.23)
07. Burning Yellows - Chopsticks (42.32)
08. Debutant - Yeah! Currahee! (51.00)
09. The Japanese War Effort - Dreaming of a New Labour (54.49)
10. King Creosote & John Hopkins - Bats in the Attic (Unravelled) (62.52)

This is called the Fullcast for no better reason than that I tried to fit far too many songs onto the playlist.  I've have used half the Palmist Records stable if possible, but eventually decided to settle for one single track.  There's always next week.

I didn't even make room for a song from the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah record, although to be fair I haven't really listened to that enough to really know what I think about it, so maybe that would have been hasty.

If anything this reminded me of the really early podcasts, when I tried to squish two hours of music into a single recording, and the things were just sprawling behemoths of wittering and tuneage.  I can't say I regret the decision to trim it down to either ten songs or an hour.

01. Beaters - Dark Haunter (00.22)
02. Body Wash - Cool Bike (06.34)
03. High Pop - For Jord (08.23)
04. Django Django - Waveforms (11.35)
05. Steven Malkmus & the Jicks - No One Is (As I Are Be) (17.31)
06. Milkshakes - Track 1 (24.57)
07. Kurt Vile - The Creature (27.37)
08. Ezra Furman & the Harpoons - Don't Turn Your Back on Love (34.41)
09. Steel Phantoms - Bedouin (41.50)
10. Eagulls - Possessed (47.24)
11. Sands - Fares & Tolls (53.15)
12. U2 - Lemon (60.17)

Snooze!  Yes, a genuine, proper weekend snooze was had this morning and it was fucking amaaaaazing!  I haven't actually had the chance to lazily sleep in for fucking months and it was an enormous pleasure.  And not even a guilty one, because I genuinely don't have to rush about being efficient today.  Awesome!

This week's podcast contains a fair bit of plugging, I have to confess.  Not all for myself though.  I plug the Kurt Vile tour, Jonnie Common's Deskjob as well as his new album, the new Oates Field album and the new album by The Leg.

Then, just for good measure, I also plug the upcoming Ides of Toad gigs, and two new releases on Song, by Toad Records.  I hope it doesn't get too much for you, but I don't think so, because all the songs are very good and hopefully you know me well enough by now to know full well that I don't plug anything I don't genuinely like.  So there.  Enjoy.  That's an order.

01. Jonnie Common - Infinitea (00.21)
02. The Oates Field - Nae Luck (09.50)
03. Adam Balbo - Just Singing a Song (15.37)
04. The Leg - Twitching Stick (17.22)
05. Kurt Vile - IN/OUT Blues (23.40)
06. Easter - Damp Patch (30.03)
07. Trips and Falls - I Learned Sunday Morning, on a Wednesday (38.41)
08. Rob St. John - Your Phantom Limb (41.39)
09. Sea Pinks - Fountain Tesserae (46.47)
10. Tuesday Glass - Franklin (50.16)
11. John Knox Sex Club - Above Us the Waves (59.23)

Comacast?  Yes, because of the imminent onset of a post-Festival coma.

After trying to juggle two gigs of my own, two gigs I wanted to attend, the Antifolk-off and the visit of a good friend I haven't seen in a couple of years and the Retreat Festival this weekend I think I am now ready to officially declare August over and collapse into a somnolent stupour. 

In short, I need to sleep.  A lot.

Mrs. Toad came back from a ten-day holiday last night as well, and that always restores a sense of equilibrium.  She doesn't do much except swear at me and tell me to leave her the fuck alone, but for some reason I find that inordinately comforting in times of stress.  I think it might be because I am a fucking idiot.

1. PAWS - Booger (00.08)
2. Trwbador - Sun in the Winter (07.09)
3. The Walkmen - On the Water (16.35)
4. Arcade Fire - City With no Children (20.05)
5. Enfant Bastard - Pob is Not Interested (26.33)
6. Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me a Tale (34.49)
7. Electrelane - I'm on Fire (Bruce Springsteen Cover) (42.22)
8. The Love Gestures - Joanna Newsom 666 (49.55)
9. Ghost Outfit - Those Ghosts (52.54)
10. Lach - Blue Overcoat (60.12)

Stop it.  Stop it.  Just fucking stop it.  Don't panic, this is emphatically NOT about pedophilia.  Before you get your knickers in a twist have a quick look at the tracklisting, and in particular the band names, and hopefully you will see why the podcast has the name it does.

So what am I really on about?  Well, I happened across a band recently called Young Girls, and it finally became clear that after Bear Crystal Wolf Fuck Ghost bands, the new fashion is quite clearly paedo bands.  Band whose names, whilst not exactly dodgy in themselves, lead to a lot of very, very awkward moments on Google.

So there you go.  No awkward debates about awkward psychological or sociological issues at all, I promise.  Just lots of good tunes by bands with dubious names.  Mostly.

01. Teens - Golden Years (00.05)
02. Girls - Broken Dreams Club (05.59)
03. Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag (15.19)
04. XX Teens - The Way We Were (19.23)
05. Tim Minchin- Pope Song (26.17)
06. Sonny Boy Williamson - Good Morning, School Girl (33.27)
07. Young Boys - Bring 'em Down (42.30)
08. Young Girls - We're Not Friends (46.30)
09. Tiny Tim - Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips With Me (51.36)
10. Sexy Kids - Sisters Are Forever (59.17)

Godcast?  The fucking Godcast?  No, don't worry, there are no theological debates, nor even any snide remarks about the ludicrous nature of religion (except that one).

This is called the Godcast because Anthony from God Don't Like It (promotions, press, parties, DJing, drunken tomfoolery and almost everything else) happens to be visiting this weekend to hang out, have a few beers, go and see stuff at the Edinburgh Festival and enjoy the first week of the football season.

I am not entirely sure what regular listeners to this podcast will make of Anthony's choices but erm... well fuck off, it can't be all 'moaning indie pish'* all the goddam time, can it.

*Copyright Mrs. Toad 2007

01. The Shivers - Irrational Love (00.25)
02. Dels - Capsize (06:47)
03. Sneakpeak - Walk All Over Me (15.02)
04. Baanex - Weird Dance 2 (17.54)
05. Solo Banton - No (27.01)
06. The Japanese War Effort - I Can't Wear Jackets Inside (I'm Afraid) (36.34)
07. The Pineapple Chunks - Dog Shit (39.15)
08. A.A. Bondy - The Heart is Willing (46.57)
09. Funghi Girls - Some Easy Magic (51.03)
10. Seams - Motive Order (58.05)
11. The Offset Spectacles - Elements (67.54)