The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad

The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad

By Mr. ToadMusic
Download on the App Store

The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad episodes

  • Toadcast #55 - Samamidon Toad Session

    The day after his amazing live set at the Bowery,

    Sam Amidon came round to the house to record a Toad Session.  He didn't
    have all that much time, and I don't think he quite knew what he'd let
    himself in for either, so this one is pretty brief.  Still, between
    this and the footage from the live show I think we have a really nice
    portrait of the guy, who is so different in person from his
    recordings.  Whilst the latter may be beautiful, and whilst All Is Well
    is an amazingly lovely album, his personality dominates his live show
    so much it gives you such a different perspective on his music.

    As per usual, we have the session podcast below, and after that the

    Toad Session mp3 files, which you are free to pass around as you
    please.  The videos are posted below that, and can all be found on the Song, by Toad Vimeo page (recommended) as well as the YouTube page
    (shit, but popular, so I have to put them there too).  There's also a
    series of photos from the session, which can be found on our Flickr page.  The tracklisting for the podcast is at the bottom of this post - enjoy!

    Toadcast #55 - Samamidon Toad Session

    [audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/songbytoad/ToadcastNo55.mp3]

    And the downloadable, shareable, huggable mp3s from the session:

    Samamidon - 1842 (Toad Session)

    [audio:http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/ToadSessions/Samamidon-1842-ToadSession.mp3]

    Samamidon - Pretty Fair Damsel (Toad Session)

    [audio:http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/ToadSessions/Samamidon-PrettyFairDamsel-ToadSession.mp3]

    Samamidon - Fiddle Mayhem (Toad Session)

    [audio:http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/ToadSessions/Samamidon-FiddleMayhem-ToadSession.mp3]

    And the videos:


    This is the main Toad Session video.


    Samamidon's live Toad Session version of 1842, recorded in January 2009 for songbytoadcom.


    During his Toad Session we persuaded Sam to play his fiddle, and
    believe me it's something to behold. He switches from these perfect
    reels into abstract experimentalism and back and, as long as the
    screeching doesn't put you off, it's truly amazing to see. Recorded for
    songbytoad.com in January 2009.


    Samamidon's live Toad Session version of Pretty Fair Damsel, recorded in January 2009 for songbytoad.com

    And the playlist for Toadcast #55 - Samamidon Toad Session:

    01. Samamidon - 1842 (Toad Session) (05.23)

    02. Peter & Mary Alice Amidon - True Born Sons of Levi (10.23)
    03. Mary Margaret O'Hara - When You Know Why You're Happy (12.49)
    04. Shirley Collins - Lovin' Hannah (18.17)
    05. Samamidon - Pretty Fair Damsel (Toad Session) (24.16)
    06. Othar Turner & The Rising Star Fife And Drum - Bouncin' Ball (33.20)
    07. Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Swimming Song (36.29)
    08. Doveman - Happy (38.53)
    09. Samamidon - Fiddle Mayhem (Toad Session) (47.49)

    53 min
  • Toadcast #54 - The Spacecast

    The Spacecast is yet another podcast dreamed up in the pub, this time between myself and Dylan, the official Song, by Toad photographer. 

    And again it's one of those podcast which could have gone on for over
    two hours quite easily, but we don't do that anymore, not around here,
    we're disciplined these days goddammit.

    So I've missed off about a million other suggestions and come up

    with a combination of songs genuinely about space, and few that use
    space as some sort of metaphor and then a few which just stick a few
    spacey words in the title.  And of course, it starts with something
    rather splendid... but you'll have to listen to find out what it is. 
    Alright, it's not that special.  Just mildly amusing.

    Toadcast #54 - The Spacecast

    01. Me First & the Gimme Gimmes - Rocket Man (03.52)

    02. David Bowie - Space Oddity (07.06)
    03. Bob Geldof - Thinking Voyager 2 Type Things (15.09)
    04. Inspiral Carpets - Saturn V (24.49)
    05. The Only Ones - Another Girl Another Planet (28.30)
    06. Shirley Bassey - In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon) ( 32.36)
    07. Yann Tiersen (Black Session w. Neil Hannon) - Life on Mars (36.04)
    08. Riff-Raff - I Wanna be a Cosmonaut (41.34)
    09. The Holy Modal Rounders - Mr. Spaceman (42.59)
    10. Tom McRae - 2nd Law (48.29)
    11. Blur - Far Out (51.46)
    12. Queen - Flash Gordon Theme (57.30)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr 1 min
  • Toadcast #53 - Shiny!

    This is just an overspilling of all the shiny new things I have in

    my inbox this week.  It's so fabulously up to the minute that there are
    songs in here which only landed in my inbox yesterday.  There's a
    slightly sneaky legend making an appearance as well, in the shape of
    Jason Lytle.  Jason was the lead singer of Grandaddy, a legendary group
    who disbanded back in about, erm, 2006 or so, leading to Jason moving
    to a house out in Montana and apparently giving up on the idea of
    making a living out of music altogether.

    The thing is, music is an art form, and no-one makes a fucking

    living out of making art.  The only exceptions are deplorable cunts
    like Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst and fucking Bono, so please can we
    dispel the idea that art is a profession.  It's not a job, nor a
    career, it's a fucking calling; an obsession.  Of course, the good news
    for us fans is that, because it's a calling rather than a job, Mr.
    Lytle was never likely to stay away forever.  If you care about
    something it's almost impossible to stop yourself doing it.  Believe
    me, I know - I feel the same way about masturbation (sorry, not that
    funny, I know).

    Oooh, by the way, I was very macho this evening.  I got home and I

    opened the gate to find some random chump sitting on our steps drinking
    beer.  So I bellowed with rage, grabbed him by the lapels and flung him
    out into the street, shouting angry man things like 'get the fuck out
    of my fucking house you cunt or I'll fucking batter you fucking
    senseless' and other well known aristotelian arguments.  Unfortunately,
    as is often the case with fighting, one proved vastly less capable than
    the other, and he apologised and asked for the rest of his beer back
    and acknowledged that was in the wrong.  Christ that made me feel like
    a prick and a bully.  So I ended up pointing out that my wife was small
    and that if she came home and found someone sitting on our steps
    drinking beer she's have been scared, and that I was sorry for being so
    violent and please just bugger off etc etc.  He agreed and apologised
    and basically took all the fun out of being an alpha male, the
    bastard.  Christ, I might have to wait ten years to be that macho
    again, why did he have to ruin it for me?

    Toadcast #53 - Shiny!

    01. Orouni - A Greased & Golden Palm (05.47)

    02. The Gillyflowers - Country Boy (09.25)
    03. Trips & Falls - And in Real Life He Wears Corduroy Pants (16.45)
    04. Ragged Claws - On the Death of an Emperor (25.00)
    05. Findo Gask - Wrapped in Plastic (Live) (32.00)
    06. Enfant Bastard - Landscape Painting is Easy (36.23)
    07. Scuff - Sailing Three Sheets to the Wind (40.56)
    08. Jason Lytle - Birds Encouraged Him (Live at Maps) (47.34)
    09. Auld Lang Syne - Where My Fortune Lies (51.01)
    10. Scott Pinkmountain & the Golden Bolts of Tone (58.24)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr 9 min
  • Toadcast #52 - Let's Go

    Well here we go.  The new year is yet to quite take hold or take

    off, but I promise you that things will kick back into gear this
    weekend.  There are some fine love shows appearing on the calendar,
    slowly but surely, and eventually 2009 will get going.  No rush though.

    This

    Toadcast is a bit of a mix.  I've got some of this year's favourites, I
    look back at some of last year's favourites, and I also poke away at a
    couple of the bands I hope will make their mark in 2009. 

    In that sense, examining last year's favourites makes a lot of sense.  I'm always curious about how well our fads and fancies bear up to the passage of time. 

    I've not been too fickle in recent years, which is sort of nice, so I
    don't mind looking back like this.  There aren't too many
    embarrassments to be had, so it's kind of nice to take the chance to
    look backwards, look forwards a little and generally just take the
    opportunity to pause for breath and enjoy the new year.  As should you,
    toadlings, as should you.  Happy new year, folks.

    Toadcast #52 - Let's Go

    01. Bombadil - Cavaliers' Har Hum (02.24)
    02. Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta - The Ragged Garden of Your Eye (08.57)
    03. Aidan John Moffat - The Boy That You Love (12.19)
    04. Mitchell Museum - Extra Lives (18.11)
    05. The Savings & Loan - The Virgin's Lullaby (24.36)
    06. The Builders & the Butchers - When it Rains (28.06)
    07. Elvis Perkins - It's Only Me (34.30)
    08. Mother & the Addicts - Are Others (38.21)
    09. The Pictish Trail - Winter Home Disco (46.27)
    10. The Low Lows - Dear Flys, Love Spider (54.49)
    1 hr 1 min
  • Toadcast #51 - The Yulecast

    Oh thank fuck it's Christmas.  Or, any holiday really.  I am so

    fucking incredibly tired I could pitch face first on the tarmac and
    sleep for six months without so much as coming up for air.

    I have

    been reading, with some amusement, the bickering over the religious
    nature of Christmas which seems to take place in the American press
    with monotonous regularity.  Apparently the Christians are adamant that
    we remember the religious nature of a pagan festival, which seems a
    little odd considering that the Christianisation of Christmas itself
    was basically the Christian colonists' acceptance that they could never
    defeat local pagan religions.  So basically they adopted Yuletide and
    tried to wedge their amusing Biblical myths into a story that their
    conquered people would never give up, and then waited a few years for
    it to degrade into some sort of carnival of aquisitiveness which they
    could have a tantrum about.

    So it's a pagan festival which has

    turned into an unbridled celebration of Western consumerist greed...
    erm, which part of this came up in the Bible again? 

    Personally,

    as an atheist, I love Christmas.  It's got nothing to do with that
    Jeebus character, it's closer akin to the the pagan celebration of
    light and life in the middle of the darkest part of the year.  As a
    family we have always come together and spent peaceful time together at
    this time of year.  We play music, we read books, we cook together, but
    above all we rest.  We get together and enjoy one another's company. 
    Mrs. Toad and I will, this year, be doing nothing more than snuggling
    up on the couch and wasting time.  And that time wasting together is
    oddly one of the most important things you can do to forge a strong
    relationship.  Just taking time to be together and enjoy one another's
    company is, after the year we've had, going to be a rare treat, and one
    which I intend to enjoy immensely.

    Toadcast #51 - The Yulecast

    01. Yo La Tengo - On Our Way to Fall (03.12)

    02. Tom Waits - Soldier's Things (07.21)
    03. Pale Young Gentlemen - We Will Meet (15.23)
    04. The Felice Brothers - Greatest Show on Earth (19.15)
    05. Eels - Beautiful Freak (27.27)
    06. Clem Snide - The Dairy Queen (35.25)
    07. Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue (43.13)
    08. A.A. Bondy - Black Rain, Black Rain (48.45)
    09. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Brompton Oratory (54.19)
    10. Sufjan Stevens - Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother (60.06)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr 4 min
  • Toadcast #50 - The Friendcast

    Ah, mates.  Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em.  Mrs. Toad's best

    friend from her reckless yoof is visiting us here in Edinburgh with her
    gentleman friend, and consequently I got to thinking about my own old
    friends, and all the people who, over the years, have introduced me to
    so much brilliant music.  So I started to patch together a playlist of
    all the important friends who have added a lot of music to my life. 
    The problem is that it became way too long for my one hour restriction,
    so for this week I cast that aside, and allowed myself an extra ten
    minutes.

    Honestly though, old friends are so important, this

    could have gone on for two hours, easily.  Every one of the people I
    mention here has a whole story of their own, and it was quite difficult to resist telling all of them in proper detail. 
    It seems such a shame, actually, to reduce all of these people to a
    two-minute link.  I could almost do a whole podcast for any one of
    these scenarios really, and maybe I'll do that in future.  For now,
    though, you'll have to make do with this.  It may be shabby, but it
    really could have been so much worse.  Meanwhile, Mrs. Toad is fucking
    plastered.  Oh good.  Enjoy!

    Toadcast #50 - The Friendcast

    01. Pink Floyd - On the Turning Away (02.27)
    02. Pearl Jam - Black (11.23)
    03. The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings (18.30)
    04. Gene - Her Fifteen Years (25.23)
    05. Radiohead - Black Star (28.04)
    06. Verve - Lucky Man (34.41)
    07. Weeping Willows - Eternal Flames (39.19)
    08. Billy Bragg - Days Like These (DC Remix) (45.41)
    09. Bob Dylan - Po' Boy (49.42)
    10. Elbow - Newborn (55.46)
    11. Blanche - Do You Trust Me? (63.19)
    12. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure (69.07)
    1 hr 13 min
  • Toadcast #49 - Hangovers

    By the time this is published I will be lying in bed in Toad Hall

    with a hangover like a nasty case of death warmed up.  The Song, by
    Toad Christmas Party was on Friday 5th December, and given how
    exhausted I am at the moment I would imagine that about two or three
    gins into the evening I will be whistling Waltzing Matilda out my
    fucking ears.

    Still, the Meursault album will be out, the party

    will be sorted, the Song, by Toad Records publicity juggernaut will be
    chuntering along comfortably and I will be able to begin the gentle
    slide into Christmas relaxation.  Finally finally finally.  I am so
    fucking exhausted from all the bloody time I've thrown into this since
    the Summer, and over Christmas there will be two weeks off with little
    to do but move this site all over to self-hosting and tinker a little
    with the design. 

    I'll be trying to make the sessions and Toad

    Records things a little more prominent, and generally poking about in
    general.  The problem is that my CSS is so piss-poor that I really am
    limited in what I can do, so I'll just have to hope it turns out okay. 
    I am loath to pay someone to redesign the thing for me though, because
    that seems to be somewhat contrary to the Spirit of All Things Toad.

    The Spirit of All Things Toad, of course, being gin.

    Toadcast #49 - Hangovers

    01. The National - Fake Empire (01.30)
    02. Doveman - Teacup (06.05)
    03. Samamidon - Wild Bill Jones (12.53)
    04. Phil & the Osophers - High Art (22.43)
    05. Miracles of Modern Science - MR2 (26.15)
    06. Radiohead - Idioteque (32.49)
    07. Chopps Derby - Down the Dogs (41.22)
    08. The 1900s - Age of Metals (47.01)
    09. Alela Diane - White as Diamonds (50.12)
    10. The Wave Pictures - Leave the Scene Behind (58.07)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr 2 min
  • Toadcast #48 - The Jeffcast

    This may be the limpest of all excuses I've ever had for naming a

    podcast.  You know why it's called the Jeffcast?  Because I kinda
    mention Jeffrey Lewis a couple of times.  Oooh, yes, that makes sense. 
    Still, sorry, I couldn't think of anything else really, off the top of
    my head.

    I suppose I am off to see Jeffrey Lewis directly after

    recording this, so I guess it sort of counts.  He is playing a secret
    gig at Henry's Cellar Bar after sneaking out of the Beggars Banquet
    Christmas Party at the Picture House over the road.  It's one of the
    things I love about the anti-folk crowd: you genuinely get the
    impression that they'd rather be playing to an appreciative crowd of
    their mates, rather than a bigger crowd of anonymous punters who may
    stand there and demand entertainment.

    So there you go, that's the

    deal for tonight.  For the rest of the weekend we're putting together
    Meursault albums, ready for the official (re)launch of their record
    next Friday at the Song, by Toad Christmas Party.  So, after folding
    and screen-printing a thousand of the bastards we'll all be well ready
    for Gimme Shelter in the Caves on Saturday and a spot of Candythief
    action in the Jazz Bar on Sunday.  Enjoy the 48th Toadcast.  

    Toadcast #48 - The Jeffcast

    01. Yo La Tengo - Double Dare (04.12)

    02. Wolf Parade - Call it a Ritual (07.29)
    03. Modey Lemon - Loch Ness Monster (11.25)
    04. Sly & the Family Stone - Life (17.09)
    05. The Velcro Quartet - The Love Song of Little Cosmo Nostradamus (20.03)
    06. The Pernice Brothers - The Ballad of Bjorn Borg (25.57)
    07. Caramel Jack - The Lincoln Jackson Incident (34.37)
    08. The Magnetic Fields - All the Umbrellas in London (38.29)
    09. Sparklehorse - Happy Man (Memphis Version) (44.46)
    10. The Veils - Birthday Present (49.44)
    11. Grandaddy - Miner at the Dial-A-View (54.24)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr
  • Toadcast #47 - The Oldcast

    I know it's a bit obvious to do a podcast like this so shortly after

    my birthday, but it gives me the opportunity to ramble a bit and play
    some classics I might not otherwise have played.

    There are so

    many wonderful songs about growing old, and I actually think I may have
    missed most of them.  I have no fear of being old, but for some reason
    it feels a little more immediate this year but I don't know why.

    So

    goodnight people, it's been a pleasure.  Sleep well and don't be too
    rough on yourselves.  Take Kirsty's advice and don't be too rough on my
    cold, cold heart; it's all I've got left to me now."

    That may be

    the smart-arsed line, but the most important line in this song is the
    bit where she says that 'there's a light in your eyes tells me
    somebody's in and you won't come the cowboy with me'.  It's such a
    crucial judgment, isn't it.  You take a bet on someone, you throw in
    your chips and you hope for the best.  So if you're feeling brave, good luck to you.  Look after her, I'll be there anytime soon.

    Toadcast #47 - The Oldcast

    01. The Rolling Stones - Mother's Little Helper (00.01)
    02. The Band - Rockin' Chair (07.46)
    03. Michelle Shocked - Memories of East Texas (11.21)
    04. Hafdis Huld - Tomoko (20.57)
    05. Baby Walrus - Some Dawns No Bird Will Sing (28.44)
    07. Donny Hue & the Colors - The World Came Running (30.25)
    08. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man (34.21)
    08. Soko - The Dandy Cowboys (43.31)
    09. Kirsty MacColl - Don't Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim (47.04)
    10. Neil Young - Old Man (55.09)
    11. Jeffrey Lewis - Back When I Was Four (58.12)
    1 hr 3 min
  • Toadcast #46 - Sparrow & the Workshop Toad Session

    Christ this has taken me ages. We recorded this in late August after

    myself and Mrs. Toad came back from the States, but the intervention of
    the End of the Road Festival
    and an unspeakable disaster with video tape has delayed this beyond the
    bounds of pretty much everyone's patience. I eventually had to give up
    trying to extricate video from chewed tapes and make do with the video
    we actually had, which has been bloody frustrating.

    As per usual we have the videos all posted either on the Toad Vimeo page (the best quality) and YouTube (more accessible). We also have pictures

    taken by both my friend Morgan, who is also the official Song, by Toad
    camerman, and Dylan as well. Dylan has all his pictures, including
    these, on his own site, and we've also uploaded them to the Song, by Toad Flickr page as well. So, firstly, here is the podcast, with the tracklisting at the bottom of the page:

    Toadcast #46 - Sparrow & the Workshop Toad Session

    Here are the session tracks themselves as downloadable, shareable and loveable mp3s:

    Sparrow & the Workshop - Last Chance (Toad Session)

    Sparrow & the Workshop - Magic Tricks (Toad Session)
    Sparrow & the Workshop - The Gun (Toad Session)
    Sparrow & the Workshop - My Crime (Toad Session)

    Toadcast #46 - Sparrow & the Workshop Toad Session Playlist:

    01. Sparrow & the Workshop - Last Chance (Toad Session) (07.21)
    02. Scuff - Step a Little Closer (10.14)
    03. Skeeter Davis - My Last Date With You (17.50)
    04. Micah P. Hinson - Come Home Quickly Darling (21.22)
    05. Sparrow & the Workshop - Magic Tricks (Toad Session) (26.19)
    06. Rob St. John - Tipping In (30.17)
    07. Langhorne Slim - Restless (35.27)
    08. Sparrow & the Workshop - The Gun (41.50)
    09. The Everley Brothers - Crying in the Rain (46.56)
    10. The Skids - In the Valley (48.51)
    11. Sparrow & the Workshop - My Crime (Toad Session) (58.25)

    Song, by Toad


    1 hr 2 min

About The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad

From the publisher's feed

Every couple of weeks I sit down with a couple of gins and talk you through the new music that's caught my ears in the last fortnight. There'll be a few classics and a few mainstream bands but the…