Song, by Toad

Ooh, the excitement.  I do like finding new things which get me excited and then gabbling giddily about them to my crowd of internet bunnies.

Inspector Tapehead played at last week’s Trampoline gig at the Wee Red Bar and were bloody marvelous.  It’s, erm, folky indie-pop I suppose, with chunks of bluegrass and electronica thrown into the mix.  Jonnie Common from Down the Tiny Steps plays in the band and his devilish box of tricks in pretty clearly in evidence.  The other two band members, Chris Croasdale on guitar and Roy Shearer on drums, used to be in Adam Beattie & the Consultants who have produced some amazing music, but have gone rather sadly quiet recently.  So there’s plenty of pedigree in this band, although you could hardly extrapolate their provenance from their sound.

There’s definitely some playful pop sensibilities in there.  In fact, for all the folk and electronica I guess describing these chaps as a somewhat experimental pop band might be the most accurate way to get across the feeling of their music.  Each song does build rather slowly and, in some senses, a little unpromisingly, but before a minute each has launched into whatever manic energy possesses it and danced off around the room, swinging you along with it.

These songs come from a 3 song album sampler given out at the gig, and from listening to this little lot I think I can pretty much guarantee at least one sale, over here in the Toad corner please.

Inspector Tapehead – Pherenzik Tear
Inspector Tapehead – I am Your Pedigree

Plenty of things going on this week, as per usual, although I am trying not to just prattle on about the same old groups week after week – all too easily done when reporting on any local music scene.

If I was going to all of these gigs I’d have a marriage and a liver in tatters by the end of this week.  I’d also have to carve myself into four equal slices on Friday in order to go to everything I want to go to.  Funnily enough though in a week of such riches I am not going to be at all that much.  Tuesday is my last show on Fresh Air Radio, Wednesday is the Champion’s League Final and Friday I have to go to something related to Mrs. Toad’s work.  She doesn’t demand much of me, the old lass, so I can’t very well insist on this one and, frankly, it spares me having to choose between four different gigs, all of which I want to attend.  So maybe no bad thing after all.

Tuesday 20th May 2008: Feist at the Queen’s Hall.
I am not sure if I would go to this one, myself, were it not for my last Fresh Air show rendering that question somewhat academic.  I did enjoy her album, and I do like her sound in general, although it can become a little bland after a while.  Maybe if the show was priced affordably I would have gone, but in any case, very much worth considering.
Feist – 1234

Wednesday 21st May 2008: Caribou at Cabaret Voltaire.
For those not watching the Champions’ League final, Caribou have finally arrived in Edinburgh, months after their last gig was cancelled.  Math rock, it gets called occasionally, so
Caribou – Sandy

Wednesday 21st May 2008: Glissando, Meursault & The Kays Lavelle at the Wee Red Bar.
I’ve never heard of Glissando, but Euan’s Trampoline nights never fail to deliver, so pop along for a couple of local favourites and some epic miserablism from Leeds.
Glissando – Floods

Thursday 22nd May 2008: My Tiny Robots & Babybones at the Voodoo Rooms.
My Tiny Robots are a group I’ve had recommended to me on numerous occasions.  Good indie guitar stuff from the sounds of it, along with a suitably tortured vocal.  Babybones I don’t know at all, but this looks like another good lineup from Limbo.  It’s my only free night this week, so will Mrs. Toad let me go?  Hmm, touch and go, but I rather fancy this one.
My Tiny Robots – Haircut Song

Friday 23rd May 2008:
There’s so much going on this Friday that I could sprain my wanking hand just typing it all out, so here’s a list instead.  Either go and see Black Diamond Express at The Ark, or pop along to Henry’s for St. Jude’s Infirmary, who have a new album approaching, and are supported by Come On Gang, or alternatively there’s Times New Viking and Meursault at Studio 24, or finally there’s also The Declining Winter at the Stills Gallery on Cockburn Street.  I know nothing about this last lot, but they sound rather good.  Any of these gigs would be worth your time, frankly, but guess what – I’ll be at none of them.  I have to schmooze with Mrs. Toad and be a good wife at a dinner thingy of some description.  No swearing there, and no rock and fucking roll either.  Christ I’ve sold out.
Black Diamond Express – Jack
The Declining Winter – Summer Turns to Hurt
Saint Jude’s Infirmary – The Church of John Coltrane

Sunday 25th May 2008: The Young Republic at Cabaret Voltaire.
When I first started writing about their often country-tinged, genre-hopping indie pop I remember exchanging emails with Julian Saporiti that when along the line of ‘If we ever get to Edinburgh you’ll have to come along to one of our shows’ and was said with such heavy irony that we were both acknowledging just how unlikely that was to ever happen.  Well fair bloody play to ‘em, because since signing to End of the Road Records and the really positive reception given to their debut album 12 Tales From Winter City, here they are.
The Young Republic – Mary Ellen (Live)

It’s amazing how quickly things can become completely taboo.  Two things have recently crossed from utterly normal behaviour to completely unacceptable and disgusting, and I didn’t even notice the transition.

Firstly, I find myself getting physically angry now when I see people driving and using a mobile phone.  Really, bubbling with rage, whereas a couple of years ago I think I might have even been doing myself.  In that time what has changed?  Not much, really.  Apart from the fact that we have discovered that is more dangerous to use the phone and drive than it is to drink and drive, and consequently it has become illegal.  Fair enough.  And suddenly something which was a bit irritating has become something enraging.

Smoking is the other thing.  I remember being vaguely against smoking being banned in pubs, not because I have ever been a smoker, but because it seemed to be part of the deal.  People going on about passive smoking always seemed to be missing the point, to me.  I’d always imagined that damage to your body and threat to life and general irritation was far more likely to come from other people drinking too much and behaving like arseholes, frankly.

Then the ban came in, and I barely noticed it at all, to be honest.  There was more of a smell of piss and stale beer in most pubs, but that was about it, until we went down to England for a weekend.  They didn’t have the ban back then, and walking into a smokey bar was a disgusting experience.  I didn’t think I’d noticed the ban at all, but after only a couple of months it was repellent to be in a pub without it all of a sudden.

Three years ago none of this would have caused me to so much as bat an eyelid, now they are both utterly unthinkable.  Using a phone whilst driving?  You fucking twat, how dare you?  Smoking in a bar?  Myeuch, that’s disgusting, get away from me!  Funny how quickly we acclimatise to these things, isn’t it.

Seeing as that was about as random a ramble as I’ve managed around here in some time, how about two utterly random songs to go with it.  Here are a couple of natty little pop songs I am quite enjoying at the moment:

Lykke Li – Dance Dance Dance
Islands – The Arm