Song, by Toad

I don’t tend to get over-excited about bands until I’ve seen them live, if I can avoid it, so I don’t want to overdo it with these fellows, but the new songs from Sparrow & the Workshop are sounding really rather good.

More importantly* they bring a good dose of variety to the tinny and lovely quality of the first batch of demos they uploaded to MySpace.  The sound is fuller and in many cases angrier, and all in all they sound like they have the makings of a really good band.

There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned about Jill O’Sullivan’s voice – something so beguiling I instantly think of three or four bands I’d love to ask her to sing with.   The drums (played, I find myself tentatively guessing, by Gregor Donaldson – their MySpace isn’t that specific) bring a rhythm that is often driving and urgent, although never aggressive.  They’re a band with strong emotional undercurrents, but not one who’ll charge at you with nothing but bluster and noise with which to dazzle.

They’ve got a few dates up on their MySpace page at the moment, including a date over here during the Festival, so I’ll definitely be catching them live in the next month or so.  Honestly though, the nine songs I have sneakily ripped from MySpace could be put together into a really good little album already.

Sparrow & the Workshop – Devil Song
Sparrow & the Workshop – Coldhearted Twist

* More important than sounding really rather good?  Eh?  What am I talking about?

Ho hum, what’s going on this week then? Well I am having a fairly dry one, that’s for sure. Last week descended into complete mayhem, largely musical, and by Sunday morning I wasn’t sure whether it was Thursday’s, Friday’s or Saturday’s hangover I was so desperate to sleep off.

Friday night was the return of the Mr. & Mrs. Toad late night booze-and-tunesathon. It was loud, and went on until five in the morning, and I still managed to drag my sorry carcass out of bed to go to football training at ten the next day. Christ I had the cold sweats though.

There are really only a couple of gigs I’d be in a rush to get to this week:

Thursday 17th July 2008: Come On Gang, Plaaydoh & Be a Familiar at the (shit) Ark.
This is a Broken Friend Records night, who released the Jesus H. Foxx single. I am a little dubious about Plaaydoh and Be a Familiar, but they both have some decent aspects that you notice during a cursory MySpace listen. Come On Gang, on the other hand, are pretty good and have a new single out so this has the makings of a good fun night about it.
Come On Gang – Spinning Room

Thursday 17th July 2008: Grace Emilys, Punch and the Apostles & Reformation play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
It’s been a while since I plugged a Limbo gig, which feels a bit mean because their lineups are good, it’s just that I’ve not quite been as grabbed by some of the recent lineups as I might have been, but that just happens I suppose. Well continuing their knack for spotting the finest of Scottish indie pop, this three-band lineup looks rather promising. I know nothing of any of the bands in question, but a quick MySpace listen sounds promising to me. Definitely worth going along to.
Grace Emilys – Down in Mexico

Friday 18th July 2008: Ballboy at Cabaret Voltaire.
One of the somewhat underestimated pillars of Edinburgh’s indie landscape, Gordon MacIntyre writes warm, witty songs, delivers them with genuine charm and throws a cracking tune on top of pretty much each one. They can be sad and wistful melancholia or bouncy indie pop and it appears there’s a new album in the fairly immediate offing, so it’ll be interesting to hear what they’re been up to of late.
Ballboy – Dumper Truck Racing

Saturday 19th July: Meursault, Boyfriend/Girlfriend & Davie Lawson at the Wee Red Bar.
Trampoline has grown up! Graduating from sproradic weekdays, Euan now has a regular monthly Saturday night slot for his excellent gig nights. He’s shite at marketing too, so hopefully the new slot will result in more people coming to these shows. As to this first bill, well I don’t know Davie Lawson at all, I’ve seen B/G once before and rather enjoyed them and I think Meursault are fucking brilliant. So not a bad start to his new life as a gig circuit high-roller.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend – The Greatest High