Song, by Toad

Musically, it’s hard to say that this is pushing anything anywhere.  It’s just Jeffrey Lewis doing what Jeffrey Lewis does, with little that will bring any sonic surprise to those people familiar with his stuff already.  There are a couple of what I suppose I would call straightforward rock ‘n’ roll songs on here, which is where his more raucous material seems to be moving these days instead of the punk-folk aesthetic of earlier releases, but this is a pretty fine distinction.  The gentler ballads and clattering singalongs still form the solid core of this album.

So why is it good?  I’ve absolutely no fucking idea, but it most definitely is.  This is an excellent record, despite being pretty straightforward and predictable in most ways.

Maybe it’s because with Lewis there appears to be almost no fourth wall.  There is no obvious shield of artifice between him and his audience, so maybe this means that I am judging this album less on the music, and more on the basis of my relationship with Lewis himself.  Basically, he seems like a nice guy; he’s literate, witty, self-deprecating and thoughful, and this all comes across very strongly in his lyrics.

This album is almost like having a late night pub conversation with the man himself.  It and he are both just likeable; thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time and, as a bonus, set to a backdrop of good music.  There are songs on here I am less keen on, but that’s the case with every Lewis album I’ve ever heard.  This is just good, in the plainest and most straightforward way possible.  Enjoy.

Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – Whistle Past the Graveyard

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Jeffrey Lewis & the Junkyard – To Be Objectified

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I have been a big fan of Yusuf Azak since I first heard his recent EP, Light Procession, last year but I’ve yet to even have the chance to see him live.  I was, therefore, really looking forward to this lineup, not least because it also included Edinburgh’s favourite mercurial musical maniac Enfant Bastard.

Yusuf’s recorded material is heavily layered and full of effects, so I was really curious to see how this would translate to what was the most basic solo acoustic setup: him, his acoustic guitar, and nothing else.  The result was that one thing remained constant: his voice; and another emerged from the shadows to take centre stage: his guitar playing.

There is a really warm breathiness to his singing voice which is instantly captivating.  He doesn’t have the hoarse growl of a barroom bourbon guzzler, exactly, nor the hushed grumble of an ageing bluesman, more accurately he sings with a really easy, scratched and yet somehow also honeyed charisma.  Some voice, anyway, however you describe it.

The guitar playing is another genuine highlight.  I don’t have the technical knowledge to know whether or not what he was doing was difficult, but it fucking well looked it, and more importantly it sounded amazing.  I don’t know how much of his style comes from his Turkish (I think – sorry Yusuf, if I’m wrong) heritage and how much comes from the acoustic influences he cites, such as Eliot Smith or Nick Drake, but it sounds faintly exotic in any case, and makes for a superb combination with his vocals.

For something as basic as a bloke with an acoustic guitar, this felt like a band gig, somehow.  It was a great performance which was enveloped in a strangely self-contradictory aura of shyness and confidence, and one which makes me really want to see him play again. For those outside the half-dozen or so people in this audience, missing this gig was a mistake which you should rectify as soon as possible

Yusuf Azak – 19.19

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Yusuf Azak – The Key Underground

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We’ve not had a bloody good Toad Night for a while, so it really is about time one was on the immediate horizon.  And it is!  Next Thursday – a week tomorrow at time of writing – I have put together a lineup for Tigerfest which is sort of not really a Song, by Toad Records showcase.

Meursault, obviously, aren’t bad at all, but you know them already.  They have a new EP out, did you know that?  Available only from Avalanche Records, live shows and from the Song, by Toad Records site.

Meursault – Nothing Broke

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Inspector Tapehead are a band I rate very highly, and we are talking to them about releasing their album later this year, once they get it finished.  This isn’t definite yet, but I am very much up for it so fingers crossed and all that.

Inspector Tapehead – Listen With Your Ears, but Look Through a Telescope

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The Japanese War Effort are currently working with Fabrikant and have a new EP out called King of Poland but, erm, well I really like what they (he, really: Jamie Scott) are doing so bugger it.

Japanese War Effort – Winning Eleven

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The whole business is going to cost you a fiver, which is a fucking bargain, frankly, and will be happening at the Toad’s venue of choice: The Bowery on Roxburgh Place.  Doors are at about half seven, and the bar closes at eleven, so don’t be too tardy.  Hope to see you there.

I am a newcomer, relatively, to the work of Owen Ashworth and chums, having only really become properly acquainted with his work on the release of Etiquette a couple of years ago.  This makes me something of a Johnny Come Lately as far as more dedicated fans are concerned, which is no big deal, but also insofar as his music is concerned, which is more significant.

Etiquette was the first time Casiotone broke away from their eponymous bleepery and truly embraced a more full band sound, which shook the fanbase up a little and made them perhaps a little more palatable to a broader audience.  Including me.

I am not in any way against bare-bones, deadpan music, as any regular reader will know, but this gig almost felt like a microcosm of the neophyte’s journey into the Owen Ashworth canon.  The first half of the show was just the man himself, and an array of equipment somewhat reminiscent of an eighties science fiction set.  For me, this part fell slightly flat.  Not bad, don’t get me wrong, it was enjoyable, just it didn’t seem to be bringing anything else to the party.  I think that the reason for this is probably one of the chief dangers with the use of electronics in a live situation: there is no difference between the sound of a synth played recklessly and one played with metronomic precision.

Consequently, when the guitar and drums came out to play, there seemed to be just a little more character and immediacy to the performance.  There was more room, I guess, for an actual performance, as opposed to a recital.  This opinion may offend the Casiotone purists, but this is my over-riding impression from this gig.

Then again, it may just be the sort of music that builds on you slowly, no matter what the arrangement.  I remember seeing the Arcade Fire in Glasgow a few years ago and it was the same.  At the beginning I felt a little flat, but by the end I was completely caught up in the show: this was just like that.  So maybe the line of reasoning laid out above is valid, and maybe it’s just pish made up to explain the fact that I thought the gig started slowly, but by the end was entirely captivating and an altogether brilliant night.  Me talking pish?  Nah, surely not.

Casiotone For the Painfully Alone – Bobby Malone Moves Home

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Casiotone For the Painfully Alone – Optimist vs. The Silent Alarm (When the Saints Go Marching In)

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Finally, finally, an album to which I was hugely looking forward manages to actually cut the fucking mustard this year.  He’s managed to change gears from Ash Wednesday without making anything that you would really describe as a dramatic break from his existing sound.  It sounds, I suppose, like a slightly weird take on a New Orleans funeral band.

When we played Shampoo on Fresh Air Radio, Dylan, who was co-presenting at the time, mentioned that there is something about the beat of this album which gives it an air of swagger.  He’s right.  Even the quicker rhythms seem to be underpinned by something a little more laid back, and you can almost imagine Perkins himself sauntering casually along at the heart of the aforementioned funeral procession whilst the rest of the band cavorted gaily around him.

It’s not, of course, a jolly record, so don’t let me give you that impression.  It’s just that whereas his last album found the sadder moments all-enveloping, here they appear to be something to be faced head on, given a twirl around the dancefloor, and then sent firmly home at bedtime before they get too giddy.  Hours Last Stand is gorgeous like that, as is Hey.  But it’s the whole record, really, so there’s no point picking on individual songs.  It’s hard not to, though.  Shampoo and Doomsday make me want to laugh out loud, their mood is that infectious.

I don’t know how some people manage to change without alienating their audience behind, whilst others seem to just head off into the distance leaving the rest of us behind to wonder what they’re up to. Maybe it’s just a personal thing, but this is as good a sophomore record as I have heard in a long time.  The second album is supposed to be difficult but, honestly, it seems like Elvis Perkins in Dearland was the most effortless waltz in the world.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Shampoo

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Elvis Perkins in Dearland – Hours Last Stand

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This Saturday Mrs. Toad is in charge of collecting for the lifeboats in Stockbridge, and any help we can get with the collection would be hugely appreciated.  We will repay you all with beer and food throughout the afternoon, so it should be sociable and plenty of fun, but an hour or so of your time would be much appreciated.

The RNLI is a charitable body and hence rely entirely on public donations.  This is a fucking scandalous tax dodge by the government, if you ask me, but that doesn’t change the fact that the support of the public is absolutely crucial to what they do.  A lot of the readers of this site were up in Anstruther recently, which has a lifeboat station of its own, and was once home to a considerable fishing fleet.  Pittenweem appears to be more of a working harbour than Anstruther these days, but in general those communities who hosted us have given their fair share and it might be nice if we respected their commitment by showing a little willing of our own, as a way of repaying their hospitality.

The first collections will go out at about ten in the morning, no-one need do more than an hour, and whilst we are starting with tea and cakes we will finish up with scran and bevvies in the evening, and quite possibly some antisocially loud music at night time.  So if you can possibly help and fancy coming round, please get in touch.  Giving a few quid would also be a big help, but actually participating and helping out is much harder to do where charity is concerned, so we’d really appreciate it if you could come round and lend a hand.

The Divine Comedy – A Seafood Song

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And, erm, I hope it’s not too tasteless, but this is the obvious song to choose:
British Sea Power – Fear of Drowning

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This album is kind of like the last one but with all the creases ironed out.  There’s no soaring pop gem like Hey Lloyd, I’m Ready to be Heartbroken, nor is there anything as heartbreakingly gorgeous as Country Mile, or as gently lovely as Razzle Dazzle Rose.  All you’re left with is pretty, medium-paced croon-pop no real way to latch on and fall in love.

Frankly I was afraid of this.  After their last album I was so impressed that I dug through past singles and b-sides and ended up slightly disappointed.  I am always wary of a group whose b-sides I don’t like, especially when they sound like a flat versions of the stuff which I do.  It seems to me like Camera Obscura might just be a rather ordinary band who happened to hit a purple patch with Let’s Get Out of This Country, rather than a band who are likely to be consistently good over time, sadly.  It would be nice to be proved wrong.

There are a few good moments here, though, and I bet they are still really good live.  Careless Love is probably my favourite song on the album, showing what lovely lyrics they can write and just how beautifully sad Tracyann’s voice can be when she chooses.  Nevertheless, this is an album whose general popularity I just don’t understand.  As Tart says, it makes her long for the return of snarling guitar music.  I love acoustic, folky, gentle stuff, but I’m with her on this.  Records like this make me think that maybe now Mick Harvey has left the Bad Seeds, he could do worse than turn up on stuff like this and try and give it some fucking balls.

Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing

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Camera Obscura – Careless Love

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Well, erm, Thursday should be fun.

This weekend was somewhat written off, after an apocalyptic drinking session on Saturday took its terrible revenge on Sunday, rendering most of the day a ruin apart from shitty movies and too much Chinese takeaway.  To everyone who came round to the house on Saturday, I apologise.  It was a fucking good party, though.  Our next door neighbour seems to have the habit of opening a window and playing terrible music as soon as we go out in the back garden, which is both tedious and foolish.  Foolish because our stereo can blast the hairs clean off your nipples if we really turn it up which, at 4am after obliterating almost four cases of beer, we often do.  Eat alt-folk, bitch!

This week will see the completion of the Homegame videos project, which will be fun, and probably a trip through to Glasgow for Hinterland on Thursday and Friday.  I’d love to see the likes of Jeffrey Lewis and the Wave Pictures, as well as Mitchell Museum, Zoey Van Goey, Fanfarlo and Wild Beasts if possible.  And of course, Toad Records’ own Meursault at the Classic Grand (with thanks to This is Music for putting them on).

Tuesday 28th April 2009: Alex Cornish at the Caves.

Alex has re-released his debut album Until the Traffic Stops this week.  I know he may be a tad Radio 2 for a lot of you (hell, he was for me too until I realised just how infectious his way with a tune is) but anyone who can self-record and self-release an album and get onto the B playlist at Radio 2 without so much as a record label to do his donkey work deserves some serious respect.  And congratulations.
Alex Cornish – Sweet Child o’ Mine

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Thursday 30th April 2009: Found & The 48 at Cabaret Voltaire.

Since their experimental pop classic The Mess We Keep Reshaping, found have leaked out little bits of work here and there, EPs and such like, but I always find myself wondering what their next album is going to be like.  For a band without all that much history of trotting out standard records when there are interesting little side projects to be done, I am not sure why I am so sure that they are necessarily making one, but it seems to me like we’re getting to the point where one would feel right.
Found – FND043

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Thursday 30th April 2009: The Wintergreens & The Weeping Sons at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

These two are relatively new bands, playing music I guess you might describe as a sort of  folk tinged post-rock.  It’s all very downbeat and atmospheric, but still quite acoustic, which is where that slightly inadequate description comes from.  They’re pretty new to my awareness, as I said, but from what MySpace can tell me I think both bands deserve a good look.
The Weeping Sons – Yer Feet in the Water of Leith

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Thursday 30th April 2009: The Voluntary Butler Scheme, Damn Shames & Futuristic Retro Champions at Sneaky Pete’s.

Apparently Rob Jones was a full-time part-time drummer, if you get my meaning, before forming his own band.  It’s basically a gently eccentric pop sound, but there’s been a lot of chat and he sounds quite interesting.
Voluntary Butler Scheme – Tabasco Sole

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Saturday 2nd May 2009: Come On Gang, Day of Days & Little Buddha Band at Cabaret Voltaire.

Apart from the sparky indie punk pop of Come On Gang, Little Buddha also sound rather interesting: kind of like a rockier version of early Goldfrapp.  Oddly, there seem to be a few good bands coming out of Kirkcaldy at the moment.
Little Buddha – Losing You

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Sunday 3rd May 2009: The Black Oil Brothers at the Bowery.

Normally, this would be a little too literal an interpretation of stampy blue for my taste, but I found myself enjoying the stuff on their MySpace page, and this sort of music is almost always really good live.
Black Oil Brothers – Dirty, High & Confused

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Today I am angry at Capitalism.  Partly, funnily enough, I am angry at Capitalism because in many ways I myself am a Capitalist.  The problem I have with Capitalism is not really the theory, but the practise.  So many people and companies who chant the free market mantra simply are not free marketeers.  They want isolationism and protectionism as much as the most paranoid Marxist when it will protect their interests, but they won’t for a second entertain the economic theory behind that sort of behaviour – gosh no!

So there is plenty of paranoid ranting in this week’s podcast, railing against people who talk all Capitalist whilst not actually being Capitalist, people who are moral and honorable in their personal lives but who turn into voracious whores as soon as they put on a suit and, erm, well generally there’s lots of pish to be talked, sorry.

Still, at least it’s marginally better than last week.

Toadcast #66 – The Greedcast

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01. Pet Shop Boys – Opportunities (03.27)
02. Billy Bragg – NPWA (16.27)
03. Eric Bachmann – Liars & Thieves (21.30)
04. The Zincs – Moguls’ Wives (28.04)
05. Tom Lehrer – Selling Out (34.24)
06. Depeche Mode – Everything Counts (39.16)
07. The Clash – Bankrobber (45.07)
08. Tom Waits – God’s Away on Business (54.07)
09. Billy Bragg – To Have and to Have Not (65.56)

I go on and on about the merits of DIY and lo-fi and all that, and then these buggers go and produce what really is a gorgeous video, and basically offer the perfect counter-argument.  I love quality animation, and this is really, really nice.  Their album is out in a month and a bit, and I am really looking forward to it.