Song, by Toad

Good grief, it’s a busy week in Edinburgh this week.  I am going to have to drive everywhere just to stop myself drinking my liver into oblivion.

Personally, of course, I am advocating the Song, by Toad Spring piss up at the Bowery on Thursday.  Those of you yet to acquire a copy of Meursault’s blinding new EP, I’d very much recommend you take this chance to do so.  We’ve only made 300 copies – all hand-painted – so I don’t think they’ll last all that long.

Tigerfest and the This is Music third birthday celebrations make this a busy week, and with so many celebrating promoters, things look likely to get really quite messy indeed.

Monday 4th May 2009: Au & Jesus H.Foxx at the Bowery.

Would wonky folk pop be an adequate description of Portland’s (I know, I know) Au?  It’s pronounced AY-Yoo apparently, and this is going to be my first real exposure to their music, which I am rather looking forward to.  From the MySpace it sounds both dreamy and theatrical, whilst still being prone to the odd clattering crescendo.  Sounds very promising.
Au – Boute

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Tuesday 5th May 2009: Navvy at Sneaky Pete’s.

It’s all a bit more pop than you might expect from this site, but Navvy’s songs are jumpy, enjoyable and just beholden enough to 80s indie that I think I might like them.  Definitely worth checking out, I’d say.
Navvy – Time

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Thursday 7th May 2009: Tigerfest w. Song, by Toad present: Meursault, Inspector Tapehead & The Japanese War Effort at the Bowery.

This should be a really good night, with a bit of luck. I will be there with bells on, and looking forward to what can only I suppose be described as something of a mix of styles.  There are a lot of electronic gizmos involved, I guess, so maybe that’s the unifying theme.
Inspector Tapehead – I Am Your Pedigree

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Friday 8th May 2009: Tigerfest w. 17 Seconds Records present Aberfeldy & X Lion Tamer at Cabaret Voltaire.

Ed and 17 Seconds are amongst this blog’s oldest friends, he and I having first met at a Camera Obscura gig during the first few months of Toad’s existence.  He too has gone on to expand his blog into an embryonic record label, starting with established Edinburgh favourites Aberfeldy, and since adding The Gillyflowers, X Lion Tamer and, most recently, Escape Act.  This is his label’s showcase, so please go and support someone who has in his turn given what we’re up to over here plenty of encouragement himself.
X Lion Tamer – Life Support Machine

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Friday 8th May 2009: This Is Music 3rd Birthday with: Broken Records, Mike Bones, & Rob St John at the Bowery.

Broken Records crammed into the Bowery should be fucking amazing, quite frankly.  It’s been a while since they played such a small venue (not counting the Bedlam Theatre, which despite being short on seats, is actually quite grand in atmosphere) and I would lay money on them blowing the toupées off anyone who gets too close.  Tickets may still be available from City Cafe, but frankly, I’d be surprised.  Worth checking, though, because this should be great.
Broken Records – And They All Fell Into the Sea (BBC 6Music Session)

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Friday 8th May 2009: Wintersleep at the Wee Red Bar.

I know nothing about them apart from what I can glean from a quick visit to MySpace, and it sounds like promising stuff.  It’s got a lot of Interpol in there, which is no bad thing, although they may be a little less moody than that comparison might lead you to believe.
Wintersleep – Search Party

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