Gizeh Records is a Leeds based record label run by Richard Knox.  Rich is also one half of Trampoline favourites Glissando and runs a successful PR company called Sleepsound.  I’m not sure when Gizeh actually came to be but when I first met Rich the only 2 bands on the label were Her Name Is Calla and Glissando.  Since then I have seen Gizeh go from being a very small D.I.Y label to being named as Radio One’s record label of the week. and I for one could not be happier for him.

Rich is one of the nicest people that I have met through my musical adventures, always willing to help out, always willing to give advice and always willing to give the people with the same ethos to music the opportunity to be part of something special. He’s inspired me to start Mini50 and to the approach I adopt when dealing with bands whether it be through the Kays, Trampoline or Mini50.  He’s a special fella, and the bands on his label are, in my opinion, special.  I know that this is not necessarily an opinion shared by the Lord of this Manor himself, but given that he’s in Italy and has given me free reign, I want to introduce you all to some of the labels finest acts and I hope that you will enjoy and embrace the music on offer.  So I give you, good friends and touring buddies of iLiKETRAiNS and The Twilight Sad, Her Name Is Calla; the stunningly haunting GLISSANDO ; the gentle Bjork like sounds of Sleepingdog;  the shoegaze, shimmering sounds of Trespassers William and the electronic atmosphere of Worriedaboutsatan.  You can also download a free 12 track Gizeh sampler here if you like what you hear.  I will let the music do the talking and you can all let me know your thoughts about the tracks.

Nylon – Her Name Is Calla

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White silence and the fragile reality – GLISSANDO

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Your Eyes – Sleepingdog

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The Lids – Trespassers William

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You’re In My Thoughts – worriedaboutsatan

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Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers.  It’s a name you’re not going to forget in a hurry isn’t it?  And they are a band that you will not forget in a hurry either, of that I promise.  Starting off as a solo project simply called Woodenbox, Ali Downer has built around him a fine set of musicians who call themselves A Fistful of Fivers.  However,  there is definitely more of a band vibe to this lot than a solo artist with associated backing band.  Anyways, I remember seeing them a while back at one of the excellent Rubix nights (R.I.P) at the GRV and thinking what a great band.  They blew everyone away with their own brand of slightly eerie Americana.  Then this year at Trampoline’s 2^nd birthday party they once again left their mark with a blistering set which left me itching for more.  So I was extremely pleased and fortunate to have recently been asked to play piano for the band.   So far it has been an amazing experience playing Sneaky Pete’s and getting 4 out of 5 in the Scotsman then playing a practically sold out King Tuts on Saturday night before playing to a mobbed Kelvingrove Park on Sunday as part of the West End Festival.   However,  I don’t want the fact I now sit in on keys for them to suggest that there will be a bias in this review.  It’s important to note that I have always loved the band and think their music is simply brilliant. 

Anyways, Monday saw the release of their second single ‘Hang the Noose’ on King Tuts Recordings.  In terms of eerieness, this particular song stands out from the others.  It’s driving trumpet and saxaphone are particularly creepy and the song ebs and flows beautifully with an almost Mariachi like quality.  I can totally imagine the whole band dressed as Mexicans wandering through the streets playing this tune.  It’s  just great.  The second tune for your pleasure is called ‘My Mule’ and is the B-side from previous single ‘Twisted Mile’.  It is a much different proposition live than it is on this particular recording – as can be said about a lot of the tunes – but this is the version that sucked me in.  It’s a real TUNE!  Anyways, if you like what you hear, keep an eye out on their myspace for upcoming shows and for future releases.  Just make sure you catch them live as soon as you can because despite my bias, I can promise you they are as good live as anyone doing the rounds in Scotland at the moment.  And you can buy the single at all good music shops.

Hang The Noose – Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers

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My Mule – Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers

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Ok, so after the tom foolery of Friday night (yes I do know Hasta La Vista is not Italian for goodbye) and the exceptional Live in Edinburgh by Bart (may I say Bart that that was the most comprehensive Live in Edinburgh ever sir) it’s time to get a little serious and write about some proper music. Normally I’d be reviewing this over at my own blog The Steinberg Principle, but Matthew’s crazy decision to let me, Bart and Dylan loose on his page is CTA’s lucky day as I have 2 weeks of mainstream blogging to enjoy. Hopefully this will get the guys, and others I write about out to a much wider audience.

For those of you who do not know Cancel The Astronauts they are such a nice bunch of lads. Possibly the nicest lads in the Edinburgh music scene, possibly the whole of Scotland, probably the world. They are quirky dressers, funky dancers and range from average height to unnaturally tall. And you know what, to top it all off they are also an absolutely cracking band. They were one of the first bands that Graeme and I put on at Trampoline having found them locked away in a practice space we both shared. Since that fateful day they have grown in stature and reputation in the past 2 years culminating with the release of this lovely little debut EP. Jake our old bass player and I tried to get them to call their first release ‘Fuck The Moon’ but the guys have gone for the much safer and more sensible title of ‘I Am The President Of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home)’ As well as being the EP title it’s also the title of the opening track of the EP and is an extremely catchy number indeed. Thats the thing about Cancel The Astronauts, all their songs are catchy and memorable and singalongtastic. Stand out tracks for me are without a doubt ‘Late In The City’ and ‘Lets Go Expo’ but the title track itself with it’s sinister and slightly creepy lyrics is a strong opener indeed. There’s a Talking Heads vibe about their music, perhaps a touch of Pulp in there too. I don’t know, but what I do know is that this EP makes me smile, a lot. I hope that it makes you all smile too. Enjoy.

Cancel The Astronauts – I Am The President Of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home)

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Cancel The Astronauts – Let’s Go Expo

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Hello. I am Bart. Woo.

So I’m doing the Monday gig listing. Mainly cos I’m usually the first person to jump in any time Matthew misses anything.

You’ll notice there’s no music files. It’s not that I don’t really know what I’m doing. Well, not only that. For some reason the file hosting site that me, Dylan and Euan were given access to during Matthew’s little holiday seems to have mysteriously dissappeared from the web. And it’s only been three days. Crumbs. Hopefully songbytoad.com will still be here when he gets back – but who’s to say really? I’m not promising anything.

Monday 15th June 2009: Viking Moses, Golden Ghost, Tisso Lake and Rob St. John at The Bowery.

Mega-bill of alt.folk, from the soothing baritione of Tisso Lake to the raging preacher dynamism of Viking Moses – this is the officially sanctioned Song, By Toad gig of the week. Miss it at your peril.

Tuesday 16th June 2009: Tisso Lake in store at Elvis Shakespeare.

This is on Tuesday afternoon. If anyone happens to find themselves on Leith Walk on Tuesday afternoon.

Tuesday 16th June 2009: The Thermals at Sneaky Pete’s.

I don’t really know much about the Thermals, other than they’re signed to Sub Pop and they make rather noisy punk pop (but closer to the Replacements end of punk pop, as opposed to – say – Busted). They sounds pretty good, though – and it’s the kind of thing that’s good fun to see live.

Thursday 18th June 2009: The Leg (album launch) at Sneaky Pete’s.

Paul Vickers current backing band, who make a rather enjoyable racket by themselves as well.

Friday 19th June 2009: Jesus h. Foxx, One Inch Volcano & Katy Bar The Door, and 19 Folds at the Bowery.

Jesus h. Foxx are brilliant. 19 Folds are a nineteen piece reggae tribute to the music of Ben Folds. One of those facts is made up. Actually, these are three bands I’ve never heard of, though even if they’re terrible this will still be worth going to. As Jesus h. Foxx are brilliant. (I’m sure they’re not terrible. Actually, it’ll be nice to go along to a gig with no idea what to expect from three quarters of the bill. So I’m really rather looking forward to this. Shit, I’ve started speaking like Matthew, and it’s only Monday. What have I got myself in to?)

Saturday 20th June 2009: Meursault and Yahweh at Sneaky Pete’s.

The hardest working band in Scotland return to the live scene after what seems like days. Has there been a weekly listings this year that hasn’t included a Meursault gig? Good thing they’re so bloody good. Yahweh is a new one on me. It looks like a spelling mistake. But the guys at the Scotsman Under the Radar blog describe them as one of their favorite bands.

Saturday 20th June 2009: Paul Vickers and the Leg play the Bang Bang Club at Cabaret Voltaire.

The aforementioned the Leg in their Paul Vickers incarnation at a new club night.

Sunday 21st June 2009: the Go Away Birds at the Bowery.

The Go Away Birds are a two piece comprising of Michael John McCarthy from the excellent Zoey Van Goey, and the voice of Stuart Murdoch’s ‘God Help The Girl’ project, Catherine Ireton. Probably worth further investigating then.

Meursault recently went on a world tour of Northern England – well, actually, they played three dates over the course of a long weekend, but it was their first proper tour, so it counts.  I gave them the small camera we use for the Toad Sessions and asked them to make something of a tour diary, not really expecting all that much.  Realistically, I should have realised just how boring most of your time is when touring as a band, and perhaps expected the enormous amount of footage they ended up bringing back with them.  We’ve got all sorts, from crazy rants to bizarre days out in Blackpool and impromptu sessions performed in the back of the Toad Van.

So we made one main video of the tour itself, which is the first one, and then we’ve sprinkled in the individual song videos from the various sessions after that.  You can either watch everything through that little widget above, or alternatively I’ve embedded them all below the fold.  Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

This is not so much the holiday podcast as the pre-holiday podcast because, for all we are away now, I recorded this on Thursday night before going away, as we prepared ourselves for the unspeakable burden of doing absolutely fuck all for two weeks.

I am taking a pile of books and a pile of new music and we are going to do pretty much nothing at all.  My parents used to do really adventurous travelling when we were young, but honestly I don’t have the energy.  I am so incredibly fucking exhausted from constant Toadery that actually, despite having a holiday inferiority complex, pretty much all I can cope with at the moment is a couple of weeks of fuck all.

Even last year when we went to Portland for a couple of weeks, we took all the technology and recorded interviews and all sorts at Pickathon.  It was relaxing and nice, but I still got a hell of a lot of work done.  This time I will take along some tunes which I have been meaning to catch up with, perhaps record a podcast or two, and basically spend the rest of the time lying in the sun by the pool.  My folks might not be all that impressed, but the recharging of the batteries is the sole purpose of this trip and I think we might manage just that.

Toadcast #73 – The Holiday Podcast

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01. MJ Hibbett & the Validators – Being Happy Doesn’t Make You Stupid (04.17)
02. Midnight Oil – Bushfire (10.06)
03. Headless Heroes – Hey, Who Really Cares? (Jon Hopkins Remix) (16.56)
04. Alela Diane – Pieces of String (21.05)
05. Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Bozo (25.42)
06. Maxwell Panther – Shiver on a Twist of Fate (33.19)
07. Jack Richold – Lady of the Calico (37.00)
08. Grant-Lee Phillips – Calamity Jane (41.16)
09. Billy Bragg – Bread & Circuses (50.20)
10. The Divine Comedy – Les Jours Tristes (57.45)

That’s Italian for goodbye for those of you who are not in the know by the way.  So, Bart, Dylan and me are now in control of the good ship toad for the next few weeks.  During this time we solemnly do pledge that we will maintain the level of cutting edge journalism that you have become accustomed to on these pages.  There may be less swearing, less controversial ramblings and far, far less gin but hopefully there will be a fest of new and exciting music for you to enjoy.  Things won’t really kick off properly until next week though because we’re all away to the pub just now.  We just thought it’d be nice to give you a taster of what you can expect in the coming weeks.

So, to finish, we thought we’d send Mr. & Mrs. Toad off on their Italian adventure with a song that carries a warm and heartfelt sentiment we can all share.

Andrea Bocelli – Time To Say Goodbye (Con Te Partiro)

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And here’s the definitive live version:

Instead of simply vanishing this afternoon, Mrs. Toad and I will be stopping by the Edinburgh College of Art to see the degree show before we fuck off. The exhibition isn’t officially until tomorrow, but as we are going away we have been given special permission to attend the friends and family viewing. If that hadn’t worked out I was all up for crashing it, frankly, because really, just how fucking hard is an art school bouncer going to be?

“Fuck off out of my way you malnourished, over-emotional little cunt, I’m going to see some fucking art and you aren’t going to stand in my way.” Virtually a First Class with Honours performance piece in itself, if you ask me.

Needless to say, I wasn’t too popular at the Glasgow School of Art when I was there.

This week’s five are entirely unrelated to the songs for a change.  This week I have chosen five songs which are deeply intertwined with our relationship.  Not really for any good reason, but the prospect of finally getting away from everything to spend a couple of unbroken weeks with your young lady after weeks and weeks of working late, editing video into the night, uploading this, going to that gig, all the things I find myself doing far too much of these days, is not just a bit of a treat, it’s really quite romantic.  What are you two doing this week? Nothing.  Hanging out together, because we get on.  We get on really, really well.  So there.

And, er, five thingies and so on… de-lurk if you fancy, this is the weekly amnesty for people who don’t want to jump into the somewhat cliquey weekly arguments about whether or not some particular record may or may not be under-produced.  Spit out your five, interesting, entertaining, witty or just banal, no-one cares.  Then talk pish to your heart’s content.  It’s fucking Friday, after all.

1.  What is the smelliest cheese you can handle?
2. If you had to choose between clean pants (no, Americans) or clean socks, which would it be.
3. Worst smell you can remember enduring.
4. Which foodstuff gives you the stinkiest shites in the morning?
5. Which foodstuff can you simply not stand the smell of to begin with?

Tom Waits & Crystal Gale – Take Me Home

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Billy Bragg & Wilco – Hesitating Beauty

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Bob Dylan – Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You

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Tom Waits – All the World is Green

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Clem Snide – All Green

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I think it’s fair to say that 2009 has been Dan Willson’s year, in a musical sense.  He’s gone from being one of Edinburgh’s most respected songwriters to the leader of a band on the verge of genuinely widespread and richly deserved recognition.

I am likely to repeat this analysis come the time of his album release in September of this year, but I find myself smiling sometimes at just how little actual innovation seems to take place with the actual music and arrangement of Withered Hand’s music.  It’s all quite basic and straightforward, with his acoustic guitar supplemented here by bits of piano, percussion and accordion and some backing vocals from King Creosote, who recorded and produced this little gem.

Basically though, Withered Hand are a great band because Dan is a truly special, special songwriter.  His fundamental knack for a melody is uncanny, and his lyrics are superb.  His songs of self-doubt and insecurity are just a shade too humorous and clever to actually be self-pitying.  And yet they’re always too heartfelt and believably real to be anything other than genuinely affecting.

No Cigarettes is a boody masterpiece, frankly, and Oldsmobile Car is the latest incarnation of a brilliant song written with Dan’s Bear Scotland pals Cammy Watt and Neil Pennycook, which has previously seen the light of day as the demo Shooby Shooby and also as Red Candle Bulb on the recent Meursault EP.  It’s nice to see the main songwriter himself give us his own interpretation, and the quavering backing vocals of Mr. Anderson are perfectly suited to the deer-in-headlights nature of the words.

Big Ten Four sounds uncannily like Neil Young, funnily enough, but in preceding the lovely Are You Courageous, perhaps slows things down a little too much for my taste it almost puts the brakes on two blocks before the corner, but that’s about the only criticism I have to offer: a minor quibble about sequencing.  Otherwise, this is fucking brilliant.

Withered Hand – No Cigarettes

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I received a leaked copy of this album ages ago, and I was so intent on not leaking it any further that I’ve ended up completely missing the release date, and consequently only now writing a review I should have penned weeks ago – sorry!

It’s fair to say that I’ve been waiting for some time for this.  One of my readers, Campfires & Battlefields, introduced us all to Samantha Crain over a year ago and since then she has become one of my favourite emerging artists on one of my favourite record labels – Ramseur in North Carolina.  We interviewed her and guitarist Jacob at last year’s Pickathon Festival in Portland, and they were genuinely lovely people, so I’ve been looking forward to this album for ages now.

Miss Crain sings with a remarkable amount of world-weary pathos for someone only twenty-two years old, and that sense of tristesse permeates this album.  It gives it a degree of gravitas and also, crucially, makes it incredibly emotionally engaging. The combination of beautifully penned lyrics and her lovely voice – rich yet vulnerable – convey an integrity and a sincerity few have matched, to my ears, for some years now.

In terms of the arrangements and how the music is actually assembled, I do have a couple of minor quibbles though.  Apart from the vaguely punk-tinged Bullfight, this whole album is a basic guitar/bass/drums setup with pretty consistent fundamental rhythms throughout – slightly folky, slightly country.  There is definitely a uniformity of sound from start to finish which I think could perhaps have done with some breaking up here and there.  Something a bit rockier perhaps, a little fiddle or banjo maybe, or perhaps a fiercer number where they rock out a little – just something a little different.  There are also a couple of tracks I would accuse of being a little stodgy, not least the title track which is just about my least favourite.

Not withstanding that small criticism, this album contains some of the best songs I’ve heard in fucking ages.  Rising Sun, Let the Fever Out, Long Division, Devils in Boston… the list goes on. They have just the right pace to them, mix sadness with a kind of silent optimism, and a gentle base with a more biting instinct which producesa kind of defiance which is genuinely uplifting.

So whilst I don’t quite hear an album that I would call a Great Record, I definitely do hear a lot of truly great songs written by a genuinely talented performer and songwriter who I firmly believe has a talent which is really quite special.  Very good work indeed.

Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers – Rising Sun

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Samantha Crain & the Midnight Shivers – Devils In Boston

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