Nah, probably not, but you never know. I didn’t realise it was so close to awards season, but I suppose I should have, shouldn’t I.  After all, it’s a mere two months to Christmas, and as far as the shops are concerned the jingle bells started jingling well into fucking October as usual.

If I am going to get my Festive Fifty into the Contrast Podcast in time I had better bloody well get moving, and then there’s year end lists and so on… where was I?  Oh yes, awards and vote-rigging and so on.

Basically, I think Record of the Day is one of the bigger music industry newsletters, and have been nominated for blog of the year in their end of year awards.  I didn’t nominate myself for this one, and I only even knew about it because Tim from The Blue Walrus told me, so this nomination feels rather nice.  I’ve no idea if I am likely to be anywhere near the top of this list, but I’d be surprised, based on name-recognition and stuff like that, although you never know.  Anyhow, please go and vote for me if you can.  They’ll ask you to give a name and email address, but please don’t let that put you off.  Your inconvenience is a small price to pay for inflating my sense of vanity, so get voting.

And if you can’t bring yourself to vote for me because I’m a pompous blowhard, then vote for Tim at the Daily Growl instead, because he isn’t.

Now that we have our hands stuffed with shiny new vinyl releases, we are packing the Meursaut boys into our stupid green van and sending them off around the country to entertain the provinces with their particular brand of rattling, bleeping and wailing.  Full tour details are to be found on their MySpace page.

Phil, guitarist in the band, whose solo project Debutant was covered by Euan on Sunday, did all the booking and, at very short notice, has put together an excellent two-week tour, though I get the impression it nearly drove the poor chap to suicide (or homicide, I’m not sure which).

Anyhow, this tour will be the official single release tour for the William Henry Miller vinyl releases, after which the lads will be spending the foreseeable future holed up in Edinburgh recording album number two, due out some time next Spring.

So, a big thanks to Phil for putting this together, and if you get the chance to pop along and see the band on one of these dates that would be splendid.  Bring a friend, and it would be even splendider.  Buy some vinyl as well and I’m sure one of them will probably give you oral sex (can’t guarantee which one though).

Meursault – A Few Kind Words

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Meursault – Nothing Broke

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It’s not many 7″ records which give you six songs of listening enjoyment, but this is what Hot Lava and the Sad Cobras have achieved on this split EP.  Both have one epic song which just exceeds a Tolstoyian two-and-a-half minutes, but everything else is well under the two minute barrier – not a second wasted.

In all honesty, I am not that taken with the Sad Cobras songs, so I will instead focus on Hot Lava, whose debut album Lavaology I really enjoyed.

Basically, this has the same, slightly frantic charm as the album.  Taskmaster is a lot slower-paced – almost a song you could imagine Camera Obscura aiming for – but it’s the sheer pop joy of this lot which makes these songs so satisfying for me. There’s no need to be deep about this, it’s just bouncy indie pop with plenty of electronic decoration, and really nicely executed melodic twists and turns.  What more need be said?

Hot Lava – The Auctioneer

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Hot Lava MySpace | The Sad Cobras MySpace | Buy the 7″

Well this is a bit of a big week for Song, by Toad Records.  Apart from the fact that the Loch Lomond/Builders & the Butchers split 12″ is now officially available to buy, we also have the Meursault single launch on Saturday, with three of my favourite bands.  We’re releasing four A-sides on two 7″ singles, on clear vinyl: new recordings of William Henry Miller Parts One and Two are going back to back with A Few Kind Words and the Dirt & the Roots from Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues.  Officially, neither single is being released until the first week of December, but they will be available at live shows from this week onwards, including all tour dates the boys are playing over the next few weeks – details on their MySpace page.

Edinburgh’s best DIY arts venue, The Bowery, officially opened a year ago this week (or so), and the single launch just happens to be their first birthday party. The Edinburgh University Settlement, however, are getting rid of Ruth and Jane and taking the whole place over, so by the end of December the Bowery as we know and love it will cease to exist.  I am trying to get in touch with the Settlement themselves to find out exactly why they are doing this, and what alternatives they are putting in place, but in terms of the artistic community in this city this looks like nothing short of a bloody disaster.

Basically, this means that we have two months left to enjoy the place and show our gratitude to Ruth and Jane for the incredible amount of hard work they have put into giving us all such a special place to go and drink and to see live music, so please come along as often as possible over the next two months in order to give them the best send off we can manage.

Wednesday 4th November 2009: Daniel Johnston, The Wave Pictures & Laura Marling at The Queen’s Hall.

As marquee gigs go, this is the best Edinburgh has had for a long time.  Apart from the general elusiveness of Daniel Johnston himself, this is treat for the entire lineup.  In terms of wonky, off-kilter, sometimes painfully personal lyrics you won’t find better, but the key bit is how deceptively poppy the songwriting can be from both Johnston himself and support band the Wave Pictures.

Daniel Johnston – Foxy Girl

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Thursday 5th November 2009: Withered Hand, Candythief & James Lowe play the Leith Tape Club at the Iso Lounge.

This is a really cracking lineup for the Leith Tape Club.  Most people here will know Withered Hand’s brilliant anti-folkery, but I highly recommend the flamboyantly orchestrated pop of Candythief as well.  I’ve no idea how it will strip back to the bare-bones approach necessitated by the Tape Club, but I’m keen to hear it.

Withered Hand – Withered Hand

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Meursault, Withered Hand & Jesus H. Foxx at the Bowery.

As lineups go, if I were the sort who spent his time masturbating to music, I would spank myself raw to the mere thought of this one.  Probably whilst lying in a bath full of lovely clear vinyl!

Meursault – A Few Kind Words

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Sara & the Snakes, Mitchell Museum & The Last Battle play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

It’s good to see the Limbo chaps back in the saddle.  Mitchell Museum are mental live, and the Last Battle have formed from the ashes of local band Thieves in Suits, and since then I have heard some really good things about them.

Mitchell Museum – Arthur Loves the Shadows

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Mark Eitzel & Franz Nicolay at Cabaret Voltaire.

Hmm, I’m not sure you really want all these good gigs on on a night when you’re trying to have a successful single launch, but this lineup looks really interesting.  Hailing from American Music Club and The Hold Steady respectively, I don’t know too much about either man’s solo material, but the bands they are/were both in before can be pretty bloody excellent.

Mark Eitzel – Patriot’s Heart (Live)

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[Welcome back to Euan's monthly Sunday Supplement column here on Song, by Toad.  His writing can be found over at the Steinberg Principle, where he habitually does crazy things like confessing to liking Lionel Ritchie.  Don't worry though, I know how achingly cool my readers are - there'll be none of that sort of shit here.]

I’ve written about Phil Quirie’s music a couple of times over at The Steinberg Principle but I think it’s only fair that since I have the attention of a bigger audience on Matthew’s page I draw your attention to his work. Phil is now known as the guitarist in Meursault. That in itself is a pretty great honour as almost everyone who uses this blog will surely agree. He’s also one of the best guitarists I know.

When I first saw him play with his old band Kartta I was just blown away by his playing and the sounds he created. I actually asked him to join the Kays when he originally told me he was planning on moving to Edinburgh but I didn’t really stand much chance with Meursault also asking him to join and he politely declined. Anyways, though Phil will be known to many as being in Meursault, what I think he should be best known for is his solo stuff.

His project, known as ‘Debutant’, or simply Philip Quirie to the people of Inverness, is a solo project involving Phil, his guitar and a plethora of pedals. Think Eluvium if you can. If not, bear with me. In a nutshell Phil creates wonderful atmospheric soundscapes by layering guitar line upon guitar line. This really is intelligent music. Each individual component in itself appears simple, yet the overall impact and construction of the music is technically gifted and brilliantly pieced together. There’s a real mix to his work of instrumental, atmospheric beauty and lovely little pop melodies. I’ve said it before but every time I see him live he’s getting better and better and better. I really would recommend you check him out now. I hope he can maintain Debutant as well being in Meursault, I guess time will tell. But for now please check out his music and catch him live if you can.

Debutant – Means to an End

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[Welcome back to Euan's monthly Sunday Supplement column here on Song, by Toad.  His writing can be found over at the Steinberg Principle, where he habitually does crazy things like confessing to liking Lionel Ritchie.  Don't worry though, I know how achingly cool my readers are - there'll be none of that sort of shit here.  And apologies for the picture.  I did a Google image search for 'the morning after' and that turned up.  I like it a lot, so I ]

I have spent a lot of time of late studying my cd collection and wondering where it all came from?! How did it get so big? How much money have I spent on cds since I really started to buy cds around about the age of 15? I guess you could say that I am somewhat of a collector. Where others have embraced the internet and started downloading music, I have tended to stay true to the physical release (behave yourselves!) and continued to buy cds. I was wondering exactly why this was the case the other night, because with Pamela’s last remaining itunes vouchers she bought both Mumford & Sons and Editors new records for about 14 quid. This is a hell of a lot cheaper than it would have cost me to buy both of these records on cd. So what is it that draws me to having the actual physical product rather than simply the music that is encoded in the product?

Well, call me old fashioned, but there’s something really romantic about going to a music shop and browsing the cds, records and of course, when I was much younger, the cassettes. There’s always been something really important about this process for me. Something I now strongly relate to my adolescence and something that was, and is, and I think always will be a pleasure rather than a process. Perhaps even a form of relaxation? For some, the ability to sit on their sofa and hit “download” is a wonderful thing. I totally understand this. You can get on with life without having to leave your home to search for a record. You can make dinner and download the new record by Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad or Broken Records. It’s all so easy. But for me, there is nothing more exciting about taking a walk along to Avalanhce or Fopp or indeed any record store and just browsing. Searching out little gems. Its one of life’s little pleasures.

For me, the physical release (again behave people!) is very important. I love having a record, with the art work, the acknowledgements, the lyrics. I love the love and attention which is put into these things. Not just the music. Take the ‘Nothing Broke’ EP by Meursault for example, or ‘For The Thoughts You Never Had’ by eagleowl. Each of these records was put together by a group of people. Each piece of art lovingly created. Time and effort to make sure every detail was just right. And I love that. I love knowing that. I love owning that. Another great example is Sigur Ros’ packaging, art etc. Absolutely every detail of the album is important from the music right through to the material used for the packaging. It’s all relevant and it’s all important. And I love owning these things.

I remember being a teenager and sitting in my pal David’s room and sifting through his dad’s collection of vinyl. Everything from James Taylor, to Queen, to the Humble bums, to Abba, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. Sitting and going through all those records is one of my fondest memories of being a teenager. Whilst others were out getting boozed up and caught by the police, we were sifting through old records and learning about music. I know – what a sad little kid I was! But it was magic then and it is still magic now. Looking at my cd collection now it amazes me how much I’ve bought over the years, but I really am excited about the thought of Roddy, when he’s old enough, sitting and sifting through all those cds. Learning about music. Learning about what he likes and dislikes. Discussing these things with me. When I think of it in those terms, I’m glad I’ve not wasted my money on cds.

[Welcome back to Euan's monthly Sunday Supplement column here on Song, by Toad.  His writing can be found over at the Steinberg Principle, where he habitually does crazy things like confessing to liking Lionel Ritchie.  Don't worry though, I know how achingly cool my readers are - there'll be none of that sort of shit here.]

When Matthew asked me to do a monthly column on his blog he did say that I could write about anything I like. Normally I mention what’s happening with Trampoline over at my own blog but I decided that now was a good time to promote what is happening over the next few months and into 2010.

As many of you will be aware I had planned on winding up Trampoline in December and doing so by holding an all day event. Well, thanks to the wonderful Michael and Dav from the Stormy Seas and Matty from Cancel the Astronauts Trampoline will live to fight another year and will celebrate it’s 3^rd birthday in March next year. I cannot thank these 3 guys enough for being up for being a part of trampoline and I am sure that 2010 is going to produce the best set of shows yet. Basically, the plan for 2010 is that each of us will take 3 months of the year to plan shows. Michael is up first in January, followed by Matty in February, Dav in March and me in April. And then we’re back to the start. I think what this whole set up is going to do is provide a nice diversity to the trampoline nights. Each month being planned by a different person should ensure such diversity rather than every month being bands to my taste. So yes, trampoline will continue in 2010 and hopefully will go from strength to strength thanks to the commitment of Michael, Dav and Matty.

As for the rest of 2009. Well in November on Saturday 14^th we have John B McKenna and The Last Battle lined up with one more to be confirmed. Then in December, the all day event will take place on Saturday 12^th December starting at 2pm and will feature Jill Leighton, Debutant, Lady North, Conquering Animal Sound, Jonnie Common, The Scottish Enlightenment with a couple of more artists, including the headline act still to be confirmed. It should be a really great day of music. You can find out all the information about all shows at www.myspace.com/trampolineuk.

If you are interested in being added to the trampoline mailing list please do contact me at trampolinemusic@gmail.com