Random Bits of Shit
Hmm, some scrappy bits of news to add this week, and no better place to do it, so here it goes. Firstly, some quick podcasty things, and then some new award stuff.
The Contrast Podcast have begun their Festive Fifty countdown, with this week’s episode announcing 34-50 in the list, and you may notice a couple of familiar names in there – namely, Aidan Moffat and Meursault. Keep an eye on the forthcoming episodes as they count down to number one. The Contrast Podcast is so called because it is assembled from intros and songs sent in by bloggers and podcasters from all over the place, so there is no one single presenter, although Tim deserves a massive debt of gratitude for herding this great big flock of digital cats.
I have been asked to introduce a song a little later in the countdown, so I can promise you that there will be plenty of Toad favourites featuring higher up this list. It’s quite an honour actually, because the Contrast Podcast represents a pretty impressive cross-section of the internet-based music chatterati and given this is voted for (obviously) by contributors and listeners then you must be doing something very right to end up on it.
In other podcasty news, Jesus H. Foxx will be making an appearance on The Waiting Room this weekend. DC recorded a session with them ages ago (although I still don’t think he beats my record for procrastination) and it will be broadcast on WOXY on Saturday at one in the afternoon UK time, I think, and then re-broadcast on Sunday at nine.
This was recorded during their tour earlier in the year and frankly I have no idea what to expect. The Foxx were recently included in some torrent playlist thingy of new indie so it’s, er, nice to see them moving up in the world. Next stop – Limewire!
And finally, the 2009 BAMS have been announced! Hooray! What’s that? No fucking idea what I’m talking about? Thought not. Lloyd from Peenko decided to poll Scottish Bloggers and Music Sites (see, B.A.M.S., get it?) to see what our favourite album of the year was. And the results are now in, and read as follows:
1. The Phantom Band – Checkmate Savage (61)
2. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion (54)
3. De Rosa – Prevention (53)
4. King Creosote – Flick the V’s (51)
5. Withered Hand – Good News (45)
6. The Twilight Sad – Forget The Night Ahead (43)
7. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls (40)
8. Beerjacket – Animosity (38)
9. Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More (32)
9. Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career (32)
11. My Latest Novel – Deaths and Entrances (28)
11. Malcolm Middleton – Waxing Gibbous (28)
13. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – s/t (25)
14. You Already Know – s/t (24)
14. Broken Records – Until the Earth Begins to Part (24)
16. The XX – s/t (23)
17. The Antlers – Hospice (21)
18. Sufjan Stevens – The BQE (19)
18. And So I Watch You From Afar (19)
20. Wilco – The Album (18)
Personally, not all that close to my own list, I must confess, but I really like the idea in general, particularly given the general lack of respect the Scottish music scene appears to be getting from the London glossies at the moment.
The Phantom Band had this to say about their triumph:
“This makes us feel very honoured because the opinion of people out there giving opinions is what matters most, rather than the financially influenced press.
It always amazes me that people would take it upon themselves to go out and champion a band or an album or a band for no material gain, but it gives me faith in human nature. Blogs and reviews have been the only advertising we’ve ever had. Apart from all those people who got online and promoted us, we’d like to thank those little almost-stale doughnuts you get in big tubs from Sainsburys for keeping us fat during the recording.
We obviously also have our Producer Paul Savage and the wonderful people at Chemikal Underground to thank for letting us do what we want. These guys are the quiet heroes of Scottish music for sure.”
And everyone who voted can be found here:
17 Seconds, AyeTunes, Dear Scotland, Earz Mag, Elba Sessions, Glasgow Podcart, Hooligans Lament, Jim Gellatly, JocknRoll, Jockrock, Kowalskiy, Last Years Girl, Love Shack Baby (wait, what?) Manic Pop Thrills, My Portiswasp Says, Off the Beaten Tracks, The Pop Cop, Products of a Gaseous Brain, Song By Toad, The Blues Bunny, The Daily Growl, The Spill, The Steinberg Principle, The Vinyl Villain and Under the Radar.
DC played me a bit of Jesus H Foxx’s Waiting Room session last time I was in Cardiff and it sounds great.
Apparently the band were a bit hungover (The Foxx? Drinking and carousing til the wee hours?! Never!!) the day they recorded it and weren’t completely happy with the sound. In my opinion it’s absolutely fine and as you know I’m always right.
And another thing! I’m sure I voted on Peenko’s thing, I got the email. Maybe I didn’t. Oh well.
I am afraid you didn’t vote Dylan, or at least I didn’t get anything back from you (just double checked), I’ll keep you in mind for next year
Dylan!!! Yeah – we were pretty rough. Steve almost fainted in the recording room. It’s all played a bit too fast etc. – seems like an age ago now mind. I think we improved after we got back from that small jaunt to be honest. QUite a bit! Tallah’s cornet was out of tune due to heat and hangovers I think. I genuinely hope they don’t play any of those particular songs! ARGH!
Bits of the session do sound a little ropey, but then it’s a live radio session, not a painstakingly assembled studio recording, so that’s kind of what you get. And I can’t imagine that they’re the easiest band in the world to engineer and mix if you don’t know the music that well, which presumably the house sound guy did not.
So yeah, they sound a little rough, but that’s just the nature of the beast. For what they are they are perfectly good.
Oh yeah, and DC did beat me in the procrastination stakes. I thought putting up August’s Shenandoah Session in December (this weekend) was pretty bad, but a June to December lead time wins by miles!
Peenko, I typed in a response and everything. Must have just forgotten to click send. I do things like that.
Is it too late for my vote to count? Can you put one vote down for Shirley Bassey?
So it’s Shenandoah this weekend is it Matthew? Better get my post drafted up..
Yeah…
Just checked the drafts folder on the Blueback Hotrod email account.
There it is…
Oh dear oh dear oh dear.
But, but, but… the pictures are good. I like looking at the pictures.
I really appreciate the photoshopping of that picture. Niiiiiiiiiiiice.
My avatar still hasn’t been changed. Please…
Hehehe honorary Scot, I am
see where flirty filth and excellent taste will get you m’dears!
Dylan,
I am putting together a project called ‘emails you wish you had sent’ which will collect together all the unsent drafts that people forget to send until it was too late (either due to deadlines or because it has been rendered irrelevant due to the passing of time). If you would like to submit your draft of the 10 best albums of 2009 I will definitely consider it for inclusion.
The book will be published sometime in 2011.
Dylan will have his draft to you 2012.
I think you’ve uncovered the fatal flaw in the project..
dear christ if that’s the best we can come up perhaps it’s no surprise southern puffs afford us little respect.
and i say we, but where’s my vote fuckers?
Milo, ‘emails I wish I had sent’ will see me alienated from pretty much the entire universe. Please, for the love of god, don’t do it.
It’s funny you mention the London media, Matthew, as I’ve just finished ranting about them on my page. Hope you don’t mind but I used Meursault as an example of how flawed the media exposure of Scotland really is. Also, Antlers that low down on the list? Whaaaa?
Today I again had the pleasure of seeing Toad looking all beardy and trampy at the bus stop. He fiddled with his iphone before swaggering over to the side of the bus stop with a dynamic sweep of his cool hair. At this point my vision was obscured due to frosted bus stop glass windows but I imagine he was doing something cool. Next he sauntered back to his standing position beside the conical strut of the bridge (thats his preffered standing point) and inserted his white ipod earphones……into his ears. It was at this point the traffic began to move and I turned the corner and, again, my erection vanished just as quickly as it had arrived.
Thanks for the very kind words Matthew. Your support of the CP is a lovely thing. There are indeed more Toad favourites to come higher up the rundown. I just have to mix it!
I have to say, I’m really enjoying these creepy stalker comments from Madcow.
His next update will start: “Toad was looking around nervously, as if he thought someone was watching him…”
“Despite his unusual outfit choice of scarf, hat, overcoat and dark sunglasses, Toad still managed to look cool…”
Yes, Bart, that outfit would be a change from Matthew’s usual work attire of Rodeo chaps, bikini top and deeley-boppers.
That’s why Madcow goes out of his way to track him down each morning.
complete random bit of shit: following on from madcows spotting of toad, he was also spotted a couple of nights ago striding down henderson st through the night, paper under arm, listening to music and looking “very angry”.
It’s takes an impressive man to succesfully pull off ‘angry’ in deeley-boppers.
Matthew is such a man.
..he only had rodeo chaps on…
Madcow sent me this photo of Matthew at the bus stop this morning.
Handsome devil.
I’m really impressed that you’ve made the “guy gets erection whilst stalking Matthew” thread get even weirder.
Top marks.
he is apparently, “tall, with a beard and very good looking”……..
my head hurts.
The best part is knowing that he can’t see me and, in fact, has no idea I am there……
Is this where we start to try and guess precisely what Madcow is actually up to each morning when he sees Matthew?
madcow – are you this guy?
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01448/LIU_Bolin_1448481c.jpg
http://www.yaean.com/media/uploads/2009/10/12/liu-bolin-400.jpg
Oh my God. That guy is my HERO!! Brilliant.
Ps. Can I just say…..We Were Promised Jetpacks……Number 7………really???????
not that i hate them. but number 7. like Ian says, Antlers are far too low.
think i’m still drunk.
That’s Three-post Mentalism Euan.
Although in the context of all the rest of the mentalism on this thread it’s actually a pretty fucking tame kind of mentalism.
You people are fucking freaks.
Don’t be afraid, Toad.
Just saying that made it even more creepy, if that’s possible.
Stalking aside…..we got a myspace message from Markus Thorsen who takes pictures of bands.
He has released a book
http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1099820
And we are in it. In fact, if you click “preview book” there is a picture of mike and richies feet. Their best features it must be said.
Worth a look I would think. Two years of Edinburgh bands.
highly entertaining, this thread! thanks madcow…. uh, i think
can you not stalk someone like Tom next time, please? xo