When I say that car journeys aren’t the same when you get big, I quite specifically mean too big to lie down across the back seat and go to sleep.  When we were kids we lived in Vienna, and used to regularly drive back to Manchester, via the Dover ferry, to visit my mum’s family, who are all from there. In one of those turquoise things in the picture.  In the words of Princess Leia: “You came in that thing?  You’re braver than I thought.”

It was roughly a twenty-five to thirty-hour journey, I do believe, and something we never really questioned, as kids.  It was kind of exciting, honestly, although even as a child you know full well that boredom, frustration and irritability would inevitably kick in at some point and that exhasperated “I don’t bloody well CARE who started it!” would be wearily barked from the front seat.

Nevertheless, what interests me about long drives these days – the scenery, the tranquility (no, seriously), the chance to either turn things over in your brain for a while or chatter aimlessly to someone – didn’t figure at all back then.

I am not really sure what made these journeys exciting when we were kids, but there was definitely something mysterious about curling up to sleep on the back seat, when it was pitch black all around, with the hypnotic effects of the street lights and the subtle changes in engine noise depending on the surface we happened to be driving over at the time.

My parents had a couple of musical strategies for us on these journeys.  They copied albums onto C90s and took the chance to listen to stuff borrowed from friends and stuff like that, but when we really needed pacifying then the story tapes would have to go on, including the Kenneth Williams version of The Wind in the Willows which led to me giving this blog its name.

To this day I still really strongly associate Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s Live in Budapest, Alf by Alison Moyet and pretty much anything by Bronski Beat and even Willie Nelson’s Willie and Family Live with sitting in that turquoise tin can up there and slowly chugging our way across Europe.  At that age, even in that daft wee car, there was just something quite thrilling about it.  Even that grey, wan light which awaited us as we left the ferry and is so characteristic of England had a certain mystique.

Beats the shit out of Ryanair anyway.

Alison Moyet – Steal Me Blind

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Willie Nelson – Good Hearted Woman

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Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Davey’s on the Road Again

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Another week, another bank holiday in which we self-employed folks don’t get to indulge.  Working for yourself is great, but watching everyone else get days off when all you can do is stare at the steady trickle into your inbox and the pile of promotional copies of releases waiting to be posted, can be a little demoralising.  And it’s sunny, too.  Fuckers.

Anyhow, The Brainlove Festival was bloody good fun, only slightly ruined by an awful football match.  My personal highlight was an absolutely awesome set by Mat Riviere.  He was playing with a cellist whose name I unfortunately don’t remember, but the stuff they played was absolutely brilliant – building from beautiful melodies to aggressively experimental cacophonies.

The Brixton Windmill also ended up being good to its description: a highly unpromising building which actually turned out to be a cracking wee venue.  I want one here please.

Tuesday 31st May 2011: The Travelling Band, Jesus H. Foxx and The Last Battle at the Electric Circus.

I harassed the Travelling Band at SXSW this year because one of them happened to be wearing a ‘Homegame 2006*’ t-shirt.  Anyone who’s been asked to play Homegame (and is loved by Cloud Sounds) is good enough for me, plus this gig sees the long-awaited return from mothballs of Jesus H. Foxx, complete with a near-finished new album and a somewhat tweaked lineup.

The Travelling Band – Fairweather Friends

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Wednesday 1st June 2011: eagleowl, The Scottish Enlightenment & Silver Fox play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

I had to add this later, because I am a total idiot and forgot it the first time.  God knows why because this looks like pretty much the highlight of my week as far as music is concerned.

Friday 3rd June 2011: The Dead Man’s Waltz, The Stormy Seas & James Metcalfe at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

This should be a rattling good night.  I don’t know anything about the Dead Man’s Waltz, but a quick listen to their stuff sounds very promising – all jaunty banjo and acoustic, foot-tapping Americana.  James Metcalfe from the Pineapple Chunks will be playing solo as well.

The Dead Man’s Waltz – Cry On Me

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Saturday 4th June 2011: Avital Raz & Alex Cornish Song, by Toad House Gig.

Alex let me know last week that he is bringing a string bloody quartet to this gig, which makes it just about the coolest thing we’ve done in the house for a long time. Tickets are available here, and I would be nice if you could buy them in advance

Saturday 4th June 2011: Detour present FOUND at the Electric Circus.

Detour’s Wee Jaunt stumbles about Edinburgh all day, finishing up at the Electric Circus where FOUND will be closing the night with their usual exuberance.  I assume one of the tracks played will be new single Anti-climb Paint, the subject of an absolutely ludicrously brilliant-sounding edible, playable chocolate 7″ single.  Video below.

Sunday 5th June 2011: Julian Lynch, Ducktails & Big Troubles at Sneaky Pete’s.

This gig is being put on by the reprobates behind Gerry Loves Records, and that is good enough for me. It’s less electronic than a couple of their recent releases, nudging more into Kurt Vile territory, but this is fine territory to be in if you ask me.

Julian Lynch – Stomper

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*2005?  2006?  Something like that.

The Braincast is not so called because it unusually filled with penetrative insights, but because if you listen to it this weekend it will be while I am down at the Brainlove Festival either listening to bands, DJing or sneaking off to watch the Champions League final at the nearest pub.

This week is another relatively haircut-friendly playlist actually, with words like ‘remix’ to be found and some fashionably hazy production and everything.  In fact I may have to do another ‘tedious old shite’ podcast soon, just to make up for it.

Anyhow, next week looks like being the Scottish Enlightenment Toad Session, which is coming along nicely.  I just need the photos and to complete the constantly challenging ten minute main video, which always takes quite a long while.  I will listen to the podcast on the train down to London and figure out which bits I think should go in the video.  In the meantime, enjoy…

Direct download: Toadcast #176 – The Braincast

01. FOUND – Anti-climb Paint (00.22)
02. Silverbacks – Atta Boyz (07.32)
03. Phil & the Osophers – Ink on the Page (13.02)
04. Slim Twig – Priscilla (18.57)
05. Yuppies – For the Future’s Sake (21.41)
06. Lau vs Adem – Imporsa (Silver Columns Remix) (24.11)
07. Dirty Beaches – Coast to Coast (Remastered) (35.06)
08. Tasseomancy – Soft Feet (44.37)
09. Sonny & the Sunsets – I Wanna Do It (52.11)
10. Youth Lagoon – Cannons (54.54)
11. Psychedelic Horseshit – Laced (60.40)

Yep, I am off down to London to schmooze like a lickspittle get plastered and see some excellent bands.  And to catch up with one of my best and oldest friends.  Good times. And to watch the Champions League final.  Possibly slightly less good times.

I am running the gauntlet of the British Rail ticketing system as well.  For those who aren’t familiar with this particular challenge, in the UK they try and make it as difficult as possible for you to buy a/ the cheap tickets which they advertise so aggressively (£35 London-Edinburgh return, aye right!) or b/ the actual, right ticket for the train you happen to take.

I went on the website and specifically selected the 08:30 train, which is the one I am on, but when I collected my tickets they said ‘Off-peak Return’ on them, and I am highly dubious about any service leaving at 08:30 in the morning being classified as ‘off-peak’. And if I’m wrong presumably they will try and force me to buy a ‘full price’ single (i.e. about £300, instead of the £114 return I actually bought).  Ah well, I’ve had this argument before, so I suppose I can have it again if need be.

Anyhow, since the demise of the humble dining car (actually, balls to humble, I always preferred the more ostentatious dining cars) I see train journeys as things to tolerate rather than enjoy.  Mrs. Toad and I used to very much enjoy getting quietly pickled in the dining car as the Northumberland countryside rolled past the window, and somehow a little bag of goodies from Marks & Spencer at the station doesn’t quite make up for its loss.

1. Where, other than where you currently live, do you have the most friends.
2. How old were you when you met your oldest (non-blood relative) friend.
3. Least glamorous place you’ve ever travelled for business.
4. How many cups of grey, watery meeting coffee can you have before your bladder commits suicide?
5. What’s the highest proportion of fun to business you have ever achieved on what is nominally a business trip?

This week’s five songs ar… oh just look at the titles, you don’t need me to tell you I just searched for ‘train’ in my iTunes library and just lazily slapped up any old five from the results do you?

Tom Waits – Train Song 

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Half Man Half Biscuit – Time Flies By (When You’re the Driver of a Train)

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Hem – Betting on Trains

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The Divine Comedy – Europe By Train

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Billy Bragg – Train Train

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Sonny Smith, of Sonny & the Sunsets fame (or by now, in our house anyway, I should probably say ‘of Sonny & the Sunsets legend’), has gone from my not even being aware of his existence in 2010 to suddenly becoming something of a musical icon, and we’re only half way through 2011.

I first heard about the 100 Records project when I was contacted about the absolutely brilliant Earth Girl Helen Brown EP (the 500 copies of which they seem to have torn through at a pretty brisk pace), and through that I found Sonny Smith, whose project it was.

Then, when recording the Fat Possum podcast I realised that as well as being one of the most energetic and restlessly creative artists out there, he also happened to be signed to one of the finest independent record labels on the planet.  Some bastards are just born cool as fuck I guess.

Sonny & the Sunsets sound a little bit like the soundtrack to Dirty Dancing just couldn’t be arsed, going through the motions with a fag* hanging out the side of its mouth and one eye on the clock.  When this works well you get a wonderfully arch take on an old-fashioned style – music played with a slow, confident swagger and the suggestion that if you ever want to stop being Daddy’s little angel and get nasty round the back of the bike sheds then that would be just fine.

Funnily enough, though, the first track on this record really doesn’t do it for me, after all the excited anticipation.  It takes the above ingredients and just ends up sounding a little lifeless.  This happens on a couple of others – Girls Beware doesn’t quite do it for me either – but these are isolated hiccups, and the rest of the album is just fucking great.

Sonny and the Sunsets – Home and Exile

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Sonny and the Sunsets – Heart of Sadness

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Website | More mp3s | Buy from Fat Possum Records

*Dear Americans, I know how funny you will think this turn of phrase is, but you can fuck off. It’s our language.

Well there’s no real way of stitching this little lot together coherently, so I suppose a big old pile of stuff in no sensible order is the only real way to do it.

Edinburgh School for the Deaf have a new single out. It’s digital download only, so I can’t very well put it up here for you, but you can expect a song in this week’s podcast, so keep an eye out there.  For those disinclined to wait, you can simply pop over here and buy a copy from Bubblegum Records.

It’s a two-song business, with Orpheus Ascending being more acoustic and pretty, and their trademark (alright, alright, they’re a bit new to have a ‘trademark’ yet, sorry) fuzzy guitars very much in evidence on its sister track Orpheus Descending.

Horsecollar have a Kickstarter project to make a 7″ from the two songs on their Bandcamp page.  I am really only encouraging you to contribute to this because I personally want one.  The jauntiness of Christopher in particular deserves to be immortalised in this manner, so get on with it – you can contribute here.

There is a Lau vs Adem EP approaching, and it looks extremely interesting.  Around the time Silver Columns first emerged I had the chance to interview Adem (and Johnny of course) and he came across as a really nice, really thoughtful guy, so I am really looking forward to hearing more from this.

As it is I have a brief promotional video and a completely fucking different remix (see this week’s podcast) to share with you.  I’ll confess to knowing very little about Lau, unfortunately, but then again, this is why this kind of collaboration is so interesting, because it takes you from one artist you know to exploring another you might not.

Finally, I have a couple more gigs to announce. Fatcat Records’ recent signing Milk Maid have agreed to play a show on Monday 13th June, supported by two of Scotland’s most promising new bands: Glasgow’s PAWS and Plastic Animals from Edinburgh (tickets here). In July these two bands will be joined by the awesome Scottish Enlightenment in a sort of Toad Rapture lineup to celebrate the release of Plastic Animals’ debut EP.  I am really looking forward to both of these gigs.

Milk Maid – Such Fun

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PAWS – Ariel

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Plastic Animals – Test

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A new record shop just opened up around the corner from us on St. Stephen’s Street (pretty much opposite the Baillie), and it has already caused us considerable financial damage.

It’s all vinyl and generally they stock secondhand stuff, from sixty-quid-a-go Stones records to a one-pound-fifty back room full of all sorts.  Apparently they have a pile of other things already which will be on the shelves as soon as they get them properly catalogued, and they also want to stock new stuff as well. They even, unlike almost every secondhand record shop I have ever been in, have a pretty good blues selection.

There are a couple of record players in there too if you want to have a listen before you buy, although I am not entirely sure if the (very cool) Dansette in the back room is to be used or just to look cool.

In any case, I thought you should know about this in case you wanted to pop down and have a look.  I apologise for the tedious predictability of the Hipstamatic pictures, but… oh fuck it, I know they’re absolutely every bloody where, but I still think they look pretty cool okay, so just stop it!

I know I mentioned this on Friday, but I think it deserves a more formal announcement, so here we go.  Next Saturday, the 4th of June, we will host our next Song, by Toad House Gig.  Playing will be Avital Raz, who is over from Israel to tour the UK, and Edinburgh’s Alex Cornish.

Avital’s music is gorgeous acoustic folk which should be just about perfect for our living room, and for those of you who would likes a quick preview her MySpace page can be found here.

Alex was one of the first local musicians to ever get in touch with me when I started writing Song, by Toad, and has since become a good friend.  He is about to release his third album, a promo for which is embedded below.

As per usual, because this is at our house, it would be nice if you’d buy tickets in advance to help us remain at least a bit organised. I’ll get a keg of something tasty from Stewart’s, and you can just chip in if you want some.

I have never quite understood how record labels based in the same town would end up as ‘sisters’ rather than either part of the same label or just separate entities, but new Brighton label Palmist describe themselves as a sister label of the highly reputable Fatcat, so I won’t quibble.

Whoever they’re related to, it looks like they might be bloody brilliant, however.  The label describes themselves as simultaneously embracing DIY culture and the production of high quality physical artifacts.  That can seem a little contradictory, and I suppose in a way it is, but it is nevertheless an aesthetic I personally love; just because something is DIY doesn’t mean it has to be careless or shit.

They also specifically reject the idea of “music existing only as computer files or internet streams”, which is something I am very much onside with.  Don’t get me wrong, I love digital music for very many reasons, but if it remains only digital then you miss out on so many of the pleasures of collecting and enjoying music.

Palmist are kicking things off with two excellent split 12″s, one including a band I’ve featured before actually – Toronto’s Slim Twig – with the others involved being BITCHES, Yuppies and U.S. Girls.  There are previews available for both on the website, and both sound like they are going to be really good.

The records themselves can be purchased here, and if you have a wee listen below I am sure you will do the right thing.

From the Slim Twig/U.S. Girls split 12″:

Slim Twig – Priscilla

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U.S. Girls – If These Walls Could Talk

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From the BITCHES/Yuppies spit 12″:

BITCHES – Wallet

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Yuppies – For the Future’s Sake

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Rich from Jesus H. Foxx took the picture above.  Not sure how he did the two heads thing but it’s a nice picture so I thought you’d like to see it.  Bye Floyd old chap, you gigantic furry nuisance you.