You may have noticed that on the Song, by Toad Records site we now have the rather fantastic Jonnie Common’s Deskjob for sale.  It’s not actually on the label of course, although a couple of Toad bands are featured, but I gave Jonnie a bit of a hand with some of the PR and stuff like that, so he gave me some to sell on the site as a thank you.

Given that I now have a vested interest in selling the album I can’t really review it here, but I do want to at least try and describe the thing, because it’s a great project, which is why I was so determined more people had to hear it.

To describe it as briefly as possible, Jonnie invited ten bands he loves to record the barest of bare bones of a single track of theirs, and he then built up the song around that framework.  As well as being a really nice idea, this also helps what might just end up as any other compilation hang together really well as an actual album, despite every song being written and sung by someone different.

For me, apart from obvious Toadly preferences like Meursault and Inspector Tapehead, the two standout tracks on this are by Adam Beattie and The Oates Field.  Both songs are kept relatively simple, and in fact for a project which hangs around its producer, it’s not unusual for Jonnie to treat the songs on Deskjob with a particularly light touch.

So, go to the Song, by Toad Records site to buy the CD and to Jonnie Common’s site to find out more about the man himself.

Adam Beattie – Bone Dry

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The Oates Field – Nae Luck

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Full tracklisting:
01. Panda Su – Eric is Dead
02. Adam Beattie – Bone Dry
03. Iona Marshall – Hearts
04. Adam P. Gorman – Hitchhiker
05. Meursault – And Butter Would Not Melt
06. The Oates Field – Nae Luck
07. Inspector Tapehead – Pherenzik Tear
08. Autistic Angus – Sleepless
09. Conquering Animal Sound – Maschine
10. eagleowl – Sorry I Spoke