Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: zip download: right-click, save as

This session was recorded in Glasgow before Josh’s performance at Oran Mor on 22nd November last year.  The first attempt to record a session with him was at Stereo, but recording in a venue really didn’t work out, so this time we decided to take up the kind offer of Phil from PAWS to record it in his bedroom instead.

Again we were a little pressed for time, because Josh had a marathon day, recording a session with the BBC and conducting an interview before doing our session, and then having the gig to play afterwards.  So we only recorded three songs, and for simplicity’s sake we did the interview in one chunk and I have just chopped bits of it into the podcast where appropriate.

Given the incredibly punishing schedule he tends to have I really do appreciate Josh taking the time to re-record this session, as well as the infallibly good humour and cooperative nature showed by both himself and Peter and Tom, his management team.  It may have been tight to get done, but this is a really, really nice session if you ask me.

As usual, the videos can all be found on our Vimeo and YouTube pages and the photos, which were jointly taken by Stephanie Gibson and Dylan Matthews, are collected on our Flickr page.  The session mp3s can be downloaded below, or in a zip file here, the session podcast can be played or downloaded below too, and the tracklisting for the podcast can be found at the bottom of the page.

Direct download: Toadcast #211 – Josh T. Pearson Toad Session

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Josh T. Pearson – Woman When I’ve Raised Hell (Toad Session)

Josh T. Pearson – Country Dumb (Toad Session)

Josh T. Pearson – Covers Medley (Toad Session)

01. Josh T. Pearson – Woman When I’ve Raised Hell (Toad Session) (02.54)
02. Lift to Experience – To Guard and to Guide You (12.30)
03. Perfume Genius – All Waters (19.06)
04. Josh T. Pearson – Country Dumb (Toad Session) (25.26)
05. The Dirty Three – Some Summers They Drop Like Flys (31.43)
06. Papa M – The Lass of Roch Royal (38.17)
07. Judy Collins – Wild Mountain Thyme (53.03)
08. Howe Gelb – Can’t Help Falling in Love (55.37)
09. Josh T. Pearson – Covers Medley (Toad Session) (61.54)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: zip file (right-click, save as)

The Toad Session I was probably most nervous about recording was Milk Maid, I think.  It was arranged at the last minute, they are a full, four-piece rock band, their profile is riding relatively high at the moment and I’d never really recorded anything so loud in our house before.

As it was, it turned out pretty fucking well, if you ask me, so when PAWS came in I was confident enough that we’d get decent recordings, but I have to confess I was a little nervous about how we’d get away with the racket and the general lawlessness of their performances.

There were some changes to the team this time as well, as a lot of the usual suspects couldn’t make it.  Wee Matthew was helping out on cameras again, and Rory from Broken Records was back for a second batch of filming.  But we also managed to coax former ace Edinburgh gig photographer extraordinaire Nic Rue out of retirement to take the pictures, and Rory ‘brought at friend’ to help out with the filming.  And his friend just happened to be Chris Park.  Who just happens to be a serious professional.  So if you’re wondering why this isn’t as shit as usual, that’s probably why.

As per usual, all the session mp3s are available to download for free, either below or in this zip file, we have videos of the songs and of the interview here, photos here, Nic’s slightly larger portfolio of pics here, and of course the interview podcast below, with the playlist at the bottom of the page.  Enjoy.  And pity our poor neighbours.

Direct download: Toadcast #196 – PAWS Toad Session
Subscribe to the Toadcasts on iTunes

PAWS – Jellyfish (Toad Session)

PAWS – Bloodline (Toad Session)

PAWS – Bird Inside Birdcage, Ribcage Inside Bird (Toad Session)

PAWS – Winners Don’t Bleed (Toad Session)

01. PAWS – Jellyfish (Toad Session) (07.17)
02. Bronto Skylift – Cobblepot (15.50)
03. Mr. Peppermint – Carp Act (20.25)
04. PAWS – Bloodline (Toad Session) (26.47)
05. Ultimate Thrush – Complex Cat (35.31)
06. Crystal Swells – Waco, Wasilia, Waikiki (36.41)
07. PAWS – Bird Inside Birdcage, Ribcage Inside Bird (Toad Session) (42.35)
08. Pavement – Gold Soundz (48.59)
09. Dolfinz – Blowhole (51.44)
10. PAWS – Winners Don’t Bleed (Toad Session) (61.49)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: zip dowload (right click, save as)

This session came together in an extremely short space of time, and as such I am extremely pleasantly surprised by how well it turned out – from an audio point of view in particular these are some of my favourite session recordings.

We invited Milk Maid to play an Ides of Toad gig in June, they arrived the night before the gig, and we happened to be having beers and listening to some records when I mentioned that we sometimes record in our living room.  I showed them the Scottish Enlightenment Toad Session, and they suggested recording a session too, the next day, before the gig.

Recording a band with a full drum kit, two guitarists and a bass in one room made me nervous enough, and actually getting anyone to help seemed improbable at such short notice, but thankfully Fee and Rory were able to make it down, so I owe them both a massive debt of gratitude for their help.

As per usual we have a full set of photos, freely downloadable session mp3s, a full interview podcast (immediately below, and with the tracklisting at the bottom of the page) and videos of both the whole day (above) and each individual song (below).  Enjoy!

Direct download: Toadcast #186 – Milk Maid Toad Session

Milk Maid – Can’t You See (Toad Session)

Milk Maid – Girl (Toad Session)

Milk Maid – Stir So Slow (Toad Session)

Milk Maid – Not Me (Toad Session)

01. Milk Maid – Can’t You See (Toad Session) (04.11)
02. Women – Black Rice (12.14)
03. Weird Era – Summer Heights (15:26)
04. Milk Maid – Girl (Toad Session) (20.19)
05. Irk the River – Mind That Child (26.22 )
06. Daily Life – No Eyes (28.43)
07. Milk Maid – Stir So Slow (Toad Session) (36.32)
08. Evan Dando – Hard Drive (45.12)
09. Easter – Holy Island (48.24)
10. Milk Maid – Not Me (Toad Session) (62.50)

Lach is the man behind the Antihoot, the New York open stage which gave rise to the term and the movement called Antifolk.  People bandy the word about so much these days it’s almost become as nebulous as the term ‘indie’, but it had a very specific origin and a very specific meaning back at the beginning.

Last year Lach brought the Antihoot to the Edinburgh Festival, and we recorded a Toad Session with him while he was here.  When we figured out that we would actually be releasing his new album as well, and that he would be returning to Edinburgh this year – running both the Antihoot at the Gilded Balloon as well as a free fringe show called Lach, the Waitress, the Walls and the Weirdos in The Speakeasy at Cabaret Voltaire – I figured we might as well wait a little while to publish this session.

Well Lach is back now, his album comes out on Song, by Toad Records on Monday and we are starting to get ready for both the one-man show at Cab Vol, and also the return of the Antihoot (tickets).  If you want to play at the Antihoot yourself, then just get in touch: info@antifolk.net.  The rules are that you get either two songs or eight minutes, whichever is shorter, and that has to include your setup, so best keep it simple, but otherwise pretty much anything goes.

Also, this year we’ll be picking a semifinalist each night, by a combination of audience acclaim and executive decision, and inviting them back to the Anti-idol on the last three nights of the show.  Those three nights will be recorded, with the best dozen or so performances being released on a Best of the Antihoot album on Song, by Toad Records.

As per usual with the Toad Sessions, the full interview podcast is immediately below, followed by free mp3 downloads of all the session tracks (zip file here), videos of the individual tracks themselves (all video here), and finally the tracklist for the podcast.  There aren’t as many pictures as usual, but that’s because we were a little short-staffed this time, and Dylan was too busy with the video camera to produce the usual number of pretty pictures.

Direct download: Toadcast #183 – Lach Toad Session

Lach – A Quiet Distance (Toad Session)

Lach – Ambition Burns (Toad Session)

Lach – Another Night Without You (Toad Session)

Lach – Coffee Black (Toad Session)

01. Lach – A Quiet Distance (Toad Session) (12.40)
02. The Love Gestures – Hey Man (16.40)
03. Phil Ochs – Small Circle of Friends (20.31)
04. Lach – Ambition Burns (Toad Session) (32.41)
05. Kirk Kelly – Stephen Foster (37.42)
06. Roger Manning – Pearly Blues (41.14)
07. Lach – Another Night Without You (Toad Session) (55.31)
08. Neil Halstead – Might Engine (62.05)
09. Lach – Coffee Black (Toad Session) (75.06)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr – Blueback Hotrod
Free mp3 downloads: zip file (right click – save as)

I first got into The Scottish Enlightenment back in 2007 when they released the Eyes single on Moojuice Records.  Then they went silent for a couple of years, to the extent that I thought they might have actually called it a day, but last year they came back stronger than ever before.

Two fantastic EPs and an equally excellent album were released on Glasgow’s rather awesome Armellodie Records, and in general I think it’s fair to say that it was a toss-up between them and Kid Canaveral as to who I thought the Scottish band of 2011 was (*cough cough* Song, by Toad Records bands apart of course)

Mrs. Toad operated one of the video cameras this time, and Dylan was on still and video cameras.  I recorded and edited this one – the first full band I’ve recorded since Sparrow and the Workshop back in 2008.  As per usual we have the podcast below, the freely downloadable session mp3s underneath that, followed by the videos we made for all the individual songs.  The tracklisting for the podcast is at the very bottom of the page.  Enjoy!

Direct download: Toadcast #177 – The Scottish Enlightenment Toad Session

The Scottish Enlightenment – Black Dog
 

The Scottish Enlightenment – Earth Angel

The Scottish Enlightenment – Get My Limousine

The Scottish Enlightenment – The Universe is Drifting Apart

01. The Scottish Enlightenment – Black Dog (Toad Session) (07.53)
02. Mitchell Museum – Warning Bells (14.53)
03. Lower Dens – I Get Nervous (18.54)
04. The Scottish Enlightenment – Earth Angel (Toad Session) (33.00)
05. At the Drive In – Arcarsenal (43.15)
06. Low – Starfire (46.10)
07. The Scottish Enlightenment – Get My Limousine (Toad Session) (55.55)
08. Eef Barzelay – The Ballad of Bitter Honey (63.25)
09. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper (67.14)
10. The Scottish Enlightenment – The Universe is Drifting Apart (Toad Session) (79.47)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr – Blueback Hotrod
Free mp3 downloads: zip file (right click – save as)

The more I read about Johny Lamb from Thirty Pounds of Bone before this session, the more nervous I became.  The internet seemed to be full of all sorts of tales of him being reclusive, antisocial and very, very hard on interviewers.

Now, the press can be a little unreliable at the best of times, and personality-based reports of this nature can vary from person to person, but it almost comical how completely different this session was to my expectations.  Johny was friendly, perhaps a little shy, genuinely chatty and a lovely guy.  In fact, in terms of the interview podcast I think this is probably the most interesting one we’ve ever had.

Thanks are due to Mrs. Toad for the splendid bacon sarnies, to Dylan and Fiona who took the pictures, and to Matthew who did a lot of the filming.  As per usual we have the podcast below, the freely downloadable session mp3s underneath that, followed by the videos we made for all the individual songs.  The tracklisting for the podcast is at the very bottom of the page.  Enjoy!

Direct download: Toadcast #169 – Thirty Pounds of Bone Toad Session

Thirty Pounds of Bone – The Maritime Line (Toad Session)
 

Thirty Pounds of Bone – A Lesson in Talking (Toad Session)

Thirty Pounds of Bone – The Jonah Shanty (Toad Session)

Thirty Pounds of Bone – Uyeasound (Toad Session)

01. Thirty Pounds of Bone – The Maritime Line (Toad Session) (11.02)
02. Birdengine – Scarecrow and the Longpig (19.00)
03. Dad Rocks – Aroused By Hair (23.36)
04. Thirty Pounds of Bone – A Lesson in Talking (Toad Session) (37.19)
05. Le Reno Amps – You Must Remember (42.47)
06. Mary Hampton – Ballad of the Talking Dog (44.56)
07. Thirty Pounds of Bone – The Jonah Shanty (Toad Session) (57.37)
08. Diamond Family Archive – I Have Forgotten (66.16)
09. Men Diamler – Waiting for the Snow to Thaw Pt. 2 (68.22)
10. Thirty Pounds of Bone – Uyeasound (Toad Session) (82.44)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube.
Photos: Flickr.
Free mp3 downloads: zip file (right click – save as).

We actually recorded this Toad Session in the Queen Charlotte Rooms in Leith before the Song, by Toad Christmas Party back in December.  Partly this was because it seemed like a fun thing to do, and partly because swapping our traditional and rather overpowering turquoise backdrop for their Christmas lights and tinsel.

Also, we had six different bands playing the Queen Charlotte Rooms that night, as sort of a Song, by Toad Records Christmas celebration, and as Rob had only just agreed to release his debut album on Song, by Toad Records (later this year – probably in the Autumn sometime) it seemed fitting that he headline one of the rooms on the night itself.

In terms of manpower we were woefully, woefully understaffed for this session.  The only person who could help at all was Wee Matthew, and even he couldn’t make it for the start, so I pressed my parents into service.  Well come on, they’ve got be more use than just glue, eh?  So my mum took some pictures and did some filming, I set up the recording and the main camera, and then she passed the video camera on to Matthew when he arrived and the stills camera on to me.

And miraculously, it wasn’t a total disaster.  In fact, the actual recordings, whilst more than a little noisy, in part due to the hum of the fridges behind the bar, are some of my favourite-sounding Toad Session recordings.  As usual, we have all the individual song videos embedded below, or on our Vimeo or YouTube pages, and the photos can be found on Flickr. The main interview podcast can be streamed or downloaded immediately below, as can the individual session tracks, with the playlist for the podcast at the bottom of the page. As per usual feel absolutely free to share and pass around any of this stuff – that’s what it’s for.

Direct download: Toadcast #162 – Rob St. John Toad Session

Rob St. John – Whites of Our Eyes (Toad Session)

Rob St. John – Your Phantom Limb (Toad Session)

Rob St. John – An Empty House (Toad Session)

Rob St. John – Muted Flourish (Toad Session)

01. Rob St. John – Whites of Our Eyes (Toad Session) (07.33)
02. Smog & the Dirty Three – Cold Discovery (Peel Session) (15.20)
03. James Yorkston & the Athletes – Hermitage (21.33)
04. Rob St. John – Your Phantom Limb (Toad Session) (29.35)
05. Grouper – We’ve All Time to Sleep (36.07)
06. Ben Frost – Hibakusja (39.17)
07. Rob St. John – An Empty House (Toad Session) (51.19)
08. Earth – Hung From the Moon (57.29)
09. Micah P. Hinson – Patience (65.13)
10. Rob St. John – Muted Flourish (Toad Session) (72.06)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: download links below

This Toad Session is something a little different, in that instead of setting up a studio environment in the house, we actually just recorded the songs at a house gig.  The gig was in fact also the band’s first live appearance in four or five years.  So the whole atmosphere of the session is massively different to the usual ones we record. The interview took place all at once before the gig, rather than in and around the songs like it usually does, and for the podcast I have just spliced bits of it into the podcast as and when it seemed suitable.

We also webcast this live, which was kind of fun.  I am not sure how brilliant the image and sound were for everyone, but it was an extremely fun thing to do and something we’ll be looking to do more of in the new year I hope.

It was a little tricky to ask people to take pictures in the middle of a performance, so we have a few photos by Anneli and Fiona but not very many.  As per usual we have videos of four songs, over and above the main video above, all of which are also available on Vimeo and YouTube.  Martin actually read some of his poetry before the gig started, so there’s a little of that in the main video as well.  The session tracks are all downloadable for free below, as is the main interview podcast, with the full tracklist for that at the bottom of the page.  A large thank you to Fiona Buckle and Anneli Kuukka for their pictures, to Neil Pennycook for recording and mixing the songs and to Ben Clarke for helping with the filming.

Direct download: Toadcast #152 – The Savings and Loan Toad Session

The Savings and Loan – These Hands/Catholic Boys in the Rain (Toad Session)

The Savings and Loan – Met (a Storm) (Toad Session)

The Savings and Loan – The Ropes (Toad Session)

The Savings and Loan – Her Window (Toad Session)

01. The Savings and Loan – These Hands/Catholic Boys in the Rain (Toad Session) (02.07)
02. Evan Crichton – Holiday Time (12.27)
03. Palace Brothers – Stable Will (17.16)
04. The Savings and Loan – Met (a Storm) (Toad Session) (27.24)
05. Gerry Mitchell & Little Sparta – The Ragged Garden of Your Eye (32.46)
06. Otis Redding – That’s How Strong My Love Is (37.34)
07. The Corries – Loch Tay Boat Song (40.04)
08. The Savings and Loan – The Ropes (Toad Session) (50.11)
09. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Darker With the Day (53.23)
10. Codeine – Broken Hearted Wine (60.22)
11. The Savings and Loan – Her Window (Toad Session) (69.52)

Videos: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: download for free below…

Every time a drum kit comes into our house I am kinda worried that the cafe downstairs is going to have a tantrum about the noise, but we’ve been lucky so far, and long may it continue.  More worrisome in this instance was probably Jonnie Common’s incredible box of tricks.

In a slight change to the usual lineup, my wee brother happened to be over from the States visiting when we recorded this, so he did the sound for us.  He has his own company over there, called Red Cottage Audio, and spends most of his time as the sound designer/recording engineer for the Boston Ballet, so I am not sure quite how he took the change from that to trying make a bunch of pop songs sound good in our living room. Still, it’s all about the results, and the results are fantastic.

The pictures are also especially good this time around.  Fee has contributed photos before – most notably to, I think, the Shenandoah Davis and Pictish Trail sessions – but this time she really has excelled herself.  I generally cut the photo sets down to about twenty pics, but in this case I really couldn’t manage any fewer than thirty, I liked them that much.  Head over to Flickr to see the set.

As per usual, all the Toad Session recordings are made available for free sharing/downloading/whatever, just after the full interview podcast, which is below, and as well as the main video at the top of the page, we have individual videos of every song as well (see a bit further down) as well, finally, as the full tracklisting for the podcast itself at the bottom of the page.

Oh, and this wouldn’t be a proper plug if I didn’t point out that Inspector Tapehead’s debut album, Duress Code, can now be purchased from Song, by Toad Records.

Toadcast #146 – Inspector Tapehead Toad Session

Inspector Tapehead – Yarvil (Toad Session)

Inspector Tapehead – WCMJ (Toad Session)

Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Bozo (Toad Session)

Inspector Tapehead – Pherenzil Tear (Toad Session)

01. Inspector Tapehead – Yarvil (Toad Session) (05.37)
02. Adam Beattie & the Consultants – We’ll Wave From the Shore (15.23)
03. Jonnie Common – Photosynth (19.24)
04. Inspector Tapehead – WCMJ (Toad Session) (28.27)
05. Charlot Webster – Stay What You Are (40.40)
06. dBASS – Garden (44.35)
07. Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Bozo (Toad Session) (56.59)
08. Django Django – WOR (63.51)
09. Inspector Tapehead – Pherenzik Tear (Toad Session) (80.24)

Video: Vimeo – YouTube
Photos: Flickr
Audio: freely downloadable below…

Loch Lomond came over to the UK in May to play some dates in Scotland, so we took the opportunity to record a Toad Session with them.  We first met the band when we went out to Pickathon in 2008 and interviewed them there.  Since then we have released a split 12″ and an EP by them over here on Song, by Toad Records.

Elephants & Little Girls is actually from that split 12″ release, but the other three songs are new, and from their next album.  That album has been finished for about three months now I believe, although I have yet to hear it, so all I know about it is from these three songs.

Many thanks to Gavin Tarling for recording and mixing the session, to Matthew Swan and Fiona Buckle for their help with the photography and video cameras, and to Chris Bryant for being in the band for the day.  Feel free to help yourselves to the downloads, and enjoy the videos.  The whole interview can be heard on the podcast below, the video at the top of the page is sort of a general video of the whole day, and those of the individual songs are embedded below.

Toadcast #138 – Loch Lomond Toad Session

Loch Lomond – Blood Bank (Toad Session)

Loch Lomond – Egg Song (Toad Session)

Loch Lomond – I Love Me (Toad Session)

Loch Lomond – Elephants & Little Girls (Toad Session)

01. Loch Lomond – Blood Bank (Toad Session) (04.39)
02. Run On Sentence – Out in the Woods (11.07)
03. Sallie Ford – Danger (14.35)
04. Loch Lomond – Egg Song (Toad Session) (22.10)
05. Vadoinmessico – In Spain (27.02)
06. Brothers Young – Good Deeds (32.35)
07. Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer (37.10)
08. Loch Lomond – I Love Me (Toad Session) (45.00)
09. The Generationals – When They Fight They Fight (48.24)
10. Loch Lomond – Elephants & Little Girls (Toad Session) (59.35)