Song, by Toad

In case any of you wondered what it really means being an independent record label, it is shown in these pictures (click to enlarge).  This is the Trips and Falls album He Was Such a Quiet Boy carpeting our floors.  We hand print two colours onto the sleeves, apply two different stickers to the front, then fold up the box and insert the CD and the inlay card.  Then we do it again, two hundred and ninety-nine more times.

Still, looks fucking lovely doesn’t it.  Chris from Meursault  and his brother Mike did the artwork under the guise of their new graphic art powerhouse-in-indie-slippers enterprise The Brothers Grimm.  They also did the artwork for the new Meursault album, which is looking fantastic as well, so a big thanks to them both.

It’s times like this that being a record label is really fucking cool.  You can pre-order the album from here, if you want – out on 22nd March.

Trips and Falls – How Do You Do…

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Trips and Falls – And in Real Life He Wears Corduroy Pants

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Allow me to introduce the latest release on Song, by Toad Records: Maxwell Panther’s debut album Do You Feel Different Yet?

I know we are more known as a grass roots label who try and nurture local talent (assuming we’re ‘known’ for anything at all, that is), but before the eminently Scottish and highly anticipated releases from Cold Seeds and Meursault later in the year I have two album by non-Scots whose work deserves a lot more than to be lost in the more immediately local focus we tend to engender.

One of those albums is the stunning He Was Such a Quiet Boy by Trips and Falls, and the other is this.  The first time I heard Maxwell’s music I described it as being “rough as a bear’s arse, but fucking ace” and that is still about as good as I can do.

I was a little concerned about how to release this, frankly.  It is indeed rough as a witch’s tits, and so I know it’s not exactly going to become a runaway commercial success, and I know a lot of people will basically just hate it.  I do not care, however.  I love it, and so we’re releasing it, it’s as simple as that.  Maxwell may not record in a polished style, but that’s never been something which has bothered me: basically he is a really bloody good songwriter and that’s the only important part.

We’ve had some really nice reviews so far (from Chris at the Skinny, Aye Tunes, The Devil Has the Best Tuna and Radio Exile) and they all seem to feel the same thing I do: it just somehow works.  This music has charm, wit, warmth, just enough bitterness to be interesting and just enough self-deprecation not to be too self-absorbed.  Music like this either connects with you, or it doesn’t, and from the first time I heard Maxwell Panther’s stuff it just felt right to me.

The other thing about Maxwell is that to judge him on this album is kind of missing the point.  These songs exist in different guises, he records things here and there all the time, kind of like sketches.  As such his music kind of exists all together as a single entity, more than in the kind of defined chunks we would call EPs and albums, and maybe that’s why this music connects with me so much.  Maybe it just feels like more of a conversation, and maybe the recording style actually helps that, in that it is pretty obvious there is no barrier between the musician and the listener.

So Maxwell Panther may not be bothering the charts any time soon, but his idiosyncratic, observational meanderings have a kind of awkward charm which I find completely compelling and I think they really deserve to be heard.

Maxwell Panther – My Ex-Identity

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Maxwell Panther – Lost Soul on a Roll

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Maxwell on: MySpace | Bandcamp | Buy from Song, by Toad Records

Dan Willson is clever fucker, really he is.  I always think indie Christmas music fails somewhat, primarily because all the pain and unhappiness which I tend to like in music clashes with what tiny of fragment of Christmas spirit may still survive within me.

With that in mind, Avalanche Records have managed to pull something spectacular out of the bag with their Alternative Christmas charity album.  It’s a fucking great compilation, really it is – enjoyable and actually quite festive-sounding, without being at all lame.  I don’t use that word very often, but indie Christmas music generally does sound rather lame, and this record really doesn’t.  God knows how they’ve done it.

The proceeds all go to a local charity, and to Avalanche’s own charity in aid of African street children, and the record can be bought here.  If you want an antidote to the sort of cod-classical shite or painful pop garbage which gets liberally shovelled around at Christmas I guarantee you will not do better than this.

Which brings me to the jewel in the crown of this compilation: Withered fucking Hand.  There are some great songs on this – donated songs from eagleowl, Rob St. John, Frightened Rabbit and Broken Records, and a couple of specially recorded ones by Song, by Toad Records bands The Savings and Loan and Meursault – but Dan has written one specially and it’s amazing.

In typical Dan fashion, he manages to batter the shite out of the modern concept of Christmas, whilst still generating a strange sense of optimism.  In his skewering of modern, identikit Christmases you can hear the inverse – the echo of some idealistic Christmas which exists in Dan’s head and to which reality is signally failing to live up, and the picture he manages to paint as some sort of negative of the one he actually depicts manages to give a reassuring warmth to a song which might otherwise be really rather depressing.

It’s not though, it’s heartwarming, maybe because that idealised Christmas which exists in our heads is actually the best thing about the whole bloody festival to begin with.

Withered Hand – It’s a Wonderful Lie

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Meursault’s new singles are out today, and have been awarded Single of the Week in Drowned in Sound (thanks Wendy!) and have also been nominated for Single of the Week on The 405 (go here to vote, and please do because, erm, who the fuck are Frankie & the Heartstrings, no disrespect intended).

These singles are released on a pair of clear vinyl 7″s, with the really rather gorgeous artwork having been done by Chris from the band, and frankly I think they look fantastic.

The songs themselves, however, had a slightly more uneasy ride.  The tracks on this release are the album versions of The Dirt & the Roots and A Few Kind Words as double A-sides with new recordings of William Henry Miller Parts One and Two respectively, and the first time I heard those new recordings I was rather taken aback.

Everyone who knows these songs already will know the incredibly sparse acoustic versions from the Nothing Broke EP, but these are a totally different proposition.  Slowed down (in the case of Part 2 almost to a standstill) and incredibly densely layered, they take full advantage of new band memebers Phil Quirie on electric guitar and Pete Harvey on cello.  There are guest vocals provided by Bart from eagleowl and Dan from Withered Hand, and the results may be a shock to the system for fans of the acoustic versions.  As Neil said when he first played them to us: “I thought I’d finally written a song you really didn’t like.”

Give it a few weeks, however and these bloody singles are never off the stereo in Toad Hall.  William Henry Miller Part Two, became a favourite pretty much instantaneously – in fact it’s just about my favourite song of the year.  There’s something about the wailed vocals, rhythmic piano and the truly stunning layers of cello which I just can’t stop listening to.

Part One took a little longer to get used to.  To a degree it sounds like the version from Nothing Broke has had a stroke; the beginning is all thick and slow, a mile from the jaunty handclaps of the acoustic version.  Somehow though I find myself preferring this one these days.  I don’t know why, but I think it’s because there’s just something odd and unsettling about it now.

It’s funny how the two new recordings seem to fit with the songs from Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues as well.  In terms of clearing the decks for the new album and drawing 2009 to a close, these singles seem about perfect.

They can be bought as a pair or individually from the Song, by Toad Records site, recently given a very, very snazzy redesign by Andy from Nonimage.  Preview pretty much all of these on the Meursault MySpace page if you like, and digital versions are available from the likes of iTunes and Amazon mp3 as well.

This year’s Toad Christmas Party will be a bit sad really, despite still being a big old celebration, as it is the last night at the Bowery, my favourite underground music venue in the city.  They will be closing their doors after giving Toad Records and a great many of my friends a venue to call home for the last year, and this is a very great shame.

Nevertheless, this is not the season for sulking.  The Bowery will go on, just more as an itinerant hobo than a furtive squatter, and this is our chance to give them a hell of a send-off.  We have music in the bandstand from Toad Records band Jesus H. Foxx, hopefully soon-to-be Toad Records band Inspector Tapehead, and some chancer named Rory Sutherland, more commonly known as the scruffy one in Broken Records, who has put together a unique set of violin looping and erm, well I’m not sure what, to be honest.

On top of that there will be acoustic stuff through in the bar, where The Douglas Firs, Tisso Lake, Thomas Western and the returning prodigal son Rob St. John will be performing, as well as some celebrity DJs (more likely to be some of Ruth, Jane or my pals who we manage to blackmail into helping out).

Because it’s the last night, because it’s Christmas and because we have a lot of bands, everything will be starting earlier than usual, with mince pies and mulled wine from about five or so, and the first acoustic stuff should be starting at about six or seven, to make sure we have time to get everyone on stage.

It’s going to be fucking brilliant, and remember, as it’s the last night:

the bar must be drunk absolutely dry!

Inspector Tapehead – Humdinger

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Jesus H. Foxx – Matter

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This is something of a departure from the first couple of Loch Lomond records – the sublime Lament For Children EP and full length Paper the Walls – despite the fact that nothing has changed all that much.

There’s been a shift of tone, only a slight one mind, but one which has nevertheless had a big effect on the overall impression of their sound.  The best way I can describe it is to say that the slightly macabre fairytale atmosphere, which was only present in the subtlest of shades before, has pretty much gone now, and with it the slightly disturbing, dark undercurrent of their music.  This is no criticism however, just an attempt to rationalise the significantly different impression I get from this record, compared to its ostensibly quite similar-sounding predecessors.

The title track bridges the gap the most for me, more so then even a re-recording of Spine, which is a relatively old (and brilliant) song. Even the name Night Bats has that old dark mystery about it, and the rather other-wordly falsetto emphasises that point with some impact.

The new version of Spine is perhaps the most telling song on the record for me.  It’s been recorded at what feels like a marginally quicker tempo, but whether or not it actually is faster, it certain feels it: there’s real purpose and urgency to the new recording, and a much fuller sound which doesn’t change the song that much in a literal sense, but in overall feel makes a big difference.

The subtle shift in emphasis is just enough to take the character of their sound from dark folk to
slightly distressed pop. It is in many ways a big pop record this; here the crescendoes are generated by swells of instrumentation, whereas before it was a keening of the emotion of the delivery.

It’s really bloody good though, because despite this change, none of the emotional impact of the music has gone.  It’s bigger, sure, and definitely a little bolder, but it really gives the impression that this incarnation was lurking in their music all along and they are just starting to let it out.  That same combination of euphoria, sadness and introversion is intact, but there is just a bit more confidence added to the mix which gives this EP a sense of real strength and integrity – it all just clicks nicely into place.

Loch Lomond – Wax & Wire

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MySpace | More mp3s | Buy from Hush Records

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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Our Portland pals Loch Lomond have a couple of new releases coming up, so I thought it was time we featured them again on Song, by Toad because it’s been a while.

The first is the split 12″ which is out on Song, by Toad Records this coming Monday, and the second is their brand new EP – their first new material for a couple of years.

The split 12″ was recorded in conjunction with the Builders & the Butchers – another considerable Toad favourite – and is being given a UK release by us in partnership with Bladen County Records in Portland.  The artwork is from a hand-drawn biro sketch by my good self, and printed onto nice tactile paper so it should be nice and touchy-feely to handle, which is how all physical releases should be.

The new EP is out in early November, and will be properly reviewed at the time, but they are clearly going for a more swoonsome, poppier sound after the slight undercurrent of unease which brought an intangible darkness to their earlier recordings.  The EP has four new songs, and a re-recording of Spine, from their gorgeous Lament For Children EP, which is a good few years old now.  Their PR chappies have sent out Wax & Wire as a taster for now, and I’ve included the old version of Spine, just for fun.  The sound is definitely moving on, but I really like the sound of the new stuff, so that can only be a good thing.

Loch Lomond – Wax & Wire

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Loch Lomond – Spine (The old version)

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Loch Lomond MySpace

These are the videos we got from Meursault’s live performance at the Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh, when they supported Frightened Rabbit on the 18th August.

New Ruin and Crank Resolutions are new songs, which will both be on their second album, and this is pretty much the first airing for the former.  Enjoy.

It’s been a while since we had an update on exactly what on Earth is going on at Song, by Toad Records, so I thought I might let you all know what our plans are for the rest of the year.  Partly for shits and giggles, partly because I am really excited, and partly as a desperate marketing ploy to wear you down by constant repetition into accepting that everything we ever release will be the best thing you have ever heard in the world.

It will be, you know.

So, in chronological order, here’s an brief outline of our release schedule for the rest of the year, although some of it is still a little undefined and a couple of things are still being negotiated.  We’ll be popping a label sampler in the Avalanche album club soon, so anyone subscribed to that will get a nice CD taster of what we’re planning to get up to between now and Christmas.  For the rest of you, that taste will come in digital form, below:

Jesus H. Foxx – Matter

We are planning a release party for their Matter EP on the re-opening of the Bowery in mid-September, but I told you all about this quite recently, so that’s all I’ll put in here.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good.mp3

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Loch Lomond & The Builders and the Butchers – Split 12″

This is being released in partnership with Matt from Bladen County Records.  We love both these bands anyway, and they were the most amazingly lovely people to hang out with when we were in Portland last year, and even offered to allow us to release this over here.  The muppets never sent me the artwork though, so I’ve used one of my own drawings, which I also really like.  And it’s our first vinyl release, which is just fucking exciting in itself.  The vinyl itself is just being made now, so it will be out in a month or so.
Loch Lomond – Elephants & Little Girls

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Maxwell Panther – Do You Feel Different Yet?

Maxwell’s recordings are rough as hell, but his songwriting is bloody great.  I genuinely don’t know what people are going to make of this, but I love it, so I decided not to second-guess myself too much.  I like it, so it’s being released.
Maxwell Panther – Tip of the Tongue (The Quiet One)

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Meursault 7″ singles.

We’re releasing two double a-side singles on white vinyl in the Autumn, with William Henry Miller Parts 1 and 2 paired with The Furnace and The Dirt & the Roots respectively.  The band are just putting the finishing touches to the new versions of the Williams Henry Miller, and we’re looking at release dates in October for these.  Meursault vinyl.  Fucking yes!

The Savings and Loan

The Savings and Loan are my friend Martin Donnelly and former De Rosa pianist Andrew Bush, and they self-released an EP of gloomy Scottish Winter music last year.  Currently they’re fleshing it out into a full album, and have specifically decided to release it in mid-November as that’s the season they think it suits the best.  And I think they’re right.
The Savings and Loan – The Virgin’s Lullaby

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Inspector Tapehead – Duress Code

The band are still working on this, but Jonnie has news to deliver when he plays his Trampoline gig on Saturday – which is where I first heard Inspector Tapehead, funnily enough, and Meursault come to think of it.  They don’t exactly work at pace, these lads, but I love the results so I don’t really care how it all comes to pass.  I can’t tell you much about artwork or release dates or anything like that, but I reckon this should be out by the end of the year too, hopefully.
Inspector Tapehead – I am Your Pedigree (There are supposed to be naughty words in this song.  Where have they gone, boys, eh?)

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Trips & Falls – He Was Such a Quiet Boy

This is far from certain just yet, and I don’t want to jinx anything, but I am talking to Jacob and the band about a UK release for what is pretty much my favourite album of 2009 so far, give or take a best guess here and there.  We’ll see what they say, but I would be fucking chuffed if they wanted to release this on Song, by Toad because I think it’s weird and brilliant.
Trips & Falls – How Do You Do

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Enfant Bastard

Cammy is erratic, I suppose, and I don’t love everything he does, but I do love a fuck of a lot of it.  In general though I reckon the moments of clarity far outweigh the times it doesn’t quite come together, and anyone who’s prepared to let the times when they don’t quite get it pass them by and wait a little for it to click is going to be rewarded. As with Trips & Falls, this is hardly a done deal, but I’ve told Cammy I’d love to release the next album he wants to really put out there, so I just have to wait and hope he takes me up on it.
Enfant Bastard – Landscape Painting is Easy

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I am going to be a busy, busy boy, it appears.