I am not leaving the house this week. Instead I am going to be locked in my sweaty little internet den (or the ‘editing suite’, if you want it to sound a bit less grotty) beavering away at session videos. I couldn’t resist a little leak of one of the Meursault recordings here though, but that’s because the whole thing is coming together really nicely and I am just plain excited.

And the Festival ends this week as well. Would you believe I haven’t done a single show this year, not one. I mean, I’ve been to see Eagleowl and Broken Records, but then I’d do that anyway. Mind you, the whole fucking lot is getting so bloody expensive these days that this is hardly a disaster.

Monday 25th August 2008: Alex Cornish at The Village, Leith.
Alex is a a good friend, and a DIY champion in this era of record industry panic. He’s actually turned down the advances of proper labels in order to carry on making things happen on his own. Given that he’s an Edinburgh lad doing things his own way, so you’d bloody well all better show him some support when the new single comes out in September. More on that later in the week.
Alex Cornish – Scotland the Brave

Monday 25th August 2008: Clare & the Reasons at Cabaret Voltaire.
I know nothing about these guys at all, apart from the fact that they come highly, highly recommended by a good friend of mine. So highly recommended, in fact, that she’s emailed me about this particular gig three or four times already. Mad old bag.
Clare & the Reasons – Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Yes, that one.)

Tuesday 26th August 2008: The Raconteurs at the Corn Exchange.
I was so disappointed by their last album that I won’t be going to this, but the Raconteurs were blistering the last time I saw them, so if you liked their recent stuff and are in any doubts, just go. Jack White, in particular, is a virtuoso live performer.
The Raconteurs – Steady as She Goes (Acoustic)

Thursday 28th August 2008: Meursault, Sparrow & the Workshop & The Red Well play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
Continuing their consistently excellent lineups, this one has to trump the lot, I think. Will I be there? Mwah ha ha ha, will fucking bells on I will. And to celebrate, here’s a little sneak preview from the forthcoming Meursault Toad Session, which will be posted this weekend. Why? Because I just couldn’t restrain myself, that’s why.
Meursault – Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues (Toad Session)

Thursday 28th August 2008: Punch & the Apostles play Henry’s Cellar Bar, along with Super Adventure Club, Rodent Emporium and Terra Surfa.
I would interested to see these guys actually, as their single on Lucky Number Nine Records, an excellent little DIY Glasgow label, was really rather good. I’d like to see them live, just to get a better understanding of their sound. Their gypsy blunderbuss sound might have slightly missed its window in terms of its fashionable status, but they still sound like a very good band to me irrespective of all that sort of calculating commercial bobbins.
Punch & the Apostles – The Engineers of Salammbo

I just do not understand blokes. Last night in the pub, I was having a nice quiet chat with Mrs. Toad and Alex Cornish, and this chap who was sitting at the bar turned around and started swearing at her. More to the point, given Mrs. Toad was bemoaning her recently-disclosed Irish ancestry, he started swearing at her. After a bit I inevitably did the protective male thing and told him to shut the fuck up and not to speak to her like that again, that we were sorry if we offended him, hadn’t intended to do so and apologised if we had, but that he was out of line and should shut his trap. Firm and to the point, with a little bit of macho bluster, I think you’d describe it.

Anyway, he continued to scowl at us and on two more occasions tried to spark something off again, although with me this time. It was all very typical ‘Do you want to take this outside’ versus ‘No, not really, but if you’re really feeling confident come over here and have a go and stop fucking talking about it’ sort of stuff. It was infantile, but what the fuck do you do in such situations, back down and apologise?

Anyway, after the latest bout of ‘my dad could take your dad’ bollocks he buggered off to the toilet and then, when he came back, made a not entirely unfriendly comment about the fact that Mrs. Toad had The Sun open on the bar next to her. From this, he sort of started talking to us and quickly became incredibly friendly. I don’t think Alex or Mrs. Toad were all that keen on fisticuffs to begin with, and I certainly had no real desire for a punch-up so we pretty much reciprocated and ended up talking to the guy for a couple of hours.

He was a decent enough bloke, under all the nonsense. An English teacher with a real passion for literature, particularly American, and particularly their simple, economical novellas. I thought he was going to hug me when I asked if he liked Paul Auster. By the end of the evening when he went home because he had to be up early for school it was as if we were all the best of friends.

Fucking bizarre. And the weird thing is that this sort of thing has happened to me on numerous occasions – picking fights with opposing players on the football pitch, nose to nose shouting matches with kitchen porters in the Glasgow Hilton who just got out of fucking Barlinnie earlier that afternoon, pissing contests with alpha male cool types during my uni years – it seems to be an established way for blokes to make friends. As Mrs. Toad said, had that happened between two women there would have been a long and simmering grudge that both of them would have happily waited years to settle. With blokes, if I see that bloke the next time I’m in the same pub, I guess we’ll share a few pints as if nothing ever happened.

What the fuck is going on there? Attempted bullying? PIssing contest? Emotional retardation trying to reach out and make friends, just going about it in a strange way? I fucking do not understand male bonding, I really don’t.

Alex Cornish – Scotland the Brave
Art Brut – Fight!

Of course there is one and only one gig worth attending in Edinburgh this week: the Song, by Toad Records Launch Party! It is the official line of this publication that no other gigs are even happening, never mind worth turning up to. Some arse has managed to sneak in some rogue listings at the bottom of the page, but believe me he will be hunted down and given a severe beating before the day is up.

It would be great to see as many of you as possible at the launch party. This is as nerve-wracking as it is exciting, so get there nice and early for your free sampler (only 25 to go round) and help us celebrate in a bit of style.

Wednesday 11th June 2008: We See Lights & Woodenbox & Emily Scott at the Wee Red Bar.
It’s all a bit folky at this month’s Trampoline gig. We See Lights are not a group I can tell you that much about, but Emily Scott’s stuff is gorgeous and Woodenbox were terrific at the T-Break Heats in Glasgow a month or so ago. It won’t be as much fun as the Toad Records Launch Night of course, but it will tide you over well enough.
Woodenbox – Situations

Wednesday 11th June 2008: Jonquil & The Occasional Flickers & Wounded Knee at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
It’s an eclectic lineup from The Gentle Invasion, with rising quirk-folksters Jonquil, pastoral indie band The Occasional Flickers and experimental soundscaper Wounded Knee all bringing something quite different to the evening. The one common thread is perhaps the laid back, comfortable vibe that should pervade, so for all it won’t be as good as the Song, by Toad Records Launch Night, it should be an enjoyable gig nevertheless.
Jonquil – Apparency
The Occasional Flickers – A Medal Won in ’84

Friday 13th June 2008: Alex Cornish at Cabaret Voltaire.
Having played material from his debut album When the Traffic Stops both solo and with a four-piece band, Alex has finally decided to procure a string quartet to bring the full depth of his sound to the live stage at last. It should be really good, this, but don’t get too drunk because you don’t want to be hung over at the excellent Song, by Toad Records Launch Party the following day.
Alex Cornish – Counting Chimney Pots

Saturday 14th June 2008: Rags & Feathers & Ziggy Campbell & Les Enfant Bastard at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Of course none of you will be at this, as you’ll all be at the Song, by Toad Records Launch Party. But should you be so scurrilously disloyal as to go along, then feel free to swing by Leith afterwards and brandish your stamp for free entry. You may just be able to catch Meursault (10pm – unlikely) and Celebrity Chimp (11pm – probably) if you’re quick. Ziggy Campbell is the Found frontman, and Les Enfant Bastard are possibly the living embodiment of anti-folk. Rags & Feathers I know nothing about at all, but follow the MySpace link and enlightenment is yours for the taking.
Les Enfant Bastard – U R My Fucking Sunshine U Cunt

Saturday 14th June 2008: Celebrity Chimp & Meursault & The Byrons play the Song, by Toad Records Launch Party, at The Meridian, Leith.
There is surely no way I need to tell you any more about this, but even if you don’t give a shit about the label or my own endeavours or any of that stuff – and of course, there’s no reason that you should – then you may wish to come down to see the bands anyway, as this is a really excellent lineup. More details here if you want them; hope to see you there.
Celebrity Chimp – Plastic Girl

Sunday 15th June 2008: The Twilight Sad, Broken Records & Meursault at the Bongo Club.
What finer way to nurse your prodigious hangover after the night of your life at the Song, by Toad Records Launch Night than by spinning round to see Broken Records and Meursault, probably Edinburgh’s two best bands at the moment, supporting swirling noise-merchants The Twilight Sad at the Bongo Club. It won’t be as much fun as the night before, but then, you probably just couldn’t take that much joy in one weekend anyway.
The Twilight Sad – Watching That Chair Painted Yellow

Well well well, another week, another flutter through the pages of Edinburgh’s virtual classifieds for the finest tuneage known to man.  Or at least, Edinburgh man.  And woman.  For this week.

Tuesday 8th April: Alex Cornish at The Ark.
Me old pal Alex will be playing at The Ark on Tuesday, so for Scotland’s finest dose of mellow, pianoey pop songs, this is the place to be. Pop up and say hello afterwards too, as he’s the friendliest chap imaginable. I’ll be away unfortunately, so I won’t be able to make this one.
Alex Cornish – This One’s For You

Friday 11th April: Randan Discotheque & Sanna at The Village, Leith
This is part of the Club Welto folk night. Randan Disco is acoustic stuff, but written with that trademark Scottish humour permeating every song, and Sanna bring some gentle electro underpinnings to matters. The Village is a top way to spend your Friday nights in general, I’d say.
Randan Discotheque – Heather the Weather

Saturday 12th April: Chippewa Falls at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Bart’s Gentle Invasion promotion sideline are hosting this one at Henry’s. Instrumental rock is a bloody hard thing to pull off, but the only reason Bart got out of the promoting lark in the first place is that he refused to put on gigs where he didn’t love the entire lineup, and that ginger man’s word is good enough for me.
Chippewa Falls – Wolfy

Update: now definitely CANCELLED. Sunday 13th April, Make Model, Found, Frightened Rabbit at Cabaret Voltaire.
Frightened Rabbit have a new album approaching called The Midnight Organ Fight, which I am pretty interested in having a listen to, as soon as it’s possible. I haven’t given the band that much thought for a while, I have to confess, so it’s time I started to pay attention again I think. Between their indie rock and Found’s electronic indie-folky stuff – bleep hop, they call it, which makes more sense – this is an excellent lineup only slightly let down by the headline act who are no better than reasonable, in my eyes. Be a little careful with this one, as Found have it down on their site as cancelled, whereas the others do not, so it may just be that Found themselves aren’t playing, which would be a shame.
Frightened Rabbit – The Modern Leper
Found – FCN Mapa Remix

Mrs. Toad has been away all week and I have been at a gig every night in her absence.  In retrospect this was a bit foolish because I’ve had to sit through some real shit, but everyone I have specifically gone to see has been excellent.  A few less shows next week though, because there are only so many indie three or four-pieces that I can sit through who bring absolutely nothing new to the table in a musical sense and don’t even perform with any real sense of joy either.  Why the fuck are you people bothering?

So here’s a quick run-down of the stuff I really did think was good this week:

Jesus H. Foxx - I do have some reservations about these guys in the sense that at times their punchy, shouty indie-pop can seem just a little contrived.  For the most part it’s excellent though, and improves with repeat listening.   Their single release gig took place at Henry’s on Tuesday and I went along and availed myself of a nice new bit of vinyl.  It’s called Tightt Ideas and if you get in touch via MySpace I’m sure they’ll be prepared to send you one, assuming you ask nicely.  And this is the b-side:
Jesus H. Foxx – This is Not a Rental Car

The Byrons – Well they sound nothing like their recorded stuff when they’re on stage.  Partly this is due to the fact that a couple of the MySpace songs are older tracks recorded when the band was a five-piece, and partly because live they just bloody well go for it.  Sam has burst a bass drum before apparently and Ed managed to break his guitar in this set, but it was bloody fantastic. As a two-piece the sound is inevitably a bit more garage bluesy, but still keeps a pretty contemporary indie sound with its lurching changes of pace.  Definitely ones to keep an eye on if you ask me.  They are (perhaps) about to get round to recirding a few more songs, so there will be more to come from The Byrons on this blog.
The Byrons – Anglais

Alex Cornish – You already know I like Alex’s stuff, and he’s a truly nice chap to boot, and most keen to make a gin-fuelled appearance on the Toad Session in the next month or so, but even that wasn’t enough to make me stick around for the execrable Sandi Thom, not even out of curiosity.  Alex played an acoustic set on this occasion which I really enjoyed, but it was his relaxed, charming way with the crowd that struck me the most.  Opening early at Cabaret Voltaire can be tough because things start very early there so they can get in a more lucrative club night afterwards, but Alex’s easy chat brought the crowd round to his side in moments, and they loved him.
Alex Cornish – Scotland the Brave

Meursault – It’s basically indie electronica I suppose, but the presence of the banjo and ukulele brings something really different to their sound, but really this is mostly about Neil Pennycook’s amazing voice.  It’s such an impassioned howl that it is nigh impossible not to feel the emotion of this music in a live setting.  And the giddy delight at the release of their self-released album (buy one here) was a real pleasure to see.  They were buzzing and it was brilliant.
Meursault – Salt Pt. 2

I may have seen some crap this week, but I’ve seen some great stuff too.  Looking back at that little list, though, you know what excites me the most?  Not one of those groups has a label.  Alex has been courted, but isn’t having any of it, The Byrons just haven’t got their shit together, Meursault put together their first EP with a label but just didn’t think they brought enough to the table and Jesus H. Foxx just decided to put out the single themselves.  Indie is well and truly alive, and I am fucking excited as hell about the next few years of music in this city.

You may remember me reviewing Alex Cornish’s home-made debut Until the Traffic Stops a few months ago, and you may also remember me not quite understanding why I like it so, given it is the sort of music I generally deride with a level of spiteful vengeance known only to the sort of homophobe that is actually a closet homosexual.

I like it and, in a way, I fear that I like it because it is a Radio 2 style of music that I associate with being too grown up and losing your rock ‘n’ roll edge. I never actually had a rock ‘n’ roll edge of course, but I am still afraid to lose it. So here I am secretly loving his album and trying to pretend to myself that I am actually far too cool to really enjoy it, but there’s no denying it, this is genuinely good stuff.

Why? Well chiefly because Alex does the one crucial thing in music really well – he writes infectious tunes. This entire record is so eminently hummable that no matter what my pretensions, I just can’t help but like it. Once I’d overcome that, loving the live performance is no great step.

Apparently Alex is known to turn down invitations to open for bands playing in Edinburgh because, while he can, he’d rather not perform acoustic sets. His music is a little bigger than that. He is actually a violinist who eschewed classical in favour of indie music, but the talent for bigger orchestrations came with him. Playing with a band now – bassist, drummer and pianist, he is able to bring something approaching the full sweep to his songs.

I discussed the pre-recorded string section with him before the gig and it went along these lines: pre-recorded strings feel wrong. Strings recorded on the spot and then looped feel okay, but ultimately there’s no real difference. And if you can’t afford to take a string quartet with you, then what do you do? I didn’t come up with this argument at the time, but in retrospect I suppose a live-recorded loop at least still exposes us to the vagaries of what might happen on the day in a way that anything pre-recorded does not. It also exposes us to the actual process of building a song which I, as a fan, enjoy seeing.

Well the fuller sound is excellent. Until the Traffic Stops was recorded without assistance in a padded boxroom (no sniggering) at the bottom of Broughton Street and emerged pretty much fully formed. It seems that is the way with the band as well. Given he recorded his album alone, Alex didn’t actually have a band so he assembled one with the help of MySpace. And it too emerged fully formed.

This gig didn’t sound like the work of a band fresh out of the bedroom any more than Until the Traffic Stops sounded like an album recorded in someone’s broom closet. He’ll be travelling the country this week. If you can see him, do so.

Alex Cornish – Counting Chimney Pots
Alex Cornish – This One’s For You

website | myspace

It’s quite a quiet week in Scotland’s capital, which isn’t a bad thing. I’ve been to a lot of live shows recently and a week of coming home, reading a book and going to bed at a reasonable hour having imbibed nothing more potent than a cup of tea will be good for my soul, my complexion and my liver. There are a couple of highlights though, so have a mind for these shows if you feel the itch:

Monday 4th February: Alex Cornish at ARK.
I really liked Alex’s debut album, almost despite myself actually, and he came across as a really nice bloke when I was reviewing his stuff. It’s melodic and winsome and popping up to ARK to see him live will only do you good.
Alex Cornish – Until the Traffic Stops

Thursday 7th February: The Steeples & We Were Promised Jetpacks at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
The Steeples are on one of these annoying labels that only allow brief snips of songs on their MySpace page, which irritates the shit out of me. The tunes aren’t bad though, so I think I’ll go along and give it a go. These two are both fairly well spoken of indie-pop acts of the NME-pleasing sort, so no idea if they’ll turn out to be any good or not, but it seems worth a go to me.
The Steeples – Loosey Lucy (Edit)
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Let’s Call This a Map

Thursday 7th February: Rob St.John & Dan Heywood at The Collective Gallery.
I don’t know if Rob would thank me for calling him the heir apparent to James Yorkston’s Hush Folk Throne, but that is very much how I would describe him. He’s bringing a full band to this set, saws and all.
Rob St.John – Wooden Rose

[Update - thanks Bart!]
Friday 8th February: Club Welto (HMS Ginafore, Wounded Knee and others) at The Village in Leith.
HMS Ginafore is one of the founding Fencers, and I know very little about Wounded Knee beyond the fact that he ploughs that experimental folk furrow that seems to be so popular around these parts at the moment.  In any case, it looks like being an excellent night, and The Village has a really good habit of putting on excellent things.
Wounded Knee – Anthem

Cripes I have no idea what to say about this one – you’re going to think I’ve lost my mind. Basically this is squarely and absolutely not my kind of music, as well you will know once you listen to the songs below. Despite that, and somewhat oddly, there is barely a song here that doesn’t have a really, really catchy hook in it somewhere, and somehow I find myself oddly fascinated by this record.

Given I don’t listen to this kind of music much, I can’t really give you much of a comparison, but I think that if you imagine Starsailor with some actual tunes and more strings where they would use piano then you should be there or thereabouts. Not exactly Toad fare, you would assume. Me too. But either I secretly love this album and am trying to kid myself that I don’t because it’s not macho enough for all my empty posturing, or I have just listened to it so many times that I don’t know what I think anymore.

Whatever the weather, Cornish is not kidding himself that he’s tearing up trees here. Almost the very first lyrics of the whole record are: “I’m not not breaking new ground/ I’m not creating a new sound”, and he’s not. Gentle pop songs, lifted by strings and breezing through the room, it’s all very familiar stuff which is why I was more than a little dismissive at first. But he’s an Edinburgh lad, so I thought I owed it to some odd sense of loyalty to the place to hear him out and properly get to know his album.

Surprising myself, I’ve discovered that it’s really worth putting the time into. It may not be my sort of music but fuck me, he can really write a tune. There’s a little twist in each song that is eminently sticky and eventually I found myself letting the songs slip, one by one, past my normally immaculate angsty indie-snob defences. Now, I guess most of you won’t like this for just the same reasons I mentioned above, but I reckon there are quite a few of my readers who, like me, will find themselves liking this album despite themselves.

So, on the 10th October, I think, this record will be released into the universe. In the meantime, have a sniff of his excellent single This One’s For You, which can be downloaded from iTunes here. I popped it into one of my podcasts a while back, and it is a really good tune.

Am I turning into a Radio2 listener – the latest in a long list of depressing signs of abandoning my lost yoof? Or is this just a really good album and I am being a dick?

Alex Cornish – Counting Chimney Pots
Alex Cornish – The Trouble I Am

website | myspace | buy the single ‘This One’s For You’ from iTunes

More errant podcastery from your favourite slippery green amphibian. This week I find myself yelling abuse at JC who writes a terrible blog called The Vinyl Villain and is currently stranded in Toronto for a few months, far away from his Glasgow home. JC was pretty much the first blogger to take any interest in Song, by Toad in its formative days and I have always been rather grateful for the encouragement Jim showed me back when I was starting out.

As such I thought I’d play a few songs from his favourite groups, a couple of things he’s brought us in the last few months and some songs about missing folk, seeing as he’ll presumably be pining like a teenager for the lovely Mrs. Villain. Well, that or masturbating himself into a zinc-deficient coma, of course.

Either way, hope you’re enjoying yourself JC. Here’s some bloody songs for ya!

Toadcast #5 – Distant Villainy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

1. Belly – Trust In Me (01.54)
2. Maximo Park – Girls Who Play Guitars (08.30)
3. The Doledrums – Midweek Dreamer (12.50)
4. Waylon Jennings – Dukes of Hazzard Theme (15.20)
5. Billy Bragg – Wishing the Days Away (Ballad Version) (18.33)
6. Alex Cornish – This One’s For You (24.28)
7. Adam Balbo – Rock Ballad (31.02)
8. Elbow – Fugitive Motel (36.24)
9. R.E.M. – Half a World Away (41.21)
10. The Doledrums – He Said (47.14)
11. The Meteors – Out of Time (51.21)
12. James – Say Something (55.33)
13. Thunderegg – Long Way From Home (59.50)
14. The Pendulums – Brand New Song (66.52)