Greetings my Summery flock of Toads, how are we all doing this fine morning?  Or afternoon of course, depending on where you might be located.

I was advised once by Johnny Pictish not to put on gigs during July or August because getting people out to them was a near-impossibility.  I don’t know if this is just Edinburgh or if it applies universally, but certainly the promoters of this fair city seem to have taken it heart because there is really is sweet Fanny Adams happening in the next couple of weeks on the live circuit.

Maybe people are gearing up for the Festival.  It wouldn’t surprise me because after last year’s programme being thinner than a model’s forearms this year’s August schedule is shaping up to be extremely good indeed.  We’ve got Retreat back (only for a day this time, unfortunately) and Trampoline‘s Festival lineups are looking really rather excellent too.

It has to be said, as well, and despite my general tendency to bash corporate enterprise and side shamelessly with the DIY, the ramshackle and the home-grown, that the lineup for this year’s Edge Festival is also looking rather good.  After scrapping the generally excellent T on the Fringe, they seemed to have some pretty significant teething problems with the rebranded (but essentially identical, as far as I could tell) product last year, but there are some terrific bands booked for this year, so August promises to be utterly exhausting, but in a very good way indeed.

So what is there actually going on this week?  Well here’s about the best that I could find, but please have a scan through the comments because if I’ve missed anything then someone’s bound to point out the error of my ways.

Wednesday 22nd July 2009: Be a Familar & Tango in the Attic at the Electric Circus.

I have to confess that I am not entirely convinced by Be a Familiar, but they seem to be generating a good vibe about the place and picking up quite a lot of interest.  A pleasant evening of somewhat twee guitar-pop beckons.

Friday 24th July 2009: Found (well, Ziggy and Kev) & Dead Boy Robotics at Sneaky Pete’s.

After playing a stripped down set at the Toad Night on Saturday Found are at it again, this time performing with just Ziggy and Kev, and if Saturday is anything to go by it should be brilliant.  Dead Boy Robotics new stuff is apparently a bit less techno than previous, and apparently this is a good thing, so it should be very interesting to see what they’re up to.
Found – Turnstile

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Sunday 26th July 2009: The Shipping Forecast Garden Party at the Peartree with Ross Clark, Mitchell Museum, Little Pebble and Randan Discotheque.

A pleasant afternoon spent in a pub beer garden with lots of great music – if I weren’t going to be at Wickerman this weekend I’d be at this thing without a second thought because it looks brilliant – say a little prayer for good weather.  There’s a good mix of pop and acoustic and Little Pebble is one of the most underrated performers in Edinburgh if you ask me.
Mitchell Museum – Exciting But Drunk

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Having been neatly scolded for my snobbery after mocking neds last week, with no mention of their prejudice for threatening to chib me for sounding a bit posh and somewhat English, I am going to steer clear of sweeping generalisations this time around for fear of being stabbed by the weasels on one side and berated as I bleed to death by the tut-tutters on the other.

Wee Half China does make some very good points in that post actually, and whilst it is easy enough to point out that mocking neds for being shitey little bastards is no different to mocking posh yahs for being unspeakable cunts, or indeed the balsamic vinegar classes for being stomach-churningly pretentious, it must be noted that being stereotyped as an unspeakably posh twat never stopped anyone getting ahead in life, so point taken.

That doesn’t have much to do with this week’s exhibits at the Edinburgh live circus though, does it. Apart from perhaps noting the continuing status of indie as some sort of white, middle class, largely male musical ghetto. But, erm, sorry, I’ll try to stay on topic. This week for your quiversome musical pleasure I have found the following:

Wednesday 24th September 2008: Eliza Carthy at the Voodoo Rooms.
For someone who I’ve always associated with gentle folk, I must say that the picture of Eliza Carthy (above) is looking surprisingly babelicious. Listening to the stuff on her MySpace page it all becomes a little clearer – I simply had some slightly skewed pre-conceptions. She still seems loosely based in folk, but there’s a lot more going on there than that so it might be worth popping along here for some, er… glam-folk, can I call it?
Eliza Carthy – Two Tears

Thursday 25th September 2008: Morgan Orion & Withered Hand at the Collective Gallery.
Withered Hand are bloody marvellous. That is all you need to know. About Morgan Orion I know very little, although even a cursory MySpace listen will tell you that there’s something very worth investigating here. It’s basic low-fi singer-songwriter stuff, but the low-key balance between the rough and the smooth is judged nicely, making the sound rather intriguing, if you ask me.
Morgan Orion – Something to Sing Through

Thursday 25th September 2008: Small Town Boredom, Eagleowl & Paul Goodwin at the Wee Red Bar.
This is rather tragically the Gentle Invasion retirement party. It must be said that Bart has retired before, but I am assured that this time he really, really means it. Really means it. Honest. So head along to Henry’s Cellar Bar for an evening of very low key, gentle folk-pop and watch Bart try and persuade himself that he can go cold turkey. He can’t. I guarantee it.
Small Town Boredom – Apologies For Apathy

Thursday 25th Spetember 2008: Jesus H. Foxx & Be A Familiar play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
It’s all very bounce pop this week at Limbo, so it should be great fun. I am not all that familiar with Be A Familiar, but Jesus H. Foxx have some great tunes at their disposal, so fire through for the £2 bottled beers and plenty of boppery.
Jesus H. Foxx – I’m Half the Man You Were

Saturday 27th September – Benbecula Records Showcase at the Voodoo Rooms.
Benbecula are a very well-respected record label in these parts about whom I know very little indeed. They tend to focus on electronica, often quite experimental. Given my general ignorance I think a showcase like this would be the perfect time to get a taster of what the label is really about.

Ho hum, what’s going on this week then? Well I am having a fairly dry one, that’s for sure. Last week descended into complete mayhem, largely musical, and by Sunday morning I wasn’t sure whether it was Thursday’s, Friday’s or Saturday’s hangover I was so desperate to sleep off.

Friday night was the return of the Mr. & Mrs. Toad late night booze-and-tunesathon. It was loud, and went on until five in the morning, and I still managed to drag my sorry carcass out of bed to go to football training at ten the next day. Christ I had the cold sweats though.

There are really only a couple of gigs I’d be in a rush to get to this week:

Thursday 17th July 2008: Come On Gang, Plaaydoh & Be a Familiar at the (shit) Ark.
This is a Broken Friend Records night, who released the Jesus H. Foxx single. I am a little dubious about Plaaydoh and Be a Familiar, but they both have some decent aspects that you notice during a cursory MySpace listen. Come On Gang, on the other hand, are pretty good and have a new single out so this has the makings of a good fun night about it.
Come On Gang – Spinning Room

Thursday 17th July 2008: Grace Emilys, Punch and the Apostles & Reformation play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
It’s been a while since I plugged a Limbo gig, which feels a bit mean because their lineups are good, it’s just that I’ve not quite been as grabbed by some of the recent lineups as I might have been, but that just happens I suppose. Well continuing their knack for spotting the finest of Scottish indie pop, this three-band lineup looks rather promising. I know nothing of any of the bands in question, but a quick MySpace listen sounds promising to me. Definitely worth going along to.
Grace Emilys – Down in Mexico

Friday 18th July 2008: Ballboy at Cabaret Voltaire.
One of the somewhat underestimated pillars of Edinburgh’s indie landscape, Gordon MacIntyre writes warm, witty songs, delivers them with genuine charm and throws a cracking tune on top of pretty much each one. They can be sad and wistful melancholia or bouncy indie pop and it appears there’s a new album in the fairly immediate offing, so it’ll be interesting to hear what they’re been up to of late.
Ballboy – Dumper Truck Racing

Saturday 19th July: Meursault, Boyfriend/Girlfriend & Davie Lawson at the Wee Red Bar.
Trampoline has grown up! Graduating from sproradic weekdays, Euan now has a regular monthly Saturday night slot for his excellent gig nights. He’s shite at marketing too, so hopefully the new slot will result in more people coming to these shows. As to this first bill, well I don’t know Davie Lawson at all, I’ve seen B/G once before and rather enjoyed them and I think Meursault are fucking brilliant. So not a bad start to his new life as a gig circuit high-roller.
Boyfriend/Girlfriend – The Greatest High