This may be the limpest of all excuses I’ve ever had for naming a podcast. You know why it’s called the Jeffcast? Because I kinda mention Jeffrey Lewis a couple of times. Oooh, yes, that makes sense. Still, sorry, I couldn’t think of anything else really, off the top of my head.
I suppose I am off to see Jeffrey Lewis directly after recording this, so I guess it sort of counts. He is playing a secret gig at Henry’s Cellar Bar after sneaking out of the Beggars Banquet Christmas Party at the Picture House over the road. It’s one of the things I love about the anti-folk crowd: you genuinely get the impression that they’d rather be playing to an appreciative crowd of their mates, rather than a bigger crowd of anonymous punters who may stand there and demand entertainment.
So there you go, that’s the deal for tonight. For the rest of the weekend we’re putting together Meursault albums, ready for the official (re)launch of their record next Friday at the Song, by Toad Christmas Party. So, after folding and screen-printing a thousand of the bastards we’ll all be well ready for Gimme Shelter in the Caves on Saturday and a spot of Candythief action in the Jazz Bar on Sunday. Enjoy the 48th Toadcast.
Toadcast #48 – The Jeffcast
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01. Yo La Tengo – Double Dare (04.12)
02. Wolf Parade – Call it a Ritual (07.29)
03. Modey Lemon – Loch Ness Monster (11.25)
04. Sly & the Family Stone – Life (17.09)
05. The Velcro Quartet – The Love Song of Little Cosmo Nostradamus (20.03)
06. The Pernice Brothers – The Ballad of Bjorn Borg (25.57)
07. Caramel Jack – The Lincoln Jackson Incident (34.37)
08. The Magnetic Fields – All the Umbrellas in London (38.29)
09. Sparklehorse – Happy Man (Memphis Version) (44.46)
10. The Veils – Birthday Present (49.44)
11. Grandaddy – Miner at the Dial-A-View (54.24)
It’s all gone a bit American this week, Toadlings. I have no intention of putting out a series of strictly themed podcasts, but it’s still early days and there are so many massive chunks of my music collection I want to poke about in that this may happen a couple of times before things settle down. So I started with a couple of vaguely American-sounding tracks this week and before you know it I ended up with a podcast with a definite Americana theme.
I’m quite happy with how it’s all turned out though, I must confess – a nice combination of classics and small, small bands, so the playlist is working quite well by itself. And actually handling the microphone is getting easier as well. I am quite liking this podcasting business, I’d say!
Toadcast #3 – With added Americana
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1. The Band – The Weight (02.16)
2. Hem – Half Acre (09.18)
3. Elvis Perkins – While You Were Sleeping (12.38)
4. Cherry Ghost – Mathematics (20.27)
5. The Holy Modal Rounders – Hey Hey Baby (25.30)
6. Night Jar – Sweet Annie Lee (28.30)
7. Caramel Jack – Lincoln Jackson Incident (33.45)
8. The Builders & the Butchers – Spanish Death Song (39.27)
9. Willard Grant Conspiracy – Ballad of a Thin Man (49.51)
10. Rick Redbeard – Blood (54.06)
11. Billie Holiday – Georgia on My Mind (59.26)
12. Night Jar – Big Black Horse (64.05)
13. Broken Records – Lies (71.45)
14. DeVotchka – The Enemy Guns (77.57)
Toad, Mr Toad, The Toadster, El Toaderino… yes, I think that works quite well, don’t you? Song, by Toad dearly wishes it was as cool as The Big Lebowski.
Shut the fuck up, Donny.
In no way related to that, I think this Friday’s irregular Bender for the Weekender is going to draw inspiration from the gloriously unhinged Uncle Moon and post some looney circus music to get you all in the mood for going out, getting so pickled you think it’s Tuesday, and waking in the arms of a sweaty fifteen-stone Latvian hooker with a nasty rash and a cleft palate, who you could swear blind was a twenty-year-old Czech lingerie model a mere ten hours earlier.
Well not all circus music, perhaps, but joyous, uplifting, deranged and utterly splendid. The sort of stuff to have your friends asking ‘What the fuck is this nonsense you’re playing?’, just before you slap them for their inexcusable philistinery.
Sparks – This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us This one’s a bit of stretch, I know, but it’s mental so it’s going in.
Eels – Flyswatter (The Polka Dots Remix)
Caramel Jack – The Lady Vanishes
Tom Waits – Kommienezuspadt This is a great, crazy song, despite the awful German spelling. A somewhat acquired taste though, I’ll admit
Quasar Wut-Wut – The March of the Zug It really annoys me that this lot aren’t more popular.
Bruce Springsteen – Wild Billy’s Circus Story Just in case you thought I was getting a little too upbeat!
