Well, erm, Thursday should be fun.

This weekend was somewhat written off, after an apocalyptic drinking session on Saturday took its terrible revenge on Sunday, rendering most of the day a ruin apart from shitty movies and too much Chinese takeaway.  To everyone who came round to the house on Saturday, I apologise.  It was a fucking good party, though.  Our next door neighbour seems to have the habit of opening a window and playing terrible music as soon as we go out in the back garden, which is both tedious and foolish.  Foolish because our stereo can blast the hairs clean off your nipples if we really turn it up which, at 4am after obliterating almost four cases of beer, we often do.  Eat alt-folk, bitch!

This week will see the completion of the Homegame videos project, which will be fun, and probably a trip through to Glasgow for Hinterland on Thursday and Friday.  I’d love to see the likes of Jeffrey Lewis and the Wave Pictures, as well as Mitchell Museum, Zoey Van Goey, Fanfarlo and Wild Beasts if possible.  And of course, Toad Records’ own Meursault at the Classic Grand (with thanks to This is Music for putting them on).

Tuesday 28th April 2009: Alex Cornish at the Caves.

Alex has re-released his debut album Until the Traffic Stops this week.  I know he may be a tad Radio 2 for a lot of you (hell, he was for me too until I realised just how infectious his way with a tune is) but anyone who can self-record and self-release an album and get onto the B playlist at Radio 2 without so much as a record label to do his donkey work deserves some serious respect.  And congratulations.
Alex Cornish – Sweet Child o’ Mine

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Thursday 30th April 2009: Found & The 48 at Cabaret Voltaire.

Since their experimental pop classic The Mess We Keep Reshaping, found have leaked out little bits of work here and there, EPs and such like, but I always find myself wondering what their next album is going to be like.  For a band without all that much history of trotting out standard records when there are interesting little side projects to be done, I am not sure why I am so sure that they are necessarily making one, but it seems to me like we’re getting to the point where one would feel right.
Found – FND043

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Thursday 30th April 2009: The Wintergreens & The Weeping Sons at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

These two are relatively new bands, playing music I guess you might describe as a sort of  folk tinged post-rock.  It’s all very downbeat and atmospheric, but still quite acoustic, which is where that slightly inadequate description comes from.  They’re pretty new to my awareness, as I said, but from what MySpace can tell me I think both bands deserve a good look.
The Weeping Sons – Yer Feet in the Water of Leith

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Thursday 30th April 2009: The Voluntary Butler Scheme, Damn Shames & Futuristic Retro Champions at Sneaky Pete’s.

Apparently Rob Jones was a full-time part-time drummer, if you get my meaning, before forming his own band.  It’s basically a gently eccentric pop sound, but there’s been a lot of chat and he sounds quite interesting.
Voluntary Butler Scheme – Tabasco Sole

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Saturday 2nd May 2009: Come On Gang, Day of Days & Little Buddha Band at Cabaret Voltaire.

Apart from the sparky indie punk pop of Come On Gang, Little Buddha also sound rather interesting: kind of like a rockier version of early Goldfrapp.  Oddly, there seem to be a few good bands coming out of Kirkcaldy at the moment.
Little Buddha – Losing You

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Sunday 3rd May 2009: The Black Oil Brothers at the Bowery.

Normally, this would be a little too literal an interpretation of stampy blue for my taste, but I found myself enjoying the stuff on their MySpace page, and this sort of music is almost always really good live.
Black Oil Brothers – Dirty, High & Confused

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Evening, Toadlings.  There’s really very little on in Edinburgh this week that I would personally be up for, and the one gig I want to see is taking place when I am bastarding well out of town, on Thursday evening.  Marina & the Diamonds are playing Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms this week, but honestly I am not all that convinced I have to confess.  The only thing I really want to go to this week is the Jesus H. Foxx EP launch at the Bowery on Thursday night, but I’m in fucking London aren’t I, so I can’t bloody well go.

Actually, the reason I’m in London is rather interesting, now that I mention it.  Sony contacted a few of us UK music bloggers and invited us to meet with them to discuss the internet in general and how to interact with bloggers.   I am not sure if this was motivated by the fuss made over the Glasvegas DMCA fiasco, but I am hoping that they at least found that a sufficiently negative and unnecessary situation to be worth avoiding in future.

Now, quite how productive this meeting is likely to be is something which I have my doubts about.  Talking to bloggers is a little like herding cats; we are all amateurs and all have our own ideas about what we are both individually and collectively.  So beyond serving as an easy focus group for Sony, I am not sure quite what can be made of this little get together.  Mind you, just reading our blogs serves as a pretty enormous source of free information anyway, so I don’t know what else we can hope to add to things.  I’m interested though.  I don’t particularly want to be seen as some renegade, because I don’t see myself that way at all.  I actually think what I am doing is pretty much completely legit and fairly mainstream in terms of intentions and ambitions and so on, so anything we can do to stop people looking at music bloggers as some sort of guerilla criminal underclass bent on bringing down the system is good.  Frankly all I want is to be left in peace to do what the hell I want, with some sort of civillised system in place for resolving differences when we all inevitably tread on one another’s toes at some point.

Fat fucking chance, I know.

In any case, I will be interested to have the discussion.  I genuinely want to know what they have to say about things like the DMCA, the semi-legal nature of music blogs, their approach to teh internetz in general, stuff like that.  I’ll write all about it on the train back on Friday morning, so hopefully it will be an interesting enough meeting to make a good post out of.  I’m really not interested in point-scoring here, or in finding ammunition for the slagging off of Sony, but I think you know me well enough by now to know that I will make my points fairly stubbornly and am unlikely to be swayed by sleight of hand.  Should make for an interesting couple of hours anyway.

Oh, and did I mention Homegame?

Thursday 16th April 2009: Jesus H. Foxx & Art Fag at the Bowery.

The Jesus H. Foxx EP is something I am hugely excited about hearing in its entirety.  I’ve heard bits and pieces here and there, but I am holding off until I can slap the whole thing on, lie back with a gin, and turn it up nice and loud.  My instinct suggests that we may just have a band on the verge of a breakthrough year on our hands, and I hope I am right.  Art Fag, for those of you interested, is an experimental electronic project by a certain pair of miscreants called Neil Pennycook and Chris Bryant.  I wouldn’t miss it if I were you.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good

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Art Fag – Nakhla Dog

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Friday 17th April 2009: The Virgins & the Chew Lips at Cabaret Voltaire.

Despite being extremely fashionable, these slightly dancey, slightly punky, slightly sparky bands sound like they have some promise.  I nearly, nearly reviewed the Chew Lips material when it was sent through to me a few months ago – maybe almost a year actually – so I would be quite interested to go along to this.  Were I not at Homegame of course.
The Virgins – Fernando Pando

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Edit:

Saturday 18th April 2009: Findo Gask, Come On Gang & Dupec play Trampoline at the Wee Red Bar.

Apologies for missing this the first time, that was careless of me, but it should be a really good gig.  Findo Gask are a really excellent band, who I am really keen to see again, and who I am really keen to see release more music.  Their last couple of singles have been superb, and their, erm, experimental disco pop laments – could you call them that? – somehow hit absolutely home, as far as I am concerned.  Hit the nail right between the ears, so to speak.
Findo Gask – Va Va Va

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How many of you are there?  There’s only one of me, which looks like it might prove troublesome this week, particularly late on when the clashing gigs really start to stack up.  I am just back in Edinburgh after the Jason Lytle interview, which went very well in terms of being a most pleasant sort of chat, yet didn’t provide a particularly obvious hook on which to hang an article.  I may have to listen back and digest for a couple of days before writing it, I think.  It’s odd to suddenly find yourself in conversation with someone whose music you’ve been listening to for over ten years, though, so I guess that in itself might be an interesting angle to take.

This week’s activities on Toad will involve beginning to work on that interview, the writing up of a couple of gig reviews, and editing a big pile of Broken Records live videos.  So in other words it’s going to be fucking busy again.  I am also going to have a chat with Andy about redesigning both this website and the label site.  I find myself feeling inordinately guilty about not designing it myself, oddly.  This whole site has been entirely DIY so far, so that’s probably the reason, but at the moment I need it to be able to do things which are well beyond my own rudimentary understanding of code, and I simply don’t have the time to begin with, so there you go.  I’ll have a big input of course, and the Toad sketches will remain, but basically I’m going to try and let Andy get on with it as much as I can.  As a designer myself, at Proper Job, I know there’s nothing worse than a client who stares over your shoulder constantly while you’re trying to do your job.

So that’s it, this is being posted in the wee hours, and I am going straight to bed so that I can at least pretend to be functional in the morning.  I actually find a lack of sleep worse than a hangover in terms of its damage to my productivity these days, so these half one bedtimes really do have to stop.

Thursday 2nd April 2009: St Deluxe, French Wives & Team Turnip play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

St. Deluxe are the new hot tamales around town, apparently.  I’ve had a listen to their MySpace and they do indeed sound pretty decent, although with such a brief listen I’m really in no position to say much one way or another.  They’re quite a rough and noisy band though, where French Wives and Team Turnip are a little poppier, but all three groups on this bill sound like good value to me.
St Deluxe – New Wave Stars

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Thursday 2nd April 2009: Tim & Sam’s Tim & the Sam Band With Tim & Sam at Cabaret Voltaire.

Tim and Sam and so on and so forth are big favourites of me old pal Drunk Country over at the Waiting Room, so he’ll be chuffed to know that they’re putting in an appearance in these parts.  I am rarely ever much of a fan of bands who play instrumental music, but I think that’s probably laziness on my behalf, and certainly these chaps make fine music under any circumstances.  It’s even better live, according to DC, so I’d recommend this one.  It’s a late one though, I think, so check the times before turning up.
Tim & Sam etc.. – Join the Dots

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Friday 3rd April 2009: Frightened Rabbit & Meursault at the Bowery.

I am fairly (but not entirely) sure that Frightened Rabbit are intending to play an acoustic set at the Bowery on Friday instead of their more usual melodic indie rock, and I do believe Meursault are following suit and unplugging all their electronic faffery as well, so this should be quite a special one.
Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better (Live)

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Friday 3rd April 2009: Jesus H. Foxx, Y’All is Fantasy Island & the Hindle Wakes at Sneaky Pete’s.

Jesus H. Foxx will be mentioned some time later today when I write up their gig at the Bowery from last Friday, but believe me they are sounding very, very good at the moment.  Where previously they seemed to be fairly single-faceted (is that physically possible – never mind) there’s a lot more depth and a lot more confidence to their music these days.  They have an EP on the way too, which I am very excited to hear indeed.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good

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Friday 3rd April: Thomas Truax, Withered Hand & Greg Dodgeson at Cabaret Voltaire.

Is Dan from Withered Hand playing every single gig in Scotland at the moment?  Ah well, good for us if he is.  Apart from the music, Thomas Truax’s truly amazing homemade instruments make this a gig you really should attend.
Thomas Truax – The Butterfly & the Entomologist

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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Wee Rogue, Rob St. John & Ben Wetherill at the Bowery.

I don’t want to say anything that’s going to get me beaten up by an angry mob of nice, sensitive young men, but this is probably the least ‘anti’ of the many great anti-folk gigs you can find in Edinburgh in any given week.  I mean that in the sense that the ‘anti’ part is something I tend to treat as describing a certain lack of prettiness in anti-folk music, but even as specific a genre description as anti-folk is a bit too broad for that sort of thing these days.  Where was I?  Oh yes, expect fine, fragile and lovely music.
The Wee Rogue – Into the Mist

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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Gothenburg Address, North Atlantic Oscillation & San Sebastian at Sneaky Pete’s.

Should the loveliness at the Bowery prove just a little too gentle for you then Sneaky Pete’s is probably the place to be, where there will be Post Rock a-gogo.  It’ll be loud, I’d imagine, so get there early, find a spot facing the stage and just let it all wash over you.
San Sebastian – New

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Sunday 5th April 2009: Come On Gang, Vendor Defender & The Kays Lavelle at Sneaky Pete’s.

Come On Gang should be in a fine mood after their SXSW adventure, so their punk pop should have even more zip to it than usual.  It’s going to be a busy week at Sneaky Pete’s.  Is their booking getting better and better or is it just that I’m only just starting to realise that I should be paying more attention to what they’re doing?  Good stuff, anyway.

It’s a quiet, but hardly barren week in Edinburgh this week, although I think I may skip a fair bit of it and concentrate on getting the Pictish Trail Session up and posted.

What a shitty fucking weekend it’s been, though.  I got some really bizarre message from an old school friend of mine asking me if I was blanking him on Friday, which I haven’t been.  We haven’t exchanged messages for years, but that’s been true in both directions.  Then on Sunday, before I’d responded, he sent another saying ‘Okay, I’ll delete you from my Facebook wotsit, have a good life buddy.’  For fuck’s fucking sake.  It’s no skin off my nose one way or another, but it was really weird coming right out of the blue like that.

Then I completely forgot a friend’s stag do and failed to attend because I had managed to pile too much other stuff into the weekend.  That, believe me, does not feel like a nice thing to do.  Especially when you get the phonecall and it dawns on you what you’ve just done.  Fucking bollocksing fuck.

I also got in trouble at Proper Job for excessive Toading on Friday, which wasn’t fun.  So there will be something of a kibosh put on work-time activity around here, and fair enough.  They’ve been more than patient with my little obsession, and quite frankly they’d be more than justified in giving me a formal warning, but it’s very nice that they haven’t.  About time I was equally nice back, I think it’s fair to say.

Then there was the Biblical amount of alcohol consumed over Friday and Saturday night, leading to a general feeling of uncleanness ever since, and of course there was the jolly banter about the Shitecast this weekend.  Fucking hell, I am looking forward to football tonight and the chance to just run it all off.

Monday 9th March 2009: Come On Gang play Trade Union at Cabaret Voltaire.

I think Trade Union may be on rather late, so don’t rush down, but if you’re up for night of giddy bouncing to Edinburgh’s finest punk-pop trio then swing by from 11pm and send them on their merry way to SXSW with a cheer.
Come On Gang – Wheels

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Thursday 12th March 2009: Futuristic Retro Champions at the Caves.

This band are one I know very little about, but they’ve been talked about very favourably since I’ve been up here.  This is one of those Mill gigs – beware, nothing but that god-awful piss-water Miller to drink – so you’ll have to click here to get a ticket.  Support band Tamika’s Treehouse are a band I know nothing about whatsoever, not even rumours or whispering, so any enlightenment would be appreciated.  After no more than a single MySpace listen they do sound catchy and enjoyable though, so this should be a good night.
Futuristic Retro Champions – Speak to Me

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Thursday 12th March 2009: Unicorn Kid, Ex Lion Tamer & Sugar Crisis play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

It’s all going to be rather electro-dance-pop at Limbo this week, but there’s easily enough edge to it all to keep me interested, despite being slightly outside my comfort zone with this sort of stuff. Ex Lion Tamer’s new single is out on 17 Seconds Records this week, although only on digital for the time being.  Hang about though, the vinyl will be here any moment now.
Sugar Crisis – Taking Names & Heartbeats

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Friday 13th March 2009: RBRBR & Over the Wall play This is Music at Sneaky Pete’s.

More boisterous pop fun with plenty of synths and bounce.  Sneaky bastarding Pete’s keep on deviously selling out of tickets at the moment too, so you might want to get one in advance for this.  I’m sure they’re doing it just to thwart me.
RBRBR – 27 Russian Friends

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Saturday 14th March 2009: Little Pebble, Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers & Sparrow & the Workshop play the Trampoline birthday party at the Wee Red Bar.

This is Trampoline’s second (I hope) birthday party, and what a lineup.  Apart from Little Pebble it’s very Americana influenced in a slightly undefinable way.  I don’t know what exact type of Americana I would describe Sparrow or Woodenbox as being, but they definitely have some sort of influence in there.  They’re both absolutely thumping as well.  Little Pebble doesn’t have a lot in common with them, but having only seen him once, I am really keen to see more because he was absolutely excellent.  This is my definite
Little Pebble – Pirate

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So actually, it’s not a quiet week at all, really, is it.

This week I will finish the live videos for Ten Tracks and eagleowl, to go with the Rob St. John ones here:

In other news, the lineup for the Fence Collective’s annual liver-bothering get together has been announced, and it’s fucking superb:

* KING CREOSOTE *  MALCOLM MIDDLETON * EAGLEOWL * ROB ST JOHN * SLOW CLUB * BURNS UNIT * THE PICTISH TRAIL * THINGS IN HERDS * CANDYTHIEF * EMMA POLLOCK * JAMES YORKSTON * DAVID THOMAS BROUGHTON * MEURSAULT * DE ROSA * FOXFACE * THE RED WELL * ROZI PLAIN * RACHAEL DADD * WIG SMITH * ICHI * FOUND * ART PEDRO * ADEM * KID CANAVERAL * SO COW * WITHERED HAND * HMS GINAFORE * LITTLE PEBBLE * MICHAEL JOHNSTON * KARINE POLWART * ADRIAN CROWLEY * PLAYER PIANO * ZIGGY CAMPBELL * STEVEN CRACKNELL (MEMORY BAND) * ANIMAL MAGIC TRICKS * HARDSPARROW * VIKING MOSES * EXPEDITION GUIDE * MELANCHOLICS ANONYMOUSE * GOLDEN GHOST * COME IN TOKYO * ONTHEFLY * LOVE.STOP.REPEAT * WIQWAR * ENGLISH BORE * EMILY SCOTT * THE PHANTOM BAND * LITTLE RAY * DOUG JOHNSTONE * WILL HODGKINSON * STRIKE THE COLOURS * GEORGE THOMAS * MARTIN JOHN HENRY * MARINA & THE DIAMONDS * OLO WORMS * VIVA STEREO * GUMMI BAKO * DJ DOMINIC * BOYWONDER * THE HAND * INSPECTOR TAPEHEAD * JAKE FLOWERS * PANDA SU * FRANÇOIS * THE CHEEK * JOHN B MCKENNA * JONNIE COMMON * DOOGIE PAUL * PETER GREENWOOD *

Any suggestions for people I should particularly make time to interview and get a bit of live footage from?  Not Found or the Pictish Trail, because of approaching Toad Sessions, and I won’t be interviewing Meursault obviously, although I will try and get some live video of them.  Tickets here – I’d recommend going if you possibly can.

Wednesday 25th February 2009: Come On Gang SXSW Fundraiser at the Wee Red Bar.

Come On Gang are one of several Scottish bands who are facing the considerable bill of dragging their arses out to SXSW this year, and will be holding a bit of a fundraiser to help cover the costs.  They are punky, poppy and brash and I haven’t seen them play for ages.  This will also be a chance to catch fellow Edinburgh indie-poppers Cancel the Astronauts.  Indie pop (which is probably not quite the right term for these bands, but bear with me) is actually a significantly neglected genre in this city, what with the recent rise of all these indie-folksters so it’s about time I went to something where they wield their guitars with a bit of bite for a change.
Come On Gang – Fortune Favours the Brave

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Thursday 26th February 2009: Withered Hand, The Travelling Band & the Set Up play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

Withered Hand are, basically, fucking brilliant.  It’s confrontational punk-folk, although the punk side comes from the attitude and the delivery, rather than the instrumentation.  Nevertheless, if you want to be told that “a hard-on doesn’t mean you’re in love” with some force, then you really have to see this band.
Withered Hand – Hard On

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Thursday 26th February 2009: Little Pebble, Son of Thom, Emily Scott & Dan Haywood’s New Hawks play the inaugural Leith Tape Club, upstairs at the IsoBar.

This gig has sold out, I’m afraid, so unless you’re going already, you’re stuffed.  I thought it was worth bringing to your attention anyway, though, because Little Pebble (one of Edinburgh’s most under-rated and neglected live performers, including, embarrassingly, by myself) is going to be putting these nights on on a regular basis and they look like they’re going to be really good.
Little Pebble – Hold That Thought

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Friday 27th February 2009: Flowers of Hell, Wounded Knee & eagleowl at the Wee Red Bar.

This is a Benbecula Records night which looks like it will be showcasing their signature style of experimental, ambient music infused with sensibilities of both the folk and electronic persuasions.  Wounded Knee might be this city’s foremost loop pedal black belt, and has a new record approaching soon, so if you want to hear his new material then I would guess that this is likely to be a good chance to do so.
Flowers of Hell – The Strength of String

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Saturday 28th February 2009: Found, the Joe Acheson Quartet & Emily Scott at the Bowery.

Found will make their Bowery debut this week, in another gig that is being put on in association with Ten Tracks, as part of their fundraising efforts for their own SXSW adventure.  Come.  That is an order.  Advance tickets can be bought here.
Found – Closed Time Like Loops

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Christ, it’s going to be like Fred Karno’s bloody Circus in Edinburgh this week (did your Grandma use that phrase all the time too?)  Particulary towards the tail end of the week there are all sorts of good gigs, of which I will be attending… precisely none, unfortunately.  We’re away in London this weekend, and I am in Glasgow on both Wednesday and Thursday nights, would you believe.  Incredibly frustrating.

We are nearly finished work on the Samamidon Toad Session, and a bloody good thing too, because Johnny Lynch, aka the Pictish Trail, will be coming into Toad Hall on Friday to record the next one.  The plan is to get these two recorded and posted by the Fence Collective‘s Homegame festival, which is now on the weekend of the 17th, 18th and 19th of April because we should end up generating a hell of a lot of work there, between interviews, live reviews and stuff like that, so it will be important to have the decks clear by the time that comes around.

Wednesday 28th January 2009: Come On Gang, Jesus H. Foxx & Chutes at Cabaret Voltaire.

The first gig of the year from my pals at Fresh Air, Edinburgh’s student radio station.  It’s happy, spiky indie pop all the way, so if you fancy a bit of a dance and a chance to hear the SXSW-bound Come On Gang then swing by Cabaret Voltaire on Wednesday.
Come On Gang – Spinning Room

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Thursday 29th January 2009: Meursault, Y’all is Fantasy Island & Mitchell Museum play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

What a bloody lineup – two of Edinburgh’s finest accompanied by a band who have been going for about a year and whom I have rather shamefully yet to see.  And I can’t go.  Fucking ARSE!  Between the exuberance of Mitchell Museum, the racket of YiFI and the passionate howl of Meursault this should be a really top evening.
Y’all is Fantasy Island – With Handclaps

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Thursday 29th January 2009: SL Records night at Cabaret Voltaire, with Withered Hand, Paul Vickers & the Leg & Lords of Bastard.

SL Records are going to have the very enviable pleasure indeed of releasing a Withered Hand album some time in 2009, the swine.  They’ve been around for a while though, with Paul Vickers & the Leg one of their stalwarts.  Looks like a good night.
Paul Vickers & the Leg – Umbrella Propella

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Thursday 29th January 2009: Popolo play Sick Note at Cabaret Voltaire.

Ever since their appearance on the early Ten Tracks compilations I have been curious so see these lads.  It appears to be entirely intrumental, relying on thumping electronics to create an edgy dancefloor atmosphere.  Fascinating.
Popolo – Or Optimism

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Sunday 1st February 2009: Ex Lion Tamer, Milophobia & Vessel at Cabaret Voltaire.

Another blog in Edinburgh hatches a record label, this on run by my good friend Ed from 17 Seconds – yes the same chap who spent the tail of last year fending off an angry swarm of DMCA complaints after his enthusiastic help in getting Glasvegas a major record deal.  Well, his own label treads rather different territory, with first signings Aberfeldy indulging in the sweetest of pop, and second signing Ex Lion Tamer inhabiting a slightly more 80s electro-disco territory.
Ex Lion Tamer – Life Support Machine

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When I first moved up here, just about three and a half years ago, I was moaning about the lifelessness of the Edinburgh music scene and the fact that the long lost T on the Fringe was the only time anything interesting at all actually happened.

These days that is bollocks, of course, so it was with some pride that I read this little something in the NME letters page this morning. Actually, Bart scanned it and emailed it to me because I don’t buy the NME, but you know what I mean. I don’t know who you are, Scott the Thief, but I will buy you a pint if you ever reveal your secret identity!

And now, to celebrate, some “snobby art school jazz pish”. Life is sweet!

Enfant Bastard – Outside

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Enfant Bastard – Plastic Bag

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Christ almighty, it’s fucking busy this week. So I guess I’ll start by listing the three famousy gigs which I will not be attending, just to get them out of the way nice and early. Firstly, I will not be going to see Martha Wainright at the Picturehouse on Wednesday because, frankly, I find her rather annoying, despite expecting to like her music. I expected to like it, I just didn’t. I also won’t be going to see Mogwai at the Corn Exchange on Tuesday because despite their legendary status, I think they’re shit. Thirdly, I won’t be going to see Noah & the Whale play The Liquid Rooms on Sunday either, because I can’t be arsed. That’s three hours of my life I’d never be able to get back.

Interestingly, Razorlight have just announced a brand new ‘intimate’ tour of the UK. Quite in whose deranged fantasy places like the Edinburgh Corn Exchange qualify as being intimate is beyond me – the place is like a run-down fucking aircraft hanger. Idiots.

So, yes, the gigs I will be attending this week. Well, not all of them, but the ones I would actually recommend, and might attend if I had infinite amounts of time and money.

Tuesday 21st October 2008: Action Group, Come On Gang & HOMEwork at the Ark.
A good value lineup at the shittest venue in the city. I haven’t seen Come On Gang for a while actually, and it’s about time I went along again, assuming my recently returned lady friend will permit it of course.
Action Group – Crime & Punishment

Thursday 23rd October 2008: Popup & Isosceles play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
Pure indiepop this week at Limbo. I don’t need to tell you much more about Isosceles’ spiky, enjoyable, synthy indie, and Popup are currently promoting their debut album, so this should be a most entertaining evening.
Isosceles – This Is Where It Ends

Friday 24th October 2008: Los Campesinos & Copy Haho play a Tennent’s Mutual gig at Cabaret Voltaire.
Los Campesinos are my friend Matt’s favourite band. Personally I quite like what I hear, but I know little enough about them to still be in the curiosity stage. What I have heard of them I’ve rather enjoyed though, so this would appear to be a good chance to find out a bit more.
Los Campesinos! – Death to Los Campesinos!

Saturday 25th October 2008: The Week That Was & Eagleowl at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Field Music’s Pete Brewis has another project, and it is The Week That Was. That’s pretty interesting to begin with, but supporting them will be local favourites Eagleowl, despite Findo Gask being on the listing. So this could be rather good value for your six quid.
The Week That Was – Scratch the Surface

Saturday 25th October 2008: Seasick Steve at the Queen’s Hall.
Quite why everyone has suddenly decided that some old blues musician is the trendiest thing since sliced bread is sort of beyond me, I have to confess. I like his brand of blues, don’t get me wrong, but quite why him rather than anyone else seems baffling. Mind you, he does look like the reason the word ‘grizzled’ was invented, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Seasick Steve – St. Louis Slim

Saturday 25th October: The Hurricanes at Cabaret Voltaire.
I don’t know much about the Hurricanes at all, because they only have one song on their MySpace player, along with a remix of said song. It’s a good song though, so I am curious to find out more.
The Hurricanes – Down Below

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

Again it’s something of a quiet week but apparently July often is in the world of gigs, as the Summer music festival season continues its dotcom-esque ballooning and people get ready for the foreign invasion and artistic black hole that is the Edinburgh Festival.

I might be popping through to Glasgow to see Mumford & Sons actually, because there’s not much happening around here at the moment. One gig, however, is going to make me old mate DC Very Happy Indeed:

Thursday 10th July: Jesus H. Foxx & Prince Edward Island at Cabaret Voltaire.
Quite apart from the fact that this is a Duty Free gig – in other words, free – and quite apart from the fact that Jesus H. Foxx are a pretty good band, this will be my first chance to see DC’s mates and Waiting Room favourites, Prince Edward Island. I don’t know too much about them, apart from the basic indie guitar sound on their MySpace page, but I’m in no rush. I’ll catch them at the gig and go from there.
Prince Edward Island – Partlife

Thursday 10th July: Come On Gang & Haight Ashbury play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
I saw the Come On Gang for the first time at the Kid Canveral single launch party a few weeks back and they were excellent. I am looking forward to their own single, which is officially launched at this gig but which I can’t post for obvious reasons, but I will have to catch it at a different gig as I think I really have to go and see DC’s mates instead. Haight Ashbury don’t sound bad either – sort of like an indie-folk group fronted by a couple of singers from a girl band.
Come On Gang – Start the Sound

Saturday 12th July: Amida & The Just Joans & the Occasional Flickers at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Greek indie pop is not exactly an over-exposed niche of the music market, but Edinburgh’s Occasional Flickers are the work of a Greek chappie with a surprising affinity for the local brand of introverted twee folk. I don’t know the other two bands at all, but listening to their MySpace pages they sound really rather promising. Besides, it’s a Gentle Invasion gig, and so it is pretty much guaranteed to be good.
The Just Joans – Hey Boy, You’re Oh So Sensitive (This is fucking brilliant)

Saturday 12th July: Black Affair & Found at the GRV.
Black Affair is a Steve Mason production. Steve Mason is that chap out of the Beta Band. Need I say more to the Scottish Indie world? Well it’s no Beta Band Part II, so don’t wet your knickers just yet, because Black Affair play more of a dark disco electronica: sort of like Depeche Mode with more beat, more of a knack for shimmering, spangly synths and less of the love for demoralising dirges. Am I allowed to say that I heard this the first time, wasn’t too impressed, found out who it was by, went back and had another listen, and then suddenly changed my mind and now I find it intriguing. Is this pure indie snobbery and pathetic celebrity fawning? Well I suppose it probably is, but I am not saying that they’re god’s gift all of a sudden, and many things need a second listen… ah, who am I kidding, best just bite the bullet and confess to being shallow as fuck.
Black Affair – You & Me