Song, by Toad

You could drink yourself into a coma going to every interesting gig in Edinburgh this week.  I think I might need a few orange juice gigs, if just to vaguely preserve both liver and waistline.  Although it may be too late for both, I have to admit.  I think I am going to start driving to gigs (tonight is by necessity, but we’ll see how it goes) just as a way of forcing myself to stick to fizzy water or some such beverage.

Maybe Skinny Water, perhaps (thank you Cogstar), a drink so monumentally stupid that I have stared at that ridiculous primary school website for hours trying to figure out if the damn thing is a hoax or not.  It’s so ridiculous I keep thinking that it really must be a piss-take, but it really does appear to be water laced with imaginary weight-reducing ingredients.

As their website claimed*, the water “has been enhanced with a unique combination of ingredients to help you lose weight… suppress appetite, block carbohydrates from converting into fat and increase fat burning”.

This website, on the other hand, claims that this is most ludicrous pile of horse manure to hit the public domain in ages.  Although, thinking about it, this product is so transparently idiotic that I find it hard to blame the manufacturers, or the designers of that comedy website.  Honestly, if you are so fucking stupid as to fall for this sort of infantile idiocy then you deserve to be ripped off and, honestly, you deserve the continuing cycle of desperate, futile hope followed by the despair of inevitable failure and decimated self-esteem that this sort of obsessive weight mania will certainly bring you.  Jesus fucking Christ, if you’re too fat (which I am) then either just accept it and enjoy your life, or get some fucking exercise.

Monday 7th September 2009: The Bowery Re-Opening Party with Dan Costello & Wounded Knee.

I have missed the Bowery over the Festival.  Somewhere sane to go would have been appreciated in amongst all the carnage, but Jane and Ruth are back now and celebrate that fact tonight.

Tuesday 8th September 2009: The Pineapple Chunks & X Lion Tamer at Electric Circus.

How these two rather mental bands are going to complement one another on a bill is anyone’s guess, but I really like both and am definitely looking forward to this – unhinged guitar indie and dancey electro stuff.  And incidentally, X Lion Tamer has a new EP out, called Neon Hearts, which is available in Avalanche Records on Cockburn Street as of right about now.

The Pineapple Chunks – Art Storage

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Wednesday 9th September 2009: Willard Grant Conspiracy & Doghouse Roses at Sneaky Pete’s.

The Willard Grant Conspiracy are one of my favourite bands ever.  Robert Fisher’s voice is deep and rich, and his songs go from the desperate ballad to lovely alt-country to grinding tension, often in the same album.  There is no chance I am missing this gig.

Willard Grant Conspiracy – Evening Mass

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Thursday 10th September 2009: Meursault vs Dead Boy Robotics vs Foundling Wheel at the Voodoo Rooms.

Versus gigs are a bit risky in some senses – how to keep the pace up without garbling things, how to get enough interplay between the bands to stop it simply being a standard gig with a shuffled playlist, all sorts of things – but I love the idea in general.  The styles on show this evening are pretty varied too, which I think is a good thing.

Friday 11th September 2009: Neko Case at the Voodoo Rooms.

Neko Case has, simply, one of the most gorgeous voices around.  I’ve seen her live before and she is lovely – charismatic, charming and a superb performer.  There’s a lot on this Friday, so I don’t know if I’m likely to be able to make it, but I really want to go to this.

Neko Case – Tightly

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Friday 11th September 2009: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Come On Gang & Dupec play This is Music at Sneaky Pete’s.

Totally Enormous what? Fucking hell, you really should go for the name alone.  This is Music nights are brilliant fun, and this is just that kind of carefree, enjoyable lineup which makes them good.

Saturday 12th September 2009: The Jesus H. Foxx EP Launch at the Bowery, with Some Young Pedro & Golden Ghost.

YES, the offical Song, by Toad Records release of Matter, by Jesus H. Foxx!  I don’t know why I ever even wanted to be a record label, but one of the reasons was to be involved with, and make a contribution to, music which I bloody love.  I am absolutely thrilled to have this EP on the label and really looking forward to the launch night.  I’ve never seen either Some Young Pedro or Golden Ghost before either, so even more room to be excited.

Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good

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*Until people pointed out that it was total bollocks and they decided to change it.

Well the Trampoline show for this Friday, with Ziggy Campbell and Yusuf Azak has been cancelled, which is a bit of a tragedy for my music fun, but at least spares me some of the Olympic amounts of typing this post is going to require all through bloody August.  Fucking hell, it’s like a mini novel.  Fortunately I don’t think much was actually on yesterday, when the sort of hangover generated only by consuming an entire bottle of gin prevented me from doing anything productive at all.

So this post is being written now and dated two days ago so, erm, well fuck it, shoot me, there’s always the list of course.  But my listings are way better – everyone knows that.  Aren’t they.

Yes is the answer to that, in case anyone was taking too much time to think about it.

Tuesday 11th August 2009: Jesus H. Foxx & Art Fag at Electric Circus.

I was about to say that two Toad bands on the same bill means I am guaranteed to enjoy this, but strictly speaking electro-experimental loonies Art Fag are Scotland’s hottest new unsigned act and I will have to fight every label in the land with sticks for their signature.  Or, um, something like that.  And Jesus H. Foxx were superb at the Forest Cafe last week, so this should be a cracking show.
Jesus H. Foxx – Elegy For the Good Times

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Wednesday 12th August 2009: White Heath EP Launch at the Forest Cafe with Meursault, Foxgang and Debutant.

I am really looking forward to hearing this, and genuinely curious.  For all I’ve seen White Heath a few times recently I haven’t heard any of their recordings recently, and I am very much looking forward to hearing what Alex from Fentek has made of their sound, which can be chaotic to say the least when I’ve seen them live.  Quite how he mixes the trombone and fiddle in with the electric guitar and drums is something I’d like to hear.

Thursday 13th August 2009: Battle of the Bands – Cybraphon vs FOUND at the InSpace Gallery.

This is sold out, but apparently any returns will be available on Thursday.  You can’t have them though, because I need them.  Let’s be honest, I’m not going to miss a chance to watch one of my favourite Edinburgh bands face off against a moody musical wardrobe am I.

Friday 14th August 2009: This is Music at Sneaky Pete’s with The Foundling Wheel & Dead Boy Robotics.

Dead Boy Robotics had a very successful set at T in the Park this year (see video at the bottom of this post) and apparently their new stuff is something of a shift from earlier material, which makes me really rather curious to hear what they’re up to these days.
The Foundling Wheel – Out to See

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Saturday 15th August 2009: Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers, Lovers Turn to Monsters & Shenandoah DavisTrampoline at the Wee Red Bar.

Woodenbox are a cracking live band, I don’t really know Lovers Turn to Monsters, and Shenandoah Davis is bloody lovely.  We’re recording a Toad Session with her this weekend as well.  Splendid.
Shennandoah Davis – We, Camera

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Sunday 16th August 2009: Retreat Festival from 11.30am in the Bristo Hall, upstairs from the Forest Cafe.

The collection of bands playing here is in some senses irrelevant.  Even if you’ve never heard of a single one of the groups playing, you can be absolutely guaranteed that this is going to be an amazing day.  Those of you who like your rock music with a little bit more in the way of coke and whores may not be quite as thrilled as others by the Bristo Hall’s family and cuppa-friendly atmosphere, but I am hugely looking forward to it.  And the lineup is fucking amazing, as it happens:  Withered Hand, Jo Foster, Wounded Knee, Hexicon, Rob St John, Viking Moses, Tisso Lake, Moustache of Insanity, Allo, Darlin’, My Tiny Robots, Come In Tokyo, Enfant Bastard, The Pineapple Chunks, Meursault, The Leg.

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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Hello everyone – sorry for the lateness of this post, but unfortunately sometimes actual jobs with wages and things have to take precedence over things Toad, just for a little while.  I have spent the day at a meeting in Inverness, and I am desperate for a really good sleep.

There’s not a lot on in Edinburgh this week as far as I can tell.  The brilliant Animal Magic Tricks is playing pretty much as I write this, and I am gutted that I won’t get the chance to see her.  Well, not until Saturday, anyway, which is when everything kicks off, as far as live music in Edinburgh is concerned.  You could (and I intend to) drink yourself into a peaceful oblivion over the course of the day, going from the Fence Collective’s fucking brilliant pre-season friendly (a Homegame warm-up) during the day to the Bear Scotland night at the Wee Red Bar in the evening.

Oh, and I recently mentioned in the comments section that there was a brilliant write-up of the Edinburgh music scene in The Scotsman this weekend.  Yours Toadly was mentioned on a couple of occasions, which was rather splendid, but in general Andrew Eaton, who wrote the article, was trying to cram so much information into his piece that there was barely any space for him to do any writing.  It’s a terrific article though, and a real vindication of all the hard work which I’ve witnessed here over the last few years.  So well done to everyone, and thanks to Andrew.

Friday 6th March 2009: The Gillyflowers at the Village, Leith.

Recently signed to local blog label Seventeen Seconds, the Gillyflowers are a brand spanking new country band who have emerged from Leith only very recently.  Riley Briggs of Aberfeldy produced their demos for them, and they have recently been reviewed in pretty fucking glowing terms by The Herald and The Scotsman.  I can’t tell you much more about them, other than that Country Boy, one of those demos, is bloody lovely.  I’ll find out more on Friday, I’d imagine.
The Gillyflowers – Country Boy

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Saturday 7th March 2009: Found, Player Piano, The Red Well & plenty more play the Fence Collective’s Pre-Season Friendly at Old St. Paul’s Church Hall.

Apart from the lineup actually listed, there will be little inbetweeny performances from all sorts of other great bands at this one – Animal Magic Tricks and Meursault to name a couple – and the chance for a leisurely afternoon drinking session (the gig takes place from 2pm-8pm) in such a lovely venue really is not one to be missed.
Found – Some Fracas of a Sissy

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Saturday 7th March 2009: Dead Boy Robotics, The Foundling Wheel & Enfant Bastard at the Wee Red Bar.

This is a Bear Scotland night, and the first time I will get to see proper full sets by both Dead Boy Robotics and the Foundling Wheel, although I have caught some bits and pieces by both before.  Enfant Bastard though – oh yes please!  This gig really shows the breadth of the Bear Scotland umbrella, too, from the experimental thunder of The Foundling Wheel to the electronic, dancey pop tunes of Dead Boy Robotics to the… well, whatever Cammy feels like playing that particular night as Enfant Bastard.
Enfant Bastard – Joanna Newsom 666

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Saturday 7th March 2009: Maybe Myrtle Turtle & Fanattica at the Bowery.

This should be pure mayhem.  Both bands play folk-based stuff with added off-kilter whirlwinds of pure carnival frenzy.  It sounds to me like it should be a truly amazing gig, honestly, and if you don’t come out of the Bowery grinning from ear to ear and bouncing up and down like a delighted infant then I’ll be fucking amazed.  Told you Saturday was going to be busy.

You can’t fucking move in Edinburgh this week but for accidentally walking in on a quality gig.  Honestly, you could end up with a liver like a cricket ball if you went to all of the bastards, so there may be a few orange juice gigs (yes, I know, boom-tish and all that) for me this week, or I’ll have to spend all of December sobering up.

Given what Christmas is generally like anyway, I suspect that’s what January is likely to be for but, as with Christmas itself, it seems that the party season is starting earlier than ever this year.  Anyhow, there are a couple of really major ones this week, so unless you are at gigs from Wednesday until Sunday with barely a pause for breath, then bollocks to you.

Wednesday 26th November 2008: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at the Corn Exchange.
I don’t think I need to tell you what a legend I think Nick Cave is.  Along with Tom Waits and Bob Dylan he forms some sort of Unholy Trinity here at Song, by Toad and as his age increases so, seemingly, does his swagger.  Dig, Lazarus, Dig may not have been the most brilliant of his albums, but the stage show is still pretty amazing, helped considerably by the presence of demonic dervish Warren Ellis, torturing his violin to within an inch of its life.  Not to be missed.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Opium Tea

Wednesday 26th November 2008: Mary Hampton & Pete Greenwood bring the Green Man Tour to the Bowery.
If you can’t face the plastic glassed, beer stained, sweaty aircraft hangar which is the Corn Exchange then this is place for you.  The Bowery’s cosy setting is as perfect as I can imagine for the kind of delicate folk that the Green Man tour will be bringing to town.  Peter Greenwood is a little more popsome than Mary Hampton, so the two should provide a nice counterpoint to one another and a splendid evening altogether.
Pete Greenwood – Negotiations & Last Words

Thursday 27th November 2008: The Limbo 1st Birthday Party at the Voodoo Rooms, with Micachu, A-Lix, Dead Boy Robotics & Ex Lion Tamer.
Quite how Limbo have managed to put on a gig every week for a year is bloody well beyond me.  This will be at the dancier, electro-spazzier end of the spectrum of music you’ll hear about on this site, but then again this is supposed to a party after.  So well done to Dave and Andy at Limbo, and you can be assured that I will be there with bells on.  And, while we’re at it, well done to Ex Lion Tamer on signing with Seventeen Seconds Records.
Ex Lion Tamer – Go Ghost

Thursday 27th November 2008: Oxjam at the Hive, with Thieves in Suits, My Tiny Robots, Found, Sorren MacLean, Black Diamond Express Saint Jude’s Infirmary & the Wee Baby Jesuses.
Forgive me if I don’t link to every single MySpace page for this one, but you can all use Google.  This is the second of two nights in the capital this week with an all-star lineup of bands and all sorts of shadowy-sounding extra entertainment, like Ox-Factor stage, a Guitar Hero Arena and a cocktail bar.

Friday 28th November 2008: Withered Hand, Ish Marquez, Stanley Brinks and an Uber-Secret Special Guest at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Even without the Very Special Guest this is a pretty special lineup for fans of scratchy anti-folk twisted with unrest and disquiet.  Withered Hand is pretty much head of the Edinburgh arm of the anti-folk society, and certainly the one who fits most cleanly with their sound.
Jeffrey Lewis – If You Shoot the Head You Kill the Ghoul

Saturday 29th November 2008: White Heath & Fanattica at The Tron.
I am not entirely convinced about White Heath’s recordings on their MySpace page, but Euan put them on at Trampoline the other week and said that they were excellent live, so this should be worth checking out.  Recorded, there is quite a straightforward indie rock foundation to songs subsequently spiced up with real instruments.  Live apparently there is much more of an unhinged carnival atmosphere than I have thus far detected, so maybe it’s just not quite been captured on the recordings.  Fanattica are excellent live, with plenty of influence from the considerable Edinburgh Polish population, which they churn up with plenty of spirit and deliver with plenty of mayhem.

Saturday 29th November 2008: Gimme Shelter at the Caves, with pretty much the cream of the Edinburgh music scene.  I can’t be arsed linking all the MySpace pages, but here’s the list: Broken Records, Ballboy, Wake the President, Steve Mason (DJ Set), The European Union, De Rosa, Found (DJ Set), Withered Hand, Meursault, eagleowl, Jesus H Foxx, Little Pebble, The Kays Lavelle, Team Turnip, Kat Healy.  Basically, as you can probably tell, one great big fuck off extravaganza of music.  Surprisingly enough, my tip for the day is Team Turnip.  It may be a silly name, but Russell was one of the first people to ever submit music to Song, by Toad and his songwriting is really good.  He’s been under the radar somewhat since then, so I’ll be really interested to see how he’s getting on after almost two years.

After the excitement of last week it is with just a little bit of relief that I announce that there is pretty much fuck all going on in Edinburgh this week.  Phew.  I might just stay in and finally catch a bit of the football on the telly for a change.  Would you believe a bloody footie fanatic like myself has missed every last second of the Euros thus far?  That’s how busy I’ve been.

Well I can take bit of a breather this week, although I am meeting Andy to plan the Nightjar album launch, which will hopefully be late in July.  So what is there for your entertainment this week?  Well mostly there is Bear Scotland.  Who the fuck are Bear Scotland I hear you ask?  Well they are the loose collective including Withered Hand, Meursault, Les Enfant Bastard and a couple of other bands I am only just getting to know.  Well one of the only things I find myself really recommending this week is the night all the bands on Bear Scotland that I don’t know come to town – that and the single release night for the excellent Kid Canaveral.

Friday 20th June 2008: Kid Canaveral at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Kid Canaveral are releasing their new single, and this is the launch party.  I don’t have to big these guys up – just listen to Smash Hits below.  I defy you not to bounce.  See?  Get along to Henry’s then.
Kid Canaveral – Smash Hits

Friday 20th June 2008: School of Language & Meursault at the Ark.
I do not like the venue and from what very little I have heard I do not really like School of Language all that much either.  But Meursault are fucking brilliant, so if you are more SoL-inclined than I am, get yourselves down there.
Meursault – A Few Kind Words

Saturday 21st June 2008: Bear Scotland Presents at Henry’s Cellar Bar.
Actually playing will be the bands Dirty Summer, The Foundling Wheel and Dead Boy Robotics, but I know nothing about them (although Dirty Summer did that excellent song War is Bad, Bono is Great, which has featured on a Toadcast), but given how much I like the Bear Scotland bands I already do know, this show really is worth attending.  I’ll be there, and hopefully I will have some excellent things to share afterwards.
Dirty Summer – War is Bad, Bono is Great
Les Enfant Bastard – Plastic Bag (Pay attention to this, it’s new to this site and really rather good)