Song, by Toad

It’s fairly quiet in Edinburgh this week, which is good for me, because I am so damn busy there’s almost no chance of me getting out of the house at all – I will be up to my neck in prints and album covers for Cold Seeds and for Trips and Falls, and stuffing promotional copies of albums into envelopes for Meursault and Loch Lomond.  My brain feels liked an over-stuffed Filofax at the moment, and I keep writing down endless lists which look just like the list I wrote a day previously, just in case at any point my head bursts and everything spills out all over the floor.

I know the Filofax was presumably named after a bit of a bastardisation of the term file, and maybe even the words facts or even telefax, but I like to think the filo part came from the pastry, because that’s frequently what they ended up looking like.

My promise to myself, however, is that whatever happens I will be at the Japanese War Effort album launch party on Friday, but as that’s a small gig indeed I am not sure how public a gig this is, you’re best getting in touch with Jamie via the band’s MySpace if you want to go along.

You’ll also be thrilled to find out that Newton Faulkner are playing the Picture House this week – Newton Faulkner the band of whom regular commenter Bart once so memorably said: “To be fair, I wasn’t judging Newton Faulkner entirely on his Wikipedia entry.  I was also taking into account his fucking ridiculous haircut.” which is one of my all-time favourite comments on this site ever in history, so much so that it has been immortalised in t-shirt form.

Friday 5th March 2010: Copy Haho, eagleowl & Debutant play This Is Music at Sneaky Pete’s.

This is Music have recently gone weekly, which is good news.  This weekend sees Aberdeen alumni Copy Haho and Debutant take the stage, with eagleowl in the middle.  The lineup is a bit all over the place in a sense, but I am pretty sure all the bands really like one another’s music, so maybe it makes sense in a different way!

Debutant – Thirst

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Saturday 6th March 2010: Richmond Fontaine & Alana Levandoski at Cabaret Voltaire.

Richmond Fontaine might be one of the most under-rated bands around.  They play Americana, but it is at once so epic in its storytelling sweep, and so small and personal in its details, that you’re left with the impression of really grand vistas made believable by the tiny details in the foreground.  It’s a gorgeous combination, and if you are vaguely interested in this kind of music I strongly recommend you get down to Cabaret Voltaire on Saturday.

Richmond Fontaine – The Boyfriends

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Mrs. Toad and I held our annual Christmas party on Saturday and I still feel wrecked.  Fucking hell, that was some bash.  I think the last gin and tonic was poured at something like half eight in the morning; I was like a zombie yesterday.  Funnily enough, the cleaning up wasn’t really too bad, because basically most of it just went in bin-bags and the rest in the dishwasher.  Still, I still have that kind of dazed feeling you get after these things.  Mental.  I think we deserve some sort of prize for truly epic parties after this one.

So, time for a nice gentle week this week I think, so I can recover nicely.  What’s that you say?  No fucking chance?  No, thought not.  This is December after all, and this week might the craziest of the lot.

Oh, and on Saturday we’re recording a Toad Session with eagleowl which is, frankly, brilliant.  Clarissa’s double-bass rumbling through our living room might just scare the shite out of the cafe downstairs though!

Tuesday 8th December 2009: Deerhoof at the Bongo Club.

Deerhoof are a bizarre combination of the tuneful and the fucking insane.  Christ knows how that’ll translate into a live performance I have no idea, but I’m fascinated.

Deerhoof – Chandelier Searchlight

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Wednesday 9th December 2009: Broken Records, Withered Hand & Jesus H. Foxx at Cabaret Voltaire.

After another crazy year, Broken Records return to play their first Edinburgh show since the Festival.  A small venue like Cabaret Voltaire should give this an amazing atmosphere.  When Broken Records go mental they really go mental, so come prepared to go berserk with them.  And with Withered Hand and the Foxx on the bill as well, this has turned into something of a showcase of Edinburgh talent.

Broken Records – Nearly Home

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Wednesday 9th December 2009: Alastair Roberts & Benni Hemm Hemm at St Mark’s Unitarian Church.
Well I don’t know what to tell you about this, but I believe it is going to be a collaborative evening rather than a straight up two-band bill.
Stuffs

Friday 11th December 2009: eagleowl Single Launch at the Bowery, with Dan from Withered Hand & Jill from Sparrow & the Workshop.

Eagleowl* are launching both their new single Sleep the Winter and their new record label Kilter at this show.  The single itself is fucking gorgeous, frankly, and I can’t wait to see both Dan and Jill as well.  Having only seen either of them play with full bands recently it will make for a really lovely evening – the perfect pace for pre-owlage.

eagleowl – Know by Now

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Saturday 12th December 2009: Song, by Toad Christmas Party/Last Night at the Bowery with Jesus H. Foxx, Inspector Tapehead, Rory Sutherland, Thomas Western & Rob St. John.

The Bowery is closing, the bar must be emptied and the tunes are fucking amazing.  Apart Edinburgh newcomer Tom Western, a special set by Rory from Broken Records and an sadly rare (curse you, Oxford!) performance by Rob St. John we will have full sets by Toad Records heroes Inspector Tapehead and Jesus H. Foxx.  I’ll be there for mince pies and some mulled wine earlyish so feel free to come along too.

Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Banjo

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Saturday 12th December 2009: Trampoline All-Day Event at the Wee Red Bar.

Euan has put together an amazing lineup of unsigned talent for this all day bash at the Wee Red.  It’s amazingly cheap too, at a mere five pounds for normal people and three for either students or those intending to come on to the Toad Night at the Bowery later on.  Bands playing include Debutant, Jonnie Common, Conquering Animal Sound, Mitchell Museum and the Scottish Enlightenment so for those who don’t fancy our Christmas Party (cunts) this is the perfect alternative.  Or for those who want to start their revelling early, of course.

Mitchell Museum – Take the Tongue Out

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*It’s the start of a sentence, so it gets capitalised – deal with it.

Having made such an almighty pig’s ear of last week’s listings, I find myself wondering if the gigmosphere really is as thin as it looks this week, or whether I’ve just managed to make another spectacular arse of spotting the good ‘uns again.

There’s something a little different happening, actually, because Joey Comeau and the Loose Teeth Press are going to be at the Bowery as part of their reading tour tonight, which sounds rather interesting.  Also, the Charity Baw at the Roxy on Saturday looks like a bit of a spectacular, so it’s not actually as quiet a week as it looks.

Tuesday 17th November 2009: King Charles play the first Fresh Air Tuesday at the GRV.

Fresh Air student radio are taking over the GRV on Tuesdays this year, putting on something a little different each week, and kicking things off this week with King Charles.  I don’t know them at all, but I have dug up a few songs and they sound really rather good.  Definitely worth checking out.

King Charles – Beating Hearts

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Friday 20th November 2009: Otters Sing Lullabies present Conquering Animal Sound, Molly Wagger and Aurora Stands in Snow at the Bowery.

This will be a quirky night of music, all quite gentle in most senses, but nevertheless a little disturbing in others.  There will be a lot of acoustic loveliness and quite a bit of slightly eccentric electronic  trickery as well.

Saturday 21st November 2009: Charity Baw at the Roxy Art House.

Pretty much every bastard is playing this one.  There are local heroes such as Withered Hand, Aberfeldy, Benni Hemm Hemm and Come On Gang but, somewhat more intriguingly from my perspective, there will also be the amazing (The Real) Tuesday Weld.  That sounds a bit hard on the local contingent, but I don’t mean it that way, simply that I have been a Tuesday Weld fan for bloody ages and never once had the chance to sample their visually sumptuous live show.  Yes, yes I did just use the word sumptuous.  Sorry. What I basically mean is that they use their rather excellent videos as a backdrop to the live performance, which sound brilliant. And at least a little sumptuous.

(The Real) Tuesday Weld – Kix

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Sunday 22nd November 2009: Debutant, Rasied by Wolves, The Last Battle at the Bowery.

This is my gig of the week, I think.  I’ve not properly seen any of these bands live and I have been twitching to see all three for a while.  Debutant’s atmospheric guitar layering will probably be quite distinct from the more traditional songwriting of the other two bands, but it looks like this should be a good ‘un.

[Welcome back to Euan's monthly Sunday Supplement column here on Song, by Toad.  His writing can be found over at the Steinberg Principle, where he habitually does crazy things like confessing to liking Lionel Ritchie.  Don't worry though, I know how achingly cool my readers are - there'll be none of that sort of shit here.]

I’ve written about Phil Quirie’s music a couple of times over at The Steinberg Principle but I think it’s only fair that since I have the attention of a bigger audience on Matthew’s page I draw your attention to his work. Phil is now known as the guitarist in Meursault. That in itself is a pretty great honour as almost everyone who uses this blog will surely agree. He’s also one of the best guitarists I know.

When I first saw him play with his old band Kartta I was just blown away by his playing and the sounds he created. I actually asked him to join the Kays when he originally told me he was planning on moving to Edinburgh but I didn’t really stand much chance with Meursault also asking him to join and he politely declined. Anyways, though Phil will be known to many as being in Meursault, what I think he should be best known for is his solo stuff.

His project, known as ‘Debutant’, or simply Philip Quirie to the people of Inverness, is a solo project involving Phil, his guitar and a plethora of pedals. Think Eluvium if you can. If not, bear with me. In a nutshell Phil creates wonderful atmospheric soundscapes by layering guitar line upon guitar line. This really is intelligent music. Each individual component in itself appears simple, yet the overall impact and construction of the music is technically gifted and brilliantly pieced together. There’s a real mix to his work of instrumental, atmospheric beauty and lovely little pop melodies. I’ve said it before but every time I see him live he’s getting better and better and better. I really would recommend you check him out now. I hope he can maintain Debutant as well being in Meursault, I guess time will tell. But for now please check out his music and catch him live if you can.

Debutant – Means to an End

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I feel really weird this morning.  Partly I am whizzed off my tits on painkillers, which at least makes the back pain manageable, and partly I took the advice from this thread a little too seriously last night.  Ouch.  Pills, Caol Ila and Ardbeg: not a winning combination by the time the morning after comes around.

So there’s no chat this week, you’ll be pleased to know.  Here are some gigs.  Go to them.  But good luck picking what to do on Wednesday, because I’ve no fucking idea myself.

Wednesday 23rd September 2009: David Thomas Broughton and several other chaps at Sneaky Pete’s.

Actually David Thomas Broughton is being supported by Debutant, Twi the Humble Feather and Ross Clark, I just liked the phrasing of that little place marker, so I left it in.  ‘Several other chaps’ – spendid.  See, I told you the pills were working.  Anyhow, David Thomas Broughton is mental and brilliant.  He has a black belt in the use of loop pedals, a gorgeous voice and a strange knack for peculiar physical theatre to accompany his musical performances.  He’s sufficiently eccentric, actually, that he is a good one for sorting the men from the boys because a lot of people really don’t like David Thomas Broughton.  These people are wrong, it is as simple as that.

Wednesday 23rd September 2009: Withered Hand Album Launch at the Leith Dockers’ Club, with special guests.

You know I like this album, don’t you?  You also know I have an awful lot of time for Dan, don’t you.  And I’ve not read a bad review for the record anywhere – not even a merely lukewarm one.  So expect a big old hairy metal-hippie love-in at one of Edinburgh’s more idiosyncratic venue choices.  I would tell you who the Very Special Guest is, but I am not allowed.  You’ll just have to keep your Ear Against the Wireless.

Withered Hand – Cornflake (Demo)

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Wednesday 23rd September 2009 (or Thursday): Jesus H. Foxx & the Pineapple Chunks at the Wee Red Bar.

The Wee Red website seems to think this is on Thursday 24th, whereas I am pretty sure the bands think it’s on the 23rd.  I don’t know – personally I would go along on Wednesday if I were you because the venue is there all week and it’s probably best to turn up when the bands are actually intending to play.  Besides, at least if you go on Wednesday and you’re wrong, there’s time to put it right.  There will be lots of guitars and drums at this gig,

Friday 25th September 2009: Julie Doiron, Construction & Destruction and Former Utopia at the Bowery.

Julie Doiron is folky, quiet, French Canadian and stuff like that.

Saturday 26th September 2009: Occasional Flickers, French Wives & Cancel the Astronauts at Sneaky Pete’s.

The Occasional Flickers are probably best and most lazily described as pleasant twee-pop.  Which is nice.  My head hurts too much to write anything more about this.

The Occasional Flickers – A Medal Won in ‘84

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Saturday 26th September 2009: The Low Miffs & Malcolm Ross at Cabaret Voltaire.

The Low Miffs are a fucking great live band, and their album is excellent.  It’s art rock, to a degree, old school indie to a degree and camp as tits in some senses.  I’ll be here with bells on, depending on certain potential Manchester-based excusions.

The Low Miffs & Malcolm Ross – Cressida

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Sunday 27th September 2009: Strike the Colours & Zoey Van Goey at Electric Circus.

Zoey Van Goey are another band I have inexplicably yet to see, for no really obvious reason.  They have an album out and an increasing national profile, so I really should get my shit together and check them out.  Strike the Colours is the vehicle for Malcolm Middleton’s fiddle player, and a band I kind of like, but perhaps no more than that.

Strike the Colours – Strangernight

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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.

Obviously, from my perspective there is one big and important gig this week:

Sunday 9th August 2009: Animal Magic Tricks (with Pete from The Leg & Neil from Meursault) at the first Toad House Gig.

Use the link below to buy tickets and please do buy them in advance because we can’t have too many people in the house, and at the same time I would be gutted if it was empty, so it would help us plan ahead a little:

In the rest of the city, however, the Edinburgh Festicle well and truly kicks off this week.  This means that despite a rather quiet build-up, the weekend is just fucking mental, frankly.  My personal choice is going to be Trampoline on Saturday, I think.  I’m really interested to hear what Jonnie Common’s doing on his own, although Rob St. John was excellent at Electric Circus on Saturday and his show at the Portrait Gallery with Emily Scott should be fantastic.  I’ve probably missed out loads, but you really are going to have to expect that during August I think because there’s just going to be so much stuff going on, and not listed in the obvious and usual places either, so I’ll probably miss a fair bit.

I sulk about the Festival, honestly, because it tends to utterly steamroll anything which would actually happen in the city otherwise, but this year there does seem to be a lot of actual Edinburgh stuff taking place, particularly in terms of music.  For anyone wanting a full run down, Bart wrote an excellent summary of what to expect for the next few weeks last weekend, and you really should read it if you want a musically rewarding August.

Tuesday 4th August 2009: Debutant, Plastic Animals & Yahweh at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

This will be quite post-rocky and quite atmospheric and quite noisy.  Yup, noisy. Excellent!

Friday 7th August 2009: Woodpigeon & Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers at Sneaky Pete’s.

I have never been any more than a casual fan of Woodpigeon, but I am sort of liking their recent album Treasury Library Canada.  For me though, the real reason to attend this gig is the excellent Woodenbox who can be phenomenal live.
Woodpigeon – Cities of Weather

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Friday 7th August 2009: The Stranglers at the Picturehouse.

No, I am not a Stranglers afficionado, yes I would just be going for the famous ones, no I don’t care.  Sometimes ‘just the hits’ can be great, especially when they’re as great as Golden Brown.
The Stranglers – Golden Brown

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Friday 7th August 2009: The Radiation Line, The Kays Lavelle & Adam Stafford at the Wee Red Bar.

This is the official launch night for the Trampoline August shows, and will be a good chance to hear live versions of things on the approaching Kays Lavelle album.

Friday 7th & Saturday 8th August 2009: Mumford & Sons at Cabaret Voltaire.

Even though I am not really as keen on the band as I was when I first heard them, when they honestly blew me away, they are still phenomenal live.  It’s sort of gospelly banjo raucousness, I suppose, and bloody brilliant.
Mumford & Sons – White Blank Page

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Saturday 8th August 2009: Rob St. John & Emily Scott at the National Portrait Gallery.

I pretty much described why I thought this would be good in the main post didn’t I.  I shall just add that Emily is launching a new album, in case you need even more incentive to turn up.

Saturday 8th August 2009: David Byrne at the Playhouse.

What do I have to say about this?  The man was Talking Heads!  To cap that he’s been incredibly positive about what the internet can mean to young bands and had some very well-considered things to say about how to make the most of the new environment in the music industry.
Talking Heads – Hey Now (Yes, I know this isn’t ‘David Byrne’ per se, but bugger off, I love this album.)

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Saturday 8th August 2009: Jonnie Common, Animal Magic Tricks & Conquering Animal Sound play Trampoline at the Wee Red Bar.

This should be very low-fi and somewhat scratchy but with lovely underlying melodies, if my knowledge of both Jonnie Common and Animal Magic Tricks is anything to go by.  I don’t know Conquering Animal Sound, but then that’s why we go to gigs, isn’t it.