Song, by Toad

And no, the world it is not, but it is another decent album of punchy, bouncy, punky indie pop from the Futureheads.  They were kind of forgotten about after their second album News & Tributes, which is a bit of a mystery to me because I thought the song on that were almost universally enjoyable.   In terms of idiosyncracy, it was a significant step back from their debut, but if anything I think the sheer stickiness of the tunes was stronger.

Perhaps this drift towards a less individualistic mainstream sound was what caused their label to can them, who knows.  Maybe they just weren’t selling, because News & Tributes wasn’t very well received as far as I remember, no matter how much I liked it myself.  Anyhow, in this day and age there was only one solution: become your own record label, and that is exactly what they did.

The vinyl releases Beginning of the Twist and Radio Heart come on beautifully designed vinyl; real effort was being made to produce things worth buying.  Also, Irrespective of who wrote them, the phrasing of their mailing list emails was sincere and personal, despite obviously being mass mailouts.  Basically, they seem to have done a really nice job of the whole business.

Musically then, where do we find ourselves?  Well it’s punkier – more driven than News & Tributes, and less spasmodic than their debut album.  The capacity to write incredibly infectious hooks seems to have suffered just a little, I would say, resulting in a record with a bit of a sludgy middle.  That sounds bad, but there are some truly brilliant songs on this album.  Broke Up the Time and Beginning of the Twist are just exceptional – boisterous, punchy and angry.  There are others too, and the b-sides to the singles are good as well, so there’s obviously healthy productivity in Futureheads Towers these days.

That said, the slightly less than captivating title track and the three or four songs after it rather let this down.  It’s good, and there are some great bits, but my feelings about this album are mixed, I’m afraid.

The Futureheads – The Beginning of the Twist
The Futureheads – Think Tonight

Website | More mp3s | Buy the album & singles direct from the band

There’s not much of a unifying theme to this podcast, but there are a healthy number of breaking tracks in the playlist, so I guess calling it the Newcast will suffice for want of anything more inspired.

There’s new tracks from the impending singles by Kid Canaveral and The Left Outsides, a good few new bands you’ve never heard of, a couple of JC’s selections for the Toad Records Launch Night and some of the tracks from the sampler that I gave away at the party itself.

There’s also the first Recorded and Produced by Toad song in the world: Fearing Lothian by Uhersky Brod.  The band are friends of mine and we used the Toad Sessions recording equipment to put togethera demo for them.  It’s the first time I’ve ever recorded anything, so I presume there must be all sorts of issues with it but, well, you’ve got to start somewhere.  It’s a cracking song, whatever I’ve ended up doing to it.

So I hope you enjoy this rather disjointed collection of songs, because for all the lack of any real coherence it’s a good collection of songs nonetheless.

Toadcast #31 – The Newcast

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01. Cinerama – Health & Efficiency (03.57)
02. David Cronenburg’s Wife – My Ukrainian Girlfriend (12.39)
03. The Ukrainians – Batya (Bigmouth Strikes Again) (16.14)
04. The Lucksmiths – T-Shirt Weather (21.34)
05. Porlolo – There is No I in Athens (26.22)
06. Uhersky Brod – Fearing Lothian (33.17)
07. Sparrow & the Workshop – Grizzly Bear (38.46)
08. The Futureheads – The Beginning of the Twist (43.24)
09. Kid Canaveral – Teenage Fanclub Song (47.11)
10. The Left Outsides – The Third Light (53.15)
11. King Creosote – Ear Against the Wireless (61.34)
12. Eagleowl – Blanket (64.50)
13. Rob St. John – Domino (72.22)
14. Les Enfant Bastard – Plastic Bag (79.27)
15. Dinosaur Pile-Up – My Rock ‘n’ Roll Demo (85.43)
16. Computer vs. Banjo – Give Up on Ghosts (95.06)

There’s only time for a real quickie this week as I am working my hairy little buttocks off on the Broken Records stuff at the moment.  Still, in your insatiable thirst for pointless, self-indulgent rambling I was sure you’d want to listen to something splendid in the meantime.

There’s no underlying theme to anything either I’m afraid, just me rattling on about some current and very interesting music, as well as a couple of confessions so shocking you may never come back here again.  Looking at the playlist, I’m sure you can guess which ones they are.

So good luck with this, and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Toadcast #25 – The Quickcast[audio http://media.libsyn.com/media/songbytoad/ToadcastNo25.mp3]

01.  The Futureheads – Broke Up the Time (02.02)
02. Tapes ‘n’ Tapes – Hang Them All (05.05)
03. Meursault – Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues(13.21)
04. The Byrons – Azerbaijan (19.13)
05. The Fire Engines – Candyskin (26.04)
06. The Close Lobsters – Firestation Towers (28.53)
07. Mighty Mighty – Law (34.21)
08. Kim Carnes – When I’m Away From You (41.14)
09. Meat Loaf – Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (44.32)
10. Dirty Summer – War is Bad, Bono is Great (50.02)
11. The Low Lows – Dear Flies Love Spider (53.40)
12. Sargasso Trio – It’s Hot in Hell (58.32)
13. The Extraordinaires – High Five the Cactus (63.11)
14. Modernaire – Distraction (69.40)
15. The Indelicates – Point Me to the West (75.47)
16. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Night of the Lotus Eaters(83.47)

Yes, you did read that correctly.  Meat Loaf.  Fuck off.

There’s some good stuff in the ‘Burgh this week, including a couple of highly recommended local folk acts that I have yet to catch live, so it might mean the domestic chores getting put on hold for another week. I’ve heard a fair bit recently about both My Kappa Roots and Withered Hand and they are both playing Henry’s Cellar Bar this week, the former on Monday 25th February and the latter next Sunday, 2nd March. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to either gig, which is more than a little frustrating, but I’ll try. There are, as Mrs. Toad has to keep reminding me, chores to be done.

Wednesday 27th February: Stephanie Dosen at the Ark.
What happened to her? I heard a fair bit about her about this time last year and since then, nada. God only knows why she’s playing the Ark, which is a shabby place indeed, but she’s easily their most high profile booking for ages.

Wednesday 27th February: Kid Harpoon at Cabaret Voltaire.
After the release of his Second EP a few weeks back, I am really looking forward to his slightly folky indie stuff, and apparently he’s terrific live too. I’m also looking forward to seeing local band The Kays Lavelle for the first time as well, in support.
Kid Harpoon – Flowers by the Shore

Thursday 28th February: Found & Down the Tiny Steps at Cabaret Voltaire.
Down the Tiny Steps are absolutely superb – they go from acoustic folkiness to shoegazey guitar to experimental electronica, often in the same track. They’re superb live too. I’d be here just to see the Tinies, but throw Found into the mix and there’s no chance I’m missing it – what a first class lineup.
Down the Tiny Steps – Aye Spy
Found – You’re Really Quite the Catch

Sunday 2nd March: The Futureheads at The Liquid Room.
Without really expecting it I’ve slowly turned into a really big fan of the Futureheads. The tracks from their new album have a rockier edge than the indie-pop they’ve tended to produce thus far, and they sound terrific. Oddly under-rated if you ask me.
The Futureheads – Broke Up the Time

Song, by Toad is not the messiah. He is a very naughty boy.

Oh the shame of it all, my dear readers. I have been told off by the hopping mad and eminently justified Mrs. Toad for ‘treating this house like a hotel’ and not doing enough cleaning. Head duly hung in contrition – that poor girl puts up with an awful lot for the very dubious privilege of my companionship, she really does.

The first one comes about from too many gigs and far too much carousing. I had a conversation with two girls at The Aliens’ gig on Thursday who I asked questions I apparently have already asked them and they have already answered. Nothing crucial, mind, just the usual small talk questions you ask someone the first time you meet them, but I just have no recollection of this conversation whatsoever. Maybe I should try actually listening to people when they talk to me. Maybe I should try getting less shit-faced at other people’s parties too.

The cleaning thing is just a laziness problem. I hate cleaning. I keep the house pretty tidy, but I can’t stand the scrubbing the bath part of cleaning and can put these things off forever. And yes it is my turn. And yes I am procrastinating yet again and writing blog posts instead of just getting on with it. It’s just so dismally, depressingly, awfully FUCKING BORING! Please can we get a cleaning lady, darling, pleeeease?

Wasn’t that a thought-provoking and worthwhile post then, eh? Well for crying out loud don’t you whinge at me, people. It’s a huge internets, and there must be something out there interesting for you to read instead of this.

Actually, let’s get intellectual after all – how about some insightful movie criticism? Well, I know Helen Mirren got Oscars this year for some film there is no way I can be arsed seeing. And I know she’s a bit old. What I didn’t know was this: what absolutely fabulous boobs she used to have. Goodness gracious, what perfect orbs of squishy delight those two little puppies are – who’d a thought it? I know she had a reputation for sartorially minimalist art house snooze-fests in her reckless youth, but I’d never been keen enough to see her sans-vetements to actually bother sitting through anything quite so drearily worthy. As I said, there’s a whole internets out there…

The Futureheads – Worry About it Later
The Jam – Mr Clean
Scissor Sisters – Tits on the Radio
Tom Waits – A Good Man is Hard to Find
Tom Waits – I Don’t Wanna Grow Up