Song, by Toad

My Homegame review is pretty brief, but it is here, and there is a wee video thingy as well for you to enjoy.  This is of course the accompanying podcast, with songs either from the bands I saw there, or from EPs and bits and pieces I acquired at the merch table up in Fife.

I should really have included some interviews and shit in this podcast, shouldn’t I, but then I wasn’t actually as well prepared or as organised as I should have been, really.  Inasmuch as I kind of think I would prefer my video to have turned out a bit more like Milo’s, I would also have preferred my podcast to turn out a little more like DC’s Homegame show over at the Waiting Room.  I’m not saying that I dislike the stuff that I’ve done this year, just that to my eyes it lacks a little bit of fizz and personality, unfortunately.  Oh well, it’s all a learning process, and by the time Wickerman comes around I reckon I should be able to produce something a lot better.

Toadcast #69 – The Fifecast

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01. The Phantom Band – Island (03.00)
02. The Hand – Happa Yori (15.02)
03. King Creosote – Nothing Rings True (19.52)
04. James Yorkston & Adrian Crowley – Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Your Grieviance (25.42)
05. Jake Flowers – One For the Ditch (30.07)
06. Love.Stop.Repeat – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea (33.25)
07. Viking Moses – Clown School (39.03)
08. Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Banjo (46.14)
09. Animal Magic Tricks – Smallish Hooves (51.26)
10. Jonnie Common – Taken Out (57.16)

I’ve written about Jake Flowers a couple of times, and I thought now was a good time for a bit of a reminder, given he has a single out soon and has been rather splendidly included on the bill for this year’s Fence Collective Homegame festival.

Small World is available now on iTunes and in a couple of weeks on vinyl and I’d recommend it.  I got into Jake’s stuff from a couple of dubious MySpace rips and his really nice EP with the Carol-Anne Showband and, and there’s a warmth to his pastoral English folkiness which I really like.  He accelerates up to a hillbilly stomp on occasion, but for the most part it’s pretty mellow, lovely music.

The big question with this kind of thing recently seems to have been whether or not it can retain its quirk and charm as it gets more popular.  We’ve seen the likes of Noah & the Whale and Emmy the Great really fail to translate low-fi wonky underground appeal into a mass market product of any real quality.  Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re popular, but I still honestly can’t say that I think either is any good.  So I’m really pleased that Jake has found a label to release on, because I’ve been a fan of his music for a while, and I hope he steups up to greet a larger audience as well as I think he probably can.  Anyone who can get this kind of music played on Kerrang Radio, for fuck’s sake, must have something about them.

What else is there to say, I suppose.  His new stuff is sounding good, this all strikes me as really promising stuff and I am looking forward to seeing him live and finding out more.

Jake Flowers – Anyhow

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Jake Flowers – Rosalie

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I’ve invaded The Waiting Room, DC’s show on Error FM, once again, with familiarly disastrous results.  It’s all quite British folky this week.  This is a movement I’m really, really enjoying at the moment, and have been for some time, so I thought I’d go all lovely this week in preparation for a bit of a departure next.  He’s even thrown on some of my favourite local bands, The Byrons and Down the Tiny Steps, as a peace offering for hating Billy Bragg.  It’s too late, DC mate, I’m going to hate you forever now!

So, if you’d like to hear me put my best foot forward, only to have it ungratefully stamped upon by that horrible Welshman and his drunken sidekick-du-jour, then head over here and have a listen.  Alternatively, listen here:

The Waiting Room, with English Folk From the Toad[audio http://crack.podbean.com/medias/web/aHR0cDovL21lZGlhMS5wb2RiZWFuLmNvbS8xOTkzL3UvMTkwMzA4Lm1wMw/190308.mp3]

Actually, I liked the one with The Woman of the House last week.  She was far kinder about my choices, mate, so can she come back?  And isn’t it annoying to be upstaged by your wench on your own turf?  Anyone who introduces herself with lines like: “Who do I have to fuck around here to get a cup of tea?” is alright by me.

Here are some songs I could have picked for this episode, but didn’t:

Jake Flowers – Take Me Home
Art Pedro – Hangover Blues

As an adjunct to my other post about being well and truly ready to finish for Christmas and basically being unable to concentrate at work, I thought I’d let you know what I actually am spending my time doing: Toad sketches!  How come I can concentrate on these but not real work?  Well these are fun and something new and for me, I suppose.  And when I am supposed to be doing something sensible it’s surprising how fascinating even the silliest things can become.   Anyway, I’ve not coloured them in yet, but I thought I’d share these with you because I am finding this all rather enjoyable.

1. Toad playing with his records:

2. Toad has an accident with his gramophone.

3. Toad opens his Christmas present.

4. Toad makes time for his nearest and dearest.

5. Toad gazes rapturously at a picture of the lovely Mrs. Toad.

See, told you I’d been wasting my time.  Actually, I did most of those yesterday evening anyway, so it’s not too bad.  I quite like these though, now I just have to find a way to integrate them into the site.  Official Song, by Toad wallpaper anyone?

A couple of recent MySpace discoveries, with happy links:

Maxwell Panther I know I’ve only just posted about him, but I am really, really liking his rough demos.  There’s a really satisfying grumble to them, and the songs are superb.
Maxwell Panther – Down and Insideout

Jake Flowers You might remember my review of his EP with the Carol-Anne Showband earlier this year.  Well I loved that and by the sounds of it I am going to love his new EP Fireworks, which will be available in the new year.
Jake Flowers – There’s a Storm Coming

The Low Miffs Only just found out about these guys today, but they’ve got some Drowned in Sound love and been on Vic Galloway, so I appear to be a little slow once more.  Good though.
The Low Miffs – Cressida

Kottarashky Bulgarian dance music.  I kind of like this.  I have no idea why, because it really isn’t my kind of music, but it’s pretty cool I think you’ll agree. The mix of traditonal music with the dance stuff rather does it for me.
Kottarashky – Chetiri

The English folk scene has been in the rudest of health these last few years. If you head over to The Daily Growl you’ll see plenty of chat about the likes of Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, as well as Emmy the Great who he finally talked me into liking despite considerable reticence on my part. There are countless others as well, all singing a kind of largely acoustic folk-pop with witty lyrics and a brilliant ability to transition between the cheeky and the lovely in a moment.

I was aware of Jake Flowers before I heard his recent material with The Carol-Anne Showband, but this little demo CD is bloody brilliant and it’s about time I posted about them. There’s quite an English folky sound to this – how would you define folky anyway? – but tracks like standout Annabel (keep an eye out for this week’s podcast) could equally easily be bracketed in the alt-country catch-all that has been bandied about so loosely in recent years.

Either way, fans of acoustic music which rises and falls between gentle melancholia and rattle-along rhythm will bloody love this. Jake’s voice can be quite fragile sounding at times, making the gentler songs all the more affecting. Annabel is a rather dark tale, Stalker’s upbeat rhythms disguise a mildly worrying tale of obsessive love, and Rosalie is a gorgeous love song that slowly builds and builds.

Three songs, just under eight minutes – a little bundle of joy. There’s one more at their MySpace page as well which is just as good as anything on the demo, so hopefully there will be much more where this came from in the months to come.

Jake Flowers & the Carol-Anne Showband – Rosalie
Jake Flowers & the Carol-Anne Showband – Stalker