Song, by Toad

After attending a birthday party which involved the scarfing of five pig’s heads yesterday I still don’t feel capable of eating anything. I may have to fast for the next few days before that little lot gets digested, in fact. Fucking hell that was a meal and a half.

There will be no giggenfun for me this week, unfortunately, despite a couple of natty lineups on the horizon. The label is going to require an absolutel shitload of admin work this week and if I go out gallvanting there is no way I am going to be able to get all of it done. We have Meursault single promos to do, Foxx promos, Split 12″ numbering, Maxwell Panther printing and label sampler cutting and folding. Then there’s the Fresh Air show on Wednesday with the Japanese War Effort, which I’m looking forward to.

Did everyone see that FOUND’s musical cupboard of magnificence won the BAFTA for Best Interactive Thingumajig? Well done lads, brilliant, and thoroughly deserved. Must have been a bit depressing for the others shortlisted though – how the fuck do you compete with something like the bloody Cybraphon?

Anyway, on with the task at hand. What should you be doing while I’m in the house folding paper, cutting out inserts and stuffing CDs into slip-cases? Well if you’ll hang on, I’ll tell you:

Wednesday 11th November 2009: The Pineapple Chunks, Ruthelise Snowe & Andy Brown at the Bowery.

I know little about this gig, so if anyone knows anything about who’s supporting please let me know in the comments. I’ve linked to an Andy Brown MySpace page, but I really don’t know if it’s the right one and, er, I can’t find Ruthelise Snow at all. The Chunks themselves however make, erm… mental guitar music basically. It’s off-kilter, surprisingly melodic and brilliant fun.

The Pineapple Chunks – Dark Halo

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Thursday 12th November 2009: Graham Coxon at the Queen’s Hall.

Most people I know absolutely love Graham Coxon, and cite his departure from Blur as the moment they became shit. That’s bollocks of course, because Think Tank is a great album, but that’s a whole new argument. Anyhow, here I am pootling along in my ignorance, with little real awareness of Coxon’s solo work and no more than a fairly casual liking for what little I have heard. The last album was really quite folky though, and I believe this is an acoustic setup, so that’s about all I can tell you.

Graham Coxon – All Has Gone

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Thursday 12th November 2009: The Leg, Your Loyal Subjects and Lipsync For a Lullaby play Versus at the Voodoo Rooms.

Apparently I sounded a little lukewarm on the concept the last time I mentioned the Versus gigs, but I really didn’t mean to be. All three bands will play separately, together and everything inbetween, and there will be inter-set entertainments as well. Basically it is going to be a gigantic musical mish-mash. The last one was apparently brilliant, so if Ted and his minions can pull that off again this should be a brilliant night.

Saturday November 14th: Riley Briggs from Aberfeldy at Carter’s Bar.

This is a free gig (Riley also plays alternate Thursdays down at the Shore in Leith, I believe) and will be a solo acoustic performance, but the band’s breezy indiepop should be perfectly suited to this kind of setup.

Aberfeldy – Love is an Arrow

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Saturday November 14th: Trashcan Sinatras, Brother Louis Collective & the Seventeenth Century at Cabaret Voltaire.

The Trashcan Sinatras are something of a blast from the past for me, I have to confess. I remember absolutely loving A Happy Pocket when I bought it back in my universoty days. I have to confess to having barely a clue what they’re up to these days, but I’d be really curious to see them. I don’t know Brother Louis Collective really, but the Seventeenth Century are excellent.

Trashcan Sinatras – The Therapist

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Saturday 14th November 2009: Panda Su, John B McKenna & the Last Battle play Trampoline at the Wee Red Bar.

The Last Battle are what happened when Thieves in Suits called it a day and I’ve heard very good things about them, without having had the chance to see them myself. Panda Su seem to be drawing all sorts of praise, and John B McKenna also sounds rather interesting. It’s a low-key lineup this one, but Euan has definitely found a really good spread of underground artists I’d personally like to see, and then kindly put them all in the same place on one evening for me.

It’s a bit crowded with interesting things this week, with everything kind of happening at once, making it a little difficult to decide what to go to. Then there’s always Mrs. Toad of course, who has the selfish habit of complaining when I spent every night of the week out doing musicky things, the unreasonable old bag.

We’re off on a big holiday shortly too, so there is a fair bit of organising to be done and so far I am not proving particularly adept. Ah well, organisation was never a strong suit, but I guess we’ll be just fine. Going away is hardly a tricky business, especially if jabs aren’t involved. So what will I probably be skipping this week, in preparation for my parents’ visit on Friday?

Wednesday 23rd July 2008: Lanterns on the Lake, Lipsync For a Lullaby & Laura Lewis & the Tea Dance Orchestra at the Voodoo Rooms.
I don’t know much about these chaps, but Lipsync were highly recommended to me quite recently, although by whom I can’t remember. It was probably Bart “There is No Such Thing as a Shit Band” Owl I should imagine, but I’m not sure. Lanterns on the Lake are a Newcastle bunch who play rather dreamy pop, Laura Lewis is a local concern, who sounds quite breathless and just a little twee, and Lipsync deal in guitar soundscapes, so it sounds like a really diverse bill and a very decent night out indeed.
Lanterns on the Lake – This Year

Thursday 24th July 2008: Meursault & The Kays Lavelle play Duty Free at Cabaret Voltaire.
I like these Duty Free gigs – they’ve put together some pretty good lineups, despite the freeness, and this week sees a couple of very good Toadpals Meursault and The Kays Lavelle on the bill, along with a couple of other bands I don’t really know: Barnowl and Ross Clark.
The Kays Lavelle – The Chemistry Between

Thursday 24th July 2008: Sara & the Snakes & Black Diamond Express play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
I’ve wanted to see Black Diamond Express for a while, but they don’t play that often and when they do I have an annoying habit of being otherwise engaged, which may well happen again this time, which is really frustrating. Sara & the Snakes likewise, really. I’ve seen their guitarist Andy do a solo set and he was absolutely outstanding but I’ve never seen the full band which is a little bit frustrating.
Black Diamond Express – Jack