Song, by Toad

There’s no real theme to this week’s podcast, but there’s plenty of splendid new music. Basically I felt so guilty about the crazy rant that the Pink Podcast descended into that I have tried to say as little as possible in this one.

I’m off to the End of the Road Festival this weekend, which is why I recorded an advance post, so you’ll be enjoying this while I’m away getting rained on. The lineup is just phenomenal actually, so it should be really quite a splendid weekend. Tim from the Daily Growl will be there, as will Jamie from the Runout Groove and I believe possibly Sweeping the Nation as well, so it may turn into quite a blog-in. Tragically, however, I will be without my Midget Companion. Mrs. Toad is away in Australia (jammy bitch) with work and doesn’t get back in time to come along, so I will be taking a book and enjoying the pleasure of my own company as best I can.

There was at least one inevitable balls-up though – when describing the Catherine Howe song I said ‘I can’t believe this is current – it sounds so old-fashioned!’ and I have since discovered that in fact it is a 2007 re-release of a 1971 record which may just explain that. In the process I also discovered that I am something of a fucking idiot.

So, End of the Road, and in the meantime, enjoy the podcast – Toad on his very best behaviour!

Toadcast #11 – Not Sure What This One’s About[audio http://media.libsyn.com/media/songbytoad/ToadcastNo11.mp3]

01. A.A. Bondy – Vice Rag (00.52)
02. White Rabbits – The Plot (03.39)
03. The Courteeners – Cavorting (08.19)
04. Alaska in Winter – Close Your Eyes/We Are Blind (11.46)
05. Beirut – Fork & Knife (La Fete) (18.32)
06. Band of Horses – Is There a Ghost (21.57)
07. Nathan Lawr & the Minotaurs – We Go Down (26.52)
08. David Dondero – Rothko Chapel (30.34)
09. Jackson C. Frank – Blues Run the Game (38.15)
10. Calexico – All the Pretty Horses (41.45)
11. Catherine Howe – In the Hot Summer (48.53)
12. Little Name – How to Swim & Live (53.31)
13. Emma Pollock – Adrenaline (56.36)
14. George Pringle – Fellini For Prime Minister (63.52)
15. Octoberman – By the Wayside (67.27)
16. The 1900s – When I Say Go (74.54)
17. (The Real) Tuesday Weld – Kix (79.44)

It may tail off towards the end, in my view, but there is absolutely loads to love about this record.  Describing it is pretty easy – it’s sort of the perfect storm of all that blissfully French 60s French movie dream pop (and breathe..) that swoons in and out of Belle & Sebastian and Camera Obscura at one end, St Etienne and Dubstar at the other and Cousteau right slap bang in the middle.

It’s entirely familiar, almost like the distilled essence of all these sounds, and there will almost certainly be no surprises here for you.  It is rare, however, that a record of this sort can stick quite so well quite so instantly, so there is definitely something interesting there.  Basically, music this dreamy, soft-focussed and blissful usually takes a good while to sink in properly.  It can be hard to make tunes stand out in music where the atmosphere building seems often to take precedence.

Somehow though, even after a listen or two, I found the first half of this album greeting my ears as old friends.  The second half may take me a little longer but I will indubitably be making the effort.  If this sort of music in general is your thing, then this will make a very welcome addition to your landscape.

Little Name – For the Attention Of
Little Name – How to Swim & Live

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