Apart from the gig stuff happening this week, I will be on this panel in Glasgow tomorrow. It is about the use of social media in music, and although I am not entirely certain quite how qualified I am to give actual advice, I do notice for example that our social media-based stuff for the record label tend to yield a lot more interest than our mailing list, so I guess there are a few things to talk about.

And then on Saturday we’ll be recording a Toad Session with the truly awesome PAWS.  Quite how we’re going to get away with the enormous racket they make I have no real idea, but umm… well, we’ll see, won’t we.  Fortunately Philip sings quite loud, so hopefully we won’t just end up with drums in everything.

However, for those of you who care not for Toad Sessions, nor indeed for social media seminars, here are some more traditional musical diversions for you over the next seven days.

Monday 19th September 2011: Slow Club & The Last Battle at Cabaret Voltaire.

If you can’t enjoy yourself at a Slow Club gig it must simply be because you are incapable of fun and therefore not a very worthwhile person. Their tunes are infallibly catchy, the band themselves seem to have a brilliant time playing and they are also obviously incredibly nice people, and that makes their gigs even better! And for a band who perform with simply dual vocals, guitar and a very, very stripped back drum kit they don’t half make a racket when they want to.

Slow Club – Let’s Fall Back in Love

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Wednesday 21st September 2011: North Atlantic Oscillation, Miaoux Miaoux & Discopolis play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

Another solid Scottish lineup from Limbo, who are approaching their fourth birthday as promoters, somewhat incredibly.

Saturday 24th September 2011: The Tidal Wave of Indifference presents Star Wheel Press, French Wives, The Douglas Firs and Lost Telegrams at the Wee Red Bar.

Stu from Tidal Wave of Indifference has slipped his head into the gig promotion noose, and I intend to be along to kick away the stool this Saturday. It’s an ambitious, four-band lineup with strong acoustic pop sensibilities running through it, but quite big sounds nevertheless.  Should be good, and I will be there!  Somewhat pished after recording the PAWS session, I would imagine, but there nevertheless.

The Douglas Firs – The Quickening

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HIYAAAAAAA!  I am a little bit wired this morning, can you tell?  After the onslaught of SXSW (which I will stop mentioning now, promise) I get back to the print press promo work for the King Post Kitsch album, a Josh T. Pearson session at Stereo in Glasgow this afternoon and the Husband, Miaoux Miaoux and Justin Grounds gig at Medina tomorrow.  You are all coming to that aren’t you?  ALL of you!

Oh, and the annual lifeboat collection day has been announced.  With a government seemingly intent on turning us into a third world nation (no social services, massive gap between rich and poor, what other conclusion can there be?) it feels more important than ever that we participate in things like this.  Voting seems to make no fucking difference whatsoever, so more day-to-day stuff looks like just about the only way you can really participate in democracy in this country at the moment.  Christ, I sound like a bitter old Socialist don’t I!

Anyway, on Saturday 30th April any and all volunteers should convene at our house in Stockbridge and we’ll send people out to shake a tin, while Mrs. Toad prepares a big old roast and then in the evening we can eat like pigs and get bladdered.  From experience, the most effective collectors have been anyone wielding a baby (Euan), pretty girls (better not name names here) and pushy bastards (thank you Mr. Sutherland), but we’ll pretty much take anyone, so please do let me know if you’d like to help.

So, as the sun shines on Edinburgh and I contemplate a cup of tea in the back garden, please remember that Friday is de-lurking day, and the perfect time to come out of the intershadows and say hello.  Fill in your five and then talk baws* with everyone else.  Productivity is most severely frowned upon around here, but most especially so on Friday.

1. Which festival are you most looking forward to this year?
2. Name a song for the first warm, sunny day of the year.
3. What do you tend to have with your cuppa?
4. How will you waste time, next time you have the opportunity?
5. How do you take your eggs?

This week’s five songs were all introduced to me by Campfires & Battlefields, with whom I ended up sharing far too few pints in Texas last week.

Bowerbirds – In Our Talons

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Musee Mechanique – Like Home

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Sam Amidon – Little Johnny Brown

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Bodies of Water – We Are Co-Existors

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Salt & Samovar – Swallowed a Pill

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*For non-Scots, baws = nuts, bollocks, rambutans, balls, testicles, etc etc etc.  As in ‘bawsack’ – excellent Scottish vulgarity!

This is one of those weeks where there could be two of you and you’d still probably not quite manage to get to all the decent gigs in the city this week.  Personally I am going to try and keep it a bit calm, but I have my doubts as to whether or not I am likely to succeed.  Mrs. Toad, no doubt, will be wildly impressed.

I had fun down in London last week, incidentally.  As I mentioned, I did a quick interview with Tom Robinson for BBC 6Music while I was there and, in typical fashion, talked for about twenty minutes, forcing them into copious editing to get things down to the requisite couple of minutes of actual airtime.  You can listen to the whole thing here if you like – it’ll be up for the next week or so I think, and my bit starts just over half an hour in.

Monday 7th February 2011: The Joy Formidable at the Electric Circus.

I’ll be absolutely honest, I don’t know too much about these guys, apart from the fact that they were really quite buzzy a year or so ago, and have a new album coming out, so I am rather interested to hear what it’s all about.

The Joy Formidable – The Magnifying Glass

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Wednesday 9th February 2011: 6 Day Riot, The Pineapple Chunks & White Heath play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

Limbo really are back with a bang in 2011.  Having gone incredibly quiet last year, I wasn’t sure if we were going to see them back again, but with something like six or seven shows booked for the first couple of months of the year already it seems I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It’ll be nice to see the Chunks back in action again as well.

The Pineapple Chunks – Look Back in Horror

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Thursday 10th February 2011: Dylan Uncovered at the Voodoo Rooms.

In association with Let’s Get Lyrical, this is a night of Dylan appreciation (and covers) starring Yusuf Azak, Esperi, The Sundancer, Shock and Awe, Norman Lamont, Hookers for Jesus, Edinburgh School for the Deaf, Issac Brutal and the Trailer Trash Express, and Tribute to Venus Carmichael.

Friday 11th February 2011: James Yorkston & Marry Waterson and Oliver Knight at Pilrig St. Paul’s.

Another Let’s Get Lyrical show, this one looks gorgeous, and I think is part of James Yorkston’s tour to promote the recent publishing of his tour diaries.

James Yorkston – Steady as She Goes

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Friday 11th February 2011: Panda Su EP launch, with I Build Collapsible Mountains & Finn LeMarinel at Sneaky Pete’s.

The first of two consecutive This is Music nights at Sneaky’s, this is something of a Glasgow Allstars of Gentle Acoustic Pop kind of a lineup.

Saturday 12th February 2011: Conquering Animal Sound album launch with Miaoux Miaoux & Esperi at Sneaky Pete’s.

Conquering Animal Sound’s debut album Kammerspiel is out now, and they are touring the UK in support of it, with this being the Edinburgh leg.

Conquering Animal Sound – Bear (Lamplighter Remix)

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Saturday 12th February 2011: Come on Gang‘s farewell show with Over the Wall & Cancel the Astronauts at Pilrig St. Paul’s.

We music fans can be an ungrateful shower at times, and Come on Gang have just about had enough of us.  They are calling it a day, but going out with something of a bang – having a big old farewell bash at Pilrig St. Paul’s which is doubling as an album release show for their debut album.  Sort of an epitaph, I suppose.

Snow!  Awesome!  Actually, we haven’t got that much snow here in Edinburgh but I am sufficiently snow-starved that I am pretty excited nevertheless.  Not as excited as the penguins at Edinburgh Zoo will presumably be of course, but excited nevertheless.

Yusuf’s three album launch shows last week were fantastic, but I am pretty pooped and will be taking it quite easy today.  We’ve the Savings and Loan’s album release to work on for Monday, but apart from that the label is now entering a rather quiet Winter – well, apart from our official Song, by Toad Records Christmas Party of course, which will be anything but quiet.

The Christmas parties start here, in fact, with two this week, a couple of very good gigs and the opportunity to help save the Forest Cafe.  Enough for you to be getting on with for one week?  Thought so.  Welcome to the December eat/drink/hangover cycle which leaves us begging for fruit juice and fresh vegetables by January.

Xavier Rudd and Dar Williams are both (separately) at the Queen’s Hall this week, which might interest some of you.  For myself, the following gigs stand out the most:

Tuesday 30th November 2010: The Wedding Present and Ringo Deathstarr at the Liquid Room.

The Wedding Present’s absolutely brilliant, and now ‘classic’ album Bizarro is twenty or twenty-five years old or something like that, so the Weddoes are out on tour, playing the album in its entirety by way of celebration.  Just as interesting from my point of view are support band Ringo Deathstarr who make an excellent amount of fuzzy noise and whose new single is bloody excellent; I await the album with great interest.

The Wedding Present – No

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Tuesday 30th November 2010: Jenny & Johnny at Cabaret Voltaire.

Jenny Lewis is an excellent live performer with more than a little hint of swagger.  Her album, recorded with snuggle bunny Johnathan Rice, has its bland moments to be sure, but some of it is genuinely excellent, dreamy, harmony-drenched Summer pop.

Jenny & Johnny – Little Fly

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Thursday 2nd December 2010: Yahweh, Emily Scott & Union Canal at Sneaky Pete’s.

Three of the more underground bands on the week’s list of musical funz, but between Yahweh’s sweeping cinematics and Emily Scott’s musical prettiness this should be a good ‘un.  Union Canal I know nothing about whatsoever, I have to confess.

Friday 3rd December 2010: Gerry Loves Records Christmas Party at the Banshee Labyrinth.

Four of the most innovative bands in Scotland play what promises to be a very high early watermark for the tide of Christmas parties this year*.  Expect a lot of beeping and looping and stuff – which, for the less knowledgeable, is a technical musical term.  The Banshee Labyrinth is rather small, so I strongly recommend getting your tickets in advance for this one.  There will be a special guest too – one I promise you really is very thpeshul indeed.

The Japanese War Effort – Fake Tanned Out Yr Tits

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Friday 3rd December 2010: Save the Forest gig at Pilrig St. Paul’s.

This gig has been arranged to raise fund to help save the Forest Cafe, an Edinburgh institution under considerable threat after the collapse of the Edinburgh University Settlement.  Finn Andrews of The Veils will be playing, which is amazing.  The Veils are a fucking great band and although I have no idea what a Finn Andrews solo performance will be like, I would be fascinated to find out.

The Veils – Not Yet

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Saturday 4th December 2010: Limbo Christmas Party at the Voodoo Rooms.

Bands such as Toad favourites FOUND and Enfant Bastard, and Toad Records heroes Yusuf Azak and Inspector Tapehead are joined by Night Noise Team and others.  I think there will be some collaborating and some other Christmas jiggery-pokery too, but I am not entirely sure what to expect, honestly.  Apart from the fact that I am going to get very drunk indeed.

FOUND – Let Fidelity Break

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*Apologies if that analogy was just a little too tortured.  I know it was, and I judge myself.

So, whilst the first half of 2010 was relatively quiet on the live music front, August was absolute mayhem. And as the dust settles on another festival period, and we try to assess the physical and financial damage in a calm and orderly fashion, it doesn’t look like things are slowing down on the gig radar. Which I’m rather pleased about.

Monday 6^th September 2010: Miaoux Miaoux and Wounded Knee at Electric Circus. Bart’s House. Sneaky Pete’s.

The rather talented Justin Corrie – not content in being in one third of indie popsters Maple Leave – brings his solo electronic project to Edinburgh. Also I’ll be intrigued to see how Wounded Knee’s looped folk meanderings go down amongst the glitz and glamour of Electric Circus.

Tuesday 7^th September 2010: Super Adventure Club, Luis Franscesco Arena and Hopwood & Black at Sneaky Pete’s.

I’ve no idea about the other two, but Super Adventure Club are brilliant in a really mental way. Or maybe mental in a really brilliant way.

Tuesday 7^th September 2010: Kath Bloom, This Frontier Needs Heroes, Woodpigeon and eagleowl at the Roxy Room.

Basically, an End of the Road warm up gig. And I may be biased, but I think this is one of the most interesting line-ups the cities seen in a while – an incredible coup for first time promoters Powan Presents. This Frontier Needs Heroes will be playing their own set before joining the legendary Kath Bloom as her backing band, just as eagleowl will do the same before swelling the ranks of Woodpigeon. So basically one big old alt.folk love-in.

Thursday 9^th September 2010: Panda Su, The Occasional Flickers and The Last of Private’s Balladeers at Sneaky Pete’s.

The Occasional Flickers will be playing a stripped down set for their first show in a  long while.

Friday 10^th September 2010: The Buzzcocks at The Liquid Rooms.

The Buzzcocks are one of only three good bands that have ever come out of Manchester. Discuss.

Friday 10^th September 2010: Francois & The Atlas Mountains at The Roxy.

Francois & the Atlas Mountains pretty much single handedly turned this year’s Homegame from a really nice community folk festival into an all out weekend dance party. And I’ll love them forever because of that.

Friday 10^th September 2010: Come on Gang!, FOUND and Jesus h. Foxx at The Caves.

Come on Gang! Single launch, featuring support from two of the most exciting and interesting bands in Edinburgh. You can’t go wrong, really.

This is another chatty podcast, recorded in the hostel room of the lovely (and somewhat creepy) Lloyd from Peenko and Ian from Have Fun at Dinner on Friday afternoon at GoNorth.

In terms of creepy, we were all kind of  creeped out by the industry reacharounds which seemed to be going on left right and centre though.  Who do you know, who likes who best blah blah blah blah blah.

I think that me and everyone I know have all decided to just fuck all this industry bollocks and do what the fuck we please.  Honestly, it’s all just far far too much eating of crow for me.  Fuck.  Right.  Off.

Toadcast #126 – The Schmoozecast

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01. Woodenbox With a Fistful of Fivers – Draw a Line (03.49)
02. Fiona Soe Paing – Deep Song (14.45)
03. The Seventeenth Century – Roses in the Park (17.40)
04. Kid Canaveral – And Another Thing!! (24.58)
05. Miaoux Miaoux – Snow (34.23)
06. Admiral Fallow – Subbuteo (38.18)
07. Mitchell Museum – Tiger Heartbeat (48.45)
08. Randolph’s Leap – Squeamish (57.53)

Sometimes pretend people (ie you, because you’re on the internet) can be so much better than real ones.  I can explain to my parents that the reason I have neglected them for the last little while is because I have spent most of the last week gazing at the white lines on a motorway, driving Loch Lomond around the UK for their first UK mini-tour, but deep down they’ll probably still be miffed that I haven’t called, written, emailed, or anything at all for about two weeks.

You, on the other hand, have such a rich and varied internets to entertain you that you probably barely even noticed, you heartless fucking bastards.  Honestly, internet fuckers can be so cruel sometimes.

Fortunately, not much seems to be happening until later on in the week this week, leaving me a couple of days to re-gird my thoroughly dis-girded loins before it all kicks off again.  My brain, honestly, is melting.

Thursday 27th May 2010:  Washington Irving, Sebastian Dangerfield, Octoberman & Peter Katz at Sneaky Pete’s.

This is a crazily good lineup, with Instinctive Raccooners Washington Irving releasing their new EP with support from Sebastian Dangerfield, who are probably the band in Edinburgh I am most interested in considering I have yet to actually see them play.  They do nothing more clever than wistful indie-pop songs, but from what I have heard they do them very well indeed.  Added to these two is a pair of bands from Toronto, one of whom – Octoberman – I have been following for quite some time and am really rather surprised to see them turn up here.  Very pleasantly surprised of course, but surprised nonetheless!

Octoberman – By the Wayside

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Thursday 27th May 2010: Versus, with The Japanese War Effort, Miaoux Miaoux and Dupec, with Yusuf Azak and Iliop, at the Voodoo Rooms.

I have not been to a single Versus gig yet, and I am not going to make this one either.  Dave and Ted would be forgiven for thinking I hate their night but nothing, honestly, could be further from the truth – just look at the Cold Seeds album.  With a couple of Toad favourites on the bill in Yusuf Azak and The Japanese War Effort, this one promises to be an unusual addition to a fine tradition.

The Japanese War Effort – His and Hers Politics

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Friday 28th May 2010: Jesus H. Foxx & eagleowl play the This is Music 4th Birthday Celebrations at Sneaky Pete’s.

The Foxx and eagleowl are brilliant, but unfortunately I will be doing some DJing at this one, so only come along if you’re feeling brave.

eagleowl – Sleep the Winter (Toad Session)

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Saturday 29th May 2010: The Damned at the Picturehouse.

Not sure why I listed this one actually, because I am hardly a massive fan of the Damned.  Still, there are a good few songs of theirs which I like and, honestly, it just looks like it might be good fun.

The Damned – Problem Child

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Sunday 30th May 2010: The Go Away Birds at the Roxy Art House.

The Go Away birds are part Zoey Van Goey, and partly the lass who sang the lead on that Stuart Murdoch (Belle & Sebastian) project God Help the Girl a year or so ago.  This stuff is very pretty indeed.