Song, by Toad

[Next in the series is Dylan, resident Toad photographer and beer-guzzler extraordinaire. Needless to say, he's being a smart arse about the whole thing,]

To a certain degree, an aptitude for lateral thought has to be a good thing.

However, I often find myself worrying about my lateral-thinking skills. I’m concerned that I think too laterally on times, and I often find it hard to think in normal straight ahead lines.

So, when we were asked to think about independent record shops; those dark little crypts full of racks of musty-smelling vinyl, with posters for the Pixies and The Jesus And Mary Chain on the wall and a long-haired youth behind the counter, dressed in black and wearing an array of motorcycle components in his face, my mind inevitably went off on a bizarre tangent.

I found myself idly wondering where the biggest independent record store in the world would be, and what it would be like. Such a place would surely be a significant force for good in the arena of independent music which we all hold dear, wouldn’t it?

Then, in a genuine moment of epiphany, I figured out exactly where it was, and with that, exactly what I was going to write about. Read the rest of this entry »

Before Matthew went on holiday, we sat down over a gin and tonic and went through the admin of the site and the technical mumbo-jumbo I would need to know to keep things running in an orderly fashion here at Toad Towers. Unusually, it was Plymouth Gin and not Matthew’s usual choice of Bombay Sapphire. Plymouth Gin is a little sweeter than the more common London Dry Gins, and I really quite like it. I told Matthew about the time I visited the Plymouth Gin distillery in, erm… Plymouth. It really is an interesting place, you should go if you get the chance. They do guided tours and have a wonderful cocktail bar upstairs; very stylish, but ever so comfortable and not at all pretentious. And the best Singapore Sling I’ve ever had!

Anyway, I asked Matthew if he had any ideas for things to post on the site – he is the expert after all – and he poured another gin and suggested putting something up about the music that’s meant a lot to me in the past. Milestones along the journey. My own desert island discs, if you will.

Whenever I’m asked this sort of question, three particular albums spring to mind. They’re all from the early 1990s; and that might be key as I was in my late teens then: the formative years. I’ll keep the next two installments in this indulgent little mini-series up my sleeve for now, but I’ll start today at the beginning with a wonderful album which emerged from the post-industrial wastelands of urban Lancashire in 1991.

The Milltown Brothers’ debut, Slinky, is quite simply the finest album of the late-80s / early-90s UK guitar-based indie scene. I imagine you’re gasping in horror at such an outlandish claim, but I’m making that statement quite sober and keeping in mind the likes of The Stone Roses, The Charlatans, Inspiral Carpets and Primal Scream along with abysmal crap like The La’s and The Happy Mondays.

The band were built around a gifted songwriting core of brothers Simon and Matt Nelson, whose intricately crafted tunes and concise but evocative lyrics made the more popular efforts of their contemporaries mentioned earlier  appear clumsy and lumpen in comparison.

The Nelsons, both guitarists, backed themselves with a tight and imaginitive rhythm section, which allowed the Hammond organ of keyboard virtuoso Barney Williams to breathe an irresistable warmth into the band’s sound. (Unlike the nascent Charlatans, for example; who swamped their debut with an overwhelming deluge of Hammond to fill the gaps left by the rudimentary musicianship of the rest of the band.)

Slinky encompassed the spectrum of indie sounds prevalent at the time. From punchy, agitated pop to cheerful acoustica; and from swirling baggy to contemplatitive, introspective ballads. Each subgenre stamped with the band’s unique authority, and the competition booted confidently into touch.

The album was fairly upbeat overall, but I’ve chosen two of the more introspective numbers as I think they demonstrate my point about the craftsmanship these guys possessed as the intricately layered arrangements build to breathtaking climaxes. I’ve also added the best of the rockier offerings to give you a rounded picture of the band.

The album is long-deleted, but you can still find copies kicking around on eBay – and usually for buttons. If you like what you usually find on this site, then Slinky is well worth a couple of quid to you.

Milltown Brothers – Sally Ann
Milltown Brothers – Which Way Should I Jump?
Milltown Brothers – Real

Milestones # 2: The Blue Aeroplanes – Swagger

Milestones # 3: James – Laid