Song, by Toad

Mitchell Museum have an album finished and simmering away (and sounding extremely good).  By way of warming us up and also giving a home to some of the songs which became orphaned along the way, the band are giving away EP, which you can download from their Bandcamp page.

Mitchell Museum first grabbed my attention with a couple of quirky demos which I heard on their MySpace page about a year and a half ago, and a couple of those have actually made in onto this EP.  They’ve been given a bit more spit and polish since I first heard them, and that subtle shift is one of the reasons I think I didn’t quite grasp Mitchell Museum the first time around.

Put simply, I seemed to largely think of them as quite an experimental band, with some of a pop egde, whereas in actual fact now I’d probably describe them as a pop band with a somewhat eccentric edge.  That may sound like a silly distinction, and to a degree it is, but I think it left me expecting them to make some very weird music as they added to those early recordings. As it is they made a bunch of mental pop songs, and it took me a while to adjust to the confounding of my (entirely groundless) expectations.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself and end up reviewing an album which isn’t released yet, so I’ll try and stick to this EP for now.  Basically this is a really good showcase for a band who absolutely bristle with energy and whose songs are playful and basically just stare at you from the stereo with manic grins on their faces.  They are looking for a label to release their debut album and this EP should hopefully go a long way towards securing that deal.

Mitchell Museum – Arthur Loves the Shadows

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Mrs. Toad and I held our annual Christmas party on Saturday and I still feel wrecked.  Fucking hell, that was some bash.  I think the last gin and tonic was poured at something like half eight in the morning; I was like a zombie yesterday.  Funnily enough, the cleaning up wasn’t really too bad, because basically most of it just went in bin-bags and the rest in the dishwasher.  Still, I still have that kind of dazed feeling you get after these things.  Mental.  I think we deserve some sort of prize for truly epic parties after this one.

So, time for a nice gentle week this week I think, so I can recover nicely.  What’s that you say?  No fucking chance?  No, thought not.  This is December after all, and this week might the craziest of the lot.

Oh, and on Saturday we’re recording a Toad Session with eagleowl which is, frankly, brilliant.  Clarissa’s double-bass rumbling through our living room might just scare the shite out of the cafe downstairs though!

Tuesday 8th December 2009: Deerhoof at the Bongo Club.

Deerhoof are a bizarre combination of the tuneful and the fucking insane.  Christ knows how that’ll translate into a live performance I have no idea, but I’m fascinated.

Deerhoof – Chandelier Searchlight

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Wednesday 9th December 2009: Broken Records, Withered Hand & Jesus H. Foxx at Cabaret Voltaire.

After another crazy year, Broken Records return to play their first Edinburgh show since the Festival.  A small venue like Cabaret Voltaire should give this an amazing atmosphere.  When Broken Records go mental they really go mental, so come prepared to go berserk with them.  And with Withered Hand and the Foxx on the bill as well, this has turned into something of a showcase of Edinburgh talent.

Broken Records – Nearly Home

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Wednesday 9th December 2009: Alastair Roberts & Benni Hemm Hemm at St Mark’s Unitarian Church.
Well I don’t know what to tell you about this, but I believe it is going to be a collaborative evening rather than a straight up two-band bill.
Stuffs

Friday 11th December 2009: eagleowl Single Launch at the Bowery, with Dan from Withered Hand & Jill from Sparrow & the Workshop.

Eagleowl* are launching both their new single Sleep the Winter and their new record label Kilter at this show.  The single itself is fucking gorgeous, frankly, and I can’t wait to see both Dan and Jill as well.  Having only seen either of them play with full bands recently it will make for a really lovely evening – the perfect pace for pre-owlage.

eagleowl – Know by Now

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Saturday 12th December 2009: Song, by Toad Christmas Party/Last Night at the Bowery with Jesus H. Foxx, Inspector Tapehead, Rory Sutherland, Thomas Western & Rob St. John.

The Bowery is closing, the bar must be emptied and the tunes are fucking amazing.  Apart Edinburgh newcomer Tom Western, a special set by Rory from Broken Records and an sadly rare (curse you, Oxford!) performance by Rob St. John we will have full sets by Toad Records heroes Inspector Tapehead and Jesus H. Foxx.  I’ll be there for mince pies and some mulled wine earlyish so feel free to come along too.

Inspector Tapehead – A Fillet of Banjo

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Saturday 12th December 2009: Trampoline All-Day Event at the Wee Red Bar.

Euan has put together an amazing lineup of unsigned talent for this all day bash at the Wee Red.  It’s amazingly cheap too, at a mere five pounds for normal people and three for either students or those intending to come on to the Toad Night at the Bowery later on.  Bands playing include Debutant, Jonnie Common, Conquering Animal Sound, Mitchell Museum and the Scottish Enlightenment so for those who don’t fancy our Christmas Party (cunts) this is the perfect alternative.  Or for those who want to start their revelling early, of course.

Mitchell Museum – Take the Tongue Out

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*It’s the start of a sentence, so it gets capitalised – deal with it.

Well this is a bit of a big week for Song, by Toad Records.  Apart from the fact that the Loch Lomond/Builders & the Butchers split 12″ is now officially available to buy, we also have the Meursault single launch on Saturday, with three of my favourite bands.  We’re releasing four A-sides on two 7″ singles, on clear vinyl: new recordings of William Henry Miller Parts One and Two are going back to back with A Few Kind Words and the Dirt & the Roots from Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues.  Officially, neither single is being released until the first week of December, but they will be available at live shows from this week onwards, including all tour dates the boys are playing over the next few weeks – details on their MySpace page.

Edinburgh’s best DIY arts venue, The Bowery, officially opened a year ago this week (or so), and the single launch just happens to be their first birthday party. The Edinburgh University Settlement, however, are getting rid of Ruth and Jane and taking the whole place over, so by the end of December the Bowery as we know and love it will cease to exist.  I am trying to get in touch with the Settlement themselves to find out exactly why they are doing this, and what alternatives they are putting in place, but in terms of the artistic community in this city this looks like nothing short of a bloody disaster.

Basically, this means that we have two months left to enjoy the place and show our gratitude to Ruth and Jane for the incredible amount of hard work they have put into giving us all such a special place to go and drink and to see live music, so please come along as often as possible over the next two months in order to give them the best send off we can manage.

Wednesday 4th November 2009: Daniel Johnston, The Wave Pictures & Laura Marling at The Queen’s Hall.

As marquee gigs go, this is the best Edinburgh has had for a long time.  Apart from the general elusiveness of Daniel Johnston himself, this is treat for the entire lineup.  In terms of wonky, off-kilter, sometimes painfully personal lyrics you won’t find better, but the key bit is how deceptively poppy the songwriting can be from both Johnston himself and support band the Wave Pictures.

Daniel Johnston – Foxy Girl

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Thursday 5th November 2009: Withered Hand, Candythief & James Lowe play the Leith Tape Club at the Iso Lounge.

This is a really cracking lineup for the Leith Tape Club.  Most people here will know Withered Hand’s brilliant anti-folkery, but I highly recommend the flamboyantly orchestrated pop of Candythief as well.  I’ve no idea how it will strip back to the bare-bones approach necessitated by the Tape Club, but I’m keen to hear it.

Withered Hand – Withered Hand

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Meursault, Withered Hand & Jesus H. Foxx at the Bowery.

As lineups go, if I were the sort who spent his time masturbating to music, I would spank myself raw to the mere thought of this one.  Probably whilst lying in a bath full of lovely clear vinyl!

Meursault – A Few Kind Words

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Sara & the Snakes, Mitchell Museum & The Last Battle play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

It’s good to see the Limbo chaps back in the saddle.  Mitchell Museum are mental live, and the Last Battle have formed from the ashes of local band Thieves in Suits, and since then I have heard some really good things about them.

Mitchell Museum – Arthur Loves the Shadows

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Saturday 7th November 2009: Mark Eitzel & Franz Nicolay at Cabaret Voltaire.

Hmm, I’m not sure you really want all these good gigs on on a night when you’re trying to have a successful single launch, but this lineup looks really interesting.  Hailing from American Music Club and The Hold Steady respectively, I don’t know too much about either man’s solo material, but the bands they are/were both in before can be pretty bloody excellent.

Mark Eitzel – Patriot’s Heart (Live)

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It’s busy week, in the absence of Mrs. Toad, and ends with me actually DJing twice in the space of two nights towards the end of the week as well once at some point on Friday, although I’m not all that sure where – Cabaret Voltaire I think – and then the following day at the Bowery at MarchéMarché , which should be good fun.  I have been promised that on no account am I expected to motivate people to dance, which probably helps matters considerably.

Oh, and I’ve just realised that I am approaching a hundred kilos in weight – 215 pounds, or 15 Stone 5 for those of you still living in the dark ages – so it might be time for just a little less beer, slightly fewer biscuits and for yours truly to get off his fat arse and do some exercise.  Bloody  hell, reality can be a bastard when it prevents you doing exactly what you want when you want, can’t it.

Tuesday 20th October 2009: Findo Gask & Everything Everything at Cabaret Voltaire.

Everything Everything I don’t know so well, but Findo Gask are a band who I really love, despite their distinct lack of material, considering the length of time for which the band has existed.  They have a couple of terrific singles to their name – electronic, danceable and infectious as fuck, with just a little sadness in the mix as well – and the only time I’ve seen them they were excellent, but that was a while ago now.  So I’ll be along on Thursday as much to see what they’ve been doing with their time, as to take the chance to enjoy their live show again.

Findo Gask – Va Va Va

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Tuesday 20th October 2009: Bat For Lashes & Yeasayer at The Picture House.

Personally, I think Bat For Lashes are pretty fucking dismal, honestly.  However I know a lot of my readers will be really up for this, so I thought I’d better mention it, just in case anyone was unaware this was happening.

Wednesday 21st October 2009: Mitchell Museum & The Scottish Enlightenment at Electric Circus.

These White Noise gigs start so bloody late they can fuck those of us with day jobs over for the rest of the week.  Still, I like Mitchell Museum, and the Scottish Enlightenment are returning to the fold after a very quiet couple of years.  They have a new album to show for their silence though, and have sent me a few songs through to sample, which I appreciate.  I’ve listened to them through a couple of times now, but not enough to really have anything clever to say about them yet, so I’ll just include one below and let you decide for yourselves.

The Scottish Enlightenment – Necromancer

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Wednesday 21st October 2009: Clues, Munch Munch & Over the Wall at Electric Circus.

I know nothing about Clues, bar this one promo song, and that the press bumph mentioned some famous bands like Arcade Fire and so when talking about their history.  So not much information, but the song itself sounds very promising.

Clues – Perfect Fit

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Thursday 22nd October 2009: Maps, Epic 26 & The Foundling Wheel at the Ark.

I quite fascinated by Maps, more from the descriptions I’ve heard than anything else.  I don’t actually know their music at all, despite their Mercury nomination a couple of years ago, but a band described as sonter shoegaze indie electronica sounds like a worthwhile punt to me.  Another plus is that these lot should be loud enough to silence the general chattering which the odd shape of the Ark tends to invite.

Friday 23rd October 2009: Meursault, Jesus H. Foxx, Y’All is Fantasy Island & the Occasional Flickers at the Bowery as part of the Oxjam Festival thingy.

The Bowery lineup is obviously the most Toad-friendly, with two of our bands on the bill, but there’s stuff happening all over the city on Friday.  It’s called Oxjam Take Over Edinburgh, I think, and one ticket gets you a wristband which will get you into everything – from the in-store performances at the Oxfam Music shop in the centre of town during the day, to this, to Sneaky Pete’s to Cabaret Voltaire and all sorts.
Full lineup and tickets here.

Meursault – The Furnace

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Saturday 24th October 2009: MarchéMarché at the Bowery.

This is actually a craft fair, not a gig, but yours truly shall be DJing at the event, so that’s all the excuse I need to plug it to within an inch of its life.  Promises promises, as Mrs. Toad is no doubt muttering to herself at the moment.

Saturday 24th October 2009: My Latest Novel at Cabaret Voltaire.

I haven’t had a chance to see these guys at all recently, and I’ve heard hugely variable reports from the gigs they’ve played here recently.  The last album was no better than decent, in my view, but I loved Wolves and I still really want to catch them when I can.

My Latest Novel – All in All in All is All

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Greetings my Summery flock of Toads, how are we all doing this fine morning?  Or afternoon of course, depending on where you might be located.

I was advised once by Johnny Pictish not to put on gigs during July or August because getting people out to them was a near-impossibility.  I don’t know if this is just Edinburgh or if it applies universally, but certainly the promoters of this fair city seem to have taken it heart because there is really is sweet Fanny Adams happening in the next couple of weeks on the live circuit.

Maybe people are gearing up for the Festival.  It wouldn’t surprise me because after last year’s programme being thinner than a model’s forearms this year’s August schedule is shaping up to be extremely good indeed.  We’ve got Retreat back (only for a day this time, unfortunately) and Trampoline’s Festival lineups are looking really rather excellent too.

It has to be said, as well, and despite my general tendency to bash corporate enterprise and side shamelessly with the DIY, the ramshackle and the home-grown, that the lineup for this year’s Edge Festival is also looking rather good.  After scrapping the generally excellent T on the Fringe, they seemed to have some pretty significant teething problems with the rebranded (but essentially identical, as far as I could tell) product last year, but there are some terrific bands booked for this year, so August promises to be utterly exhausting, but in a very good way indeed.

So what is there actually going on this week?  Well here’s about the best that I could find, but please have a scan through the comments because if I’ve missed anything then someone’s bound to point out the error of my ways.

Wednesday 22nd July 2009: Be a Familar & Tango in the Attic at the Electric Circus.

I have to confess that I am not entirely convinced by Be a Familiar, but they seem to be generating a good vibe about the place and picking up quite a lot of interest.  A pleasant evening of somewhat twee guitar-pop beckons.

Friday 24th July 2009: Found (well, Ziggy and Kev) & Dead Boy Robotics at Sneaky Pete’s.

After playing a stripped down set at the Toad Night on Saturday Found are at it again, this time performing with just Ziggy and Kev, and if Saturday is anything to go by it should be brilliant.  Dead Boy Robotics new stuff is apparently a bit less techno than previous, and apparently this is a good thing, so it should be very interesting to see what they’re up to.
Found – Turnstile

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Sunday 26th July 2009: The Shipping Forecast Garden Party at the Peartree with Ross Clark, Mitchell Museum, Little Pebble and Randan Discotheque.

A pleasant afternoon spent in a pub beer garden with lots of great music – if I weren’t going to be at Wickerman this weekend I’d be at this thing without a second thought because it looks brilliant – say a little prayer for good weather.  There’s a good mix of pop and acoustic and Little Pebble is one of the most underrated performers in Edinburgh if you ask me.
Mitchell Museum – Exciting But Drunk

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Well well well, Saturday was what I think can only be described as a truly epic party.  It started at about two or three in the afternoon when Found came round to record their Toad Session, which sounded absolutely lovely, continued into the back garden for a barbecue, turned into the Honeytrap Toad Session, repaired once more to the garden for further gluttony, returned to the house once night had descended, then turned into some sort of deranged music/cavorting session until the early hours accompanied by some truly heroic feats of drinking.

Quite how the whole house didn’t end up smashed to pieces is beyond me.  And quite what our neighbours made of a gaggle in inebriated imbeciles out in the back garden all evening bellowing salty anecdotes at one another in the most colourful of language is entirely beyond me.  If we are not careful we may end up with something of a ‘reputation’ in the neighbourhood.

Apart from other things, today sees the release of Broken Records’ debut album, which I will review later on this week.  I also have a special treat of some truly excellent live videos from their Bedlam Theatre set which will be published as soon as possible.  I’ll review the album in as objective a manner as I can, but for now, on a personal note, I want to just mention the fact that the lads have become good friends since I first saw them play about two years ago, and I am incredibly proud of them and delighted to see this record out in the shops.  Well done, boys, you deserve it.

Other things happening this week include the first night at the somewhat enigmatic Electric Circus.  This is a new venue whose website, whilst pretty, is sufficiently unfinished as to fail to include an actual address.  It is left to The Skinny to provide us with such trivial details, and a good thing they do, as the first gig to be held there takes place tomorrow, 2nd June, with St. Jude’s Infirmary and White Heath.  Intriguing.

Monday 1st June 2009: Teitur & Emily Scott at Cabaret Voltaire.

Teitur is from the Faroe Islands and has managed a couple of fairly high-profile movie placements for his songs already which, although it brings very important funds to an artist, doesn’t seem quite as useful at increasing name-recognition, because I am still yet to hear all that much talk about the fellow on the digital telegraph wires.  He makes lovely, acoustic pop songs, though, which should result in a state of serene bliss.
Teitur – We Still Drink the Same Water

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Monday 1st June 2009: Trachtenberg Family Sideshow Players at the Bowery.

This lot sound a bit mental.  The clue is entirely in the name – imagine what kind of madness you might expect from a band called that, and that is exactly what you are going to get.  Should be brilliant fun.
Trachtenberg Family Sideshow Players – Mountain Trip to Japan

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Thursday 4th June 2009: Punch & the Apostles & the Stormy Seas play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

More Limbo excellence, with Glasgow band Punch & the Apostles and their raucous sound which veers from hyperactive swing to deranged carnival barking.  Supported by the Stormy Seas’ folk rock and a mystery third guest, who will probably turn out to be someone like Paolo Nutini or someone like that.  Or maybe not.
Punch & the Apostles – I’m a Hobo

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Friday 5th June 2009: My Latest Novel, Copy Haho & Mitchell Museum play the final Black Tape Club night at Sneaky Pete’s.

Black Tape take their final bow by introducing the new My Latest Novel album to the world.  I am listening to their gorgeous debut as I type this, and am genuinely fascinated to hear what they have to say for themselves next.  On record it’s all a bit more craftsmanlike, instrumental and lush, whereas the live sound is a lot more guitary and noisy.  I haven’t actually seen them live for ages, so I’ll definitely be along to this one.
My Latest Novel – Pretty in a Panic

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Saturday 6th & Sunday 7th June 2009: The Meadows Festival.

What are the chances of the gorgeous weather holding up until this coming Saturday when the Meadows Festival swings into life?  Pretty slim, from the looks of it, but we can hope.  Apart from plenty of splendid hippy shit like crafts stalls and local artists and stuff like that there will also be a good number of local bands playing at various times during the day, including Meursault, Jesus H. Foxx, White Heath, The Byrons, and quite a few others.  Have a look at their MySpace page for a more comprehensive list.

Well, after a bit of a lull last week there’s all sorts of crap going on in and around Edinburgh this week, so choose wisely because trying to attend everything could just be the end of you.  As well as the usual recommendations there are a couple of half-recommendations this week; gigs I feel I should want to go to, but am actually not that fussed about.  Crystal Antlers (I mean, come on, they have Crystal in their name, they have to be good, almost as guaranteed as having Fuck in your name last year, or Bear the year before that, or Wolf… well, never mind) are playing at Sneaky Pete’s with Times New Viking and Dupec.  These are all bands I feel I should like more than I do, for some reason.

The same applies to all of Glenn Tilbrook, Kristin Hersh and Alastair Roberts who are playing Cabaret Voltaire on Tuesday 19th, Wednesday 20th and Friday 22nd respectively.  I should be excited about them (well, maybe not Mr. Tilbrook in particular, no offence) but for all it is good that these guys are playing Edinburgh I find myself no more than vaguely interested in their gigs.  The splendid Rob St. John is supporting Alastair Roberts though, so that one is definitely the most appealing of the lot.

In terms of gigs I am likely to be attending, well let’s go, shall we.  And, er, just check Saturday out.  The Edinburgh gig going public might well be spread very thinly indeed this Saturday:

Thursday 21st May 2009: White Heath, Yusuf Azak & Colourmusic play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

Well all know I think Yusuf Azak is bloody brilliant, but White Heath were also excellent at Trampoline last Saturday.  Their sound is very crowded, and their lead singer sounds a little like a muezzin who has rather badly lost his way, but they sound really, really promising to me.  Trombone and mental fiddle solos? Count me in!  And they even play the bongos without sounding shite, which is an achievement in itself.  They’re going to be working on some new recordings with Alex from Fentek Audio in the near future, and Alex appears to be carving out a reputation as one of Edinburgh’s most trusted sound guys, so this is very good news.  I’ll definitely be at this one.
Colourmusic – Spring Song

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Thursday 21st May:Benni Hemm Hemm and Withered Hand at the Bowery.

Glacial Icelandicism is no surprise these days, but this is more of a style we might associate with the rest of Scandinavia, with an almost januty instrumental pop style never far from the surface.  Benni will be at the Bowery on Thursday with the brilliant Withered Hand.

Friday 22nd May 2009: The Mannequins, The Pineapple Chunks and quite a few others at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

In amongst a lot of bigger names this week, I reckon this looks like the pick of the bunch when it comes to more under the radar slots.  I’ve been slack at checking the Henry’s listings recently because they’ve been rather quiet since the new year, but I hear that that is about to be taken firmly in hand and they will be making a bit of a push in the coming months.  The Mannequins have some pretty decent pop songs from the sound of it, and The Pineapple Chunks have done well at Limbo in the past, so I think this is gig to go to if you’re looking for something a little off the beaten track.
The Mannequins – Little Black Book

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Saturday 23rd May 2009: Cats in Paris & Mitchell Museum at Cabaret Voltaire.

I should really be at the Stag & Dagger Festival in Glasgow watching Meursault on Saturday, but they asked me to sign release forms so that Meursault’s set could be both filmed and recorded and then denied me permission to film at the festival myself, so they can go and fuck themselves with a bag full of scorpions, frankly.  Instead, I will be at Cabaret Voltaire watching the very fashionable Cats in Paris and the very excellent Mitchell Museum.  The last time I saw Mitchell Museum was in a rather large venue, so somewhere more intimate and a little sweatier should be great fun.
Mitchell Museum – Arthur Loves the Shadows

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Saturday 23rd May 2009: Found, Player Piano, The Pictish Trail & King Creosote at the GRV.

I just don’t go the GRV, not really on purpose, more because they so rarely have my kind of music on the bill there that I get a little lazy about checking the listings.  This one is pretty bloody obvious though: a kind of Fence Collective Allstars get together, with all the charismatic alt-folk you could wish for.  Player Piano is more of a lush pop band though, and Found aren’t really folky at all, so I don’t think this would be the Fence Collective of hushed and lovely balladry which you might expect if you were coming along on the basis of a hundred-word newspaper clipping.
Player Piano – Anything At All

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Saturday 23rd May 2009: Anathallo, Samamidon, The Stormy Seas & Your Boy Blair at Sneaky Pete’s.

Anathallo, although I know very little about them, sound rather lovely from a quick skim of their MySpace page.  Also on the bill is the truly gorgeous Samamidon, and anyone who missed either of his Bowery gigs this Winter really should not miss this.  He has the loveliest voice and the most amazing way with a banjo you are likely to hear anywhere, ever.
Anathallo – The River

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Saturday 23rd May 2009: Lach at the Bowery.

Lach pretty much started what is generally thought of as the modern anti-folk movement in New York, and he certainly coined the phrase itself.  It’s hardly a new thing of course – Bob Dylan rubbed the folkies all up the wrong way when he first turned up as well, but they couldn’t really ignore him for all that long.  Getting a legendary figure like Lach to the Bowery is something of a coup as far as I’m concerned so, er, what the fuck am I going to do on Saturday with all these bands to see.  I can’t miss this one.
Lach – A Quiet Distance

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Sunday 24th May: Defiance Ohio, Madeline, Withered Hand, Torn Strings & Billy Liar at the Bowery.

Madeline is a big favourite of my pal Rich who writes the Georgia (no, the one in the States) blog Cable & Tweed, so I really think I should go to this.  After all, without Rich we would have no Porlolo, no Builders & the Butchers, no Loch Lomond, no Sleepy Horses and no 63 Crayons.
Madeline – White Flag

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Sorry this is so late, but well… oh fuck it, never mind.  If you want a timely and professional service you can wait three weeks for the next issue of Q magazine to come out.

I was warned that this gig would be ‘quite an experience’ and various other non-specific things beforehand, but in actual fact it was nothing of the sort: it was simply a straightforward pop gig.  And a very good one.  Front man Cammy leaps around like a loon, to the point that you can actually find yourself wondering whether or not he might be putting it on.  It really doesn’t seem that way though, although the manic grins do take a little getting used to for those of us used to standing at the back of gigs and gently nodding our heads along to the music.

In terms of the music, there is a much more orthodox aura to the band when on stage.  Listening to their music I found them to be genuinely interesting, and at times downright bizarre – thumping spastic mentalism is, I think, the term I used.  Watching them on stage they have a pretty straightforward indie-pop setup: drums, bass, guitar and keys, and this makes the music slightly less eccentric in this setting.  It also lets me understand a little better how songs like their recent single, Warning Bells, fit in with the rest of their repertoire, something I had struggled with a little before this show.

It really was nothing like I was expecting, but in a different way that I had imagined.  I had somehow, particularly with the raised eyebrow warnings of others, led myself to believe that this would be some kind of weird experience that would blow my mind, whereas actually it was the opposite.  A band who I had sort of assumed to be quite left-field showed that they were a little more straightforward than I had realised, by giving an energetic, riff-laden performance which slightly wrong-footed me.  After a couple of songs I adjusted and once I had, I really enjoyed the gig.

It was weird though.  They were really good, but because everyone had told me they would be nothing like what I was expecting, they ended up being nothing like what I expected, because in fact they were pretty much like I might have expected had everyone not told me that… well, you get the picture.  Basically, I’m really looking forward to seeing them again.

Mitchell Museum – Arthur Loves the Shadows

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Mitchell Museum on MySpace

Christ, it’s going to be like Fred Karno’s bloody Circus in Edinburgh this week (did your Grandma use that phrase all the time too?)  Particulary towards the tail end of the week there are all sorts of good gigs, of which I will be attending… precisely none, unfortunately.  We’re away in London this weekend, and I am in Glasgow on both Wednesday and Thursday nights, would you believe.  Incredibly frustrating.

We are nearly finished work on the Samamidon Toad Session, and a bloody good thing too, because Johnny Lynch, aka the Pictish Trail, will be coming into Toad Hall on Friday to record the next one.  The plan is to get these two recorded and posted by the Fence Collective’s Homegame festival, which is now on the weekend of the 17th, 18th and 19th of April because we should end up generating a hell of a lot of work there, between interviews, live reviews and stuff like that, so it will be important to have the decks clear by the time that comes around.

Wednesday 28th January 2009: Come On Gang, Jesus H. Foxx & Chutes at Cabaret Voltaire.

The first gig of the year from my pals at Fresh Air, Edinburgh’s student radio station.  It’s happy, spiky indie pop all the way, so if you fancy a bit of a dance and a chance to hear the SXSW-bound Come On Gang then swing by Cabaret Voltaire on Wednesday.
Come On Gang – Spinning Room

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Thursday 29th January 2009: Meursault, Y’all is Fantasy Island & Mitchell Museum play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

What a bloody lineup – two of Edinburgh’s finest accompanied by a band who have been going for about a year and whom I have rather shamefully yet to see.  And I can’t go.  Fucking ARSE!  Between the exuberance of Mitchell Museum, the racket of YiFI and the passionate howl of Meursault this should be a really top evening.
Y’all is Fantasy Island – With Handclaps

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Thursday 29th January 2009: SL Records night at Cabaret Voltaire, with Withered Hand, Paul Vickers & the Leg & Lords of Bastard.

SL Records are going to have the very enviable pleasure indeed of releasing a Withered Hand album some time in 2009, the swine.  They’ve been around for a while though, with Paul Vickers & the Leg one of their stalwarts.  Looks like a good night.
Paul Vickers & the Leg – Umbrella Propella

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Thursday 29th January 2009: Popolo play Sick Note at Cabaret Voltaire.

Ever since their appearance on the early Ten Tracks compilations I have been curious so see these lads.  It appears to be entirely intrumental, relying on thumping electronics to create an edgy dancefloor atmosphere.  Fascinating.
Popolo – Or Optimism

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Sunday 1st February 2009: Ex Lion Tamer, Milophobia & Vessel at Cabaret Voltaire.

Another blog in Edinburgh hatches a record label, this on run by my good friend Ed from 17 Seconds – yes the same chap who spent the tail of last year fending off an angry swarm of DMCA complaints after his enthusiastic help in getting Glasvegas a major record deal.  Well, his own label treads rather different territory, with first signings Aberfeldy indulging in the sweetest of pop, and second signing Ex Lion Tamer inhabiting a slightly more 80s electro-disco territory.
Ex Lion Tamer – Life Support Machine

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I am putting Mitchell Museum down as unsigned at the moment, but I doubt that will be the case for much longer.  Labels are sniffing around them like flies round a honeypot, apparently, so I don’t think it’ll be long before we see them on a label; independent, boutique, major or otherwise.  I know that Beggars Group are intending to scout one of their upcoming shows, but then Beggars comprises so many record labels that could mean almost anything.  Personally I’d love to work with them myself on Song, by Toad Records, apart from the fact that in terms of money and time I wouldn’t be ready for a couple of months at the least, so I will probably have missed my chance by then.  Still, they have a big, bold sound, so maybe a bigger, or at least a trendier, record label would be more suitable anyway.

Anyhow, here is another song, the b-side to their single Warning Bells (buy it from their website), which has appeared on their MySpace page recently.  It’s very much of a piece with their general brand of thumping spastic mentalism and, as such, is bloody brilliant.  I still haven’t seen them live, but Nick from Sparrow & the Workshop reckons they are a band I have to get through to Glasgow and check out as soon as I can, having seen them a couple of times himself.

Given I am now aware of ‘the buzz’ I do wonder slightly if I’m getting caught up in it a bit too much, rather than making this call on my own judgement alone, but I certainly think this band are capable of big things, assuming the rest of their songs are as good as the ones we’ve heard so far.  Definitely one to keep an eye on in 2009 I would say.

Mitchell Museum – Take the Tongue Out

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Mitchell Museum – Extra Lives

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