So, this week ends with a massive extravaganza of Toadliness, but it does look like it’ll be relatively quiet along the way as there doesn’t seem to be that much else around until the weekend.  Which is actually alright, sort of, because it gives me a chance to get my shit together in advance of a very busy weekend indeed.

Quite how we’re going to sort the logistics of getting half the bands in Edinburgh to and from Anstruther on Sunday I don’t know, but I am sure we’ll manage somehow.

Anyhow, in the meantime there are obviously good gigs on the weekend of course, but I reckon the dark horse is tonight at Henry’s, where Boston band hearts!attack are playing.

[Edit: fucking hell, what a tool, I managed to miss Kid Canaveral and King Creosote tomorrow at the Liquid Room, and Born to Be Wide Radio Seminar on Thursday at the Electric Circus.  And no-one pulled me up on it - do none of you fuckers read this at all?]

Monday 31st October 2011: Hearts!Attack, The Lovely Eggs & Viennetta at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

Some variations on guitar pop going on here, with rough-around-the-edges hearts!attack coming over from Boston, faux-naif you’ve-got-to-be-fucking-having-me-on indie pop from Manchester in the form of the Lovely Eggs, and new(ish – I think!) Edinburgh/Glasgow band Viennetta, who have apparently emerged from some sort of fragments of The Ray Summers and The Damn Shames. Intriguing.

Hearts!attack – If You Were Dead

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Saturday 5th November 2011: The Last Battle, Dad Rocks! & Shoes and Socks Off play the Ides of Toad at Henry’s Cellar Bar.

Our next Ides of Toad night features the ever-changing lineup of Edinburgh band The Last Battle, along with touring Icelander Dad Rocks! and touring partner Shoes and Socks Off.  Dad Rocks! have a new album out around about now as well, so this’ll be your chance to get hold of a copy.

Dad Rocks! – Aroused By Hair

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Saturday 5th November 2011: PET single launch, with Conquering Animal Sound and Pumajaw at the Voodoo Rooms.

I was fully intending to pretend this gig wasn’t happening, what with it clashing with the Ides of Toad and all, but it’s too good a lineup.  So if any of you are misguided enough not to be at Henry’s for our gig, then this is where you should be. But you’ll all be at ours right.  Right?

PET – What You Building?

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Sunday 6th November 2011: Flamin’ Hott Toadzzz! in the Hew Scott Hall, Anstruther.

Alright, maybe this is in Anstruther rather than Edinburgh, but Fence asked me to put together the lineup for this all-dayer, so it is full half with Toad favourites and half with Fence crowd-pleasers. There will be bangers and mash being served upstairs at the AIA Hall as well, apparently, just to add to the splendidness.

Sunday 6th November 2011: King Charles at Sneaky Pete’s.

King Charles is a bit of a weird one, part acoustic smart-arsery, part spiky, lively pop. I don’t know that much about him, but he was a big favourite of a friend of mine called Chris Imlach who used to do an excellent new music show on Fresh Air when I first started, so it’s nice to see him playing here again – and more excellent booking from Sneaky Pete’s.

King Charles – Love/Lust

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Uncharacteristcally, given how hectic things were last week, there seems to be precious little happening in Edinburgh for the bext little while.  Frankly, this is a blessing, as this year has been exhausting and I have never felt more grateful for an approaching holiday.  However, there are a couple of genuinely important events (well, to me at least) to take care of before then, and a couple of them coincide this week: the Song, by Toad official Christmas party is taking place at the Bowery on Friday 5th December, and will basically twin as the official launch of Song, by Toad Records‘ debut release, Meursault’s Pissing on Bonfires/Kissing With Tongues.  We’ve spent all fucking weekend printing the sleeves and folding and all sort of other stuff, and we’re still not done.  The CDs themselves arrive tomorrow, and we still have five hundred packs to fold and fill. We’ll get there of course, but it’s yet another reason why things have been so exhausting of late.

Before the splendid Allo Darlin’ and a full-works set from Meursault, we’ll be having an hour or so of open mic as a warm up.  It won’t just be a rabble though – we’ve got a good few Edinburgh indie celebrities, if you can call them that, to play some bits and pieces so it should be really fun.  So swing by the Bowery on Roxburgh Place from about half seven for some fun and games.

Allo Darlin’ – Atlantic City

Other than that, there’s only one other show I can find this week and it is this:

Thursday 4th December 2008: Pumajaw, Eagleowl & Sparrow & the Workshop play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
Given I’ve never seen Pumajaw and given I love the other two bands on the bill, I would say that there is almost zero chance of me skipping this gig.  Pumajaw’s music is defined by the band themselves as being genre-less, but it’s basically a variation of electro, folk and a little bit of fairytale wooziness.  I know basically nothing at all about them, so I’m rather looking forward to this one.
Pumajaw – The Bending Wood