Song, by Toad

Yes, it’s Fresh Air time again, and Ruth is back from the bring of death and ready to chatter away once more.  This week we have Russell from Mammoeth playing live in session for us.  He has an album out on Mini50 Records some time in the relatively near future, so we may try an weasel a preview out of him if we can.

We’ve also got some interesting new stuff – Eels released a new song from their forthcoming album just the other day, and we’ll be playing the phenomenal new eagleowl single as well.  We are recording a Toad Session with them in December, which is also really fucking brilliant news.

On air 7pm-8.30pm GMT – listen live here.

This week’s playlist:
1. Modest Mouse – Float On
2. Taken By Trees – Anna
3. Mammoeth – Latin Scribe (Live in Session)
4. Dr. Dog – The World May Never Know
5. Mammoeth – Scramble Eggs (Live in Session)
6. Brian Eno & David Byrne – Strange Overtones
7. Belle & Sebastian – She’s Losing It
8. Arthur Russell – Love is Overtaking Me
9. Mammoeth – Writing on the Walls (Live in Session)
10. Fleetwood Mac – Everywhere

And as always we have last week’s session below the fold – it was with the Pineapple Chunks, and we have downloadable mp3s, and interview podcast and four live videos for you to check out. (All our videos can be found on our Vimeo page.) Read the rest of this entry »

After rather unfortunately having to cancel a fully-blown Toad Night, it looks like Saturday will be replete with quality musical entertainments after all.  Ruth, Dylan from Blueback Hotrod and myself have been concocting a really nice evening of musical fun, with four (at least) acoustic sets in the bar, DJing (ie choosing some songs for the stereo, nothing fancy) from some of Edinburgh’s finest music snobs, and a generally convivial atmosphere at the Bowery all round.

Musically we have acoustic sets from two Toad Records bands, one of which is a secret and one of which will be Meursault at about 7pm, on their way through to Glasgow to play at the Arches.  We have the recently (and mercifully) renamed Team Turnip making an appearance under his new moniker of Mammoth, and Thomas Western, who has recently moved up here and will I think be making his official Edinburgh debut.  His music is gentle and folky, but sounds very promising indeed, so this should be a nice new treat for everyone.  Ruth has booked him to play a full set at the Bowery in November, in case anyone was considering a sort of try before you buy approach.

So please come along.  It’ll be free entry, and the sets will be relatively short and interspersed throughout the night, so it won’t be like going for a pint in a library where fun and conversation are frowned upon.  And the Bowery closes pretty early anyway so if you really want to get shitfaced and shag whoever the hell you’re prepared to make do with at 3am when you’re so drunk you can’t even pick your own nose without poking yourself in the eye then there’ll be plenty of time for that afterwards.

Team Turnip – Wendy House

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Funnily enough, the most interesting music events this week are being held as part of the film festival.

Not funny “ha ha”, though.

Happy Monday.

Wednesday 24th June 2009: All Tomorrow’s Parties documentary at the Picture House

This is something rather special. It’s described as a” unique 360 degree music event”. Firstly, the film sounds incredible. It’s compiled from footage contributed by both fans and artists at the festival, shot on super 8, digital and mobile phone, as well as footage from Vincent Moon (the Take-Away shows) tieing it all together. (See the rather brilliant Clockwork Orange-inspired trailer here.) It will be screened in the Picture House, followed by a live performance from the ’secret headliners’. I’ll get in trouble if I say who that is, but, um… it’s someone really good. And really good live, too. Yes. On top of all that, the venue will be completely redecorated to resemble a Butlin’s theme park, and there will be smaller, intimate performances in different rooms and parts of the venue from Scottish acts. (Full details are still a bit sketchy, but I know that both the Second Hand Marching Band and Scrim have already confirmed). To be frank, it sounds mental. But it also sounds absolutely amazing, and a complete one-off. It’s £18.50 for the film and live music event, and £12.50 for just the live music. (The film is screening in the Filmhouse the next day too, without the whole live music shebang).
The Second Hand Marching Band – We Walk In The Room

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Thursday 25th June 2009 – Leith Tape Club, with youtakethebiggerhalf, Corn Capri meets Little Pebble, Team Turnip and McBrandy at Iso Bar

On this bill I only really recognise Little Pebble and Team Turnip, but the Tape Club is always a rather fun, intimate affair.
Little Pebble – Hold That Thought

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Thursday 25th 2009 – The Gillyflowers at the Mill (Cabaret Voltaire)

I’ve not seen the Gillyflowers live as yet, but have heard a lot of good things, and I really like the stuff on their myspace.
The Gillyflowers – Country Boy

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Friday 26th June 2009 – Playing with the Past, with eagleowl, FOUND and Meursault at the Pleasance

This is another rather special event – a screening of a series of short films lifted from the Scottish Screen Archive, with eagleowl, FOUND and Meursault providing live soundtracks. Very exciting. I hope Meursault are doing ‘Highlander’.
FOUND – You’re Really Quite The Catch

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Friday 26th June 2009 – Adam Stafford and Michael John McCarthy at the Himalaya Cafe

Adam Stafford, of Y’all Is Fantasy Island infamy, will be playing songs from Rescue Weekend (which rarely get an airing with the full band sets) as well as new material, and Michael John McCarthy will be performing tracks from the excellent Outside World Strategies, which Euan gave a glowing review of last week.
Radio Trees (Michael John McCarthy) – Little Islands

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Sunday 28th June 2009 – The Shipping Forecast Garden Party, with FOUND, Randan Discotheque, Rozi Plain at the Pear Tree
Those nice gents form the Stormy Seas are putting on a lovely little Sunday afternoon show in the Pear Tree beer garden. A fine, and rather ecletic, line-up with one still to be confirmed (though it’ll probably be Meursault, won’t it?). I saw Rozi Plain for the first time at Homegame earlier this year and was very impressed, so looking forward to her set in particular. I can’t really think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. And it’s free. Gods be praised.

How many of you are there?  There’s only one of me, which looks like it might prove troublesome this week, particularly late on when the clashing gigs really start to stack up.  I am just back in Edinburgh after the Jason Lytle interview, which went very well in terms of being a most pleasant sort of chat, yet didn’t provide a particularly obvious hook on which to hang an article.  I may have to listen back and digest for a couple of days before writing it, I think.  It’s odd to suddenly find yourself in conversation with someone whose music you’ve been listening to for over ten years, though, so I guess that in itself might be an interesting angle to take.

This week’s activities on Toad will involve beginning to work on that interview, the writing up of a couple of gig reviews, and editing a big pile of Broken Records live videos.  So in other words it’s going to be fucking busy again.  I am also going to have a chat with Andy about redesigning both this website and the label site.  I find myself feeling inordinately guilty about not designing it myself, oddly.  This whole site has been entirely DIY so far, so that’s probably the reason, but at the moment I need it to be able to do things which are well beyond my own rudimentary understanding of code, and I simply don’t have the time to begin with, so there you go.  I’ll have a big input of course, and the Toad sketches will remain, but basically I’m going to try and let Andy get on with it as much as I can.  As a designer myself, at Proper Job, I know there’s nothing worse than a client who stares over your shoulder constantly while you’re trying to do your job.

So that’s it, this is being posted in the wee hours, and I am going straight to bed so that I can at least pretend to be functional in the morning.  I actually find a lack of sleep worse than a hangover in terms of its damage to my productivity these days, so these half one bedtimes really do have to stop.

Thursday 2nd April 2009: St Deluxe, French Wives & Team Turnip play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.

St. Deluxe are the new hot tamales around town, apparently.  I’ve had a listen to their MySpace and they do indeed sound pretty decent, although with such a brief listen I’m really in no position to say much one way or another.  They’re quite a rough and noisy band though, where French Wives and Team Turnip are a little poppier, but all three groups on this bill sound like good value to me.
St Deluxe – New Wave Stars

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Thursday 2nd April 2009: Tim & Sam’s Tim & the Sam Band With Tim & Sam at Cabaret Voltaire.

Tim and Sam and so on and so forth are big favourites of me old pal Drunk Country over at the Waiting Room, so he’ll be chuffed to know that they’re putting in an appearance in these parts.  I am rarely ever much of a fan of bands who play instrumental music, but I think that’s probably laziness on my behalf, and certainly these chaps make fine music under any circumstances.  It’s even better live, according to DC, so I’d recommend this one.  It’s a late one though, I think, so check the times before turning up.
Tim & Sam etc.. – Join the Dots

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Friday 3rd April 2009: Frightened Rabbit & Meursault at the Bowery.

I am fairly (but not entirely) sure that Frightened Rabbit are intending to play an acoustic set at the Bowery on Friday instead of their more usual melodic indie rock, and I do believe Meursault are following suit and unplugging all their electronic faffery as well, so this should be quite a special one.
Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better (Live)

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Friday 3rd April 2009: Jesus H. Foxx, Y’All is Fantasy Island & the Hindle Wakes at Sneaky Pete’s.

Jesus H. Foxx will be mentioned some time later today when I write up their gig at the Bowery from last Friday, but believe me they are sounding very, very good at the moment.  Where previously they seemed to be fairly single-faceted (is that physically possible – never mind) there’s a lot more depth and a lot more confidence to their music these days.  They have an EP on the way too, which I am very excited to hear indeed.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good

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Friday 3rd April: Thomas Truax, Withered Hand & Greg Dodgeson at Cabaret Voltaire.

Is Dan from Withered Hand playing every single gig in Scotland at the moment?  Ah well, good for us if he is.  Apart from the music, Thomas Truax’s truly amazing homemade instruments make this a gig you really should attend.
Thomas Truax – The Butterfly & the Entomologist

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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Wee Rogue, Rob St. John & Ben Wetherill at the Bowery.

I don’t want to say anything that’s going to get me beaten up by an angry mob of nice, sensitive young men, but this is probably the least ‘anti’ of the many great anti-folk gigs you can find in Edinburgh in any given week.  I mean that in the sense that the ‘anti’ part is something I tend to treat as describing a certain lack of prettiness in anti-folk music, but even as specific a genre description as anti-folk is a bit too broad for that sort of thing these days.  Where was I?  Oh yes, expect fine, fragile and lovely music.
The Wee Rogue – Into the Mist

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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Gothenburg Address, North Atlantic Oscillation & San Sebastian at Sneaky Pete’s.

Should the loveliness at the Bowery prove just a little too gentle for you then Sneaky Pete’s is probably the place to be, where there will be Post Rock a-gogo.  It’ll be loud, I’d imagine, so get there early, find a spot facing the stage and just let it all wash over you.
San Sebastian – New

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Sunday 5th April 2009: Come On Gang, Vendor Defender & The Kays Lavelle at Sneaky Pete’s.

Come On Gang should be in a fine mood after their SXSW adventure, so their punk pop should have even more zip to it than usual.  It’s going to be a busy week at Sneaky Pete’s.  Is their booking getting better and better or is it just that I’m only just starting to realise that I should be paying more attention to what they’re doing?  Good stuff, anyway.

Sorry for the silence over the last couple of days.  Yesterday we recorded the Samamidon Toad Session, which took a while and generally distracted me from the business of writing the blog, so I’m afraid this weekly update is a day late.  Which you are just going to have to fucking live with.

I’d almost say that there really wasn’t much on in Edinburgh this week, but what I would really mean is that there is not much high-profile stuff going on in Edinburgh this week.  There are, actually, some very good gigs to be found.

Saturday 17th January 2009: Endor, Cancel the Astronauts & Team Turnip play Trampoline at the the Wee Red Bar.

It’s a bloody good thing that the impending arrival of Baby Trampoline didn’t kill this night off altogether because I’ve always liked their lineups.  For the first show of the new year we have a couple of bands about whom I know far too little – Endor and Cancel the Astronauts – beyond being able to tell you that the latter are indie-popsters whose demo CD I rather enjoyed last year.  Team Turnip I know a little better, having heard Russell’s EP which will hopefully be self-released later this year.  He plays very friendly twee indie-pop and has some really good songs, so I am hoping the timing works out with the Rob St. John performance at Cabaret Voltaire such that I can catch both.
Team Turnip – Photos of the Staff

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Saturday 17th January 2009: Rob St. John, Tragic O’Hara & Carrie MacDonald at Cabaret Voltaire.

I’ve picked this particular show because I am a big Rob St. John fan, but Cabaret Voltaire are putting on a whole series of Duty Free gigs (ie free entry) gigs over the course of the next week or so, so if you fancy checking out some emerging bands for free, this is a bloody good chance to do it.  Rob is all excited about this gig, too, because he will be playing with the full band and really going for it so if there’s one don’t-miss gig in the city this week it is definitely this one.
Rob St. John – Paper Ships

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Sunday 18th January 2009: The Moth & the Mirror, Emily Scott & Enfant Bastard play Concrete Campfires, downstairs at the City Cafe.

This one’s a little new on me, but I rather fortuitously received an email this morning from Stace, who has just brought her Concrete Campfire night through from Glasgow, and set up shop downstairs in the City Cafe.  The bands will be performing stripped down sets, I believe, and entry is free with the first band on stage at nine.  It’s a nice idea, and I’ve always liked the City Cafe for some reason so I think I will go along to this and say hello.  I can’t quite imagine how the prettiness of Emily Scott will mesh with the off-kilter eccentricity of Enfant Bastard and the somewhat epic (judging by a quick MySpace listen) music  of The Moth & the Mirror, but then I’ve always preferred the slightly unusual bills to the predictable ‘one headline band and a couple of supports who sound sort of like them’ approach.
Enfant Bastard – How Much Do You Need?

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When Russell first got in touch I must confess my initial thought was ‘Team what??’ In typically tactless fashion I queried him on this and got the following response:

I do get some constructive criticism about the name, I must admit, but I also get an equal amount of compliments about it and I also feel close to it and think it sits with the music so I don’t think I’m going to change it. After a while a name just becomes something which means the music anyway so I can put up with a little stick if needs be I think. I think its a grower… at least I hope it is, let me know if you ever come round.

…which is about as good an answer as I can imagine to some hypocrite who named his site after a slippery green amphibian. ‘Constructive criticism’ also reads nicely as a just everso subtle ‘just fuck off’, which I think is entirely fair.

Apart from bitch-slapping the Impertinent Toad he also does music, of course, which is why we’re all here. The first two songs he sent me were his poppiest – a sort of Belle & Sebastian meets Camera Obscura or Badly Drawn Boy with some Summery rhythms and perky handclaps (actually, I don’t think there are any handclaps, but it sounds like there are). They have a sort of 60s/70s hippy side to them which I rather like as well, which is faintly reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens.

I also asked him to send me a couple of the ‘darker’ songs he’d mentioned and they give a nice depth to the Turnip canon. Spider & the Fly is one of these – very 70s hippy in some ways, although quite magical at the same time – and although it’s a demo the song still comes through well if you ask me. I must admit that on first listen it all sounded a bit too nice to me, but it bears up very well indeed to repeated listens and after a few weeks of having the songs knocking around a few playlists I have to say I really like them now.

Team Turnip have some dates pencilled in for London in August with the full 5-piece line-up, so keep an eye on their MySpace and get down to see them if you can.

Team Turnip – Photos of the Staff[audio http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/TeamTurnip-PhotosoftheStaff.mp3]
Team Turnip – Wendy House[audio http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/TeamTurnip-WendyHouse.mp3]
Team Turnip – Spider & the Fly[audio http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/sbt/TeamTurnip-SpiderandtheFly.mp3]