Song, by Toad

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 7th March 2011

So, I spent the morning tidying up my desk and the office, and I now think I know why tidy people are tidy: it makes you feel enormously efficient, without ever actually having to accomplish anything!  Sly, skiving bastards!  It’s like people making a great outward show of their piety, whilst generally acting like judgmental, ungenerous bigots.  Never trust tidy people, they are just trying to mask their ineffectiveness – there’s a new axiom to live by!

Also, in today’s bone-headed news update of the week, apparently Edinburgh legend Withered Hand is being denied his visa to play SXSW due to US immigration deciding that he is not a musician of extraordinary ability.

I rather think people would be more inclined to take national border control more seriously if governments didn’t consistently assign their stupidest citizens to police them.  I will take this shit seriously when you demonstrate through your recruitment policies that you are also taking it seriously, you arse-clowns.  People are welcome to like and dislike whatever music they wish, but this seems to be seriously implying that those people who organise SXSW and those in Creative Scotland who sponsored Dan’s application are of lesser ability to judge the artistic merit of a band than some random, knuckle-dragging, frustrated karate kid yahoo in US immigration.  Are you fucking kidding me?

Come to think of it, maybe if we petition UK immigration we might be able to do something about that over-promoted pole-dancer Beyonce Knowles being invited to play Glastonbury.

Anyhow, for those who may need some good music to diffuse the simmering rage this nonsense has provoked, here is what is going on in Edinburgh this week:

Death Vessel & Rozi Plain tomorrow (Tuesday 8th) at the Electric Circus has been cancelled, sadly.

Wednesday 9th March 2011: Meursault, Washington Irving & Graeme Clark at The Caves.

Would it be fair to suggest that most of the people reading this have probably heard of Meursault?  I suppose it would, but with a new drummer, (kinda) new bass player, new violist and a departed electronics/guitars/pretty much anything else player then I reckon no-one (not even me) has actually seen all that much which might resemble the current band.  And yon Graeme Clark – surely not the former bass player from Wet Wet Wet? Surely!

Meursault – Sleet

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Wednesday 9th March 2011: Napoleon III at the Electric Circus.

Signed to Brainlove, one of the UK’s best small independent labels, Napoleon III got all sorts of giddy reviews for their debut album Christiana at the tail end of last year, and I think this will be your first chance to see them up here.

Napoleon IIIrd – The Unknown Unknown

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Friday 11th March 2011: Y’All is Fantasy Island‘s last ever show, with Loch Awe & Two Wings at Sneaky Pete’s.

No more YIFI.  These lads were one of the most prominent bands on the Edinburgh DIY scene when I first came here, so give them a last hurrah at Sneaky’s and then go out and get horrible pished afterwards.  And I know nothing at all about Two Wings, but there’s a track of theirs embedded below: really fucking weird, eh, but in a good way!

And for those who fancy a bit more of a racket, I don’t know enough about any of these bands to properly recommend the gigs in particular, but Plastic Animals are playing Cabaret Voltaire on Saturday 12th and Forkeye, Fatalists and Parallax Scrolls are at Henry’s the same night.  Both look worth investigating, but I have to admit general ignorance here, sorry.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 17th January 2011

These things never really seem to last so I guess I better say something nice about it while I can: it’s really quite a pleasant morning here in Edinburgh today.  Presumably by the time I hit ‘Publish’ all that will have changed and we’ll be back to the shitty old January we’re all so very familiar with around these parts.

Still, at least the old live music machine is coughing and spluttering its way back to life.  Just wait until the second week in February though, because judging from my calendar that’s when it really does kick off something chronic.

In only tangentially related live music news, Fence Records today announced that tickets for Homegame are going on sale this Saturday at noon – presumably hoping the fact that absolutely everyone in the fucking country is flat broke at this time of year will keep the resulting rush under control, unlike last year, when their server crashed within five minutes of tickets going on sale, having already sold out.

Monday 17th January 2011: Mama Rosin, The Stormy Seas & Barret Wise at Sneaky Pete’s.

It’s a really rather varied lineup this one, but it’s raucous as hell and should be excellent fun for those of you itching to get out to see some music after a very slow start to the year in these parts indeed.

Tuesday 18th January 2011: Woodpigeon and friends’ secret acoustic show at the Forest Cafe.

This show has literally gone from my Facebook feed to this post within seconds, consequently I know nothing about it apart from the fact that Woodpigeon are good, and that lots of Mark’s friends are in bands which are equally good, so I highly recommend this one.  There are some benefits to being tardy with a post I suppose.

Withered Hand & Woodpigeon – I’m Set Free

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Saturday 22nd January 2011: The Scottish Enlightenment, Johnny Reb & Morris Major at The Wee Red Bar.

Our first monthly Ides of Toad night, with plenty of guitars.  Broddy guitars, in terms of the Scottish Enlightenment, raucous guitars from Johnny Reb and jangly guitars from Morris Major.  I have already gone on about this gig at plenty of length, so I shall remind you once more that tickets can be bought here, and hope you all turn up.

Johnny Reb – Nine on the Line

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Saturday 22nd January 2011: The Lowly Knights, We See Lights, Washington Irving and Micah Vincent at The Lot.

I remember my friend Matt from Northern Ireland going on about the Lowly Knights at great length when we were both at Fresh Air Radio a couple of years ago and this is, I believe, the first time they have come here and of all night to do it, it’s on a bloody night when I have my own gig on and can’t go and see them.  ARSE! Still, the Lot as a venue will be gone by the end of January, so this might be your last chance to enjoy it.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 22nd November 2010

Well I was really looking forward to seeing Julie Doiron’s new project Daniel, Fred & Julie this week, but it turns out the fucker’s cancelled, leaving us with little else but a gigantic, all-venue clusterfuck to disentangle on Saturday evening.

I generally don’t feel like the poor relation in musical bun-fights in Edinburgh, but on Saturday Yusuf’s album launch at the St. Stephen’s Centre is going toe to toe with the Leith Tape Club all-day special and, if that wasn’t bad enough, the three-venue, all day extravaganza which is Sneaky Fest.

I feel a bit like a comically feeble Disney character, armed with little more than a dinner fork, with a fire-breathing dragon on one side and an army of homicidally angry vikings on the other, desperately wondering if we can’t all just get along.  But these coincidences, annoying as they are, do just happen in the world of promotion, so only one thing to do: stop whining and just deal with it.

Actually, the Song, by Toad Records Commercial Strategy Department suggested that I just quietly neglect to mention either Sneaky Fest or the Leith Tape Club this week, but the grizzled, indomitable editorial team at Song, by Toad held out for journalistic integrity in the face of insidious commercial pressure – brave chaps, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Oh, and apart from those gigs listed below, Wounded Knee and Remember Remember are listed as playing the Electric Circus this week, but whilst it seems clear enough that Remember Remember are on Thursday 25th, the Electric Circus website is an utter nightmare to get any kind of useful information from, and although Wounded Knee are clearly written down there in the live music bit, it is not next to anything so useful as an actual date.  So erm, good luck.

Oh, and Laura Marling’s at the Liquid Room on Sunday too, but it’s already sold out and she’s incredibly fucking boring anyway, so no skin off anyone’s nose there.  Although a few of you perverts do actually like her stuff, don’t you?  I will never understand the internets.

Saturday 27th November 2010: Yusuf Azak, The Japanese War Effort and Ethan Ash at the St. Stephens Centre.

I’ve talked about the three Scottish launch dates in much more detail here, so suffice to say that I think the St. Stephens Centre looks like a fantastic venue, now that we’ve finally found one, and I would be deeply grateful to anyone forsaking our more glamorous competition to potter on down there on Saturday and enjoy some fine tunes and a glass of wine (it’s BYOB, incidentally, but there are plenty of places nearby).

Yusuf Azak – Eastern Sun

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Saturday 27th November 2010: Leith Tape Club All-Day Special at Cruz.

From Withered Hand to eagleowl, and from FOUND to Over the Wall, taking in a special mystery guest on the way, I have to confess that this looks like a brilliant evening.  And apart from sitting on the top deck in the blazing sunshine, it may be the first recorded instance of actual Fun taking place at Cruz since the days when it was the Guinness family yacht, and presumably saw parties that would turn even Lindsay Lohan’s hair white.

Withered Hand – Religious Songs

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Saturday 27th November 2010: Sneaky Fest three-venue, all-day bonanza.

This takes place in the Electric Circus, Cabaret Voltaire and Sneaky Pete’s, with one ticket covering all shows in all venues all day.  The full lineup is to be found by following the Sneaky’s link above, and includes the likes of Kid Canaveral, Washington Irving, My Tiny Robots, Kid Canaveral and Three Blind Wolves.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 23rd August 2010

Firstly, the flurry of posts yesterday, from my rather tardy podcast to radio show post, meant that my brother’s Sunday Supplement – a rant about classical music – was buried rather too fast, so please do go back and check it out if you have a little time to waste this afternoon.

Secondly, the Edge Festival goes bloody nuts this week, and if I listed all the gigs then I’d be here all day, and there really is no need for that, so you can have it in paragraph form instead: on Monday 23rd we have Field Music at Sneaky Pete’s and Bear in Heaven at Electric Circus (late).  Tuesday sees The Phantom Band at the Electric Circus, Wednesday Eels at the Picturehouse and Thursday Mark Lanegan at the Liquid Room (who have finally got a website worthy of the name).  Friday is quiet, and then on the weekend we have Harlem at Sneaky Pete’s on Saturday and Modest Mouse at the Picturehouse on Sunday.  All these things you can Google yourselves if you are interested, and there is more info on the Edge site, here.

When it comes to more homegrown things, however, there is still plenty on this week, a good deal at the reassuringly active Bristo Hall – a really nice space which doesn’t get used as often as it might.

Monday 23rd August 2010: Pet, The Leg, The Pineapple Chunks, Sara & the Snakes at the Bristo Hall.

This might well be a late one (11pm-3am) so check it out before you go or you’ll be totally fucking wasted by the time the first band comes on.  I haven’t heard much from the Chunks for a while, as I believe they’ve been recording, so it would be rather cool if there were some new material here to be enjoyed.  There’s quite some distance covered from Sara & the Snakes’ swampy, bluesy garage stuff, the Chunks’ ramshackle whateverthefuckitistheyplay, and the Leg, who are so good they makes themselves sick down themselves (or so I hear anyway, because I have yet to see them live, for shame).

The Pineapple Chunks – Art Storage

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Tuesday 24th August 2010: White Heath, French Wives, Fiction Faction (Formerly Casino Brag,) Sebastian Dangerfield, Washington Irving, and Foxgang at the Bristo Hall.

This is a big lineup selected by Foxgang for their Festival Special.  Given the reluctance of local promoters to do anything at all during the festival (and I have every sympathy – I do the same) it is good to see these guys putting on their own showcase.  Highlights for me would be the indie-pop of Sebastian Dangerfield, and Glaswegian indie pair Washington Irving and French Wives, from Instinctive Raccoon.

Sebastian Dangerfield – The Flood (Pt.1)

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Saturday 28th August 2010: Broken Records and Sparrow & the Workshop at the Liquid Room.

These are two of the original Song, by Toad bands, in a certain sense.  Both now have labels and albums and careers, dammit, and it’s weird.  With debut albums fairly well in the rearview mirror I would imagine that there will be a fair amount of new material on show here, although I know Broken Records don’t want to ruin the surprise for when their second album comes out later in the year.  Their new stuff sounds a lot more layered and guitary and a lot less folky than their earliest material, and I am deeply curious about the new record.

Broken Records – A Leaving Song

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Saturday 28th/Sunday 29th August 2010: Retreat Festival at Pilrig St. Paul’s church.

A free download sampler featuring a large number of the bands playing can be downloaded from here, if you’d like a bit of a preview.  Other than that, take it from me, this is going to be the highlight of the Edinburgh gig calendar, no exceptions – full details here, and I reckon you should probably buy tickets in advance (weekendSaturdaySunday) too as I doubt there will be too many left on the door.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 5th July 2010

I suppose that if we are talking about Scottish gigs this week, I really do have to mention T in the Park, or Nedstock as my far-funnier-than-I friend refers to it over at the Vinyl Villain.  I’ve actually only been once myself, back in 1996 I think it was, when Radiohead and Pulp headlined the Saturday and Sunday spots respectively.  The thing is, I looked it up on Wikipedia and it seems that was indeed 1996, but then, it says Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were also on the bill and although I cannot for the life of me imagine missing one of my all time musical heroes I have absolutely no recollection of seeing them that year.

The one thing I do remember, however, was watching a hunched introvert and an awkward geek effortlessly engage one of the biggest crowds I’d ever been a part of.  I think it was probably the first time I ever really understood what real star power actually was, because both Jarvis Cocker and Thom Yorke had the whole gigantic main stage crowd eating out of the palms of their hands.

I’m glancing over this year’s lineup and wondering who I would go and see, and apart from maybe Big Pink and Dirty Projectors on Friday, and Frightened Rabbit and Mumfords on Saturday, I’d stick with the ‘also appearing’ bit at the bottom of that poster where you see the likes of Sparrow & the Workshop, the Boy Who Trapped the Sun, French Wives, Mitchell Museum, The Seventeenth Century and Washington Irving.  Most of them are playing the T-Break Stage, where Meursault are also making a guest appearance on Friday.

Wednesday 7th July 2010: Rickie Lee Jones at the Queen’s Hall.

I really don’t know anything at all about Rickie Lee Jones from a musical perspective, but I have heard one or two songs I like here and there.  And given people have repeatedly advised me never to ever put gigs on in the Summer, I suppose it should come as no surprise that this is the only one I could find this week that I liked.  Any suggestions welcome in the comment thread.

Rickie Lee Jones – Little Mysteries

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The Dog Ate Jenny’s Homework

[The wonderful Jenny Soep returns this week with more of her spellbinding illustrations, and one or two interesting matters to raise. This post was originally pencilled in for last week, hence some of the dates needing correcting, and Jenny apologises and explains further below. Even though Jenny did in fact get the article to me on the Sunday as promised; in the end, unfortunately, it arrived a little too late to be published: my inbox records the email's arrival at 11:58pm!]

Hello there. A Sunday Supplement, written on the Sunday. I’m not best known for my regard for deadlines and always live on a last minute shoestring. I was once described as having ‘a somewhat elastic sense of time’. It’s true. I live on my own little planet which runs on Jenny Time. But it is never boring and a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Which apparently is great for artists. Which I might be. But it’s also how I draw live music.

I feel very privileged to be writing something for this blog. It’s a fantastic blog and I’m crap because I don’t read it enough, much as I don’t religiously follow anything in particular. But I’ve seen enough of it, and know enough of the taste of its writer to know that he gives an intelligent and considered fuck about music and it’s creators. It’s also refreshingly honest.

Now being this ‘music illustrator’ – existing in this little niche I’ve been creating for myself – I’ve been asked to submit the Sunday Supplement with completely free reign on what I could write about. Last time I commented on the fact that I wasn’t going to write anything and was purely going to have a visual journal of Matt Groening’s fabulously put together ATP festival, which was wonderful to the point of my being a little hysterically radiant after witnessing so many quality bands I liked. I did however write a shite load more than was initially intended.

This time I am going to offer drawings of lesser known local bands from Scotland who I feel should get a mention. So I’ll supply images of the following musicians/bands I particularly think are destined for greatness, if not pretty much there already. They are all worth checking out.

Washington Irving, a folk pop group, young fresh and getting richer in sounds and words and self each time I see them. They’ve recently released an EP, with a great cover designed by Ryan Hays, called Little Wanderer, Head Thee Home.

The John Knox Sex Club who incidentally share the drummer with Washington Irving. They are so good live, front man Sean Cummings whipping himself into a frenzy with rantings and gnashings of teeth. I haven’t heard their recorded stuff yet, but they’ve got a very nice looking CD box which I quite fancy aquiring super soon.

Adam Stafford, Y’All is Fantasy Island and Size of Kansas band leader, film maker and creative collaborator. The film The Shutdown, directed by Adam and written by Alan Bissett, recently won the San Francisco International Film Festival award for Best Short Documentary. The soundtrack is of Alan’s unmistakeable Falkirkian voice augmented beautifully by Adam’s soundscapes. It’s great, I just saw it today at the marvellous Words Per Minute at Creative Studios in Glasgow which saw a top little solo headline performance from Adam.

John B McKenna is another great chap of experimental sounds and wordsmithery. I’ve drawn him playing by himself, and in collaborations. This picture was drawn live and projected on a big screen as interior decor for the Verden Whistle Test event in Edinburgh a teeny while ago. Great little project by the Ten Tracks initiative.

A girl, I need a girl. Well I’m going to include my little digital sketch of Lucy Cathcart Frödén from The Social Services which I drew on my new iPod Touch. It’s not the best drawing in the world, quite obviously. But I’m learning. And I really liked their music. Will draw them on paper and aim to get all of them next time. But this is when they were playing at Mono last Wednesday (2nd June).

Panda Su. She’s great. This is a digital drawing I did on my Nokia mobile phone. I’m sure you’ll have heard great reviews of her. I’m not known for my wordage of music. I’ll leave that up to the most excellent wordsmiths that exist already. The pictures I post online aim to be a stamp of great music and if it’s not really my sort of music, there’s definitely an intriguing story attached that’s worth looking up. The pictures serve as pointers for you to look them up, or as memory triggers for a gig you have attended.

So there you go, an element of a few technologies and styles of drawing, and a tiny smattering of those local bands in my immediate musical consciousness.

However, the real issue burning in my mind at the moment is one unrelated to any great bands I’ve drawn recently, and is also a reason for the tardiness in this posting.

Yesterday (Saturday 5th June) I attended the demonstration in Edinburgh to free Palestine, decry the killings aboard the aid flotilla, and request an international boycott of Israel.

My week started with an awareness of limited knowledge on the situation, and has since concluded with hopefully a much more educated understanding.

When the time came at the end of the march and demonstration – a massive turnout of 5,000 people – for significant speakers to say a few words, I had to agree with most of what was said. Certain valuable points were met with roars of approval from the crowd of demonstrators, however their lack of voice to support one impassioned speaker with his hope to retaliate to Israel’s recent act by returning in increased numbers of ships but with lethal intent. ‘We will kill you!’ was met with silence from the listeners which though still spoke measures, should have been peppered with disagreements.

I do not believe in ‘getting even’ which is what another speaker suggested, but the overall message rang true. Israel needs to accept talks with the democratically elected Hamas to heal the fractured state of Palestine and work on a solution of communal living in peace. South Africa managed it, Northern Ireland managed it, and as much as Britain and the USA have played their part in the mess in the first place, and though the atrocities committed by both sides must not be forgotten, they now need to assist in persuading Israel that it is a necessary action for the peace and well-being of these two states.

The aim behind the aid flotilla was to gain international attention and focus on the totally unjust situation Palestine is in, and work towards ending the blockade.

As Henning Mankell put it (the Swedish writer of Wallander and one of the peace protesters aboard the aid flotilla):

So as not to lose sight of the goal, which is to lift the brutal blockade of Gaza. That will happen.
Beyond that goal, others are waiting. Demolishing a system of apartheid takes time. But not an eternity.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 25th May 2010

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.

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Live in Edinburgh This Week – 27th September 2009

stockbridge
This week’s job is the finishing of the Honeytrap Toad Session, preparing the second Toad House Gig for Friday – brilliant brilliant brilliant! – sort of getting ready for the Toad Autumn Party at the Bowery on the 10th (Pineapple Chunky madness, woo!) and getting the Meursault singles pressed and the artwork sorted.  If I am dead by the weekend, do not be surprised.

Fortunately, the start of the week is relatively light on gigs.  Lightish anyway.  Tonight is free, so I should get a chunk done then.  I just fear the traditional upload hell which tends to accompany the finishing of these bloody videos.  Vimeo is a great service in many ways, but the uploading is flaky as fuck and incredibly annoying.  Still, that’s presumably a matter for Friday at 4am, if the FOUND session is anything to go by.

Tuesday 29th September 2009: The Blank Tapes & Magic Leaves at the Bowery.

I really like it when people around me get all giddy about the visit of bands I’ve never heard of – it makes going to a gig that much more exciting.  This is one of those gigs

Wednesday 30th September 2009: Wild Beasts & The Kays Lavelle at Cabaret Voltaire.

These guys are just on the edge of stuff I like – some of it I absolutely love and some I find just a little bit too much.  It’s camp and loose, but they write terrific pop songs nevertheless and I am really looking forward to seeing them live to get a bit more of a clue about their personality as a band.

Wild Beasts – Hooting & Howling

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Thursday 1st October 2009: Leith Tape Club at the Iso Lounge, with Animal Magic Tricks and Men Diamler.

The Leith Tape Club is a lovely night, with a small capacity and an initmate atmosphere, and conveniently right around the corner from my work.

Thursday 1st October: Meursault, Three Blind Wolves & Washington Irving at Sneaky Pete’s.

Three Blind Wolves are apparently Ross Clark-related, although I have to confess I know nothing about them.  Washington Irving are another new one on me, but I think we all know quite enough about Meursault by now.

Friday 2nd October 2009: X Lion Tamer & Nite Jewel at Sneaky Pete’s.

I don’t know why I like X Lion Tamer, exactly.  All that synthy 80s pop should be way more than I can handle, but oddly I find myself really enjoying it – basically I suppose because the songs are just incredibly catchy.  Night Jewel, I have to confess, I know almost nothing about.

X Lion Tamer – Neon Hearts

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Friday 2nd October: Animal Magic Tricks & Men Diamler play the second Toad House Gig.

These house gigs look like turning into really nice things.  The last one was bloody lovely, and with the lovely Animal Magic tricks and Men Diamler, whose music can be as mental as it can lovely I think this one will be a fantastic night.

Animal Magic Tricks – Smallish Hooves

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Friday 2nd October: Trespassers William, Glissando & eagleowl at the Wee Red Bar.

Gizeh Records’ allstar tour comes to Edinburgh, supported by local sorts The Kays Lavelle and eagleowl.  I have to confess I rather feared for eagleowl, who were somewhat threatened by a recent combination of relocation and fornication, but seeing them back playing (superbly) at the Withered Hand EP launch last week has cheered me right up.  They have about seven new songs recorded too, you know.  I’ve no idea what they’re going to do with them, but they have them, which is tantalising, but definitely rather excellent news.

Saturday 3rd October: Kid Canaveral EP launch at the Bowery, with Come On Gang and Cancel the Astronauts.

This lineup is ridiculously indie-pop-tastic, with Edinburgh’s three finest lining up in a show of defiance to all that moany indie-folk shit I insist on listening to.  This stuff is all about the infectiousness of the tunes, and Kid Canaveral are perhaps the most hummable band in the city.  Their new EP is out on download or, erm, tape.  Yes, tape.  Good fucking grief, it’ll be wax cylinders or fucking eight track next.

Kid Canaveral – Couldn’t Dance

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