The Toadcast - The Weekly Podcast From Song, By Toad

 The Gnomecast could have been called many, many things. It could have been called The Widecast after Wide Days, the Edinburgh-based music convention I attended in the middle of last week, and from the showcases at which two of the songs on this podcast were chosen. Equally, it could have been called the Witchcast, due to the fact that the vicious old Fucker of Working Britain is now a thing of the past. In fact, now that I think about it, a whole podcast dedicated to anti-Thatcher songs would probably have been a distinct possibility, but my feelings on her death are not quite so clean cut. Yes, I am glad she is dead, but it's more of a sense of relief, just a sort of feeling of peace now such a vindictive, spiteful cause of so much harm is finally gone, rather than the sort of air-punching, high-fiving glee which was in evidence after Osama Bin Laden was finally rubbed out. But make no mistake, Thatcher was far more evil than Osama Bin Laden. Never mind domestic politics, her support for despots around the

It took me ages to name the Cranecast, primarily because it's a tenuous name, doesn't really pertain to the podcast at all, and there weren't many other options immediately springing to mind either.It turned out that the answer was literally staring at me the entire time. At the Scottish Tattoo Convention last week I met a friend of a friend who runs Venus Flytrap Tattoo in Edinburgh. In amongst her sketches was a really nice one featuring a Japanese Red Crowned Crane. The image was awesome, but it is already someone else's tattoo unfortunately, so I couldn't just get one myself.So I've spent a large part of the day looking up images for old Japanese crane images, images of the bird itself, and some Art Deco stuff, because the combination of Japanese and Art Deco styles in her stuff was one of my favourite aspects. So yes, nothing to do with the music, just what happened to be right in front of my nose at the time, sorry.01. Hookworms - Away Towards (00.24)02. Dolfish - Grown Ups (11.02)03. The Hundredth Anni

The Semitoadcast is not an erection joke, it is so named because there are four tracks on this one by Song, by Toad Records bands. Two - the Yusuf Azak and Lil Daggers tunes - are not actually on the label, and two - Sparrow and the Workshop and Plastic Animals - are.One of the others was just an experiment which Yusuf fired up on Facebook the other week, but happens to be ace, and the other is a freebie on this compilation by Miami magazine Pure Honey. So not quite Toad Records releases as such, but sort of related.I also discuss our plans for Record Store Day, which includes the Beer vs. Records launch, the release of our new Split 12" and an all-day event in The Last Word on St. Stephen's Street in Stockbridge, in partnership with VoxBox Records. 01. Program - Waiting (00.17)02. Plastic Animals - Pizarnik (07.06)03. Yusuf Azak - Deceive (13.24)04. Whilk and Misky - Wing Clipper (14.34)05. Peace Arrow - Broken Bridge (21.29)06. Sparrow and the Workshop - Faster You Spin (32.00)07. Bogan Via - Red Sun (36.12

Yes, another year, another total shambles of a podcast. Oddly enough, the one time this has been even vaguely together was the one year the BBC happened to show up to film it. How we managed to get it together for that one occasion I have no idea. Maybe the TV cameras scared us into behaving.Anyhow, this year's podcast is probably the biggest shambles since the very first SXSW podcast. We are joined, at various times, by Mrs. Toad, Young Ian, Pandy from Gerry Loves Records, Ben Soep, the managers of Tango in the Attic and We Were Promised Jetpacks, as well the BBC's ultra-credible and in-no-way-inebriated Ally McCrae who definitely wasn't still a total shambles from St. Mirren's League Cup win earlier in the day. And that's before the usual subjects as myself, Vic Galloway, Peej and Stuart from Creative Scotland.We were a few Margaritas down already, and it only got worse during the podcast, honestly. I am not sure this tells you much about SXSW, but it sure gives you a pretty clear idea of what it does to pe

The Queuecast is the best I could come up with in an attempt to amalgamate the anticipation of heading off to SXSW on the weekend, with the inevitable queueing to get into stuff once there.  Actually, that’s not quite true. There’s so much going on at places like SXSW that really, if the thing you want to see has an annoying queue (and for me they are never anything other than annoying) outside it, then you can always walk five minutes down the road, walk straight in untroubled, and see something else equally brilliant instead.Mrs. Toad is out there already, presumably having cocktails with young Ian who works at the label with me. In fact those two total fuckers are probably three or four margaritas down already, as you read this. Bastards. Anyhow, I get out on Saturday afternoon, and the gin will be flowing within moments, I promise you.The upside of this SXSW fun, which will no doubt irritate the shit out of people back home, is that Toad Hall once again becomes a recording studio while we are away.  Both

 Man Edinburgh's being a little tease at the moment. It's cold, but the sun is out, and from the safe confines of my office it's all too easy to look out the window and think that Spring really is in the air. Of course, once you go outside such myths are dispelled, but there's nevertheless something immensely cheering about bright sunshine, even if it's cold.  In fact, probably especially if it's cold. Anyhow, what the fuck ever, we're off to SXSW next week for Margaritas in the sun and Bloody Marys at Rio Rita's and the ludicrous carnival of commercialism which is SXSW.  It's fun to go to, but honestly I wouldn't want to have to go there with ambitions to work because, honestly, you'd just get utterly swamped. That's all for later though. For now, sunshine! Aaaahhh... 01. Jonnie Common - Figurehead (FOUND's The Wetter the Better Remix) (00.44)02. Bill Baird - Spring Break of the Soul (08.07)03. Ardentjohn - In the Morning (20.24)04. Peter - Sleep With Me Baby (25.07)05. Robin Grey - Mariam's Cake (29.27)06.

Video - Vimeo - YouTube Photos - Flickr Session tracks - zip download (right click - save as) Interview podcast - mp3 - iTunes - Mixcloud This was recorded at Toad Hall in October 2012 with Woodpecker Wooliams, who releases with our friends Robot Elephant Records. She played at a BAD FUN night on the Friday at Henderson's at St. John's, and we were finally able to get this recorded on Sunday after the hangovers had subsided a little. We were rather short of personnel for this one, so the whole thing ended up being recorded and filmed by me and Ian, with only the one other body to help out - the awesome photographer Nic Rue, with whose work you are all probably very well familiar by now. For some reason Gemma only chose to play three songs, and we rather stupidly managed to run out of camera battery before the end of the third, so there is no session video for Crow, although the mp3 can be freely downloaded below as usual. And for the first time in a Toad Session you get to properly meet one of our two new

The Stiffcast is not the cheap innuendo I am sure you assume it to be.  No no no, not that sort of stiff, the sort where every joint and muscle in your body aches because you are woefully out of shape and attempting to run around like a teenager.  That sort of stiff.Yes, after three months out with a groin strain (no sniggering at the back, please) I have tried to go back to the gym and to five-a-sides over the last week or two with what can only be described as somewhat mixed results. I am sure it didn't use to be this hard to get back in the saddle, as it were.The one undeniable result, however, is that I have been hobbling around like an old man, because every morning without fail I have been stiff as a fucking board with aching muscles and sore joints. This must be what it's like to wake up as C3PO.01. The Black Tambourines - Ghost at a Party (Toad Session) (00.25)02. Jonnie Common - Figurehead (Dry) (05.57)03. Peace Arrow - Gems (11.27)04. The Hundredth Anniversary - The Jump (15.05)05. Shiny Darkly - Di

Video: YouTube - Vimeo Photos: Flickr Audio: zip download (right-click, save as) This is another one of those painfully late Toad Sessions which crashed into the bottleneck created when we recorded five sessions in a very short space space of time at the end of 2011 and then ended up putting most of them on ice when the label took over my life in early spring. Nevertheless, this is a lovely session, and as an acoustic one it is also something of a change of sound from the recent ones. Sam had played one of our gigs the previous night at Henry's Cellar Bar with Withered Hand and Mike MacFarlane, and the next day we recorded a session and promptly buggered off to the pub for a few pints. Thanks are due to Neil from Meursault who recorded this session, to Dylan Matthewsfor the photos, video camera work and excellent leftover turkey sandwiches, and to Ian Greenhill for helping with the filming, as well as for being gracious enough not to make me re-export all the videos after forgetting to add him to the credit

The Plumbcast is so named because we are currently having an awful time with plumbers. My flat in Leith has a leak into the flat below and we've had three different fucking plumbers out to look at the thing and they just can't find anything wrong. Couple that with a general lack of desire to take on a difficult job - and after all why would you when there are far easier jobs out there for good money - and we are having a godawful fucking time with the plumbers of Edinburgh and the moment.Anyhow, domestic frustrations aside, this is a fine podcast of, for once, the very best new music.  I know I am usually all over the place when it comes to the timely playing of exciting new songs, but I think this week's playlist is fairly on the ball for a change.  I have stuff from the new Pictish Trail and Rick Redbeard albums - both out around now - new tunes by Anna-Anna and The Leisure Society, and a couple of fresh from the vine Toad Session recordings.Yep, we are the new NME. Probably. 01. The Yawns - Butterfleyes (0

Another podcast from the South Coast, as I am down in Brighton again this weekend, visiting my parents.  My wee brother happens to be over visiting from the States as well, so we went to see Brighton & Hove Albion yesterday, which was rather fun, despite the rain.Tonight there will be roast pork and gins and tonic, and then tomorrow we will walk into Brighton to see how good a job our distributors are doing at getting Song, by Toad Records releases into the music shops around these parts. It feels a bit sneaky, checking up on people like that, but it has to be done I suppose.Anyhow, next week I am hoping to have a new Toad Session for you. About fucking time blah blah get on with it etc... I know, I know, but I promise I really am doing my best to get these edited and out for you - honest! 01. D. Gwalia - In Puget Sound (00.04)02. The Bee Gees - New York Mining Disaster 1941 (05.27)03. Naked - Lie Follows Lie (09.56)04. Plastic Animals - Ghosts (14.07)05. Fnords - Surfer of the Apocalypse (21.00)06. Tom W

Welcome to 2013, Toadcast listeners.  As is tradition around these parts, we start the year with a podcast of songs we will be releasing this year on Song, by Toad Records, combined with a few we have released quite recently. There are a few things I didn't put on here, because it seemed a shame to spill the beans too early - we have a new Rob St. John single coming soon, as well as a new album by The Leg and that collaborative album between Jill from Sparrow and the Workshop, Neil and Pete from Meursault, Rory from Broken Records and Reuben Taylor and Rob St. John - but it didn't feel right to play anything from those just yet. What we do have is new stuff from Trips and Falls, stuff from our next split 12" with Magic Eye, Zed Penguin, Le Thug and Plastic Animals, as well as brand new and hugely exciting label signings Adam Stafford and Sparrow & the Workshop, who we'll be doing a couple of EPs with as they prepare their new album. All in all, this is going to be a fucking amazing year for the label, I t

Grinch, not because I am being deliberately all Scroogey and slagging off Christmas, just because I am somehow entirely failing to find any Christmas spirit at all. I like Christmas actually. Although, I suppose to be fair, like a lot of people I despise the hysteria of the presents and all that shit.  Particularly the way the shops start punting it in late September, and the fucking adverts ladle on the emotional blackmail to imply that anything less than an entry-level mortgage spent on presents is some sort of horrendous slight on your loved ones. Fairly standard anti-commercialisation moaning aside, though, I like the cold and the darkness and the time spent quietly with family doing next to nothing. I also like the ritual preparation of a huge meal, and then lying on the sofa watching Back to the Future or Star Wars or Indiana Jones all evening because you're too bloody full to do anything else. But I'm not doing that this year, am I. No, I am doing the accounts and editing sessions.  Because I'm a dick.

What the fuck am I doing calling something a Currycast, I hear you ask.  Music cannot be curry-themed, and nor is it.  This is called the Currycast simply because I am visiting my Granddad in Manchester and he has just asked me to cook a curry for him tomorrow night.I have never cooked curry before, and Mrs. Toad makes such a fine one that I have never really been motivated to have a go, myself.  Why bother making the second-best curry in the house, after all. However, I made a gigantic leg of roast lamb today, so there are lots of leftover bits of cabbage, carrots, lamb juice and bits to make a fine stock base, and so as long as the flavour is right the richness should be okay.Despite being raised abroad, when we were kids roast dinners in my grandparents' house were amongst our most vivid memories, so the fact that me and my little brother get to come here ourselves to cook roast dinners now is a really nice feeling.  It feels like we're helping to continue a tradition in which we were raised, despite the f

Don't worry, the chances of me actually playing party music on a Toadcast are about as good as Lana Del Rey getting some semblance of life back into that blank, empty, defeated gaze of hers.No, in reality this is called the Partycast because we are having the label Christmas Party tomorrow at Summerhall, and so tomorrow I shall be running around all day collecting a PA, and shitloads of absolutely awful tinsel and dreadful Christmas decorations.Also, rather tragically. I shall be trying my very best (and probably failing) not to get too utterly obliterated because I will have to be up early in the morning to return the bloody PA and get all our merch stuff through to Chambre 69 to try and sell to people of Glasgow in vast, lucrative quantities. But umm... well I think it's time to accept that I am going to feel like a menstruating badger on Saturday morning.01. Francobollo - Basketball (00.17)02. Rick Redbeard - Cold as Clay (The Grave) (06.25)03. Lil Daggers - Faces & Names (13.21)04. King Post Kitsch -

Winter has been slow to arrive this year, but it certainly feels like it's here now. The last few days have been pretty cold, but more importantly when you live this far North, it's getting fucking dark. It's not something I dislike, actually.  We may not get much real cold in Edinburgh, nor indeed very much which anyone else would describe as Summer, but Edinburgh is at a surprisingly high latitude and during the Winter months it really is dark around these parts. So there I was sitting at my desk at four in the afternoon and it was already really rather fucking dingy outside, and in the absence of an obvious theme it seemed about as relevant as anything else I could have come up with.  And let's face it, without that this is just a mish mash of new stuff which has been piling into my inbox over the last little while, and where's the fun in that, eh? Well? Where? 01. Temples - Shelter Song (00.21)02. Eels - Peach Blossom (06.54)03. PVT - Shiver (13.01)04. Milk and Biscuits - White Noise (16.49)05. Murals -

Videos: Vimeo - YouTube Photos: Flickr Audio: zip download - mp3s below For the utter shame of it, we actually recorded this Toad Session back in December last year. I know we can be a little tardy publishing these fuckers, but this has to be something of a record. I blame the fact that The Leg, The Foxx, Meursault and the Split 12" albums all ended up being released within a month or so of each other for knocking me firmly out of my stride, but well, there's always an excuse isn't there. We actually recorded this on the Monday after a fearsomely brilliant gig at Henry's Cellar Bar last Christmas, and did a session with the brilliant Joanna Gruesome on the same day. It was a bit rough, just a little bit like hard work, and I have no idea how the neighbours decided not to complain to the coppers, but I hugely grateful that they didn't. Massive thanks for this one are owed to Dylan Matthews and Ashley Hampson for their video camera work, to the consistently awesome Nic Ruefor taking the pictures, and to Rory S

My folks are spending a couple of months in Rottingdean down on the South coast, and after the Meursault, Rob St. John and Withered Hand gig at the Islington Assembly Hall in London on Tuesday I have come down to spend a few days with them, before pootling on back to Edinburgh tomorrow.This may not excuse but most certainly does explain the fact that the blog has been slightly more erratic than usual this week.  I've squeezed in posts where I can, but parents don't take all that kindly to you spending your entire visit buggering about on the internet, so I've had to cool it slightly.  Although I did force them to sit through an hour of my inbox yesterday, just so they would know how the internet makes me suffer.  Boo fucking hoo.Anyhow, Rottingdean is very near Brighton, which I visited for the first time for the Great Escape this Spring, so it was sort of nice to be back, in an odd way. I spent way too much money at Resident again, so I will have explaining to do when I get home. Mrs. Toad is an unforgiving

Coffeeeeeee... so very, very much coffee! Christ on a bike, I know I need to not be dozing off at my desk at the moment but I've had so much fucking coffee in the last couple of days I am starting to go fucking cross-eyed. Mostly this is down to trying to get my head together after the Cold Seeds 2/Wolf Bear Crystal Toads recording sessions over the weekend which, despite my lack of real direct involvement, still managed to knock the usually ruthlessly efficient Toad machine somewhat cockeyed for a few days. Anyhow, the disruption continues with a trip to London for the Meursault show at the Islington Assembly Hall next week, and some panel appearances in Aberdeen and at Unconvention in Preston both coming up as well. And you thought I just fucked about on the internet all day! 01. Elvis Costello - Couldn't Call it Unexpected No.4 (00.31)02. The Woken Trees - Yells (07.55)03. Arran Arctic - Covers (13.09)04. September Girls - Green Eyed (15.33)05. Laurence Made Me Cry - Intelligent Mr. Toad v2 (feat. Dementio

The Ivorycast centres, not altogether surprisingly, on the piano. I remember being mocked at school by someone (a fucking idiot) I knew for swithering on whether the piano or the violin was my favourite instrument in pop music.  She was adamant that the obvious and only answer to that question was the guitar, but then she also liked Lenny Kravitz, so I think that her opinion can be utterly disregarded on principle.Anyhow, there's not much old music on this one, which I suppose there could easily have been.  Instead, there's a few very new things, a few things from about five years ago, some stuff from about ten years ago and a couple of tunes from the early nineties.Also, it's not supposed to be exhaustive, definitive nor indeed at all academic.  This is just a bunch of songs I like with a lot of piano on them, not a verbal essay on the history and importance of piano music. 01. The Divine Comedy - Geronimo (00.26)02. Billy Joel - Piano Man (04.00)03. Hem - Leave Me Here (12.30)04. Grandaddy - Underneath the