The Toadcast - The Weekly Podcast From Song, By Toad

Here we are at the penultimate podcast of the year, and the one immediately preceding Christmas.  I really don't like 99% of Christmas music so there's pretty close to none of it at all on here, although I have made a couple of exceptions as a lazy sort of nod to the season.  Let's face it, if the druids can be arsed dancing about like idiots around Stonehenge and people can fall out over half-defrosted turkeys then I can probably make the effort to shove a couple of token musical nods onto a single podcast, can't I.

 I actually take a lot of this podcast from my recently-published albums of the year list, and from my as-yet-unpublished Festive Fifty, so it's a bit of a yearly roundup as well. And in fact, seeing as Christmas is a Sunday, I won't actually be posting until Boxing Day now, so this will be the last post before Christmas so umm, in the off-chance I don't bump into you on Facebook, Twitter or down the pub, I better wish you Happy Christmas now, hadn't I. 01. Tom Lehrer - A Christmas Carol (00.23)

The baubles in question would be twofold: Firstly, the Song, by Toad readers are awarding their own baubles for the year's musical endeavours, both in terms of anointing their song and their album of the year. And secondly, the very second I post this I am heading up into town to Kid Canaveral's Christmas Baubles, their second of what I assume will become an annual Christmas knees-up, this time hosted at Edinburgh's rather amazing Summerhall. This week on Song, by Toad I will be publishing my own top twenty albums of the year, and then moving on to the Festive Fifty - basically your average predictable blogger's December rituals.  If you don't like it I guess you're a bit stuck until the new year I'm afraid. 01. Mongrels - Massive Cunt (00.25)
02. Tom Waits - Face to the Highway (06.14)
03. Waiters - Tomorrowland (14.27)
04. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats in the Attic (Unravelled) (24.03)
05. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - The Copper Top (27.33)
06. Hookworms - Medicine Cabinet (34.56)
07. Grant Lee

PHEW!  Thank fuck that's (more or less) over.  This year has been a bit full-on, I have to confess, but the bulk of the hard work now seems more or less over.  Our last release (Lil Daggers) came out last week, and our label Christmas Party is now done and dusted which leaves me a relatively comfortable run into the Christmas period from now on, which is some for which I am quite grateful.Nevertheless, The Leg album, the Jesus H. Foxx album and the second album by Yusuf Azak are all on the menu for early next year, so those need to be nudged into motion, so it's not exactly like my feet are going up and my hands reaching for the remote control and a bag of popcorn.Well maybe, but mostly between Christmas and New Year, I can't really bring myself to work then!Next week I'll be going through the Song, by Toad readers' top five songs and albums of the year vote, so if you want to chip in then just fill in your top albums of the year on this week's Friday Five. 01. Coolrunnings - Rusk (00.04) 02. The National - I

Bleerch, bleurgh...  I feel completely disgusting. I had a really good sleep last night, but that translated into a day spent wasting my time fannying about and just lolling in that way that seems like a good idea at the time, but invariably ends up making you feel completely disgusting by the end. Also, to make matters worse, we ordered pizza, which is something we hardly ever do and something which we absolutely always regret.  So here we sit on a Friday evening feeling bloated and slightly soiled and wondering whether at this time of the night there's any point really trying to redeem the day, and perhaps it's best just to forget it and wait for tomorrow.  Bleuch. 01. Joanna Gruesome - Madison (00.27) 02. The Mutton Birds - Anchor Me (06.36) 03. Monster Island - Pilot Whales (14.42) 04. Former Bullies - It Might Be Okay (17.36) 05. Video Thrills - Our Plush Selection (21.05) 06. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Some Candy Talking (Peel Session) (25.16) 07. Bottle of Evil - I Can See Your Face (31.20) 08. The B

 First things first, I must inevitably apologise for the horrendous lateness of this podcast.  Between my mum visiting, the gig on Sunday and the Samantha Crain Toad Session we recorded on Monday there just hasn't been enough time to catch up. It's that end of year time, too, when lists are being made, accounts submitted, the last releases of the year tended to and plans for next year being finalised, so just when I thought that I could coast into Christmas, it turns out I actually have just as much work now as at any other time of the year.  Ah well, whinge whinge, etc. This podcast is called the Saxcast because I happened to be listening to Timber Timbre the other night, and one of their songs features the saxophone quite heavily.  It occurred to me at the time that not only does almost no-one use that instrument at the moment, but despite the eighties ending over twenty years ago, it still seems almost completely taboo, within the kind of musical circles I move in anyway.  Needless to say, this was all it

Cakecast? Yes, the Cakecast, because I turn thirty-six today, and in the absence of a real cake and in honour of the fact that I have a gig tonight at the Wee Red and will hence be working, I decided that at least a picture of some cake was in order. I don't worry about age particularly, but I have to confess that thirty-six sounds suspiciously more like 'nearly forty' than it does like 'thirty-something'.  Curse you time and your unrelentingly linear nature! Anyhow, as I said, tonight we have Gummy Stumps, Weird Era and Battery Face at the Wee Red Bar for a fiver, so those of you wishing to come along and help me get pished and make a fool of myself will have plenty of opportunity to do so.  A can of Red Stripe will do the trick, there's none of your fancy micro-brew pish at the Wee Red. 01. Clem Snide - Happy Birthday (00.16)02. The Quiet Americans - Be Alone (07.10)03. Bottle of Evil - The Boatman (11.52)04. Tropic of Cancer - Distorted Horizon (15.55)05. Islet - This Fortune (21.20)06. Samantha Crain - Tr

So, the 200th podcast.  I remember a couple of years ago when the 100th ticked past, it happened to be a Toad Session, and as those are pre-recorded with little idea when they'll fit into the sequence of Toadcasts I never really marked the milestone in any sort of a way. This time around I was very much conscious of it, but still couldn't really think of a way to make it interesting and, on Thursday night, with no real plan, I just sat down to have a go at editing a compilation consisting of at least one swear word from each podcast.  It took fucking hours, and in fact had to be finished over a combination of Saturday and Sunday evening, which is the reason the podcast is so late this week. For some reason though, it seems kind of fitting, because in amongst the swearing there are some bits and pieces which remind me of events now quite a surprisingly long way in the past.  We have the first Toad Session, the first time Mrs. Toad joined me on a podcast, various long-forgotten birthdays, the passing of the leg

This is called the Barfcast because I feel like utter, unmitigated shite this morning, after another awesome evening with Mrs. Toad getting scooshed and playing records.  I think I had Weald on at the maximum volume our amp can actually manage.  Which, for the record, is pretty fucking loud. So now I am off to get ready for not one, but three gigs.  Firstly the Ides of Toad at Henry's, then Lach and Viv Albertine after that, and then Flamin' Hott Toadzzz! in Anstruther tomorrow.  When the chance to have a good sleep comes, I think I will have earned it! Sometime this week I will figure out what the fuck to do with the 200th podcast. Or at least, I'd better!  There have been a good few calls to get Mrs. Toad back on, which is a lovely idea, but will depend very much on whether or not she can possibly be arsed, which I wouldn't take for granted. 01. Bobby Fuller Four - I Fought the Law (00.26)02. Evan Dando - $1000 Wedding (Gram Parsons) (04.41)03. Easter - Damp Patch (07.39)04. Preston School of Industry - So

This particular podcast was somewhat railroaded by two different things, and hence has very little of the new music/inbox harvesting stuff you may have come to expect from Song, by Toad. Firstly, I went to see Jeffrey Lewis on Wednesday.  He was supported by Seth Faergolzia from Dufus and covered 2+2=? by the Bob Seger System, which explains two of the songs. Secondly, I went out to visit a couple of pals on Thursday night.  That resulted in an epic Pearl Jam-a-thon, so I was looking for some Pearl Jam to play today, only to happen across an old compilation with Pearl Jam, Luna, The Magnetic Fields, Yo La Tengo, Beck and others on it, which explains a couple more songs.  As for the rest, well, there's just no excuse really, is there. 01. Soulsavers - Revival (00.16)
02. Pearl Jam - Bu$hleaguer (08.47)
03. Seth Faergolzia - Weird Old Toad (16.40)
04. Bob Seger System - 2+2=? (19.53)05. Lords of Bastard - Chant (25.24)
06. The Blue Runes - Stream Fog (31.59)
07. Beck - Golden Age (37.54)
08. Luna - Black Champa

This is called the Changecast because, in an absolutely stunning turn of events, it is not packed full of lo-fi garage rock for a bloody change.  Considering the racket you've had to put up with for the last year or so, it seems I have kindly granted you the respite of three songs you'd probably vaguely describe as Americana and a couple which are most unmistakably pop!  I know! Get me!Tonight is of course the Rob St. John album launch down at Pilrig St. Paul's in Leith.  He will be joined on the bill by Viking Moses, Meursault and eagleowl, the latter of whom just happen to be recording their debut album at the moment, which is rather exciting.So, I will post this, attempt to get some nice lunch somewhere and then commence that uncomfortable 'no-one's coming no-one's coming no-one's coming... oh thank fuck' dance I inevitably end up doing whenever I am promoting a gig.  Why I put myself through this all the time I just don't know. 01. Cub Scouts - Evie (00.20) 02. Horsecollar - The Thrill of Never Being Sati

Video: Vimeo - YouTube Photos: Flickr Audio: zip file (right-click, save as) The Toad Session I was probably most nervous about recording was Milk Maid, I think.  It was arranged at the last minute, they are a full, four-piece rock band, their profile is riding relatively high at the moment and I'd never really recorded anything so loud in our house before. As it was, it turned out pretty fucking well, if you ask me, so when PAWS came in I was confident enough that we'd get decent recordings, but I have to confess I was a little nervous about how we'd get away with the racket and the general lawlessness of their performances. There were some changes to the team this time as well, as a lot of the usual suspects couldn't make it.  Wee Matthew was helping out on cameras again, and Rory from Broken Records was back for a second batch of filming.  But we also managed to coax former ace Edinburgh gig photographer extraordinaire Nic Rue out of retirement to take the pictures, and Rory 'brought at friend' to help o

 The Dreichcast is so called because yesterday was fucking dreich. Dreich is another one of those wonderful Scots words which I, with my vague sort of RP/BBC/public school accent can't really pronounce properly, but I wish I could. Nevertheless it worked out pretty nicely actually, and despite the drizzle and general unpleasantness, Mrs. Toad and I went out for a wander, had some lunch, bought some immensely smelly cheese, and then went and got utterly scooshed at the Emily Scott album launch, and then on to Papi Falso at Henry's Cellar Bar. I really like Papi Falso actually.  The music is weird, but still upbeat, and far, far better than the doosh-doosh garbage or excruciating cheese you would hear at most other clubs.  And also, being Henry's, there is space to sit and shoot the breeze, rather than having to scream in one another's ears from half an inch away. 01. Only the Sea Slugs - She Said (00.09)02. Wilco - Art of Almost (06.23)03. Pet - Love Buzz (16.40)04. Nirvana - In Bloom (21.37)05. Benjamin Shaw

The Clamcast is so-called not because of seafood, but because it all of a sudden became rather clammy here this week.  An unseasonable warm spell descended and I didn't personally adjust my clothing habits fast enough, meaning absolutely everywhere I went I ended up being uncomfortably warm. So there you go, the Clamcast. Anyhow, I am off to Glasgow to set up the Independent Record Fair, before scooting back through to Edinburgh to get the John Knox Sex Club, Easter and Fuzzystar Ides of Toad night sorted out at Henry's.  Actually, I say sorted out, but it's not me who sorts things out at this stage, it's really just down to the bands and the venue.  Still, I have to be there and look willing, just in case! 01. Thee Ludds - Parabolic Reflector (00.16)02. Pregnant- I Wasn't Getting Paid (05.49)03. Death Songs - Let This Body Go (10.58)04. Fat History Month - Gorilla (15.00)05. Aidan John Moffat - I Got You Babe (Sonny & Cher Cover) (21.57)06. King's Daughters & Sons - Volunteer (25.42)07. Sons of Joy -

Please note that this is called the Remmcast, rather than the Arriyemcast, for little better reason than that it sounds better.  R.E.M. split up this week, which is sort of like the death of an elderly relative: you know it's sad, and you mourn the loss, but they hadn't been themselves for a while, everyone knew it was probably coming, and maybe it's for the best after all. Due to not really wanting to pontificate too much, I haven't really produced what could be in any way described as a 'career retrospective' or anything, nor have I really gone into much about their contemporaries or influences nor indeed the enduring influence they themselves have had.  Nope, I have simply recorded a podcast as per usual, but with three R.E.M. songs in it because they were fucking brilliant. 01. Ezra Furman & the Harpoons - Hard Time in a Terrible Land (00.26) 02. Burning Yellows - False Horizons (04.33) 03. R.E.M. - Perfect Circle (11.44) 04. The Twilight Sad - Kill it in the Morning (17.52) 05. Niwel Tsumbu - It's Al

 Winecast because after soberly recording these on a Saturday afternoon for the last couple of years, I'm recording this after a bottle of wine on a Sunday evening for a change.  So don't expect coherence, but it honestly isn't all that bad. Mrs. Toad and I were down looking at the Port O' Leith  Motor Boat Club today, wondering if we might buy the place, move in and try and turn it into the kind of recording space and performance space we already try and use our house as.  It's a great building, but I am not entirely certain how popular a place in Newhaven might prove to be to Edinburgh people reluctant to go more than a block or two for their musicfunz. Anyhewww, here we have another ten songs of unbelievable brilliance, for which you will no doubt be enormously grateful and umm *cough cough* well, you're more than welcome. 01. Prize Pets - It Takes Time (00.09) 02. Ian Humberstone - House on the Hill (07.34) 03. Waiters - Tomorrowland (15.05) 04. Former Bullies - Golden Chains (20.21.) 05. Talvihorros - Be

This is called the Fullcast for no better reason than that I tried to fit far too many songs onto the playlist.  I've have used half the Palmist Records stable if possible, but eventually decided to settle for one single track.  There's always next week. I didn't even make room for a song from the new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah record, although to be fair I haven't really listened to that enough to really know what I think about it, so maybe that would have been hasty. If anything this reminded me of the really early podcasts, when I tried to squish two hours of music into a single recording, and the things were just sprawling behemoths of wittering and tuneage.  I can't say I regret the decision to trim it down to either ten songs or an hour. 01. Beaters - Dark Haunter (00.22) 02. Body Wash - Cool Bike (06.34) 03. High Pop - For Jord (08.23) 04. Django Django - Waveforms (11.35) 05. Steven Malkmus & the Jicks - No One Is (As I Are Be) (17.31) 06. Milkshakes - Track 1 (24.57) 07. Kurt Vile - The Creature (2

Snooze!  Yes, a genuine, proper weekend snooze was had this morning and it was fucking amaaaaazing!  I haven't actually had the chance to lazily sleep in for fucking months and it was an enormous pleasure.  And not even a guilty one, because I genuinely don't have to rush about being efficient today.  Awesome! This week's podcast contains a fair bit of plugging, I have to confess.  Not all for myself though.  I plug the Kurt Vile tour, Jonnie Common's Deskjob as well as his new album, the new Oates Field album and the new album by The Leg. Then, just for good measure, I also plug the upcoming Ides of Toad gigs, and two new releases on Song, by Toad Records.  I hope it doesn't get too much for you, but I don't think so, because all the songs are very good and hopefully you know me well enough by now to know full well that I don't plug anything I don't genuinely like.  So there.  Enjoy.  That's an order. 01. Jonnie Common - Infinitea (00.21)02. The Oates Field - Nae Luck (09.50)03. Adam Balbo - Just Singing a S

Comacast?  Yes, because of the imminent onset of a post-Festival coma. After trying to juggle two gigs of my own, two gigs I wanted to attend, the Antifolk-off and the visit of a good friend I haven't seen in a couple of years and the Retreat Festival this weekend I think I am now ready to officially declare August over and collapse into a somnolent stupour.  In short, I need to sleep.  A lot. Mrs. Toad came back from a ten-day holiday last night as well, and that always restores a sense of equilibrium.  She doesn't do much except swear at me and tell me to leave her the fuck alone, but for some reason I find that inordinately comforting in times of stress.  I think it might be because I am a fucking idiot. 1. PAWS - Booger (00.08)2. Trwbador - Sun in the Winter (07.09)3. The Walkmen - On the Water (16.35)4. Arcade Fire - City With no Children (20.05)5. Enfant Bastard - Pob is Not Interested (26.33)6. Michael Kiwanuka - Tell Me a Tale (34.49)7. Electrelane - I'm on Fire (Bruce Springsteen Cover) (42.22)8. The

Stop it.  Stop it.  Just fucking stop it.  Don't panic, this is emphatically NOT about pedophilia.  Before you get your knickers in a twist have a quick look at the tracklisting, and in particular the band names, and hopefully you will see why the podcast has the name it does. So what am I really on about?  Well, I happened across a band recently called Young Girls, and it finally became clear that after Bear Crystal Wolf Fuck Ghost bands, the new fashion is quite clearly paedo bands.  Band whose names, whilst not exactly dodgy in themselves, lead to a lot of very, very awkward moments on Google. So there you go.  No awkward debates about awkward psychological or sociological issues at all, I promise.  Just lots of good tunes by bands with dubious names.  Mostly. 01. Teens - Golden Years (00.05) 02. Girls - Broken Dreams Club (05.59) 03. Wheatus - Teenage Dirtbag (15.19) 04. XX Teens - The Way We Were (19.23) 05. Tim Minchin- Pope Song (26.17) 06. Sonny Boy Williamson - Good Morning, School Girl (33.27) 07. Y

Godcast?  The fucking Godcast?  No, don't worry, there are no theological debates, nor even any snide remarks about the ludicrous nature of religion (except that one). This is called the Godcast because Anthony from God Don't Like It (promotions, press, parties, DJing, drunken tomfoolery and almost everything else) happens to be visiting this weekend to hang out, have a few beers, go and see stuff at the Edinburgh Festival and enjoy the first week of the football season. I am not entirely sure what regular listeners to this podcast will make of Anthony's choices but erm... well fuck off, it can't be all 'moaning indie pish'* all the goddam time, can it. *Copyright Mrs. Toad 2007 01. The Shivers - Irrational Love (00.25) 02. Dels - Capsize (06:47) 03. Sneakpeak - Walk All Over Me (15.02) 04. Baanex - Weird Dance 2 (17.54) 05. Solo Banton - No (27.01) 06. The Japanese War Effort - I Can't Wear Jackets Inside (I'm Afraid) (36.34) 07. The Pineapple Chunks - Dog Shit (39.15) 08. A.A. Bondy - The Heart is Willing (