The Toadcast - The Weekly Podcast From Song, By Toad

Videos: Vimeo - YouTube Photos: Flickr Audio: download for free below... Every time a drum kit comes into our house I am kinda worried that the cafe downstairs is going to have a tantrum about the noise, but we've been lucky so far, and long may it continue.  More worrisome in this instance was probably Jonnie Common's incredible box of tricks. In a slight change to the usual lineup, my wee brother happened to be over from the States visiting when we recorded this, so he did the sound for this.  He has his own company over there, called Red Cottage Audio, and spends most of his time as the sound designer/recording engineer for the Boston Ballet, so I am not sure quite how he took the change from that to trying make a bunch of pop songs sound good in our living room. Still, it's all about the results, and the results are fantastic. The pictures are also especially good this time around.  Fee has contributed photos before - most notably to, I think, the Shenandoah Davis and Pictish Trail sessions - but this ti

 I seemed to forget why this was called the Fallcast until the very end, so it clearly isn't a very central concept to the podcast itself.  Basically, I just rattle on about some new music for a bit, which means there's hardly an excuse to call this bloody podcast anything, really. Still, next week we have the Inspector Tapehead Toad Session, which is nearly finished, and then after that I was thinking about doing podcasts from vinyl.  I reckon I can probably just run a lead into to the microphone jack of the computer, straight from the Tape Out RCA connection on the back of the amp, although that may well not work I guess.  I could just get myself an mp3 turntable, but that's expensive.  Still, doing the podcasts straight from vinyl seems like a good idea to me for the future. For now, though, it's just me sitting and talking shit to my computer, sorry. 01. Broken Records - Modern Worksong (00.17)02. Kurt Vile - In My Time (09.09) 03. Twin Shadow - When We're Dancing (12.28)04. Husband - Feelings (20.39) 0

The Fishcast?  Yes, because the fishmonger opposite our house is today auctioning off for charity the largest lobster ever to be fished out of the Firth of Forth, and the fucking thing is ma-hooo-sive!  Honestly, if that little bastard ever got its claws on you I don't think you'd stand a fucking chance. Anyhow, yes, I do know that a lobster isn't a fish, don't worry, but the Fishcast just had a better ring to it than the Fuckinggreatbiglobstercast, and the word Crustacean didn't seem to have an obvious way of crunching down into the Somethingcast.  So Fishcast it is, deal with it. 01. The Generationals - Trust (00.17)02. The Divine Comedy - The Seafood Song (09.51)03. The Driftwood Singers - Coco Ellis (17.33)04.  The Tragically Hip - Chagrin Falls (25.59)05. Toby Richardson - King of All the Moves (30.06) 06. Utidur - Grasping for Thoughts (39.35) 07. Slow Talk - Fashion Sense (42.43) 08. King Post Kitsch - I'd Sooner Laugh (Demo) (53.34) 09. Bear Driver - Golden Touch (Demo) (55.31) 10. Saharan Gazelle Bo

So, initially I was going to call this post the Gigcast because I have spent the last week furiously booking gigs, arranging gigs and very much hoping people will turn up to gigs. Then, over the course of the podcast, I consistently forgot to actually talk about the Yusuf Azak tour I have been helping to book, the Honeytrap gig I have had to organise, the Savings and Loan House Gig I have been preparing and the Toad Records Christmas Party to try and find a home for. This is all pretty much sorted by now I think - and I'll give you full details tomorrow in the Sunday Supplement - so what ended up dominating the podcast was me saying bone-headed things like 'the name escapes me' every time I had to refer to an album, a label, or pretty much anything over the course of the whole hour.  So in a last-minute change of emphasis I decided that by far the dominant feature of this podcast was not me talking about booking gigs or any of that rubbish, it was me being under-prepared and not knowing the things I was sup

Hoarse.  Horse.  Hoarse.  Horse.  Geddit geddit, see what I did there?  Yes, another tedious pun, but I know you know to expect no better from me these days.  Anyway, it's only called the Hoarsecast because I have a bit of a phlegmy flu which, whilst not fun, is hardly very debilitating so there is no need for me to moan really.  Not that this usually stops me, but anyhewww... It's a funny old mix, this playlist.  I rearranged the songs time and again, swapped a few in and out here and there and just couldn't find a way to make them click together for some reason, so for all I like everything that's on here it is still a little bitty, as a single coherent mix. Mind you, with me talking pish between all the songs, there's fuck all chance of these things really flowing in the first place. 01. Wilco - I Can't Stand It (00.17)02. Hooray for the Riff-raff - Slow Walk (08.32)03. Interpol - Evil (15.49)04. Jose Delhart - Broken Hearted Chant (22.17)05. Flower Orgy - Boneyard (25.12)06. Willie Nelson - Good-hearted

So, we are off to Eigg this weekend for the Fence Away Game.  Being a gallant sort I booked tickets for Mrs. Toad as well, as I thought she would enjoy such a picturesque setting, but the grumbling noises emanating from my better half over the last week or so have suggested that she is planning on weaselling out at the last minute.  Fucking typical, is all I can say. Anyhow, this week's podcast is the usual mixed bag of new stuff and old stuff, and also includes an expectation of the dubious concept of Mixtape Infidelity, as well as new tracks from Honeytrap, British Sea Power, Mount Erie, The Scottish Enlightenment and the Savings and Loan. Please do not confuse this with the Eggcast, by the way.  I know the names are awfully similar, but I only have a limited imagination and couldn't be arsed thinking of anything more original. 01. Honeytrap - Roslin in a Cylon (00.17)02. Mount Erie - I Whale (06.50)03. Timber Timbre - Lay Down in the Tall Grass (15.17)04. Wilmer Watts & the Lonely Eagles - She's a Ha

Despite the title (and the first song) there is very little ranting about the fucking Pope on this podcast, I promise.  He may be a vicious, decaying old scorpion in charge of one of the most corrupt and evil institutions on Earth, but after a little bit of gentle joshing at the beginning I promise I do let it drop and carry on with the music. We have a fair bit of new stuff this week, such as Belle & Sebastian, Broken Records, Li'l Daggers and various other bits, and then a brief detour into Mrs. Toad and my drunken late night vinyl escapades last night. Enjoy! 01. Tom Lehrer - The Vatican Rag (00.17)02. Li'l Daggers - King Corpse (06.26) 03. Bastardgeist - Flee to the Hills (11.26)04. Belle and Sebastian - Write About Love (20.23)05. Broken Records - Ailene (23.10)06. The Walkmen - Blue as Your Blood (31.31)07. Common Grackle - At the Grindcore Show (36.07)08. The Meteors - Out of Time (40.42)09. The Housemartins - Five Get Over Excited (43.46)10. The Delfields - Claire (50.03)

 Having weaselled out of our Fresh Air show yesterday because I was too busy trying to get Loch Lomond sessions edited and generally ready to go away on holiday, so Ruth missed out on her weekly opportunity to take the piss out of me, which must have been a shame for the poor lass. Anyhow, we decided to remedy this by recording a podcast for publishing while we're away, so Ruth came round with a CD of twenty songs and we bumbled our way through an evening chattering nonsense (as per usual). We're a teeny-tiny bit short of cutting edge new tunes for this week, but I think we can live with that for a week, eh.  As Ruth would insist, her choices are all better than things I would have chosen anyway... 01. Animal Magic Tricks - Pinkening (05.04)02. Eurythmics - Love is a Stranger (11.21)03. Iron & Wine - Upward Over the Mountain (19.11) 04. Mountain Man - Mouthwings (25.54)05. Yo La Tengo - Take Care (28.04) 06. Fred Astaire - Top Hat, White Tie & Tails (35.42) 07. Gomez - 78 Stone Wobble (41.43) 08. The

Video: Vimeo - YouTube Photos: Flickr Audio: freely downloadable below... Loch Lomond came over to the UK in May to play some dates in Scotland, so we took the opportunity to record a Toad Session with them.  We first met the band when we went out to Pickathon in 2008 and interviewed them there.  Since then we have released a split 12" and an EP by them over here on Song, by Toad Records. Elephants & Little Girls is actually from that split 12" release, but the other three songs are new, and from their next album.  That album has been finished for about three months now I believe, although I have yet to hear it, so all I know about it is from these three songs. Many thanks to Gavin Tarling for recording and mixing the session, to Matthew Swan and Fiona Buckle for their help with the photography and video cameras, and to Chris Bryant for being in the band for the day.  Feel free to help yourselves to the downloads, and enjoy the videos.  The whole interview can be heard on the podcast below, the video at t

I may only have lived in the Wiltshire village of Seend for about four or five months about ten years ago (seriously, ten?) but the fact that I had no job, nor was able to find one, meant that the music I listened to ended up with an extra resonance. Apart from looking for jobs I didn't know how to find, I spent an inordinate amount of time browsing through copies of Uncut magazine, back before it turned to shit, and buying albums based on how well I liked the songs they chose for their covermount CDs. There are a couple of other songs on this podcast, but I think the memories of Seend (including my goal in a 3-2 victory, having been 2-0 behind at half time) are still surprisingly strong. 01. Meursault - Bulletproof (La Roux/Radiohead Cover) (02.52) 02.The Czars - Lullaby 6000 (09.19) 03. Hamell on Trial - Choochtown (20.30) 04. Lambchop - Bon Soir, Bon Soir (24.10) 05. The Savings and Loan - The Virgin's Lullaby (31.09) 06. Phillistine's Jr. - The Bus Stop Song (36.55) 07. Vado in Messico - Sisma (38.50) 08.

Contrary to what you might suspect from my location this week and the steady stream of silly videos from Anstruther , this podcast is not anything to do with the Fence Collective or Haarfest. Actually, apart from a few brief intrusions from my pile of audio cassettes (a lot of time in the van, you see) this is generally just the usual stream of music news and new bits and pieces from my inbox.  Actually, I am way behind my inbox at the moment, due to a week of holiday and now a week in Anstruther, and things aren't likely to get any better either, what with... oh never mind, you hear enough of my whining as it is.  Tunes... 01. Eels - Jungle Telegraph (02.32) 02. Les Shelleys - The World is Waiting for the Sunrise (07.22) 03. Broken Records - A Leaving Song (13.41) 04. Women - Heat Distraction (19.56) 05. Let's Talk About Trees - Wood of Rassay (23.50) 06. The Tragically Hip - Fireworks (31.57) 07. Grant Lee Buffalo - Testimony (35.48) 08. Inspector Tapehead - Grooming (44.48) 09. Nice Purse - Heart Medley (5

Recorded for you from the sunny, blazing hot mountains of Andalucia, this one is a little late being uploaded because we only just got back to Scotland and I decided I might as well wait until we got home before uploading it rather than charge all around Spain trying to find somewhere to upload from and then sitting around for ages waiting for the damn thing to... well, you get the picture. I actually spent much of the week editing Toad Session videos, which seems just a tiny little bit pathetic, even to me.  Still, editing video whilst sat on the terrace with a beer, overlooking spectacular valley scenery isn't exactly a hardship, but nevertheless, a holiday should be a bit more holiday-y than that I suppose. I also think I may have happened to accidentally teach Mrs. Toad's oldest friend's kids some truly fucking appalling language too.  Honestly, who lets a retard like me anywhere near kids? 01. The Japanese War Effort - Summer Sun Skateboard (02:20) 02. Benni Hemm Hemm - Shipcracks (06:15) 03. Hobart Smit

So, the Festival descendeth upon Edinburgh once more, and once more we are beset by London-based Home County Yahs braying their zany way through the city until finally someone snaps and sets fire to their stupid fucking stilts once and for all. Actually, as I confess pretty sharpish, I am the classic Edinburgh Festival hypocrite, if I'm being honest with myself.  I love it as much as I loathe it and I enjoy moaning about it almost as much as I enjoy the Festival itself.  As a native you really do have to have the right attitude though.  If you come from outside just for the Festival then there's little chance of you failing to take advantage of it, but if you live here the only way is to do it by extremes: either totally ignore it and stay as far away as you can, or just stop moaning, get stuck in, get pished and go to lots of shows.  I tend to prefer the latter option, but I'll confess I don't always do a good job of actually taking my own advice. 01. Thee Single Spy - OK Corral (02.53) 02. Lach - A Quiet Di

This is called the Tapecast because last night, for the first time in about ten years, I made a mixtape.  Because of the van having a tape player there is actually a point to making these bloody things now, so we got hammered and listened to records all night (again), only this time I recorded them all onto a C-90!   There is something so stupidly fascinating about making tapes in the first place, but there is certainly something surreal in resurrecting what genuinely was dead technology.  It is far from easy to actually buy blank tapes these days.  I ended up recording over a shite old one I had to hand, and there is only a limited supply of ones hanging around which I would be happy to tape over. It was bloody fun though, so I think it might well happen again!  01. The Humms - Blood Sucking Vampire (02.30)02. We Can't Enjoy Ourselves - Put Your Blue Dress On (11.19)03. Ezequiel Ezequiel - Dear Permafrost (15.03) 04. Small Town Boredom - Apologies for Apathy (22.32)05. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights (30.59)0

This wasn't particularly supposed to be all fuzzy and noisy, and in actual fact is probably isn't, except for in bits. I have been listening to the Male Bonding album a lot this week, and then the split single from Thee Ludds and The No-Brainers dropped into my inbox, and then I became fascinated by the splendid mess that is I'llfinishyrfinish and suddenly I realised I had a podcast which was pretty much all over the place. So I decided to embrace it, go for it and just appreciate the noise. There is some acoustic fuzz too, and a song by Grandaddy who can be fuzzy but often aren't, but in general if you like your music to be played on a tape recorder down the back of the sofa in the next room, you should like this. Oh, and we have the new Walkmen track and the new Cotton Jones one and all sorts. Aren't we clever. Actually, who the fuck am I calling 'we', anyway? 01. The Walkmen - Stranded (02.20)02. Grandaddy - Fuck the Valley Fudge (09.02)03. Male Bonding - Your Contact (16.19)04. Navigator - Headless Horse

My brother heads off today, so I figured we'd take one last chance to do a podcast while we can.  This is mostly new stuff and inbox though, so I am not sure how he'll react. Actually, he was in the room last week while I went through my inbox, played stuff, replied to emails, deleted things, and so on and so forth.  I think his response was that he simply wouldn't be able to handle the avalanche of shit I have to get through, and that it would simply turn him off music completely. I don't mind that, I have to confess, because although some people do send me wildly inappropriate things, after two hours of listening to one 'psychedelic rock band who are blazing a trail across the LA scene right now' after another I then open an email from Allister Izenberg, which was possibly the most terse, abrupt and non-sugar-coated promo email I have ever read, even including Trips and Falls.  It was such a bad email actually that even before listening I had a sneaky suspicion I was going to really like the music, and boy

My little brother is in town visiting, and he is the sound designer for the Boston Ballet, and on Wednesday night (I think) we got obliterated on gin and had something of a musical duel; each taking turns on the stereo, me playing some of the weirder stuff I listen to and him playing bits of classical music.  Honestly, it was fucking ace.  As a DJ set it would have absolutely delighted me anyway, even if everyone else ended up fucking off, but nevertheless, that evening was what music fandom is really about for me. So this podcast isn't really a recreation by any means (we are far, far too sober and nothing like argumentative enough for starters) but I thought it would be nice to do a podcast along those lines.  Personally, it's maybe not even as classical as I might personally have liked it to be, but never mind, I really like it. And, as usual, there is a correction to be made.  We describe the them tune to Star Trek Deep Space Nine as Theme for the Common Man, and apparently it isn't that at all.  What it

Housecast?  Well, yes.  One of the things I have been trying to do since I left my grown up job is get our house vaguely under control.  I have mananged to get the boxes of albums out of the hallway and into the office now, but there is still all manner of paperwork and assorted other shit all over the place. Also, my folks are visiting at the end of next week, and you know what that means: the famous Mother-in-Law Clean.  Mrs. Toad isn't exactly a domesticated young lady, but she will be setting about the house with a bucket of bleach and a million fistfuls of wire wool over the course of the next few days I would imagine. I, on the other hand, just have to destroy the ropey old oven in the back garden with a pick axe.  Sometimes it rocks to get the man jobs!   01. Perfume Genius - Mr. Petersen (03.44) 02. Bottle of Evil - Same Old Story (10.02) 03. Cate Le Bon - Shoeing the Bones (15.17) 04. Warm Ghost - So Sick of the Sun (18.34) 05. Andrew Cedermark - Masterpieces (23.41) 06. Micah P. Hinson - Seven Horse

So, erm, yes, this podcast should really have happened on Sunday, but it was so unspeakably bakingly hot (alright, in all honesty it was only about 28 degrees, but it felt much fucking hotter, okay) that there was basically no fucking chance it was going to happen. I've also been adjusting to not having a day job, which in its own way made this easier.  I'd write posts when I could during the day, but at the moment my only job is Song, by Toad so I have focussed entirely on the important jobs, not on the day to day business of posting on the site. Also, this is late and it may be (early) Thursday, but there will still be a podcast on the weekend, but I thought this was an opportunity which should not be passed up.  It's Glastonbury for fuck's sake, and it really did need its own podcast pretty sharpish, even if just to wonder why one Earth Glastonbury needs its own podcast when there are so many better festivals out there! Toadcast #128 - The Glastocast 01. Radiohead - Idioteque (06.55) 02. Flaming Lips - God

I remember when I first started writing Song, by Toad, people when they first latched onto the site would occasionally refer to the not all that infrequents bursts of rage and frustration with the music industry as 'a breath of fresh air' and stuff like that, for the simple reason that if I thought something was fucking shit, then I would say so. I had noticed that sort of post becoming less frequent myself over the last couple of years, and even Mrs. Toad remarked the other day that random outbursts of rage were becoming really quite rare. I thought about this, and I think that the reason no-one in the music industry has any balls when it comes to the simple task of telling it like it is - on the face of it, quite a simple thing to do - is the same as the reason that I tend to be quite tame these days myself: you get to know everyone, you become friends with them, and it becomes almost impossible. If I turn around and say 'all the venues in Edinburgh are shit', what does that say to my friend Nick, who works