The Toadcast - the weekly podcast from Song, by Toad

This is Toad Session #39 with Breakfast Muff, recorded on the 9th December 2016 in our warehouse recording space down in Leith - The Happiness Hotel. These guys have been our pals for a few years, since before the fantastic David Cameron's Eton Mess compilation, and all three of Eilidh, Simone and Cal have been in loads of other bands we love too. This stuff is short, sharp and ferocious, at the same time as being loose, flippant and funny. Not many bands I know can combine dark humour, angry politics, outright silliness and boisterous riffery like these guys and this session was an absolute ton of fun to do. As usual, Mario Cruzado made the fantastic videos, with help from Jennifer Baker. 01. Breakfast Muff - Baby Boomers (Toad Session) (00.13) 02. Mary Column - Strange (14.35) 03. Passion Pusher - Sauchiehall Street (EP version) (08.05) 04. Breakfast Muff - Raspberry Pavlova (Toad Session) (23.11) 05. Duds - No Remark (31.27) 06. Youngstrr Joey - Billy is Drinking Pints With Dogs (34.14) 07. Breakfast Muff - Waving Cat (Toad Session) (39.56) 08. Towel - M8 (43.55) 09. Jealous Girlfriend - UR not Broken (45.24) 10. Breakfast Muff - RU a Feminist (Toad Session) (54.33)

Tim the Mute and Kim Gray came over from Vancouver to tour in late Autumn and early Winter of 2016 and played a show for us at The Happiness Hotel on the 27th November. We managed to make time to squeeze in a wee Toad Session beforehand. Tim runs the fantastic label Kingfisher Bluez and has become a good friend and musical ally over the years, partly because I love a lot of the music he releases, partly because I like how he goes about his business, and partly because he is just a lovely guy. He's been over to play shows for us a couple of times now, co-released the first Adam Stafford record we did a few years back, and this year brought his friend Kim Gray with him on tour. They played a fantastic house gig at The Happiness Hotel and we recorded this session beforehand. As usual, Mario Cruzado made the fantastic videos, with help from Jennifer Baker.

Recorded on the 18th November 2016 before a warehouse show with Kwaing Creosite this gorgeous session shows two things: one, that Ziggy and his Pumpkinseed collaborators are superbly talented and two, that strings sound absolutely fucking gorgeous in The Happiness Hotel. Recorded and mixed by my good self, with video by Mario Cruzado and photography by Kat Gollock.

Mrs. Toad and I, as you possibly know, went on something of an epic road trip at the end of July this year. We took the ferry to Amsterdam and drove up through Germany to Denmark, through Sweden via the Volvo Museum, and into Norway, where we went all the way up the West Coast via the Trollstigen in the South, up through Molde, Kristiansund, Trondheim, Mo I Rana, through the Lofoten Islands to Tromsø. After a couple of days there we went East and South through Finland, took the ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, then drove through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into Russia where we spent our 10th wedding anniversary in Kaliningrad, on board a decommissioned oceanographic research vessel. From there it was Poland and the Czech Republic to Vienna, where Mrs. Toad flew home and I carried on to even sillier adventures. But that is the subject for another podcast. For now, here are a bunch of songs from our Norway trip. Because these were all on mixtapes to play in the car whilst driving it's all actually surprisingly upbeat too. Not your usual miserable shite. 01. The Get Me Downs - Sexsie Volvo (00.13) 02. The Spencer Davis Group - I'm a Man (05.44) 03. Evan Dando - Hard Drive (11.47) 04. Fleetwood Mac - Tusk (15.07) 05. She and Him - Don't Look Back (22.16) 06. Jerry Reed - Tex Bound and Flyin' (27.52) 07. The Beatles - Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey (35.33) 08. Kate and Anna McGarrigle - Come a Long Way (38.03) 09. The Come Ons - Strangelove (41.35) 10. Dory Previn - The Lady With the Braid (48.17) 11. Grandaddy - El Caminos in the West (52.17) 12. Raggare United - Volvo 245 (58.17)

Firstly, NO I shall not be launching into a long-winded plea for acceptance over how long it has been since the last podcast. Other shit distracted me, as is always the case when someone doesn't do something. A lot of other shit, in this case. I don't know if any of you remember this, but in April me and my most singularly epic Volvo Bette (pronounced 'Betty' because she's a stubborn and moody old bitch and therefore named after Bette Davis) went on the Rust2Sahara trip with the Rust2Rome Pioneers group. It was, as I am sure you can imagine, a pretty fucking epic experience. After a couple of surprise detours, via Belfast for example, and the Pendine Sands in Wales, and some straight ahead burns down the motorways of Spain, we crossed into Morocco and there the really amazing stuff really began. We dodged camels, lost track of where the road was entirely, jumped sand dunes, clambered over the top of the Atlas mountains on a tiny goat track, visited a Bond villain lair in an extinct volcano, lost suspension, oil filters and exhausts and suffered punctures.   We had to ask random mechanics at the side of the road to help us out, welding bits of the cars back together with fags in their mouths and no more than a pair of sunglasses to shield their eyes. We ran out of petrol so badly we ended up having to siphon between cars to get to the next town, and over the CBs we planned and executed a pit stop to swap a battery from one car to another, jump start them and resume our 100mph dash to Tangiers port that an F1 team would have been proud of. In short, it was absolutely fucking amazing. 01. Dionne Warwick - Do You Know the Way to San José? (00.23) 02. Pavement - Half a Canyon (06.00) 03. DTHPDL - Summer (14.39) 04. Ella Fitzgerald - Caravan (1957 version) (18.40) 05. Donovan - Sun (22.52) 06. Hans Klammer - Voyager 1 (30.11) 07. Jonnie Common - Keep Refrigerated (36.27) 08. Maria Muldaur - Midnight at the Oasis (45.44) 09. R.E.M. - Low Desert (49.43) 10. Unknown - Ger's Birthday Serenade (58.27) 11. Cherifa - Maysh Yiwin May Tshawrth? (1.01.05)

Technically speaking, recording is banned from our living room, but erm, Mrs. Toad was away and Rocky was by himself so why the fuck not, eh? This was an odd mismatch. Originally the session was prepared for Chantal Acda, who was headlining the tour. Then it turned out she couldn’t make it due to illness, and then there I was having a chat with Rocky, who I’d never exchanged a word with before. Considering I was monumentally unprepared, this was a wonderful session. Rocky was relaxed and chatty, and it was one of the nicest and easiest conversations we’ve had on the session since they began in 2008. Thanks to Matthew and Alex for the video and to Mario for the photos.

Well as you probably know, Mrs. Toad and I spent the last quarter of 2015 living in Brooklyn - in Red Hook to be precise - and it was fucking amazing. Red Hook itself is a fucking brilliant neighbourhood. Still pretty industrial, but with loads of really nice places, so the balance between residents and incoming hipsters (like, I suppose, ourselves - we are the problem!) is still pretty decent for the time being. Only a matter of time, I suppose, but for now it's a pretty great place to be. Well while I was out there I went to some gigs, listened to some music, and with the help of my little brother's recording expertise and Tom from Gold Flake Paint's curatorial sagacity we made a record. That's right, the fifth Song, by Toad Split 12" (actually the one and only release on Toad Flake Paint Records) was recorded at the National Opera Centre while I was out there. So this is a mix of bands I saw, bands I listened to and bands I worked with in the three months when we could pretend to be a trendy Brooklyn record label for a bit. 01. The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You (00.24)02. Told Slant - Ohio Snow Falls (09.29)03. Sean Henry - The Crow (12.32)04. Samantha Crain - Elk City (20.59)05. Kevin Morby - Slow Train (29.01)06. Florist - Vacation (39.39)07. Furnsss - Settle Down (43.31)08. Alex G. - Kicker (52.15)09. Cashavelly Morrison - Iodine (55.24)10. Infinity Girl - Firehead (1.03.52)

The Lithpcast is named after the rather impressive lisp I have developed since my dentist yanked my front-left incisor out of my mouth the other day and replaced it with empty space and stitches. There will be a new tooth bunged in there at some point, for the time being I have a rather uncomfortable denture which I don't wear, a bad lisp, and a general sense of trepidation about how I am actually supposed to fucking eat. The tunes this week are somewhat defined by the fact that various things have nudged me out of the way of new music, so there is a lot of Song, by Toad Records stuff, but for some reason also a lot of profoundly obscure other songs too. I feature three really good compilations put together by other folk, a wee plug for a pal's label, and there's even time for some surprise Chumbawamba. Who could possibly resist. 01. Blood of the Bull - Hold Your Head Up High and Go Fuck Yourself (00.22)02. Wendell Borton - Saucy (06.39)03. Joyce Delaney - Don't Be an Asshole (09.41)04. Dead Fader - Nightmare Sequence (13.36)05. Chumbawamba - New York Mining Disaster 1941 (23.07)06. Garden of Elks - I Hid Inside (26.44)07. Super Inuit and Jessica Schouela - Blue-Greens (32.36)08. Call to Mind - Breathe (36.37)09. Youngstrr Joey - Listen to Antique Pony Too Much (42.20)10. Don't Die - What is Luvv (Haddaway cover) (48.23)11. Davina Shell - All the Things She Said (t.A.T.u cover) (52.00)12. Virgin of the Birds - Spooky, Stony, Barely Over Thirty (unmastered) (59.22)

 So Mrs. Toad and I are back from Rust2Romania (just) and before I throw myself into the second half of the Pale Imitation Festival I thought I might take the time to reflect on the rather epic adventure we just experienced. We have some of the tunes, both excellent and just plain silly (and sometimes both), which we played as we charged about through some of the more unexpected parts of Europe. Driving from Edinburgh to Romania, for example, probably shouldn't include a chapter titled 'via Greece', but somehow it did. Getting slung in a Romanian jail also 'shouldn't' have happened either, but it was awfy close, and finally Mrs. Toad and I ended up with a wee trip down memory lane by going to a Heuriger in Vienna on the way home. It was all over the place, this particular trip, but especially fantastic because of it. 01. Simon & Garfunkel - Baby Driver (00.25)02. The Clash - I Fought the Law (07.51)03. Motorhead - The Ace of Spades (11.42)04. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (14.36)05. The Lovely Eggs - Fuck It (25.19)06. Chuck Berry - Jaguar & Thunderbird (30.11)07. The Muppets - Movin' Right Along (32.11)08. Kings of Leon - Charmer (38.39)09. The Strokes - Vision of Division (41.39)10. Kenny Rogers & the First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition is In) (47.35)11. R.E.M. - Be Mine (53.07)

Hiya folks, once again in advance of the glorious Pale Imitation Festival we have a podcast exploring all the weird and wonderful bands who will be playing in Edinburgh during August for your wild and enthusiastic entertainment. Because you're coming along, right? All of you? Oh god do please come. Please. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease! Ah fuck that, it's really undignified when I grovel isn't it. Fucking come along or you are missing the fuck out on seeing the best under-the-radar bands in Scotland at the most reasonable of prices (a fiver per show or a season ticket to the whole damn thing for £25 - all tickets here) in one of Edinburgh's most legendary underground venues. (Literally. It's actually a cellar.)   It's a bit haphazard, but it's a bloody great festival, the beer in Henry's is really good these days and the wonderful Kitchen Disco will be providing cakes and DJing on every single night because they are massive heroes and they are the reason the terrorists will never win. 01. Numbers Are Futile - Monster (00.17)02. Beam - Hex (08.12)03. Bat Bike - Willing (18.52)04. Sharptooth - Queen of Scots (26.37)05. Min Diesel - War Band (28.32)06. Adam Stafford - Atheist Money (35.07)07. Wolf - Tricks and Bones (42.56)08. Tryptamines - Black and White Blues (47.57)09. Supermoon - Klopfgeist (55.45) 10. Happy Meals - Electronic Disco (1.03.57)

This is what is becoming the annual Rust2Rome podcast. Not so much intentionally as such, it's just that sitting in the car with tapes is pretty much the only music I've been listening to recently that's all, so that's what the podcast is from. After two years doing the French Alps route I decided that since Mrs. Toad wasn't coming with me this time (she's coming on Rust2Romania in August) I would try the new Swiss Alps route. The driving was definitely more spectacular, if not quite as quick due to the general busyness of the roads, but it was fantastic to do the new route. And after the absolute rammy last year when there were 55 cars and 140 people, going in a group with 10 cars and a mere 22 people was blissful peace and quiet, much more sociable and of course with fewer people everything was easier too. What a fantastic expedition! And good old Bette too - ticking up towards 300,00 miles! 01. The Golden Toadstools - Silly Savage (00.21)02. Soulsavers - Revival (05.35)03. The Growlers - Gay Thoughts (13.39)04. Adam Faucett - Melanie (18.36)05. The Tarantulas - Tucumcari (26.13)06. Bob Seger 2+2=? (32.46)07. Grandaddy - El Caminos in the West (37.27)08. Yo La Tengo - Outsmartener (40.54)09. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son (48.47)10. SWF - Automobile Blues (56.07)

What a weird, monumentally depressing and yet slightly hopeful few days we've had. A majority elected Tory government basically labels whatever percent of the imbecilic British people who voted for them as rapacious, bullying, socially vindictive, economically illiterate idiots. And there is literally nothing to be happy about in them being elected to govern Britain again. Nothing. But on the other hand, where Labour destroyed themselves by failing to refute plainly ridiculous Tory fairy tales about the economy, and by being cowed into bowing to their (plain stupid as well as utterly immoral) program of increased welfare cuts, and their (plain stupid as well as utterly immoral) crusade against immigration and asylum, at least Scotland massively embraced the most vocal, credible alternative in the whole conversation. This shouldn't be seen as a wholesale endorsement of all SNP policies, or even their track record. I don't want to live in a one-party state, and I think we'll see a far more politically diverse result during the Scottish Parliament elections, not least because we embrace proportional representation up here, and that the country will be the better for it. What this was was a complete rejection of a long-discredited economic dogma and an utterly regressive social narrative spun by one vindictive and avaricious party and barely countered at all by the self-described alternative. It was a rejection of the Lib Dems for their spineless support for a Tory government and complete abandonment of their election promises. It was basically a backlash against two parties who have show their spinelessness in the face of the other, and the narrow cowardice of the Westminster consensus. It may not fix much in and of itself, but at least up here people have called bullshit as loudly and unanimously as possible.  01. Breakfast Muff - Dishes (00.22)02. Onions - You're Not As Boring As (06:15)03. Joey Fourr - My Dolphins (10.00)04. Crystal Shipsss - Drum (14.44)05. Min Diesel - War Band (25.51)06. Klangstof - Hostage (33.09)07. Leisure - Got it Bad (38.41)08. Coin Locker Kid - Boy Toy Pts. 1&2 (45.04)09. Supermoon - Sarah (Toad Session) (56.55)10. Trupa Trupa - Halleysonme (1.00.55)

Fuck me, sorry, I seem to have managed to not do one of these for about two months. That totally took me aback, I have to confess. Ah well, I suppose it was inevitable. Due to slightly ambitious scheduling we ended up with four or five releases all being live at the same time in the late Winter/early Spring period and I was kind of overwhelmed with all the work which needed doing for all of them I am afraid, which kind of accounts for how overwhelmed I ended up getting. The Cherryblossomcast was suggested by Stephen Lappin on Twitter, as I took that picture over there of our front door once the two cherry trees which flank the gate started flowering this week. It's been sunny and gorgeous here in Edinburgh, and we've been doing that classic thing you do in Northern cities, and sitting outside and drinking too much absolutely every available sunny second, and sometimes persisting way after it's become far too cold to reasonably sit outside. It's just such a joyous relief to feel the warmth and the sunshine, much of a Winter fetish as I do have. 01. Garden of Elks - I Hid Inside (00.22)02. Rob St. John - Young Sun (06.02)03. Woodpigeon - When You Look For Trouble, Trouble Comes (10.30)04. Youngstrr Joey - Cheerleaders (16.43)05. Bat-Bike - Raw (20.51)06. Taman Shud - The Ziggurat, A Mirage (24.49)07. Chump - Sleep In (Bedroom Demo) (30.42)08. DTHPDL - The Future (Live Demo) (39.50)09. Passion Pusher - Thinking Very, Very Hard (44.23)10. Wendell Borton - Saucy (51.34)11. Slows Down - The Blues Easing (56.14)

I am going to be spending an awful lot of time on motorways in the immediate future (this is after a Manchester round trip last week as well) so I figured calling this the Motorwaycast made some sense. So many white lines, so many headlights. I actually don't mind long drives. I find them sort of meditative in a way, although that effect sort of diminishes when you've driven the same stretch of motorway a bit too often. Then it's just dull and frustrating, but in general long drives are kind of nice. I stick a pile of tapes on the seat next to me, get a coffee and just muse my way along the road for hours. That car in the picture is not entirely like Shirley (our new 240 wagon) but not all that unlike, and because there will be a funeral involved in one of these trips I think Shirley is rather more suitable than Bette, covered in stickers and a ludicrous green racing stripe.  Shirley's good, though, she's handled a few good long round trips now so it looks like we have another long distance workhorse on our hands. 01. Le Thug - Outer Hebridean (00.37)02. Dearness - It's OK, You're Fine (07.40)03. Nada Surf - Popular (10.27)04. Becky Becky - I Remember, I Remember (15.53)05. Spinning Coin - Late Late Late (22.00)06. Lush Purr - I Admit It, I'm a Gardener (23.46)07. Tisso Lake - Carnival (29.39)08. Corespondents - Winner of My Disco Tent (41.46)09. If it Ain't Breakfast, Don't Fix It - Expensive Thrill (45.30)10. Sacred Paws - Vince (50.47)11. Slows Down - The Way Down Leering (57.59)

So many of the songs on this week's podcast should really have been played at the very least six months ago that, honestly, it's just a little bit embarrassing. Some of these came from emails which got utterly buried in my inbox, some from things that I kept intending to feature, only to realise that I had accidentally allowed months to pass without doing so, and others I simply didn't get the chance to even read until the January lull. That's fine of course, I know none of you come here to be on the very cutting edge of the cutting edge, but some sort of vague punctuality would be nice wouldn't it. Given that, as we discovered last week, jokes have to automatically stop being funny once more than ten people have posted them to Facebook, I assume you probably have to stop enjoying songs now by the time they are three months old or so. There also seems to be a weird preponderance of all-caps bands. I know that's quite the thing these days, just as no-one ten years ago would even bring themselves to glance at a capital letter, but still, I find it unnerving. Do they care that much? Can I ignore it? Or do they hate it when people spell it like a normal word? Oh my god the anxiety. Anyway, fuck it, tunes. 01. BETS - Don't Give a Fuck (00.10)02. FURS - An Eye on the Vicious (05.07)03. Strange Lords - Szandora (12.13)04. Heavy Drag - Tissue (15.29)05. Body Cheetah & Messed Up Coyote - Shawty (22.32)06. Grubs - Dec. 15 (26.25)07. The Muppets - Happiness Hotel (28.53)08. TRAAMS - Teeth (34.12)09. Songdog - A Life Eroding (So Much Sorrow) (44.35)10. Clem Snide - The Ballad of Saint Paull (49.07)11. ULTRAS - This is Where I Fall (55.52)

So, with the first podcast of the year I suppose I should be doing New Year's Resolutions, right? I guess I do have some, sort of, for a change. Firstly, I didn't exactly keep on top of the label admin well enough last year - particularly the accounts - so that really does need to improve. We're doing gigs again this year, partly because it seems to help with the general awareness of the label and partly because no-one in Edinburgh seems to be putting on the kind of gigs I want to go to. Actually, that's less of a resolution really, and more of an announcement, isn't it. And thirdly, we have to suck less at PR. I've got a few plans for this, but mostly we just have to do a better job of getting label artists covered in the bigger online magazines in particular. It's heavy work, PR stuff, but if you can't do PR then you aren't really a label so it has to be done. Also, we have a playlist on Soundcloud of all the new bands we're working with this year. 01. The Muppets - Movin' Right Along (00.00)02. Garden of Elks - This Morning We Are Astronauts (02.47)03. Le Thug - Basketball Land (10.07)04. Krill - Sick Dogs (For Ian) (18.49)05. Body Cheetah - I'm There (22.17)06. Jane Weaver - The Electric Mountain (31.26)07. Rob Cantor - Shia LeBeouf (37.13)08. Lush Purr - Horses on Morphine (41.07)09. Supermoon - Klopfgeist (47.56)10. Numbers Are Futile - Vice Over Reason (55.55)11. digitalanalogue - Café Royal (1.01.03)12. The Golden Toadstools - Silly Savage (1.07.51)

Virgin of the Birds Toad Session from Song, by Toad on Vimeo. Photos – Flickr Video - Vimeo - YouTube Session tracks - Soundcloud – zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) Virgin of the Birds first started to become part of the Toad family when he played our first ever New Year's House Gig back in, erm... I dunno, was it 2009 maybe? Jon's free EPs were pretty much all firm favourites around here, and despite the understatement of his music it was stuff I just kept going back to again and again. I liked them so much that when we released our 5 Year Box Set Jon and I put together a compilation of the very best bits to release on record, and then, despite having not had a formal Virgin of the Birds release for years he suddenly came up with a new album around the same time. The timing was ideal, and so we ended up releasing that in May as well, coincidentally around the time Jon came over to the UK to play some shows. Mrs. Toad and I had just moved house, and so this ended up being the first session recorded in our new place - with a whole new set of neighbours to annoy. Neil and Reuben from Supermoon helped out by playing on a couple of the tracks, the awesome Nic Rue took the pictures for us again, and Dylan, Ian and Steve all came round to say hello and occasionally get roped into helping me and Nic with the filming. So yes, this is what Toad Sessions are going to look like from now on. No more turquoise walls! Full Interview Podcast:   Toadcast #311 - Virgin of the Birds Toad Session by Song, By Toad on Mixcloud   Session Tracks: Session Videos:       Podcast Tracklisting: 01. Virgin of the Birds - Queen of Sweden (Toad Session) (00.22) 02. The Delgados - Been Accused of Stealing (live) (12.26) 03. Pavement - Frontwards (18.49) 04. Virgin of the Birds - Let Me Be Your Bride (Toad Session) (31.05) 05. The Savings and Loan - Catholic Boys in the Rain (44.10) 06. The Lovely Sparrows - Bury the Cynics (48:30) 07. Virgin of the Birds - The Serpent Plume (Toad Session) (58.19) 08. Meursault - Crank Resolutions (1.09.02) 09. Liz Phair - May Queen (1.13.55) 10. Virgin of the Birds - Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant (Toad Session) (1.25.57)

Alright alright, so the name of this might have absolutely hee-haw relation to the actual content of the podcast. It's just that I went to the tip today in Bette, as I usually do, and they spat the dummy and tried to charge me commercial rates to dispose of my rubbish and recycling because the car had fucking 'advertising' on the side of it. As in, daft rally stickers. Does Bette seriously look like a fucking company car to you, you morons? Despite the fact that I emptied it all out on the ground and asked them to point to the commercial waste, of which there was precisely none, the best they could manage was 'well this time it's okay, but next time...' Next time what? Fucking what? Stupid stickers on the side of a car means I can't use the fucking municipal dump? Fucking idiots. Anyhow, pointless and utterly futile outrage aside, here are some excellent tunes for you once again. Next week will be the Virgin of the Birds Toad Session, so keep an eye out for that as well. Ahh. Pub. 01. Malcom Middleton & David Shrigley - A Toast (00.57.)02. Hamilton Leithauser - Room For Forgiveness (06.40)03. C. Duncan - For (15.55)04. ColeFord - Chains (19.47)05. Adam Faucett - Benton (25.15)06. Music Recordings - Virgin Galactic (31.44)07. Malcolm Middleton & David Shrigley - Story Time (34.31)08. s>c>r>a>p>s - Siri (42.39)09. Scraps - Asleep (45.07)10. Dan Michaelson & the Coastguards - Burning Hearts (51.53)11. Trips and Falls - Your Consequences are Bullshit (59.17)

 I can't really believe I've not done an Edincast before. I mean, I live here, I work here, I run a label here and I go out to gigs here all the time. How has this not happened yet? I've done numerous Scottish ones, label ones, and even Manchester ones although I'm not really from there, but Edinburgh has never happened for some reason. And why has it happened now? Well I was at the Creative Edinburgh Awards last night and had put together an Edinburgh playlist specifically for the purpose, but the organisers (probably very wisely) just asked the DJs to play through, instead of using my stuff, so I never had the chance to annoy people with my deliberately obtuse choices. Actually, most of them weren't all that obtuse really... just one or two. So given the muzzling yesterday I figured I could just put most of these songs on a podcast and, let's face it, play them to a much more receptive audience. I mean, The Leg, The Love Gestures, Passion Pusher... not really suitable for last night's Gathering of the Middle Classes. It was fun, though. There was awesome cake and our pals Olaf (Born to Be Wide) and Tommy Perman and Rob St. John (Water of Life) both won awards.  And I had too much gin. So a good night all round, really! 01. The Shop Assistants - I Don't Wanna Be Friends With You (01.40)02. Fire Engines - Sympathetic Anaesthetic (07.27)03. Idlewild - I'm A Message (12.53)04. Lucky Jim - You Stole My Heart Away (15.33)05. The Love Gestures - Hey Man (20.24)06. FOUND - Machine Age Dancing (27.46)07. Broken Records - So Long, So Late (36.19)08. Numbers Are Futile - Monster (46.05)09. Passion Pusher - Couch King (50.19)10. Young Fathers - Get Up (59.55)

So this is the second Broken Records Toad Session. We actually packed a band with four guitarists and a full drum kit into our living room and decided that, fuck it, of course it would sound fine. And you know what, somewhat magically it does. Alright the drums could have done with more than one mic, and perhaps we didn't have all that much control when we had to use one mic for two guitar amps, but they recordings sound really good if you ask me. The reason we did a second session with Broken Records is because our first was recorded in the dark days of the internet when YouTube footage was published in 640 x 480 format and those videos now look like they were recorded back before steam trains. Ironically, and to my infinite frustration, having decided to do another session in order to upgrade the quality of what we did all those years ago, we actually managed to lose all the video for this one. Yes, all of it. We actually managed to lose an entire camera when we moved house, including the memory card with all my video on it, and Gavin's hard drive, containing all his shots, had a meltdown too, so all that went as well. I cannot express how much hair-pulling has taken place ransacking old drives for backup versions, nor how incredibly sorry I am for the band going to all that effort only for this to happen, but there's nothing for it I'm afraid. It just isn't there. So what you get instead is a series of photos by Nic Rue, the interview podcast and our session recordings. It's all really, really good stuff, but not having the video still makes me smash my head against the fucking desk. 01. Broken Records - Winterless Son (Toad Session) (00.21)02. Sun Kil Moon - Pancho Villa (10.32)03. Electrelane - The Partisan (15.41)04. Broken Records - Weights & Pulleys (Toad Session) (23.52)05. Stereolab - Super Electric (29.08)06. The B-52s - Love Shack (34.26)07. Broken Records - All Else Can Just Wait (Toad Session) (49.23)08. Car Seat Headrest - Bodys (56.44)09. Mark Eitzel - Proclaim Your Joy (1.03.55)10. Broken Records - Wolves (Toad Session) (1.16.10)

 Yep, not gin anymore, these days I drink coffee with my podcasts. Nostalgia really isn't what it used to be, is it. I remember when I was wild, rude, inebriated, etc. etc... Mind you, seeing as I am driving through to Glasgow once I finish this to engage in sensitive negotiations with a 'hot new band'*, I think half a bottle of gin might not be the wisest preparation, even by my rather slapdash standards. So it's a pot of coffee and some fine new music, and you know, I may even keep the nonsensical rambling to a minimum if I can manage it. It's going to be weird driving through to Glasgow actually, because I will be taking a friend's car instead of Bette, because it has a working tape player while Bette's is currently out of action. It's still a Volvo estate, but just a normal one, and I have to confess it feels kind of weird that no-one does their 'what the fuck is that?' stare when I drive past. I've kind of grown used to that over the last year or two with the old girl. 01. Becky Becky - I Remember, I Remember... (00.16)02. Huerequeque - Homöopaatiline Epopöa (05.32)03. Sex Hands - On a Break (15.47)04. Jeff Flashinski - Disillusion (21.31)05. eagleowl - Clean the Night (24.25)06. Furs - An Eye on the Vicious (29.45)07. Max Garcia Conover - Wildfires Outside Laramie, WY (33.45)08. Waiters - What For Art Thou (43.52)09. Sea Pinks - Dream Happening (47.12)10. Maston - Gold Leaf (52.45)11. Water World - Cream Soda (56.44)12. Frankie Cosmos - Owen (1.00.23)

This is called the Crumbscast for no better reasons than that I like the name and that it starts with a song called Crumbs, the new single by Jonnie Common. Given I've had to try and think up unique names for all of these bastard things anything which sounds good and has at least a tenuous link to the topic at hand will do. I've not done a podcast for ages actually, but the last one was the one just before the independence referendum, and I still feel so utterly let down and disappointed with how that went that I've been unable to really talk about it since. On you go, Westminster, you're doing a decent enough job really - at least a better one than we could ever hope to do on our own. Is that really the message we just delivered to the world? Yes, yes I think it is, at least to some degree. How sad. So you see, probably a good thing that I waited at least a couple of weeks for the worst of the depressed bitterness to wear off. I almost get dragged into it at the start of the podcast, but like a champ I manage to break free and deliver an hour (and a little bit) of the usual awesome music that no-one's really heard of because the world is WRONG about music. Sorry. 01. Jonnie Common - Crumbs (00.22)02. Tired Tape Machine - Your Ghost (07.30)03. Passion Pusher - BLT (17.18)04. Allison Crutchfield - Supermoon (22.22)05. Sun Kil Moon - War On Drugs (31.01)06. Velvet Morning - Green Whale (40.31)07. 808s and Greatest Hits - Great Western featuring A. Fantastic Reprise (48.44)08. Memory in Plant - Rainy Veins (54.09)09. H. Hawkline - Black Domino Box (58.01)10. Wallflower - Ambien (1.03.02)

 This podcast is not really all that referendumy, I thin... actually, I suppose it is kind of. I'm sorry to do this to you, but it's more or less unavoidable at this stage because if you're in Scotland it's impossible to think of anything else. I started off trying to make it apolitical and just play some tenuously connected songs, but fuck it, in the end it inevitably seeped in. In the words of the utterly obscure (but excellent) MC Quake: "It feels good to be in Scotland; it feels like home." I have no idea how it's all going to go of course, and I am not the sort of ideological idiot who thinks it will be fucking amazing or fucking disastrous either way. I am looking for a marginal improvement, and that will be good enough for me. It's become my home, Scotland, almost by accident. I ended up studying here and then entirely coincidentally fell in love with a Scottish girl and found myself back, some five years after graduating.  And now I'm here. Possibly permanently. Which is a strange thought, given I had no reason to end up here.  01. The Sound of Music - So Long, Farewell (00.22)02. The Futureheads - Yes/No (01.21)03. MC Quake - Feels Good To Be In Scotland (06.59)04. Ballboy - I Hate Scotland (13.09)05. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive (21.03)06. The Police - Every Breath You Take (25.21)07. Big Joe Williams - Baby Please Don't Go (30.33)08. The Delgados - Aye Today (36.37)09. Eliot Smith - Say Yes (41.45)10. REM - It's the End of the World as We Know It (48.00)11. Billy Bragg - Take Down the Union Jack (56.04)12. Orange Juice - Rip It Up (1.01.10)13. The Rezillos - No (1.06.47)14. Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doing it For Themselves (1.09.35)15. Erasure - A Little Respect (1.13.54)16. Sly & the Family Stone - Que Sera Sera (1.22.43)17. The Smiths - Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (1.27.59)

 So, here we are on August 28th and I have neeeeearly made it through another Pale Imitation Festival. Nearly. We still have tonight's awesome show with eagleowl, Ian Humberstone and Smackvan, and then the closing party on Saturday with PAWS, Halfrican and Et Tu Brute! and then I will sleep for a week, and lock the doors and the shutters to the house so I don't have to speak to people until I am good and ready. That sounds like a moan, and it is I suppose, but it doesn't mean that I don't love the festival we've put on. I've loved every gig so far, and I'm incredibly proud of how well it has all gone and how well it has all been received, it's just that it's kind of exhausting and rather gets in the way of all the other things I have to be doing at the moment. Anyone who does this kind of shit knows, I guess, it's amazing but exhausting, and at the moment I am knackered. Anyhow, I recently received a most excellent package from Norman Records of about five or so new albums, and a lot of them get a spin here. Oddly enough I had to go an buy the Wytches song on iTunes again because for all Heavenly sent me a download card with the album, there was no sign anywhere of where to actually redeem it, and I couldn't find one on their site anywhere either. Weird. And of course the PR folk never sent me the album for review either so I've ended up buying an album I was asked to review, and then having to buy a song again just to play it on the damn podcast. Still, they're ten times more established and successful than we are, so I suppose in a way it's sort of reassuring to see that they can still be just as hapless. Music would be pretty shit if it was all ruthlessly efficient people in charge. 01. Temple Songs - Sunspot Dandyline (00.20)02. Michael Cera - Gershy's Kiss (07.56)03. Chad VanGaalen - Frozen Paradise (10.44)04. Jonnie Common - Shark (18.31)05. Eaten By Television - To Emma (25.40)06. The Wytches - Wire Frame Mattress (31.29)07. Los Angeles Police Department - Enough is Enough (36.54)08. Old Earth - Some Gates'll Swing Wide, For Us (38.47)09. Beck - Morning (47.39)10. The Eskimo Chain - Riding (57.37)

 So, a little over halfway through the Pale Imitation Festival, and here we are. There are still four gigs to go, with Rick Redbeard, LAW, eagleowl and PAWS headlining (tickets and full details here), and the gigs are only a fiver to get into, which in Edinburgh in August represents a monumental fucking bargain. We also have a new single out on Song, by Toad Records, from David Thomas Broughton and Juice Vocal Ensemble's new collaborative album Sliding the Same Way which is now available for pre-order so I've popped that on the playlist as well, along with a Passion Pusher song from our first cassette release which is due in October or November or something like that. Other than that, there are a couple of new Scottish singles, some live gig plugs and a couple of Song, by Toad recording alumni with some bits and pieces, so it's all quite local music for local people this week. Phew. I am finding the Festival heavy going, I have to confess. Not that I'm not enjoying it, just that it does kind of wear you out, not least with all the drinking. Still, my Mum turns up on Sunday, so that should at least put the dampers on some of the worst carrying-on. Hopefully. 01. Neon Waltz - Bare Wood Aisles (00.17)02. Broken Records - So Long, So Late (06.37)03. David Thomas Broughton & Juice Vocal Ensemble - In Service (12.41)04. Numbers Are Futile - Justice is Light (and Blood) (18.37)05. Sharron Kraus - When Father Hanged the Children (22.45)06. Samantha Crain - Paint (30.50)07. Sex Hands - Gay Marriage (36.07)08. Ian Humberstone - House on the Hill (43.55)09. PAWS - Poor Old Christopher Robin (Tape Demo) (46.11)10. Passion Pusher - BLT (54.06)11. eagleowl - Too Late in the Day (1.02.34)

Well as you can probably tell from the graphics and indeed also the title, this is going to just be one long plug for our August antics at the Pale Imitation Festival this year. But, as you will hear me rattling on about, I suppose the label and the gigs are essentially the same as the blog really aren't they, in that it's basically just me having a massive tantrum that the entire world doesn't completely agree with me about music. So in that sense plugging label releases and our live shows on here isn't me compromising the integrity of the site, is it, it's just an extension of the original purpose of the site in the first place isn't it? ISN'T IT? I hope so, anyway. In any case, for those of you outside Edinburgh you can't actually attend this festival but that won't really matter because basically this is just a podcast full of absolutely fantastic Scottish bands, so for a change I am being Mr. Scotland tonight, although as you will hear, I'm not all that gracious about it! 01. Adam Stafford - Vanishing Tanks (00.22)02. Le Thug - Paints (08.40)03. Andrew R. Burns - Stinking Ship (16.19)04. Sharptooth - Bonnie Blaze (19.22)05. alansmithee - Snooze (26.07)06. Deathcats - Danny Dyer (29.47)07. Ian Humberstone - Ocean Paths to Palace (37.57)08. LAW - Lilo (44.45)09. Rick Redbeard - Dreams of the Trees (47.30)10. Kitchen Cynics - When Father Hanged the Children (57.22)11. Halfrican - I'm in L.U.V. (1.05.55)12. PAWS - War Cry (1.07.04)

 As you should well know by now, this is not the Bett-cast, it is the Bettycast, as our ridiculous car is named after Bette Davis, who spelled it Bett but pronounced it Betty. So there. Once again this is a bit of a Rust2Rome retrospective, with ruminations on brake fade in the Alps, grown men sporting mohicans, driving far too fast and complaining about things not being entirely predictable when on holiday in a car which cost lest than £500. There may also be a little teeny-tiny bit of ranting about stupid people, but y'know, there usually is on these things isn't there. Also, I think some of my Rust2Rome pals might end up listening to this, which is going to be weird, because they'll get to realise what depressing taste in music I have. Generally when you tell someone you work in music they think 'oh, that's interesting' and you can pretend to be cool for a bit. Then they hear the kind of music you're into and the illusion is shattered. Ah well, they had to find out sooner or later. 01. The Wedding Present - Drive (00.24)02. The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) (06.24)03. Parts & Labor - Fractured Skies (16.16)04. My Teenage Stride - The Genie of New Jersey (20.20)05. R.E.M. - Be Mine (26.43)06. Jonnie Common - Summer is For Going Places (35.52)07. David Thomas Broughton - Ain't Got No Sole (40.47)08. Steven Malkmus & the Jicks - Baby C'mon (50.23)09. Eels - Woman Driving, Man Sleeping (54.49)10. Band of Horses - The Funeral (1.03.25)

Wow, our 300th podcast! But honestly, I celebrated the 200th and the 250th I think, so celebrating again, a mere fifty podcasts later, seems a bit hollow. So Yay Me! for sticking at it, and Yay You! for continuing to listen to this pish, but I guess I should really keep quiet now until number 500. Also, OH WOW TEH WURLD CUPZ! Except for the fact that England are effectively out, by this stage, and so I suppose I should just appreciate the fact that now I get to pull for whoever plays the best football. So far I guess that might be Germany, Holland and Chile - at least they're the only teams who have really convinced so far, in my opinion. And finally, Woo Hoo, the first free-play podcast in ages. The last few have been strongly themed, so this is the first time in a while that I've been free to just sit down at the computer and pick whatever the fuck I want to play, which is fun. Enjoy! 01. The Victorian English Gentleman's Club - Ban the Gin (00.56)02. Siobhan Wilson - Dear God (06.02)03. David Thomas Broughton - Yorkshire Fog (14.39)04. BRAAINZZ - Ode 2 Lil B (feat. Slide Show) (22.06)05. Grace Joyner - Young Thing (23.33)06. Jeff Finlin - Language of Love (30.57)07. Broken Records - So Long, So Late (42.04)08. PAWS - Erreur Humaine (45.40)09. Wozniak - El Maresme (53.24)10. Myriam Gendron - Threnody (1.02.13)

I first found Clem Snide back in around 2000 or 2001 when they released Ghost of Fashion, and have followed both the band's releases and Eef Barzelay's solo work ever since. I certainly never though back then that he'd end up staying in our house and that I'd interview him and record his songs in the living room one day. For someone really quite shy in person Eef because incredibly chatty as soon as we turned the mics on, and the interview itself is probably one of the longest and most interesting of any of the Toad Sessions we've published yet. Fiona, who both filmed and photographed the session also made the most amazing cookies (see the front panel of the video above), and we fed them pheasant, of all things, before the Edinburgh show. Not your usual tour food, I have to confess, and I felt just a little embarrassed, but it was tasty, and at least better than the usual service station sandwiches. As per usual we have the interview podcast below, freely downloadable mp3s of the session tracks from the Soundcloud player, and four individual song videos as well at http://toadsessions.com . As well as Fiona, I was also helped out with filming and recording by Neil from Meursault. 01. Eef Barzelay - In the Service of... (Toad Session) (00.22)02. Heligoats - Fishsticks (14.15)03. Mark Woods - Giving Up (18.30)04. Eef Barzelay - Nick Drake Tape (Toad Session) (31.43)05. Lambchop - Nashville Parent (39.42)06. Bill Callahan - Javelin Unlanding (45.37)07. Eef Barzelay - Grace (Toad Session) (1.02.19)08. Louvin Brothers - Satan's Jewelled Crown (1.11.05)09. Washington Phillips - Mother's Last Word to Her Son (1.14.07)10. Lydia Mendoza - Sigue Adalante (1.17.01)11. Eef Barzelay - All the Way (Toad Session) (1.26.02)

 A follow-on from (unsurprisingly) The Routecast Pt.1, this week I am playing songs which namechecks towns Mrs. Toad and I drove through on our way back from upstate New York to Phoenix to return the van, after the Meursault tour.  Due to not wanting to just barrel down the motorway we tried to stay off the main roads as much as possible, and that did two things: firstly, it meant we went through some amazing countryside and down some unfeasibly small, picturesque roads in an unfeasibly large, ridiculous RV; and secondly it meant that we ended up having to spend more or less ten hours per day on the road to make up for the extra miles and rather lower speeds this particular plan entailed. It meant that there were some pretty epic drives, but I don't mind driving, in all honesty. The scenery alone made it worthwhile, and I find sitting in a car chattering away to Mrs. Toad whilst listening to awesome music to be a very nice way to spend a day. Especially if you have the Radio Alan app for your iPhone. Seriously, it's awful, but amazing. "Did that man kill the Muppets?" 01. Bruce Springsteen - Johnny 99 (00.11)02. Hem - Rainy Night in Georgia (09.17)03. Ray Charles - Chattanooga Choo-Choo (20.25)04. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tupelo (Live) (23.27)05. Elk City - Los Cruzados (33.37)06. Tony Christie - Amarillo (41.27)07. Ennio Morricone - For a Few Dollars More (47.29)08. Jimmie Rodgers - Tucumcari (51.16)09. The Tarantulas - Tucumcari (53.49)10. Tom Waits - Take it With Me (1.00.42)

This podcast is composed of songs which namecheck towns I drove through on my rather epic 7500 mile drive across American in March and April of this year. Part 1 is places I drove through between collecting the van in Phoenix, collecting Meursault in Texas and then driving up to New York on their East Coast Tour. Part 2, which is coming next week, will be songs about places I drove through with Mrs. Toad on our way back to drop the van in Phoenix again. Most of the connections are a little tenuous, honestly, tending to concentrate more on the fact that the song name-checks the town in the title rather than provides a touching insight into real life in that town, but you know, superficial is kind of what we do best here. 01. Bob Dylan - Romance in Durango (Live) (00.22)02. Willard Grant Conspiracy - Christmas in Nevada (11.00)03. Samantha Crain - Santa Fe (14.55)04. Sleepy Horses - Lubbock Love Song (21.50)05. Fastball - Sweetwater, Texas (29.47)06. Micah P. Hinson - On the Way Home (to Abilene) (33.17)07. REM - Texarkana (38.11)08. Paul Simon - Graceland (43.07)09. Steven Malkmus and the Jicks - Baltimore (47.57)10. LCD Soundsystem - New York, I Love You, but You're Bringing Me Down (59.22)

Video – Vimeo – YouTube Photos – Flickr Session tracks - Soundcloud – zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) Well if we can handle the racket of PAWS and the sheer numbers of Broken Records then fuck it, we can do Brown Brogues. In the two or three years since Mrs. Toad and I first saw these lads playing at an Irish pub in Austin at SXSW a couple of years ago they have become good pals, as well as DIY inspirations. Although totally fucking incapable of taking an interview seriously. For this one I handled the audio a little differently. Instead of mixing everything in Logic I actually mixed it on the live recording desk and then played it back through our reel-to-reel tape machine, overloading both channels slightly, and then recording the results into my laptop. It's the first time I've used the reel-to-reel, so I am still finding my way, and the results may be nasty as fuck but I really like them. One thing which doesn't sound so great, unfortunately, is the interview audio. The band used effects pedals on their vocal mics, which interfered rather badly with the recording of the interview, so I've ended up having to do the best I can with the tiny mics on the film cameras, which aren't the best. It's alright though - just not as nice as I would have liked it. The crew for this one was just Nic and Rory and myself, but Mrs. Toad made the most fantastic roast lamb for us all, so I should really be crediting her as well. It really was fucking tasty! Full interview podcast:   Toadcast #296 - Brown Brogues Toad Session by Song, By Toad on Mixcloud   Session tracks: Session track videos Podcast playlist: 01. Brown Brogues - Baby, it's Alright (Toad Session) (00.21) 02. Elvis Presley - If I Can Dream (08.24) 03. Harlem - Gay Human Bones (11.52) 04. Brown Brogues - Split Disc (Toad Session) (21.43) 05. Black Lips - Feeling Gay (32.15) 06. The Growlers - Gay Thoughts (36.03) 07. Brown Brogues - Shake It (Toad Session) (44.39) 08. Liars - Overachievers (52.57) 09. Oingo Boingo - Private Life (56.35) 10. Brown Brogues - AG From the Cradle (Toad Session) (1.05.36)

I will preempt your question: what the fuck is this? Well, on the Sunday of SXSW this year, the Sunday of our traditional and traditonally chaotic SXSW podcast, I went off to record this podcast instead, with the awesome Draught Punk gents. WHAT? Ignoring our awesome annual podcast in order to hang out with new friends? Isn't that what happens just before massive comeuppance in every high school movie in history? Have you learned NOTHING from shallow, saccharine, moralistic cinema? Well, as every cheating boyfriend ever would say, wait, I can explain. I didn't realise at the time that it would be an either/or situation, but after discussing excellent beer over the course of six or seven pints during the afternoon I got back to Peej's house and realised I was far, far too drunk to try and record anything at all. So I drank more margaritas instead, because of course I did.   Fortunately Peej stepped in to rescue matters and recorded this for us. Bless him. Although one or two bits had to be beeped out. Mostly me. 01. Willie Nelson - I Gotta Get Drunk (00.26)02. Sparks - Reinforcements (08.17)03. Sweet Baboo - Let's Go Swimming Wild (04.55)04. Withered Hand - King of Hollywood (20.09)05. EMA - California (23.59)06. Fat White Family - Touch the Leather (31.17)07. Cate Le Bon - No God (35.52)08. Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie (41.47)09. Eagulls - Possessed (47.37)10. Big Tits - You Made Me Look (52.15)11. Meursault - I'll Believe in Anything (55.34)

Umm, perhaps not as slick as the usual ultra-professional fare you’ve no doubt come to expect here at Song, by Toad, this podcast is nevertheless at least not quite as howlingly mental as our usual SXSW podcast. Instead of recording the usual podcast, drunkenness compelled me to put it off, so we ended up recording one in the tour van a week later. I say ‘tour van’ but what I really mean is 30ft RV, which is what we’re actually travelling around the in instead. Late confirmations meant we couldn’t confirm the trip until the last minute, so booking hotels would have been an expensive nightmare, and a regular van was looking to be twice the price, so we, er, ended up with this. Fuckwit caper of a lifetime! 01. Meursault - Was ist Das? (00.24)02. Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric (19.04)03. Fat White Family - Wet Hot Beef Pt.1 (24.25)04. Mark Kozelek and Jimmy LaValle - Gustavo (37.41)05. Nirvana - Love Buzz (Live at the Milestone, Charlotte) (49.11)06. Adam Faucett - Melanie (58.08)07. Kevin Ayers - Religious Experience (Singing a Song in the Morning) (1.07.24)08. Calexico - Black Heart (1.12.02)09. Little Feat - Long Distance Love (1.23.28)10. Viking Moses - Little Arms (1.32.40)

Adam Stafford Toad Session from Song, by Toad on Vimeo. Video – Vimeo – YouTube Photos – Flickr Session tracks - Soundcloud – zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) Adam Stafford released his fantastic album Imaginary Walls Collapse on Song, by Toad Records early in 2013. You can buy a copy on vinyl here if you like, but it won't tell you quite as much about Adam as I am hoping this session might. Adam is a film-maker as well, and has a genuinely eclectic taste in music, of the sort that makes me feel really rather ashamed by my own tunnel vision. He made a rather fantastic mixtape for the excellent Gold Flake Paint a while back called Magnatory Baws Prolapse which (despite its rather rotten name) reminded me all too strongly of everything that is wrong with my own taste in music - as well as being brilliant to listen to, dammit! This session was recorded by myself, with photos by the ever-awesome Nic Rue, with the filming done by Gavin White and Ian Greenhill and the videos all edited by Gavin.   Full interview podcast:   Toadcast #293 - Adam Stafford Toad Session by Song, By Toad on Mixcloud   Session tracks: Session track videos Podcast playlist: 01. Adam Stafford - Imaginary Walls Collapse (Toad Session) (00.22) 02. Y'all is Fantasy Island - High Hopes, Lost Love & Ruined Lives (15.07) 03. Colin Stetson - Judges (19.16) 04. Adam Stafford - Cold Seas (Toad Session) (29.11) 05. Sweethearts of the Prison Rodeo - The Solitary Rabbit (39.27) 06. Siobhan Wilson - Te Petite Minette (42.43) 07. Adam Stafford - His Acres (Toad Session) (53.02) 08. PAWS - Violent Vicki Violet (1.08.20) 09. Toulemani Diabaté - Eylan Road (1.11.01) 10. Adam Stafford - Shot Down You Summer Wannabes (Toad Session) (1.28.32)

 Epicast because this is indeed epic. A double-length podcast - well, almost - and all for the reason that I simply have to clear the decks a little. Next week I go away to the States for SXSW and after that I shall be driving Meursault on their first US tour. With next week's podcast being the Adam Stafford Toad Session, the week after that being our traditional SXSW one in Peej's back yard, and fuck knows what I'll manage whilst on tour, this means that anything not played this week will be both woefully out of date and quite possibly (shamefully) forgotten by the time I get back. Besides, my inbox will build up so much after a month in the States that I'll be overwhelmed with new things by that point and barely able to process anything else. So yes, an epic podcast, almost two hours long, but if you have the patience for both the length and my drunken rambling, then one which will reward you with some truly excellent new music. This really takes me back to the early days of the podcasts, back when I would get utterly obliterated and play songs for hours until I could barely speak.  Awful for the listener, I imagine, but kind of nostalgic for me 01. Panda Kid - A Long Long Summer (00.26)02. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams (06.47)03. David Thomas Broughton - Problems (17.44)04. Tissø Lake - Carnival (20.56)05. The B-52s - Rock Lobster (27.44)06. alansmithee - Half Measured Man (38.22)07. Passion Pusher - Life in Transit (44.12)08. iLLshORE - All Night (45.54)09. Benjamin Shaw - Goodbye, Kagoul World (52.32)10. Keel Her - Go (1.01.24)11. Fear of Men - Luna (1.03.50)12. Jargon Party - Lucy Melanie (1.10.32)13. Miserable - Bell Jar (1.14.56)14. Le Thug - Paints (1.22.17)15. Magic Eye - Bollywood (1.26.55)16. Sean Armstrong - Bright Review (1.33.03)17. Glaciers - Cryptomeria (1.36.02)18. Passenger Peru - Dirt Nap (1.45.31)

 God we're shit at this. Even the most romantic thing Mrs. Toad and I can usually bring ourselves to do on Valentine's Day - i.e. get pished and do a ranty podcast together about how we hate Valentine's Day - didn't work out this year for, erm, somewhat predictable reasons: we got a bit too jolly before recording it and it was a bunch of rambling, tedious nonsense. So a week too late you get me by myself instead, recording a podcast stone cold sober in the middle of the afternoon. Romantic, isn't it. Ah well, never mind, I never did much like Valentine's Day anyway. Anyhow, Mrs. Toad is off in the States at the moment, being all important and financey, and in actual fact by the time she returns I won't have seen her for about ten days, which is loads. It'll be worse when I go to SXSW with Meursault though, because that will involve us being apart for three fucking weeks, which is the most we have ever managed since the time when I lived in London and she lived in Edinburgh. Sigh. 01. The Divine Comedy - Geronimo (00.07)02. The Magnetic Fields - Love is Lighter Than Air (06.15)03. Blur - To The End (La Comedie) (with Françoise Hardy) (11.46)04. Pet Shop Boys - Left to My Own Devices (20.33)05. Meursault - No Children (Mountain Goats cover) (25.36)06. Willie Nelson - Red Headed Stranger Medley (35.31)07. Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good (51.10)08. The Ronettes - Be My Baby (57.56)09. The Cure - Pictures of You (1.00.45)10. Tom Waits - All the World is Green (1.12.59)

Video – Vimeo – YouTube Photos – Flickr Session tracks - Soundcloud – zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) Todd Umhoefer from Old Earth came to Scotland on a sort of holiday/tour late last year and Song, by Toad collaborated with his UK label Mini50 Records to put on shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and we also took the chance to record a Toad Session as well. Old Earth were actually spotted by Mini50 because of a post on Song, by Toad so it seemed rather fitting to work together to make the tour and the session happen. This was another one of those sessions which ended with Mrs. Toad making an amazing meal, and with us all drinking an absolute shitload of wine and playing records late into the night. There was something of a skeleton crew this time around, with Rory Sutherland helping me out with recording and cameras, and extra video help by Steven Tonge. Rory also edited all the video for us this time, which is why it looks rather more stylish than usual! Full interview podcast: Toadcast #290 - Old Earth Toad Session by Song, By Toad on Mixcloud Session tracks: Session track videos Podcast playlist: 01. Old Earth - Higher Th'n Houses (Toad Session) (00.21) 02. Mat Riviere - The Garden (10.51) 03. Hiva Oa - Badger (14.34) 04. Old Earth - The rest, who cares? (Toad Session) (22.50) 05. Land of Vandals - Wildfire (29.25) 06. Altos - Never Named (32.47) 07. Old Earth - Themes & Alarm (Toad Session) (43.19) 08. Williard Grant Conspiracy - Early Hour (51.31) 09. Now Wakes the Sea - Seven Apples (56.26) 10. Old Earth - Unhunted further, four each (Toad Session) (1.11.02)

 Tomorrow morning we start recording the new Meursault album: The Organ Grinder's Monkey. The only problem is, we have no idea whatsoever what's going to be on this album, just yet, but we're going to have a go nevertheless. The album is actually being fan-funded, so we thought it should probably also be fan-chosen, so if you buy a copy of the album from our Kickstarter page, you then get to vote for five songs, Meursault ones or covers, and we'll record the most popular ones for the album - hence the title. Anyhow, picking an album involving so many potential covers is a nightmare. So many great ideas, so many awful-but-brilliant ideas, so many just plain awful ideas, and you just don't know where to stop! So this podcast is a combination of the most popular tunes, the most popular bands, and some brilliant covers by bands who have already done an amazing job of this kind of shit. As to the final album - hell, who knows, you've about as much idea of how it'll turn out as I do! 01. The Flaming Lips - I Just Can't Get You Out of My Head (00.22)02. Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything (09.27)03. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bats in the Attic (16.44)04. Willard Grant Conspiracy - Fare Thee Well (20.10)05. Admiral Radley - I'm All Fucked on Beer (26.47)06. The Japanese War Effort - Face Like a Lemon (Live on Fresh Air Radio ) (32.44)07. Baccara - Yes Sir, I Can Boogie (35.37)08. Dead Kennedys - Viva Las Vegas (45.40)09. Clem Snide - Beautiful (51.49)10. The Mountain Goats - Dilaudid (59.19)11. The Magnetic Fields - All the Desperate Things You Made Me Do (1.01.27)

Welcome to our sneak preview of Song, by Toad Records' plans for 2014. For the most part this is the exact track listing in the exact order of the free sampler we'll be putting up for download soon, although there are a couple of little tweaks. I've even snuck in a special wee preview of Bastard Mountain - a tune which won't be on the sampler - primarily because that spot will be taken by The Leg, but I've played quite enough from Shrunken Tina Turner in the last few months, so I thought I would give you an exclusive treat, seeing as you're one of the 4-500 people who download this thing religiously every week. Actually, I suppose far fewer actually download it every single week - maybe you're one of the 8-900 people who download the podcasts 'when they think about it', which results in that regular listenership of about 500. Who knows how many 'kinda' fans you have to have to regularly get 500 listeners in the first week, but I bet it's a fuck of a lot more than 500. Anyway, however many of you there are, it's a wee treat for you. You're welcome! 01. Virgin of the Birds - Ilona, You Should Still Be My Vampire Attendant (00.22)02. Jonnie Common - Photosynth (Split 12" version) (09.00)03. Animal Magic Tricks - Sex Acts (16.30)04. David Thomas Broughton & Juice - Yorkshire Fog (19.45)05. Plastic Animals - Ghosts (26.42)06. Siobhan Wilson - Dear God (33.00)07. Meursault - Dirt & the Roots (2014 version) (39.47)08. NAKED - In Heaven (43.27)09. Bastard Mountain - Something on Your Mind (53.27)10. Sparrow and the Workshop - One Brush (59.16)

Yep I feel a bit like I'm emerging from hibernation at the moment. Something about the way Christmas and New Year fell this year completely obliterated two weeks, and this week has been spent mostly trying to slow the levels of alcohol intake from Oliver Reed levels down to about George Best ones. I've also been trying to force my sleep patterns to return to something vaguely resembling normality as well. I have been an absolutely appalling weakling in the face of that 'oh just one more episode' syndrome you develop when you have access to entire series of TV shows at once, so I've been staying up until five and six in the morning watching one absolutely terrible TV show after another.  I can't even claim it was something decent like The Wire or Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad, it's all been absolutely dismally shallow and repetitive crime and supernatural series. Fucking dreadful. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY BRAIN? Anyhow, you can see how I am having a little bit of trouble getting back into gear for the new year, can't you.  Fucking hell, WAKE UP, BOY! 01. Clem Snide - Delight (00.22)02. The Left Outsides - The Third Light (04.47)03. Brown Brogues - Split Disc (Toad Session) (11.17)04. Samantha Crain - Paint (14.39)05. Water of Life - Sources and Springs/Abercrombie, 1949 (21.57)06. Falling Stacks - White Wild Hare (27.37)07. Waylon Thornton - Mustache (33.42)08. Deathcats - Cowabunga Surf Jam (35.32)09. The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car (Live with the RSNO) (41.50)10. Clem Snide - The Ballad of St. Paull (51.24)11. Mothersday - Motion Sickness (59.25)

Yup, as you know, Song, by Toad Records is five years old so I thought a brief spin through the history of the label would be in order because, well, why the fuck not. There's quite a lot of stuff in the vaults here which has long since vanished into the mists of time, and it's interesting to look back at how we started, in two senses. Firstly, the roster was very obviously unrecognisable, primarily because it didn't really exist yet. We had a couple of pals who were willing to let us try and help promote their self-recorded bits and bobs, and some folk we thought were talented and knew were unsigned, but had no idea what they would make of us suggesting we try putting out their music for them. And secondly, there is the ambition. We started out expecting to do little more than assisting people with a self-release. We assumed we'd be working with scrappy little demos and bits of home-recorded EPs and things like that - just trying to get the bands a little bit of extra publicity which they didn't necessarily have the time to try and achieve for themselves. It think it's safe to say that, looking back five years later, I absolutely never in a million years dreamed we'd end up where we are now. Nor did I have the slightest understanding of how much we'd have to achieve, just to only get this far! But Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say. Apparently it took ages. 01. Meursault - The Furnace (00.20)02. Uhersky Brod - Seeing Ben Lomond (07.37)03. Nightjar - Lady of the Calico (14.47)04. The Savings and Loan - Swallows (18.07)05. Jesus H. Foxx - I'm Half the Man You Were (25.57)06. Loch Lomond - Elephants and Little Girls (33.06)07. Cold Seeds - The Perfume of Mexican Birds (41.19)08. Trips and Falls - And in Real Life He Wears Corduroy Pants (50.53)09. Yusuf Azak - The Key Underground (55.15)10. Rob St. John - Domino (1.03.30)11. Waiters - So-S0 (1.12.31)12. Sparrow and the Workshop - Autumn to Winter (1.19.40)13. The Leg - A Rat's Health (1.26.00)

Video – Vimeo – YouTube Photos – Flickr Session tracks - Soundcloud - zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) Wait a second, haven't we already done a Sparrow and the Workshop Toad Session? Why yes we have, and it is here. But if you follow that link you may well understand why we've recorded another one. Basically, back then I didn't really have any idea how to record and mix things, I had no idea how to export video properly, and YouTube was in a 640x480 format, meaning that everything looks like it should have been embedded on a Geocities site, not a swish, modern music blog. So we sat down with Broken Records, Meursault and first Sparrow and the Workshop and did whole new Toad Sessions with them because, well because they live locally and we're all friends and fuck it, we can. So this is the second Sparrow and the Workshop Toad Session. The photos were by Nic Rue, as is becoming increasingly traditional, and her fella and fellow long-time Session veteran Rory helped record and also film, along with Ian Greenhill. Gavin White, who also filmed the session, was kind enough to edit it for us. His stuff is on Vimeo under the name of Full Fridge Video. podcast 01. Sparrow and the Workshop - The Gun (Toad Session) (00.07) 02. The Rosy Crucifixion - Don't Water Dead Flowers (15.06) 03. Thee Oh Sees - Nightcrawler (18.37) 04. Sparrow and the Workshop - Medal Round Your Neck (Toad Session) (23.13) 05. Lal Waterson - Midnight Feast (34.42) 06. Richard Dawson - Poor Old Horse (38.23) 07. Sparrow and the Workshop - Shock Shock (Toad Session) (54.45) 08. The Roches - Hammond Song (58.48) 09. Country Teasers - Golden Apples (1.04.18) 10. Sparrow and the Workshop - Flower Bombs (Toad Session) (1.14.55)

I was in Aberdeen this week, and I happened to leave town at about half three, on my way home, at which point it was pretty much fucking pitch black already. Because the Gulf Stream keeps the UK cool in the Summer and warm in the Winter you tend to forget just how very, very far North we really are. Anyhow, between that and the cold which overtakes my office during the day because it feels indulgent to have the heating on I am definitely in my Winter mood at the moment. I like Winter, though. I like the dark and the cold and the whole 'nights drawing in' thing. I suggests time with the record player and lots of red wine, and maybe a fire as well. All good things. So yes, I am uploading this and then going off to do just that. A new restaurant has opened just down the road from us and Mrs. Toad and I are going to toddle along and try it out tonight. After some gin and records, of course. Go us! 01. Absolutely Free - On the Beach (00.06)02. Min Diesel - Mother (11.39)03. Pinact - Beauty Freak (16.13)04. Tarsiers - Camel (demo) (20.33)05. Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska (live) (30.50)06. Dire Straits - Private Investigations (35.06)07. Los Angeles Police Department - Enough is Enough (44.06)08. Soft Drinks - West Suckers (45.42)09. Meursault - Dirt and the Roots (51.34)10. Sam Amidon - Fiddle Mayhem (Toad Session) (55.02)11. Glass Animals - Psylla (1.03.02)

 If you listen to some people you'd be forgiven for thinking that their should be no such thing as a guilty pleasure - if you like something, you fucking like it, and there should be no shame in that. I sort of agree with that in a way, but erm, y'know, bollocks. Total bollocks. We change who we are all the time, we develop, we grow, we learn, and just as videos of me awkwardly learning to ski would be embarrassing to watch, listening back to some of the cack I used to listen to when I was younger is also embarrassing. I don't hate much of it, in retrospect, honestly. In fact, a lot it I still love, with a definite sense of 'I refuse to be shamed' defiance. But just as every crappy, badly executed relationship, mumbled chat-up line and embarrassing sexual encounter was necessary in order to for me to end up where I am with Mrs. Toad, so every musical misstep, be it daft, excruciating or misguided has led me to where I am musically. So I don't really regret any of this stuff (except The Streets), and even in retrospect I don't really dislike it either, but that doesn't mean there isn't a slight sense of shame at a younger, less confident, more impressionable me. Having said that, though, I think having plenty of shame in your musical background is probably a healthy thing. It seems to me to imply that you were taking risks, listening to new stuff, trying things out and having your own opinions. The results may occasionally be embarrassing in retrospect, but the approach which got you there is probably more healthy than never trying out new shit and only listening to stuff you know you're going to like. 01. Dire Straits - Tunnel of Love (00.56)02. Tina Turner - Private Dancer (13.11)03. Meat Loaf - Read 'em and Weep (26.44)04. Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (32.10)05. Hootie & the Blowfish - Earth Stopped Cold at Dawn (40.00)06. Dave Matthews Band - Crash Into Me (47.04)07. Moby - Southside (56.12)08. The Streets - Same Old Thing (1.00.06)09. The Courteeners - Cavorting (1.05.09)10. Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait (Toad Session) (1.14.32)

I can't believe I've never recorded a Lovecast before, but honestly, I looked back through the old titles and it didn't come up. So here we go, the counterpoint to last week's Hatecast is this. I am full of the joys of life, relaxed and happy. Would you believe it? Actually, the reason this podcast exists is not because I feel some need to eradicate the rage of last week. I like to live by the words of Clem Snide: "don't be afraid of your anger". I am not afraid of my anger. I actually love my anger. My anger, inner rage, permanent sense of simmering resentment - whatever you want to call it - is what makes me who I am, what drives me on, and what makes me enjoy what I do. Fuck it, you can deal with my anger. Instead, this podcast simply exists because last week's ragefest has genuinely lifted the black cloud which it represented clean away from my life. I feel refreshed and released by having got it off my chest and am in a genuinely good mood these days. Who'd have thought it! 01. Plastic Animals - Sheltered (00.10)02. Naked - Lie Follows Lie (09.13)03. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Jubilee Street (16.12)04. Mark Lanegan - You Only Live Twice (22.51)05. Lady Lazarus - Never Ever Anna (28.29)06. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside (36.50)07. Post War Glamour Girls - Johnny and Mary (39.55)08. Le Thug - Swam (48.15)09. Rob St. John - Stainforth Force (54.13)10. Sharon Van Etten - I'm Wrong (1.04.13)

I am pretty pissed off at the moment. It's not particularly obvious - in fact it tends to manifest itself more as a smouldering sulk than any sort of rage, but you may believe me, the anger is under there somewhere. Y'see, in the music industry, you're always supposed to maintain some sort of level of politeness - never burn any bridges, never lose your rag, you never know when you might need to be friends with someone. But you know what, bollocks to that. I spend so many hours of my life working on making things good - artwork, endlessly repetitive PR stuff, designing posters for gigs, trying to drum up some sort of interest in our gigs, our releases, our bands, and you know what - FUCK PEOPLE. People are just fucking wrong about music. They approve of shite bands, they listen to garbage they're too lazy to move beyond, they write about bands they already know are popular rather than ones which are new and might be interesting, and they generally just don't give a shit and then pretend that it's your fault for not grabbing their lazy, indifferent attention. So fuck people, fuck music, and fuck you. Welcome to this week's podcast. 01. PAWS - Winners Don't Bleed (Toad Session) (00.21)02. Billy Bragg - Some Days I See the Point (08.19)03. The Leg - Silver Dog (16.43)04. Trips and Falls - You Should Really Get Yours (20.35)05. Yusuf Azak - Swim (28.17)06. Willard Grant Conspiracy - Early Hour (32.56)07. Eef Barzelay - Well (44.47)08. Brown Brogues - (48.42)09. Meursault - William Henry Miller (Part 2) (Single Version) (54.21)10. Trips and Falls - The Freedom of Homogeneity (1.00.15)11. FOUND - Mullokian (Toad Session) (1.09.04)12. The Leg - Celebrating Love (1.14.03)

This is called the Unioncast because I have had a really bad habit of working into the evenings recently, as well as all bloody weekend, and I am starting to thing I need a union representative to protect me from my own boss. Who, rather sadly, happens to be me. Stand up against myself for the downtrodden worker! I had no idea what I was going to play this week, but it turned into a surprisingly good playlist, including personal highlights from SWF and the awesome new EP by Shilpa Ray. Right, enough blabbering about this one, I am off up to the Pleasance to see Rob St. John, Adam Stafford and Ian Humberstone. It's an amazing venue, so I am really looking forward to it. And there's the mega double-blowout label showcase next week as well, so all sorts of musicfuns for you to take advantage of. 01. Lambchop - Hey, Where's Your Girl (00.22)02. Basketball Shorts - The Reaper (06.56)03. Vikesh Kapoor - The Ballad of Willy Robbins (13.45)04. Lesley Riddle - John Henry (18.30)05. Temple Songs - I Can't Look After You (24.51)06. Los Angeles Police Department - The Only One (27.57)07. Shilpa Ray - Posted By Anonymous (35.07)08. SWF - Turtle Brain (39.10)09. Octopuses - Ghost in the House (43.51)10. Boardwalk - Crying (49.17)11. Doc Watson - John Henry (54.29)

Video – Vimeo – YouTube Photos – Flickr Session tracks - zip download (right click – save as) Interview podcast – mp3 – iTunes – Mixcloud (playlist at bottom of page) This session was recorded back in March, so once again I find myself apologising to the band for taking so long over it. I blame Beer vs. Records, Sparrow and the Workshop and the Pale Imitation Festival for taking such a lot of time and work that I ended up distracted. The same old disorganised shite as usually happens, in other words. The Yawns emerged late last year when they released their debut album as a pay-what-you-want download to pretty much no fanfare at all. Slowly but surely, however, word seemed to spread around the internet and it turned out that a lot of people were really into the record. I was released on tape by one label, then vinyl by another and actually ended up doing better than loads of stuff people put all their time and energy into promoting. I loved it too, of course, so I asked them to play in Edinburgh in January, and then I enjoyed the show so much a Toad Session ensued. And this is it. Many thanks to the team once again - Gavin, Rory, Matthew and Ian who helped with the filming, Rory who took the photos, Neil who recorded it and Mrs. Toad who made AWESOME brownies! And, I suppose, to the cats, for not massively disrupting everything like they usually do.  Puss-tards. Toadcast #279 - The Yawns Toad Session by Song, By Toad on Mixcloud The Yawns - Diamond (Toad Session) [audio: http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/ToadSessions/TheYawns-Diamond-ToadSession.mp3] The Yawns - Jean Thumb (Toad Session) [audio: http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/ToadSessions/TheYawns-JeanThumb-ToadSession.mp3] The Yawns - Romeo Done (Toad Session) [audio: http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/ToadSessions/TheYawns-RomeoDone-ToadSession.mp3] The Yawns - Butterfleyes (Toad Session) [audio: http://www.matthewjamesyoung.com/ToadSessions/TheYawns-Butterfleyes-ToadSession.mp3] 01. The Yawns - Diamond (Toad Session) (00.17) 02. Sean Armstrong - Dying in the Garden (08.50) 03. Battery Face - Cider Says (10.23) 04. The Yawns - Jean Thumb (Toad Session) (16.41) 05. Dolfinz - Yeah Right (23.51) 06. The Side Pony - Repeat and More (26.27) 07. The Yawns - Rome Done (Toad Session) (32.44) 08. Mac DeMarco - Stars Keep On Calling My Name (36.34) 09. The Clean - Getting Older (39.01) 10. The Yawns - Butterfleyes (Toad Session) (47.17)

Smash as in smash hits, of course, we don't condone vandalism here at Song, by Toad! No, this week we have a podcast full of what can really only very tenuously indeed be described as banging number one smash hits. Or, perhaps more accurately, a lot of single releases. We've the next 7" from Gerry Loves Records, some new stuff by Vadoinmessico, the new single from local favourites Honeyblood and Halfrican, and the something off the new Black Tambourines album. I add to the smash hit single vibe by including a couple of absolute corkers from varying degrees of yesteryear, in the form of The Animals and the Shout Out Louds, largely because they've been on tapes in the car while we were driving to France and back to visit Mrs. Toad's family. While I was there I took the opportunity to mix a whole pile of new Toad Sessions, and they're all awaiting editing now, so I thought I'd also include one from the recent Old Earth Session as well. I think you've heard stuff from The Yawns and Sparrow and the Workshop already, so I figured something new might be interesting for you. And there you go, that's pretty much the lot. Pour a big ol' gin, as I am about to, and wrap yer lugs round this little lot. 01. The Animals - House of the Rising Sun (00.44)02. Honeyblood - Bud (08.34)03. John Knox Sex Club - Animals (13.44)04. Over the Wall - Tell Her I Love Her (18.26)05. Old Earth - Themes and Alarm (Toad Session) (28.27)06. Halfrican - Cocksucker (36.17)07. Vadoinmessico - Perfect Strangers (42.25)08. The Black Tambourines - Out Cold (46.07)09. Dim Peaks - Reason (52.53)10. Shout Out Louds - Tonight I Have to Leave it (1.01.29)

It's, erm, okay to make fun of old people injuring themselves isn't it? I mean on the internet, not in real life of course, that would be barbaric. But on the internet this shit is okay, right? I mean, we even let the Daily fucking Mail on here, we can't be that picky. I only ask because the reason this is called the Ribcast is in salute to my cantankerous old father, who managed to fall off a ladder the other day and break a couple of ribs. This, like most rib injuries, has proven to not be all that dangerous, so all we have is a bad tempered old man in lots of pain, unable to laugh, roll over in bed, cough or - heaven forbid - sneeze! I've cracked ribs myself, before, although never broken them, and it really is an incredibly painful injury. Coughing and laughing are everyday occurrences, but holy shit you fucking notice them when this happens to you. Sneezes are terrifying, because holy crapsticks they fucking hurt! But as long as it's not life-threatening then pain is quite funny, right? 01. The Leg - Chicken Slippers (00.24)02. Trips and Falls - Destruction is Always More Exciting (07.03)03. Monoganon - Arc of the Tuna Fish (15.35)04. Joanna Gruesome - Lemonade Grrrl (24.24)05. Brown Brogues - Baby, it's Alright (26.34)06. David Wax Museum - All Sense of Time (33.35)07. Belgian Fog - You Drive Me to Madness (37.47)08. Fascinator - Girl I Want You (41.55)09. Pool Whales - What Was Her Name (50.27)10. Honeyblood - Bud (55.51)11. Willard Grant Conspiracy - Incident at Mono Lake (1.02.53)