PHEW! Thank fuck that's (more or less) over. This year has been a bit full-on, I have to confess, but the bulk of the hard work now seems more or less over. Our last release (Lil Daggers) came out last week, and our label Christmas Party is now done and dusted which leaves me a relatively comfortable run into the Christmas period from now on, which is some for which I am quite grateful. Nevertheless, The Leg album, the Jesus H. Foxx album and the second album by Yusuf Azak are all on the menu for early next [...]
Man, last night was nice. Really, really nice. Even though we had to do a big shop at the supermarket so we can feed my bloody mother when she visits this weekend, and even though we spent ages emptying our overflowing recycling bins. Even though Mrs. Toad spent a long time on the phone counselling one of her best friends. It was nice, because after all this, we opened a bottle of wine and sat in the living room, played records and just chattered about fuck all for about three hours. Mrs. Toad is away a [...]
Last week, the UK's Larmer Tree Gardens hosted a hilariously deep bill for the End Of The Road Festival, a lineup that featured Joanna Newsom, Kurt Vile, Tinawiren, Lykke Li, Best Coast, the Walkmen and dozens of other notables. Elena Morelli was there to magnificently document the epic lineup. There's a peacock in one of her shots. You should find it.
Today Barry-Sean and I head off, pop up tents in tow, to the marvellous End of the Road festival in lovely Dorset. Once again sold out, last year's inaugural trip turned into the best festival visit we've ever had, and we're looking forward to more of the same over the next few days. Even the weather forecast is good! Once again we have a huge number of superb bands scheduled to play and to follow our free Truck Festival Mix (RiP) and our Wilderness Festival Mix , here's the third and final instalment - [...]
De passage pour la première fois à Bruxelles, je découvrais du même coup le festival des Nuits Botanique, superbe festival à l'affiche éclectique, au joli cadre et à l'ambiance sympathique (cette phrase vous est offerte par l'office du tourisme de Belgique). Après Sufjan Stevens en début de semaine au Cirque Royal, j'ai passé le week-end dans les salles du Botanique pour quatre concerts en trois soirs. Le vendredi, affiche 100% française avec Bertrand Belin et Florent Marchet à l'Orangerie (on passera sous silence la première partie). Contrairement à la plupart du public [...]
The thing I hate the most about Satnavs is that although they do find wherever it is you're going, but you tend to have absolutely no idea how you got there. So you are no less lost, in a sense, you just happen to be in the right place. Well, I am getting a bit like that with my calendar. I write so much in my calendar that I tend to assume I put everything in it, which I don't. The only problem with this is that I make no effort to memorise appointments or events anymore, assuming [...]
Video: Vimeo - YouTube . Photos: Flickr . Free mp3 downloads: zip file (right click - save as). We actually recorded this Toad Session in the Queen Charlotte Rooms in Leith before the Song, by Toad Christmas Party back in December. Partly this was because it seemed like a fun thing to do, and partly because swapping our traditional and rather overpowering turquoise backdrop for their Christmas lights and tinsel. Also, we had six different [...]
Pünktlich zur Zeugnisausgabe bin ich dann doch wieder an Bord. Ich sehe das Musikjahr ein wenig positiver als Ric, wenn auch mit einem leicht negativen Beigeschmack: Denn im Grunde ist es hinfällig, wie viele großartige Songs das vergangene Jahr hervorgespült hat, man wird es immer mit Lena Meyer-Landruts Siegersong „Satellite" beim Eurovision Song-Contest in Verbindung bringen. Alben des Jahres 1. The Soft Pack – The Soft Pack Ich nutze lastfm hauptsächlich dazu, die Profile der hippen Amerikaner nach neuen [...]
Watching Rivers Blojo play a beach boys song the other day got me thinking about other bands covering our sandy haired surfers. So here's a few I collected last night: sonic youth - i know theres an answer.mp3 centro-matic- don't talk (put your head on my shoulder).mp3 the queers - salt lake city.mp3 micah p. hinson - i'm waiting for the day.mp3 olivia tremor control - do you like worms.mp3 [...]
And now, drum roll please for the final installment of Song, by Toad's Festive Fifty for 2010. Woo hoo! I am sure Liars, The National and Micah P. Hinson will be breaking out the champagne at the excellent news. Ah well, at least The Japanese War Effort and Li'l Daggers might give a shit. 01. Liars - Scissor When this song breaks it is absolutely fucking fearsome, and it is absolutely all I can do to stop myself leaping around the room and breaking stuff, no matter when or where I am or what time [...]
1. Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson & the Pioneer Saboteurs There's not much which really distinguishes this records from the two preceding, but when I sat down to give it some consideration, I came up with one simple reason: emotional range. Micah P. Hinson goes from the sentimental to the heartbreaking to the furious to the playful and back at the drop of a hat, whereas Perfume Genius and The National pretty much find their level and stay there. Having interviewed the man, he is someone I am not at all [...]
Sometimes an album comes along that grabs you by the balls and makes you like it. Micah P. Hinson And The Pioneer Saboteurs is just that sort of album for me. I am not sure it really fits with most of the stuff I write about and frankly don't care. Unlike AIV I usually don't care for the darker side of Americana or the sort of Goth American trend or whatever else you call it but damn this album is pretty good. Now you might not hear the whole Goth side of it if you weren't in to [...]
I am not personally going to bother doing a 'Best of 20102 podcast based around my own choices. Over the next couple of weeks you're going to get more than enough of that in text form anyway, so I think we can all live without a podcast as well. What I thought I might do, though, was just do a quick rundown of the Song, by Toad Readers' song and album of the year voting because… well, why the fuck not, I suppose. As much as anything I felt like doing it because there were a couple of [...]
Midlake Having celebrated its fifth birthday last year, the beautifully boutique End of The Road Festival has revealed the first batch of acts that will appear at next year's event. Held in the stunning grounds of Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset from September 2 to 4, the festival will see performances from the following: Mountain Man The Walkmen Treefight for Sunlight Midlake (only Uk festival exclusive) Josh T Pearson Lanterns on The Lake John Grant The Fall Twin Shadow Wild Beasts Willy [...]
I genuinely love the cold. Maybe my father's Dutch-Canadian heritage has something to do with it, maybe my Austrian upbringing, maybe because my parents didn't beat me as hard as they should have as a child, but if there's a part of me which is perpetually disappointed by living in Britain it's not the lack of a decent Summer, it's the lack of a decent Winter. I want Winter to be well below zero, for there to be snow on the ground for months at a time, for it to sting the tips of my fucking ears when [...]
I find it hard to believe that Micah P Hinson has released his fifth album. It feels like no time ago since I first saw him, alone and a little nervous onstage at the 12 Bar Club back in 2004, just before the release of his amazing debut The Gospel ...
The Hold Steady will play The Academy on February 10th in Dublin. Tickets are €27.50 plus fees on sale this Thursday. Feeder will also play The Academy on Saturday 5th February 2011. Tickets are €31.50 plus fees on sale this Friday. NoDisko presents "digital electro trash duo" You Love Her Coz She`s Dead' s debut live Irish show at The Grand Social on Friday November 5th in Dublin. Doors are at 10pm and tickets are €8 with NoDisko DJs til 2.30am. As part of Darklight , Synth [...]
Well, what a week. There really is nowt so funny as folk: if a few more of the adult population learned how to expunge a meaningful mea culpa once in a while, wouldn't we all rub along a bit better? Is this resistance to accepting responsibility for one's actions something we learn with age? Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness, nor is making the occasional mess up – but just try owning up. Human beings are fallible: it's what makes us interesting and beautiful and complex creatures. And in response, you usually find a softening, a deeper connection, and [...]
Micah P. Hinson - Are You Lonesome Tonight? [Al Jolson] | zs
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