Sat, 29 November 2008
This may be the limpest of all excuses I've ever had for naming a podcast. You know why it's called the Jeffcast? Because I kinda mention Jeffrey Lewis a couple of times. Oooh, yes, that makes sense. Still, sorry, I couldn't think of anything else really, off the top of my head. I suppose I am off to see Jeffrey Lewis directly after recording this, so I guess it sort of counts. He is playing a secret gig at Henry's Cellar Bar after sneaking out of the Beggars Banquet Christmas Party at the Picture House over the road. It's one of the things I love about the anti-folk crowd: you genuinely get the impression that they'd rather be playing to an appreciative crowd of their mates, rather than a bigger crowd of anonymous punters who may stand there and demand entertainment. So there you go, that's the
deal for tonight. For the rest of the weekend we're putting together
Meursault albums, ready for the official (re)launch of their record
next Friday at the Song, by Toad Christmas Party. So, after folding
and screen-printing a thousand of the bastards we'll all be well ready
for Gimme Shelter in the Caves on Saturday and a spot of Candythief
action in the Jazz Bar on Sunday. Enjoy the 48th Toadcast. 01. Yo La Tengo - Double Dare (04.12) |
Sat, 22 November 2008
I know it's a bit obvious to do a podcast like this so shortly after my birthday, but it gives me the opportunity to ramble a bit and play some classics I might not otherwise have played. There are so many wonderful songs about growing old, and I actually think I may have missed most of them. I have no fear of being old, but for some reason it feels a little more immediate this year but I don't know why. So goodnight people, it's been a pleasure. Sleep well and don't be too rough on yourselves. Take Kirsty's advice and don't be too rough on my cold, cold heart; it's all I've got left to me now." That may be
the smart-arsed line, but the most important line in this song is the
bit where she says that 'there's a light in your eyes tells me
somebody's in and you won't come the cowboy with me'. It's such a
crucial judgment, isn't it. You take a bet on someone, you throw in
your chips and you hope for the best. So if you're feeling brave, good luck to you. Look after her, I'll be there anytime soon. 02. The Band - Rockin' Chair (07.46) 03. Michelle Shocked - Memories of East Texas (11.21) 04. Hafdis Huld - Tomoko (20.57) 05. Baby Walrus - Some Dawns No Bird Will Sing (28.44) 07. Donny Hue & the Colors - The World Came Running (30.25) 08. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man (34.21) 08. Soko - The Dandy Cowboys (43.31) 09. Kirsty MacColl - Don't Come the Cowboy With Me, Sonny Jim (47.04) 10. Neil Young - Old Man (55.09) 11. Jeffrey Lewis - Back When I Was Four (58.12) |
Sat, 15 November 2008
Christ this has taken me ages. We recorded this in late August after myself and Mrs. Toad came back from the States, but the intervention of the End of the Road Festival and an unspeakable disaster with video tape has delayed this beyond the bounds of pretty much everyone's patience. I eventually had to give up trying to extricate video from chewed tapes and make do with the video we actually had, which has been bloody frustrating. As per usual we have the videos all posted either on the Toad Vimeo page (the best quality) and YouTube (more accessible). We also have pictures taken by both my friend Morgan, who is also the official Song, by Toad camerman, and Dylan as well. Dylan has all his pictures, including these, on his own site, and we've also uploaded them to the Song, by Toad Flickr page as well. So, firstly, here is the podcast, with the tracklisting at the bottom of the page: Toadcast #46 - Sparrow & the Workshop Toad Session Here are the session tracks themselves as downloadable, shareable and loveable mp3s: Sparrow & the Workshop - Last Chance (Toad Session) Toadcast #46 - Sparrow & the Workshop Toad Session Playlist: |
Sat, 8 November 2008
Okay, not so much a podcast this week, more my effort to recreate a mix tape sent to me by my Mum's cousin when I was far too young to appreciate its brilliance. On the plus side though, despite my failure to really understand how lucky I was, they leaked more indelibly into my consciousness because I was so young that it all went beyond 'music I remember' and became something more fundamental than that. I played this tape quite literally to death. I think it finally gave up the ghost some time when I was about thirteen or fourteen - about 1988 or 1989. I forgot about it for some time after that, and it was only some ten years later, about the time of Napster, that it occurred to me to finally try and reassemble all these brilliant songs together again. Well,
I tried but I failed. The biggest problem was remembering what was on
the thing. I mean, a tape I last listened to ten years ago, whatare the chances? Still, aided by perseverance and some good fortune I prety much managed to as best I could. Some I remembered immediately, others took a while, and still others took the discovery of songs on the tape itself to trigger the memory. Easily the best playlist of any Toadcast to date, I'm only ashamed that it's me talking about this music instead of someone more knowledgeable. 01. The Piranhas - Tom Hark (02.06)
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Sat, 1 November 2008
It's teh next Great Depreshun oh noes! Or maybe we're just moaning like a bunch of fucking girls. After the doom and gloom in the papers it seems time to actually compare the current financial tantrum to the Great Depression and tell anyone who makes that comparison to fuck right off and stop being so self-indulgent. Even compared to the rough times in the fucking eighties when Margaret Thatcher eviscerated everywhere in England outside the M25. She destroyed the country. Annihilating nationalised industries which were no longer economic makes sense, but completely destroying the industries that keep a town alive at the same time as you destroy the support networks provided by the state and also refusing to do anything to encourage industries to grow that might replace the thousands of jobs you have just made vanish is just slash and burn social policy. There may be a little too much opinionated political opinion and general drunken rambling between myself and my darling girl Mrs. Toad, but erm, well, fuck it you're own your own. Listen if you think you can face it. But you must understand, we were vewy bewwwy drnk. 01. Woody Guthrie - Do Re Mi (04.20) |
