The Toadcast

The Semitoadcast is not an erection joke, it is so named because there are four tracks on this one by Song, by Toad Records bands. Two - the Yusuf Azak and Lil Daggers tunes - are not actually on the label, and two - Sparrow and the Workshop and Plastic Animals - are.

One of the others was just an experiment which Yusuf fired up on Facebook the other week, but happens to be ace, and the other is a freebie on this compilation by Miami magazine Pure Honey. So not quite Toad Records releases as such, but sort of related.

I also discuss our plans for Record Store Day, which includes the Beer vs. Records launch, the release of our new Split 12" and an all-day event in The Last Word on St. Stephen's Street in Stockbridge, in partnership with VoxBox Records.

01. Program - Waiting (00.17)
02. Plastic Animals - Pizarnik (07.06)
03. Yusuf Azak - Deceive (13.24)
04. Whilk and Misky - Wing Clipper (14.34)
05. Peace Arrow - Broken Bridge (21.29)
06. Sparrow and the Workshop - Faster You Spin (32.00)
07. Bogan Via - Red Sun (36.12)
08. Echo Park - Teleportation (39.33)
09. Lil Daggers - Spider Lily (46.37)
10. Lid Emba - One Less Philistine (50.26)
11. Lower Plenty - Strange Beast (1.02.39)

Yes, another year, another total shambles of a podcast. Oddly enough, the one time this has been even vaguely together was the one year the BBC happened to show up to film it. How we managed to get it together for that one occasion I have no idea. Maybe the TV cameras scared us into behaving.

Anyhow, this year's podcast is probably the biggest shambles since the very first SXSW podcast. We are joined, at various times, by Mrs. Toad, Young Ian, Pandy from Gerry Loves Records, Ben Soep, the managers of Tango in the Attic and We Were Promised Jetpacks, as well the BBC's ultra-credible and in-no-way-inebriated Ally McCrae who definitely wasn't still a total shambles from St. Mirren's League Cup win earlier in the day. And that's before the usual subjects as myself, Vic Galloway, Peej and Stuart from Creative Scotland.

We were a few Margaritas down already, and it only got worse during the podcast, honestly. I am not sure this tells you much about SXSW, but it sure gives you a pretty clear idea of what it does to people.

01. Paws - Sore Tummy (00.22)
02. Doe Paoro - Hallelujah (07.49)
03. Young Fathers - The Guide (20.21)
04. Tango in the Attic - Sellotape (23.52)
05. Sinkane - Runnin' (30.47)
06. Reuben Dangoor - Being a Dickhead's Cool (36.12)
07. Indians - Somewhere Else (43.30)
08. Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler (48.41)
09. Ghostface Killer - The Mask (57.57)
10. Holy Esque - St. (1.08.57)
11. Dave Carroll - United Breaks Guitars (1.12.21)

The Queuecast is the best I could come up with in an attempt to amalgamate the anticipation of heading off to SXSW on the weekend, with the inevitable queueing to get into stuff once there.  

Actually, that’s not quite true. There’s so much going on at places like SXSW that really, if the thing you want to see has an annoying queue (and for me they are never anything other than annoying) outside it, then you can always walk five minutes down the road, walk straight in untroubled, and see something else equally brilliant instead.

Mrs. Toad is out there already, presumably having cocktails with young Ian who works at the label with me. In fact those two total fuckers are probably three or four margaritas down already, as you read this. Bastards. Anyhow, I get out on Saturday afternoon, and the gin will be flowing within moments, I promise you.

The upside of this SXSW fun, which will no doubt irritate the shit out of people back home, is that Toad Hall once again becomes a recording studio while we are away.  Both Rob St. John and Meursault will be making inroads into their next releases over the next fortnight, so hopefully the thought of that will calm your jealous rage at all the fun we are having in Texas.

01. Mike Higbee - Secret Life (00.28)
02. Shift-Static - Estrella (10.03)
03. Vandaveer - Pretty Polly (15.51)
04. Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards - Sheets (19.32)
05. Brown Brogues - Anyone But You (25.07)
06. Kurt Vile - Wakin' on a Pretty Day (32.02)
07. Breathe Out - Dead Friends (45.30)
08. Playlounge - Elephant (48.50)
09. Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - Pentecostal (53.46)
10. New Fabian Society - Homily (1.00.22)