Clockwise from top left: Le Thug, Magic Eye, Zed Penguin and Plastic Animals; below the four-pack of beers and 12” vinyl
Band: “Magic Eye play dream-pop with twinkly guitars, played with an almost glockenspiel-like quality, and clean, clear vocals.” Banter: “Music is such a social thing, and for many people it’s an important part of their identity and how they see themselves. So why do we treat it in this mass market way? If you look at food and drink, the small batch, local grown, locally sourced, organic movement is doing so well, and yet for some reason we can’t embrace that in music. The big record labels have lost their grip on the market, but there is an enthusiasm around the indies and local scenes. For an industry that’s embracing the personal and Beer: Zed Penguin Pale Ale (“Goldcoloured, a good, honest full-bodied pale ale with a subtle citrus and spicy hop finish”) Band: “The very first time I heard Matthew from Zed Penguin, he was playing solo and the music had a harsh edge to it. Then he added bass and drums, then he added a cellist, and it’s gone from quite nasty-edged, bluesy garage rock to something like The Walkmen. It’s got a kind of swagger to it.” Banter: “Towards the end of last year, we were talking to both Adam Stafford and Sparrow And The Workshop, and I honestly thought that, for whatever reason, we’d end up with one or the other.
“But we’ve ended up working with both. So in 2013, before the Festival, we’ve got the Sparrow And The Workshop album, Beer Vs Records, a new single featuring two Lancastrian folk songs by Rob St John, the third album by a Canadian band called Trips And Falls and a new Adam Stafford record.
“And between the Festival and December, we’ve got a collaborative album between Rob St John, Neil Pennycook and Pete the cellist from Meursault, Jill O’Sullivan, Rory from Broken Records and Reuben Taylor, who plays accordion in James Yorkston’s band. Plus a new album by The Leg, which may be even more nuts than the last one.”
For more information about Beer Vs Records, as well as Song, By Toad’s other releases and live gigs, go to songbytoad. com and songbytoadrecords. com