5 Minutes To Midnight

The entirety of my music collection and all of my various musical equipment are to be split wisely amongst John Skrbina, Kyle Landstra, and Sean Ronan. My books and DVDs go to Peter Barlow. Aaron Miller may have my clothes, if he so desires them, but Pamela Satchwell gets first pick on the sweaters. Jes Palace may have whatever she finds in my jacket pockets (search them thoroughly). It is my wish that John collects all of my music off of the Fostex (I will leave it to him to decide how best to mix all of the unfinished tracks) to be put up on the internet in some form. Also to Pamela Satchwell, I leave a crushed penny, a memento of little significance to anyone but myself, a reminder of why I was given life in the first place. You will find it on my nightstand if my body is found as well. To my friends, please play my music for my parents. It is a side of me that they are aware existed, but knew too little about.

Songs to be played at my funeral:
"Song to the Siren" by Tim Buckley (the acoustic version would be nice)
"Sometimes" by My Bloody Valentine
"One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" by Leonard Cohen
"Anywhere I Lay My Head" by Tom Waits
"I Couldn't Say It To Your Face" by Arthur Russell
My friends should feel free to perform some sort of improvised jam in my memory.

If you can afford it, turn my body into diamonds and give them to the Satchwells.

I'm sure anything else you can come up with would be most satisfactory.

Xmas und Merriweather

Well, I got the leak of the new Animal Collective album, Merriweather Post Pavilion. The first listen went pretty well, but I'm thinking I need to try it out on headphones before I can form a more solid opinion. Seems better (or at least more interesting) than Strawberry Jam, so that is a good sign.
In other news, I recorded a cheesey Christmas song complete with an off-key melodica solo and I may be uploading that little gem pretty soon, so check back.
Merry Christmas,
Toad

oh nothin'

in the spirit of fun songs with ridiculous videos...

Video of the Year

Here's my vote for music video of the year: "Jackie O" by A Faulty Chromosome

Update

Hey there few people who read this blog on occasion,
It's been awhile since I've given you the scoop on recent Toad affairs. There has been a lot going on lately and I've been very busy with both my artistic and academic endeavors. First off, a few months ago I emailed noise deity Dom Fernow (aka Prurient) asking for a critique of the copy of In Secret Winter I gave him at his show back in September. He finally got back to me a few days ago, and I must say, I was more than delighted to hear what he had to say. Embarrassingly enough, only a day earlier I had tried to get in touch with Mike Connelly of Wolf Eyes/Hair Police, whining like a little bitch and asking his permission to send him some Toad stuff for critique (I met him at the same show). Anyways, thanks Dom, and sorry Mike.
Sometime last week I decided to reboot good ol' Livonia Records, this time on wordpress. The site is practically fully functional, all I need to do now is make the catalog available for download. Everything will be free and juicy and worth your while. Check it out: http://livoniarecords.wordpress.com
Finally, Wise Owl Records was kind enouogh to release Screech Tax. It's a web label with a simlar M.O. as Livonia Records, but unlike Livonia Records, it actually gets some traffic. Check that out here: www. wiseowlrecords.com

Genius in Flannel

The Invincible Robot Brigade just dropped some mad sausage on my eardrums, and I must say, it is quite scrumptious. Every time this guy releases something new the improvement is astounding. I.R.B. will own 2009. You can count on it.

here.

Re-Ups

John did me a great service by reuploading a couple of Toad albums tonight (I had made the mistake of leaving my archive back in Livonia). Here they are:

In Secret Winter

XYZ

thanks John

NEW EP (again?)

My Temple EP
1. Rose Memorial
2. Drug Song
3. Troy

download here

Download A Song To Sing You Down

I enabled the download function on MySpace, but actually downloading proves to be a bit of a bitch, so I uploaded the song to zshare: http://www.zshare.net/audio/512130182b4ba6d9/ "A Song To Sing You Down"

Screech Tax EP

The Toad Disco - Screech Tax EP (link)

I don't really want to say anything about this EP right now, except that it is here (and only seven minutes late!).

Toadspace

I updated the Toadspace today for the first time since Hot Pink Happiness just now. It's still got the Christmas theme, and all of the info is pretty out-dated, but I uploaded a new song. The title is "A Song To Sing You Down." It's dedicated to the memory of Valerie Pepe. Depending on the reaction it receives, it may or may not end up on the next full-length. Have a nice day.

www.myspace.com/thetoaddisco

PS> Sorry for lying about the new EP coming out to day. You all have my full permission to send me a letterbomb if it isn't out tomorrow.

New EP Hopefully Sunday

Screech Tax

in the mean time...

A Meeting With Molly

http://www.zshare.net/audio/50813566236b704a/
http://www.zshare.net/audio/508135272d8c0802/

she was such a nice girl...

An 18-year-old girl reported missing to Livonia police officials on Monday, Sept. 15, was found dead in a suspected drug house in Detroit four days earlier.

According to Livonia police, Valerie Pepe of Livonia was found dead in a house in the 19000 block of Riverview in Detroit on Thursday, Sept. 11. She had not been reported as missing until the following week.

Livonia Lt. Greg Winn said an anonymous call to the Detroit police department alerted them of the girl's body in a bathtub in the house.

She was transferred to Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The lag between the time she was found and the time she was positively identified is attributed, Winn said, to the lack of ID on the body. The Oakland County Coroner's office enlisted the help of local television stations to disseminate a composite picture of Pepe in an effort to identify someone they considered a Jane Doe.

According to Winn, the cause of death was an overdose of heroin and cocaine. She had no prior record of arrest.

Valerie, it has been years since I last saw you, but I remember the moment perfectly, and now I'm sure that I won't ever be able to forget it. I hope you had many caring people in your life who are now going to miss you. It is certainly very surreal to know that you are no longer with us. Rest in peace.

Update

Hello all (all being under ten most days),
I've gotten into the habit of recording for an hour or two on Mondays, but that is about as much time as I am able to really put into music up here at Central. I'm taking a different approach, recording multiple versions of the same song until I hit upon an idea that i really like. Right now my focus is on an acoustic finger-picked number. Recorded the first version in our bathroom, with multitracked vocals and whatnot... The acoustics are interesting but didn't end up working too well for the song. In addition to that I am kind of wishing that my voice wasn't so abrasive. The song is far to sweet (maybe not "sweet"...) to be sung by a a lug (certainly not a big lug, but a lug all the same) such as myself. I've got maybe half of an album's worth of songs written, though the arrangements are far from finalized. I'm looking forward to winter break, and hoping I can get some serious work done then.
In non-disco news, that new TV On The Radio album is pretty good, if maybe a bit too glossy. Tunde Adebimpe remains the apple of my envious eye. I've also been listening to Chad VanGaalen's new album, Soft Airplane. Think if The Shins had been more informed by the vocal stylings of Neil Young rather than Brian Wilson. And Brian, oh Brian, how I dislike your new album... ...But I can still put on the original Smile sessions or Pet Sounds and all is forgiven.
I meant to post something about this, but never got around to it... I saw Prurient on the 2nd and it was absolutely extraordinary. I bought a bunch of merch to make up for all of the music I have been stealing from him since last winter. I was quite taken aback by what a nice guy he turned out to be. I drove for maybe 2.5 hours to get there, and Dom (Prurient's human incarnation) gave me and John each a free copy of Point and Void for coming all the way out. It was the greatest night I'd had in forever.
More updates to come... I'm thinking about posting a mix of stuff I've been into lately pretty soon, so look out for that... Otherwise, yup...
Happy 24th,
Alex

CMU

I'm up at Central now. Lot's of boredom. I've been listening to more rap this week than I have during the course of my entire life. That's ok, though. The Prurient gig is a week from today, and I'll be bringing my recording equipment up with me when I come back. So hopefully I can get some work done on my album, or at least some Patents stuff, nevermind schoolwork.

My Father's Many Patents, Volume 1

Alright then, here is the first installment in the ongoing "My Father's Many Patents" series. Two tracks... the first is basically just me experimenting with Audacity and my computer's ridiculously shitty built-in mic. The low rumbling drone that fades in and out is pan flute, so look out for that. The second track is an organ improvisation. Here's to new equipment!

Apply Now

.!.!.!.!.

considering abandoning this blog in favor of a more generalized livonia blog... the record label is on hold... potential title for toad album "heroes and villains"... reading 'watchmen' and 'elegant universe'... car battery dead... one week left...

Respond

Nihilism: moral laziness, or spiritual challenge?

Fall on the Horizon and...

Summer is nearing an end, and its last "hoorah" is due to make an appearance this weekend, as my parents are leaving town. Obviously, some Disco activity is bound to occur. Perhaps it will be the first installment in my new series of recordings entitled My Father's Many Patents. I came up with the concept today while ripping Tim Buckley's Lorca from vinyl. On the wall downstairs are 21 of my father's patents, and each one has a name that's hard to get out of your mouth in a single breath. The project will be released in however many volumes I find necessary to get the point across. It will most likely feature albums, eps, and perhaps even a single or to. The point is to explore the more varied possibilities I might otherwise ignore in sound and music.

In addition, to Patents I have also been working on a new full-length that is meant to be a more in-depth exploitation of the Hot Pink Happiness sound. This record will surely be the greatest thing I have done once it is completed. I have no doubt about that.

Hosts still have a bunch of material waiting to find its way onto a full-length at some point, as well as a new concept inspired somewhat by the Western Disco session, which would have The Toad Disco and The Western Click! releasing albums of the same length simultaneously, as well as a Hosts album of both projects played together at once. John and I each have one instrument we are focusing on for the piece.

And finally, Half-Pair of Trios got together the other day and recorded some new improvised material in John's basement. As of this moment, we aren't 100% sure of what will be done with it, but I will definitely let you know as soon as that news breaks.

Hosts Double-Release Double Post

Western Disco
violin (John) and piano (Alex)

So You Think You Can Dance?
feedback (Alex) and hip electronic rhythms (John)

Failed Hosts Release Party (We're Almost as Bad as Ferndale)

Beatin' mothafuckas like Ike beat Tina.

Future Pop Experience

The above image, as well as the title for this album, came to me in a dream. I know not what any of it means, but I felt that it was important to indulge my subconscious in these matters. Though conceptualized and recorded in about a week's time, I feel as though there is something incredibly important about this particular record. I only just realized as I was putting this up on RYM, the significance of it's release date.

On July 17th, 2001 my dear cousin, Charlie Tedesco passed away. He was only three years old. I considered Charlie to be my younger brother, and was crushed at his loss. It was his death that began my obsession with music in the first place. As cliche as it may sound, music provided an escape from the harsh realities of the world. In a way, I owe all this to him. Thus, I dedicate this album to his memory.

When drawing a comparison to previous ToaD recordings, Sons of Sam and In Secret Winter would most likely come to mind. Unlike those single-piece releases, Future Pop Experience is comprised of three tracks: "The Circuit", "Suburban Life 2008", and "July 5th 6:00 AM".

"The Circuit" was created mostly by making contact with quarter-inch cables plugged directly into my multitrack. All of the dynamics on that particular piece are created by simply adjusting the pressure being applied to the cables. It also features a bit of prepared guitar for good measure.

"Suburban Life 2008" is built upon a field recording of my backyard I did sometime last week. You can hear birds chirping, children screaming (playfully of course), me opening and shutting my grill (I was making lunch), etc. I added some sounds with my laptop, and created a drone by bowing my bass guitar. These sounds adjust themselves gradually throught the piece until coming to a disasterous climax near the end. See if you can pick out my makeshift acoustic guitar/snare drum in there as well ;)

...Which brings us to "July 5th 6:00 AM". Can you guess when this was recorded? It is basically an excerpt from an over-long drone piece I made in my garage while the sun was coming up. Simple keyboard/sampler/lawn mower set up. You know, the usual.

Pop Goes The Weasel

Twilight Furniture - For Larry Harmon

it's here

New Livonia Underground Release Coming Soon

Sam (aka Skinnykid) and I got together today and recorded a forty minute improvisation, which is due for release as soon as my multitrack stops being an asshole. Sam left the cover/artist+release names up to me, and here is what I came up with:

Twilight Furniture

For Larry Harmon

Shirt Night

Tonight the boys and I made shirts. I, of course, had to pick the most tedious design, whereas Sean and John made matching moog shirts.

John and Sean trying to figure out how to spell "moog" with their hands

Success!

My completed Grandeur of Hair shirt

Fireworks Demo

Last Night Was Awful

Indian Eyes - Noble Savage

Noble Savage is the result of a collaboration between myself, Aaron (Dogs of Guadalajara), and Dylan (A Bao A Qu). We each created one very bare-bones song, and then passed onto the next person until each person had contributed to one of the three original tracks. Here's what to expect: gorgeous chunks of beefy drone interlaced with decibel-shattering noise. If you were to ask me, I would tell you that this is a very masculine album. Whatever the hell that means.

Scalp The Settlers

The Toad Disco Update

Ok, so here's what I told Aaron:

so, the next toad disco release will probably be put off for quite some time, though the rest of the summer will most likely be littered with collaborative livonia releases, and there will probably be even more hosts releases when fall comes around. the best i can hope for the new toad disco stuff is that it is completed by the end of the summer. last night i came up with a concept for a completely different album than the one i'm working on now. i cant bring myself to put that idea on the backburner, so i'm going to be working on them at the same time. i don't want to let on at all about the specifics of the new concept, because i would prefer to have minds blown upon the release of it. but then again, it will most likely be released to a collective "whatever".

Livonia Collective Double-Post

The last two days have been a myriad of musical productivity. Today, we celebrate said productivity with the release of two brand new EPs. Both are titled "Fine, Thanks For Asking!" and both are worth your precious time. Here goes...

Half-Pair of Trios - Fine, Thanks For Asking!

Day 1: Half-Pair of Trios is John, Sean, and me. Fine, Thanks For Asking! consists of two roughly quarter-hour tracks. The first is a psuedo-industrial dance jam made with cheezy keyboards, and the second is a gorgeous wash of ambient organs and impassioned yelping.

Download

Hosts - Fine, Thanks For Asking!

Day 2: Hosts is John and me. The second Fine, Thanks For Asking! might be viewed as a deconstructionist version of the previous one. Instead of jams, the improvized sounds here are stretched out into more abstract drones and squeals.

Download

Lovely Amphibian EP

The Lovely Amphibian EP is similar in style to Hot Pink Happiness. The song "Let Me Glow" was originally intended to be on the forth-coming full-length, but it would have seemed out of place due to its relatively simple arrangement, so I decided to release it on this EP. The second part of "Dog Whistle" shows me testing out a new noise-making set-up I've been experimenting with. It's not perfected, but it should get alot more interesting once I add a few more pedals. Overall, Lovely Amphibian is basically a teaser for my next major undertaking, so look for that sometime before the end of summer.

Lovely: http://www.zshare.net/download/127381129a181acf/

Noise For Summer Nights EP

The noise on this EP was created using a much different approach than my previous noise works. All sounds here are generated via my computer. To me, these pieces feel somewhat nostalgic.

Chirp Chirp: http://www.zshare.net/download/12704672ccf1d10c/

Senorita You Broke My Heart

I was happy to assist Aaron in the creation of Senorita You Broke My Heart, but I really had nothing to do with its conception. Basically, Aaron (in Seattle) would let me know what he wanted from me (in Detroit) and I would upload for him. The result is a bulky transmission of wild west deconstructionism for the 21st century.

Draw! (uploading difficulties occurred. i'll try again later.)

The Second Alphabet Album (XYZ)

The concept is the same as ABC. The big difference here is that during the recording of XYZ I was in a deep depression. There may not be as much veriety as there was on ABC, but for the most part, the ideas are more developed.

Includes a cover of "Revolution Blues" by Neil Young.

Dig In: http://www.zshare.net/download/1270282105794bb4/

Week Of Weird Calls EP

Field recordings of the mysterious sounds emanating from my attic on the night of March 15, 2008.

http://www.zshare.net/download/127020428f45faa8/

Shit Through The Blood And Onto The Plate EP

A handsome little noise EP recorded and released in under an hour.

http://www.zshare.net/download/12701782f63b0767/

In Secret Winter

In Secret Winter is an album-long noise piece that aims for creativity over good ol' fashioned pummeling. After all, His Disconess would rather be an artist than a sadist. The concept to do this record came to me while I was on a middle-of-the-night walk during the biggest snowstorm of the season. On my headphones I was listening to Prurient for the very first time. In Secret Winter could be called the blood-thirsty bastard spawn of Sons of Sam, but then again it's is probably best interpreted out of context.

When Music Is No Longer Enough: http://www.zshare.net/download/12701329e82ace7b/

Hot Pink Happiness EP

The Hot Pink Happiness EP was intended to be a fresh take on the genre of noise-pop. This is the first Toad Disco release to feature noise as a prominent component of my sound. I often feel like this is my first proper release, and that everything that came before it was just a warm-up. Cum On Feel Tha Noize.

http://www.zshare.net/download/127006314e37f541/

The Alphabet Album (ABC)

The Alphabet Album is a purge of 26 recordings (A-Z) made in late 2007. The concept was to create and release music without over-thinking it (the major flaw of MIWN). ABC covers many stylistic ranges and sound ideas. The result is a scrap-yard album bursting with spontaneity.

Includes covers of "Snowstorm" by Galaxie 500 and "Still Ill" by The Smiths.

http://www.zshare.net/download/127002295a524606/

Red Giant EP

The latest release in the ever-growing catologue of my dear friend Sean Ronan, a.k.a. The Invincible Robot Brigade. His latest EP finds him more or less abandoning his more recent atonal tendencies for a return to his feel-good, somewhat humorous electronic sound.

http://www.zshare.net/download/126990326850ee1e/

Math Is White Noise

Well, here it is folks, my debut full-length. Sadly, I still feel that it's release was somewhat of a compromise, but I suppose that if it wasn't, the damn thing would never have been finished. The sessions lasted from spring 2007 into early 2008. It's got drone-fests, noise-spurts, catchy hooks, electronic instrumentals, a capella ditties, and soaring melodica lines like you ain't nevah heard. Listen and learn, bitchez.

http://www.zshare.net/download/126981375bf518c6/

Laziness

Sorry I haven't updated this in forever. I'll try to get on that. I'll also be switching the sendspace links to zshare, as zshare links apparently last way longer. In other news: I recently released in EP entitled "Noise For Summer Nights." That will be available for download soon in addition to everything else. The new album is coming along at snails pace, but only because I'm trying to spend more time on each song, getting the arrangements just right and everything. Unfortunately, I'm still working on the first song ;) Suckas.

Interview! Again! Why?! Answer! Answer? AUDIOOOOOOOOOO

I'm super excited: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ukw6x9

Interview!

Mr. Skrbs (a.k.a. The Western Click!) sits down with the with the Livonia boys behind The Invincible Robot Brigade and The Toad Disco to discuss the origins of their music, long walks on the beach, and their plans for the future...

Typos Abound: http://www.sendspace.com/file/sjqfhn

Release 005

Toadally Christmas EP

Tracklist:
Intro
Toys
Disco Time Is Here
Totally Xmas

All songs by Disco and the Toadymen

A festive collection of holiday ditties.

Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/lq8alg

Release 004

Sons of Sam

composed and performed by El Toad Disco

"Sons of Sam" is a 34-minute-long piece composed for a film by young Peter Barlow and released as an EP. The film, Dear Arie, consists of Peter walking through his neighborhood musing his little heart out about whatever comes to his mind, and it is his footsteps that inspired the continuous 4/4 pounding of the drums on "Sons of Sam." The song itself is a wash of piano, screwdriven guitars, looped drones, and synthesizers. This release in particular marked a huge step forward in the progression of my music in terms of composistion and technique, though looking back now, I might have mixed it a little differently. Enjoy :)

Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/14qlem

Release 003

Socket Accomplice EP

Tracklist:
Genitals
On The List
Diane!
Bjara

All songs by His Disconess.

The Socket Accomplice EP was conceived as something of a practical joke to pull on a friend of mine. I played a version of "Diane!" for him that he liked so much as to call me pretentious when I told him he would have to wait for the album to come out in order to have a copy for himself. So I guess you could call it revenge. I put out Socket Accomplice with some tracks that I wasn't intending to put on the full-length I was planning, and - of course - an alternate version of "Diane!" Socket Accomplice was an important release for me, however, because it was the first one to get any attention on the web from anyone other than just my immediate circle of friends. So sit back, relax, and take in the ethereal sounds The Toad Disco being an immature jackass...

Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/xnm5ey

Release 002

Results! EP

Tracklist:

Organ Patty

Another Late Night (Pocket Version)

VclExprmnt

I'm Only A Pervert...

Petri Dish

Come Join The Fun Tribe!

Assholes

All songs by His Disconess.

The songs on Results! are basically me just testing the waters with my new (at the time) digital multitrack recorder. Hence, the production is a baby-step forward from the previous EP (I hadn't exactly mastered mixing yet). If you were to ask me, I'd proably tell you that the key tracks here are "Come Join The Fun Tribe!" - a prepared piano/white-boy throat singing jam - and "Assholes" - a back-porch ambient/industrial tune over which I profess my love for whales. The progression continues...

Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/ude597

Release 001

Shoegazing Is Bullshit EP

Tracklist:
Organ Party!!!!
Another Late Night
Family Gathering
September (October Version)
Shoegazing Is Bullshit
I Felt Your Grape
Japan Bonus Track

All Songs by His Disconess, except "I Felt Your Grape" - orgininally performed by The Microphones" as "I Felt Your Shape"
Helpful Hands: Jade Ficarra (vocals on "I Felt Your Grape")

This is my first album as The Toad Disco. Shoegazing Is Bullshit was an utter bitch to make due to my lack of proper recording equipment at the time. Using the recording feature on a tiny off-brand mp3 player, Windows sound recorder (for much guess-work mixing), a demo version of FL Studio, and whatever instruments I had lying around, I was able to focus my energy into documenting the after-effects of my life-changing Summer of 2006. The sounds on Shoegazing Is Bullshit are varied: from off-kilter folk tunes ("Another Late Night") and cheesey synth warm-ups (Organ Party!!!!"), to noise freak-outs ("Shoegazing Is Bullshit") and second-rate IDM stylings ("Japan Bonus Track") . Shoegazing Is Bullshit is a decent teaser to what lies ahead.

Download: http://www.sendspace.com/file/u64cpp

Welcome!

Welcome to the newly minted Toad Disco headquarters. Your one-stop-shop for all of your Toad Disco needs! I'll be posting all of The Toad Disco releases and links for download quite soon. Check back shortly!
Love,
Blonde Weasel