The Listening Club - 14th December 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good, hopefully better than me, stuck with a very painful computer audio problem that is going to take some slow, methodical figuring out and fixing with firmly crossed fingers - less said the better right now, so let's move on briskly, shall we?

#ListeningClub PSA - Holiday season approaches, which means time for our annual #FestiveVortex, for which we will soon be asking you to chip in one of your favourite new tunes of 2025 (or two, if they're short). After a quick glance at the calender and a chat between the #VortexMasters, it's been agreed that the calendar for the next few weeks will look like this:

2025-12-21    Last regular #LC of 2025

2025-12-28    CLOSED

2026-01-04    #FestiveVortex

So you've got plenty of time to get your picks sorted!

Last Sunday saw @AccordionBruce deliver one of the most unique picks in the many years of #LC, with his selection of The Sursiks' "Lydia Grace", which generated some rather spirited discussion, to say the least. Many thanks to Bruce for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @wbwolf, who's here with today's intro...

"This album is a throwback, looking forward. A new scene was developing, based on plundering the past to make something new. Soon, it would catch the ears of the international tastemakers. This was the third album after relaunching with a new label and a new singer. The album contains the band's first hit in their native land, and their biggest selling album. But this is the last album with the band as a trio.

The co-producer of this album was in the process of recording his first solo album after the band he was in split in two. This is also his first producer credit outside of his own work. 

This album was the favorite for the mailing list devoted to the band and related artists, though personally, I first heard many of the songs on later international compilations. I am always amused about one reviewer who complained about the album's title, stating it had nothing to do with [redacted]."

Right then, download's here, stream's below:

Hope to see you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club - 7th December 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing good. December already, blimey, he says as he sweeps a ton of leaves off the front stoop whilst hype cat supervises efficiently. Kinda happy to be doing that really as I've been struck with a mysterious ailment most of the week, which has now (I hope) cleared up, thank the gods. It's that time of year for sure.

Last Sunday saw us delve into the murky world of bass in all it's forms with a #LowEndVortex, and a fine selection it was too, sidestepping some of the genres that many expected, but going very large on others. Thanks to everyone for chipping in a tune or two, and extra large thanks to @saucer for blending the frequencies effectively.

Back to reg prog, we see @AccordionBruce holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"I was going to play something else. Then thought of this and started grinning. So here we go:

Today’s album is the Sgt. Pepper’s of a genre not usually associated with the avant garde.

The producer recently released a note-for-note a cappella version of Captain Beefheart’s masterpiece Trout Mask Replica, so this is sort of a preview of that work.

Their other most famous recording is one where they took answering machine recordings and composed melodies based on the pitches of people’s speech. Spoiler: the title of that album, I Didn’t Know I Was Singing.

This one similarly takes the subject’s recorded voice and builds full band arrangements around their spontaneous compositions. The result is varied and unforgettable.

Genuinely catchy stuff here. I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Drinking recommendations?

Fruit Juice? Cereal and milk? Pure sunlight and dreams of youth?"

Right then. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club - 30th November 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Another blah weather week in Amsterdam, the grey almost unchanging, the sog coming and going. It is what it is. Fortunately there's plenty of activities to keep us going inside, making good sounds and tastes, planning for future fun, and being grateful for that, for sure. Hype cat approves, of course, as he buries himself ever deeper, and warmer, into his beanbag.

Last Sunday saw @akx taking us for a trip to unusual places with his pick of "Groove of ESSR: Funk, Soul, Disco, Jazz and Easy Listening from Estonia from 1971-1984", which saw the assembled grooving accordingly. Thanks to Aarni for the pick and for sailing the friab over to @AccordionBruce, who has an extra week to ponder because...

Yep, end-of-month means #vortex, and this time, influnced by the sad passing of The Stone Roses' Mani, the assembled decided it was time to highlight the bass in all things, so a #LowEndVortex it is! Thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune, @Saucer has been busy connecting and blending, and you can download the result here, or stream it below:

See you 20:00 GMT for playback!

The Listening Club - 23rd November 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. A bit of a same-old-same-old week here in Amsterdam, as the temps plummet and the wet stuff continues to fall from the sky, inside it's one big blanket pile with humans here and there and hype cat somewhere near the top. Just as well there's always something good to listen to, eh? 

Reminder that it's end-of-month next Sunday, so we're looking for a #vortex theme as always - bring your ideas to the hashtag later on today and we'll see what's what.

Last Sunday saw @Holette in the chair, dosing everyone up with Anna von Hauswollff's "Iconoclasts", which garnered a pretty solid thumbs-up from the assembled, I'd say, Thanks to Sarah for the pick, and for flipping the frisb across to @akx, who's here with today's intro...

"I came across the penultimate track here by accident on Spotify this summer, and it's been on heavy rotation since (both in my head and aloud). The rest is a quick 17-track collage off the three compilations in the series (it'll make sense, trust me), so as to keep the selection around an hour instead of more than two. Be prepared for some folk-funk, a wild cover or three (maybe four?) (including a track salvaged off an advertisement film for the Summer Olympics in [location redacted]), and a whole bunch of groove.

#drinkingclub, and a clue: Pour 4cl chilled Vana Tallinn liqueur into a flute and top it with" the sparkling wine (for historical accuracy, Sovetskoye Shampanskoye, but prosecco would work)."

Right then, download's here (right-click, save as) and stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club - 16th November 2025

Hey folks,

Hope you're doing okay. @kleptones here, back from the crazy world of Le Guess Who? with many a new tale to tell and earworm to share - very pleased that the wintery weather held off for the duration of the festival, but it's hit with full force on our returm, as temperatures and leaves drop and the mighty sog returns. Hype cat is decidedly unimpressed by the changing of the seasons as always, but the addition of another blanket to his growing slumber pile is keeping him sleepily cheerful. For now, anyways. 

Last Sunday, thanks to @JimMcCauley and a last minute @EmmaPrice for holding the show together in our absence, and to @Vinomadic for his double whammy pick of Cream's "Fresh Cream" and "Disraeli Gears", which rocked and spaced out the assembled in equal measures. Thanks extended for the pick and for sailing the frisb across the seas to @Holette, who's right here with today's intro...

"I came across this artist when my partner read a recent rave review and said "this sounds like the sort of weird shit you'd like". I gave it a try and damn it turns out he was right.

Apparently this album represents a more pop direction for the artist. I'd say it's pretty far out pop but maybe in the sense of say, St Vincent, rather than Ms Swift.

There's melodies that kind of explode and dissipate, trancey builds and massive drums all going on in an ecstatic tsunami. Floating over it all are wondrous, witchy vocals.

Listen out for two guests vocalists, one of whom is unmistakable, the other was new to me - although their 1M Instagram followers would suggest I'm late to the party on that one. Above all listen out for the stunning range of instruments which add so much texture.

It runs a little over the usual hour, but the variety of moods kept me fully immersed so I hope you'll indulge me.

#DrinkingClub: a poky Margarita could be the thing"

Right then, download's here and stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT later today.

The Listening Club – 9th November 2025

Hey-hey!

It's me, @JimMcCauley, sitting in for @kleptones who's away somewhere, and who asked the other day if I could step in, and with me apparently not being called for a rehearsal today I said, yeah, why not? Well, wouldn't you just know it, my director made a mistake and I do have a rehearsal later, so here I am typing this out before lunch. Hope you're all doing good, I'm busy learning lines while scoping out a potential next play to direct after my recent triumph with an incredible slice of Stoppard.

Last week, then, it was the ever-splendid @Nessiest at the decks, giving everyone's brains a thorough sonic rinse with "In E" by Water Damage and completely surprising the entire room when it threw in a second chord after the one-hour mark. Top work, so thanks to V for the pick and for a well-aimed frisb pass to @vinomadic, who will address you after the following ellipsis...

"Well...how about a double-play?? Didn't realize I had the first record album by the act with the sophomore release waiting in the Listening Club wings for a couple of years...

Said second album, released November 1967, wouldn't be much of a mystery after the second track, a massive hit, plays, so... this way, you get the lesser known original 'mission statement' from the band, where they hew fairly close to the blues-rock trends of the day. Then, the second album expands into psychedelic territory & elsewhere-- quite a varied set of tracks, if I say so myself! 

It all adds up to an hour & ten or so minutes of British musical history-- near half of the band's total recorded output, by the way. Enjoy!

(PS-- For full disclosure's sake: In a rush, I converted & uploaded a variation on the US release of that first album.)"

That's you told. Download it here or stream it below!

I'll be elsewhere at 8PM GMT, so have fun and don't make a mess.

The Listening Club - 2nd November 2025

Hey everybody,

Hope you're all doing good. Another soggy Sunday here in Amsterdam, which is not pleasing Hype Cat much, although he is getting ever more demanding with his towel-off requests each time he returns from his, ah, toilettes pluvieuses. So it goes. Inside the house, cakes are being baked for the upcoming festive season, which is permeating the place with a rather lovely fruit 'n' spice tang, enough almost to blot out the loud bouts of swearing as I (eventually) successfully replace the battery in one of my Sony earbuds. A normal day, then.

Last Sunday saw @EmmaPrice in the chair, spookily soothing the assembled with "Ghost Notes" by Mattias/Auborn, which charmed everyone quite successfully. Thanks to Em for the pick, and for sailing the frisb back over to @nessiest, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Oh my dear clubbers. Last week I said what I hear is what you get. This is by far my most played album over the last year. 

Brace yourselves, this isn’t a marmite album. It’s an anchovies and sweated onions on a bed of fish paste album. (Which I love also by the way.)

I listen to this on planes, trains, trams, in the office, at home cooking. Best listened to loud."

Right then. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!