The Listening Club - 26th April 2026

Greetings and happy 26th of '26

Hope you're doing okay. Dry and sunny here in Amsterdam, but still the cold breeze refuses to shift, which means Kings Day tomorrow is going to be a little chilly, but so it goes. Already the streets outside are filling up with Kings Night revellers, and the neighbours are also out in force watching the comings and goings, sharing snacks and drinks and y'knows. Tomorrow's going to be another crazy day, as those of you have attended will know, so let's get this tapped out so I can go and join the mirth and merriment, ahem hem...

Last Sunday saw @david@social.jazzbutcher.com in the chair, getting rockingly soulful and wholesome with his pick of The Waterboys' 2019 album "Where The Action Is", which got most folks bopping in fine style. Thanks to David for the pick and for sailing the frisb over to @woj who has an extra week to think because...

...yep, end of month, #vortex time, yadda yadda yadda, you know the story, but in this instance, quite literally, mate, as the assembled has decreed it's a #storytimevortex, so thanks to everyone who has chipped in a story-song or two, and mega thanks to @saucer who has assembled the varying contribs... 

Download's here and the stream's below:

Right then, seew you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today!

The Listening Club - 19th April 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing good. @kleptones here, back in the chair after a quick soujourn down to Den Haag for Rewire festival, a kind-of more electronic-leaning and academic cousin to our fave rave Le Guess Who, and a pretty fine weekend it was indeed, nice to explore the city and its venues, bars and restaurants in more depth. Back in Amsterdam it's bright but still rather cool, which is not stopping either the lilac nor the wisteria, which are both coming out in full force simultaneously for a change. Hoping for a full bloom by Kings Day on the 27th, which should make the place look extra-special for a bit of a knees-up, as long as we can avoid the fun police who seem more determined than ever to shut down our one-day-a-year bit of joy. Wish us luck, yeah?

Right before that, next Sunday 26th will of course be the last of the month, which means #vortex time, so bring forth your themes and ideas to the hashtag later today and let's see what we can come up with...

Last Sunday, whilst I was indulging in the aforementioned noise-fest, @JimMcCauley had their hands on the reigns as @vinomadic delivered a 1-2 punch as only they can, with Prince's debut album "For You" from 1978 swiftly followed by "Controversy" from 1981, both of which getting the assembled bopping as only the purple one can. Thanks to both for the helming and the pick, and for the shuffling of the frisb across the global board to @david, who's here, fresh from my spam bin (doh) with today's intro...

"This is an artist who has been honing his craft for some time, and he's come a ways from his "big production" early days, and that hit single I had picked up waaay back.

On a whim, I looked him up to find that he's been morphing whether I cared whether he still existed or not.

Samplers, Americana, Folk, Big pop? He's done it, but mainly he's a tight lyricist and it pays to pay attention.

My choice was between his most recent (with its sharp critique of everyone's favorite target l'Orange), but I went back a few years for a release with a bit more mellow and love.  And who doesn't need that?"

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 12th April 2026

Hey there listening chums! It's @JimMcCauley here, keeping @kleptones' seat warm while he's away in, I think, Paris, where I once very briefly met Lou Reed. Here in Bath it's very much staying-in weather, but I was out last night seeing two of my previous LC picks in one go: Jane Weaver and, in her band, Serafina Steer on harp. A fun evening but the audience was a little thin, perhaps because Tori Amos was playing in the same building and I'd imagine there's quite a fan crossover there.

Anyway, to business. Last week I was otherwise engaged and missed @soundclamp's pick of 'Swollen' by Hetch Hetchy, an album with more R.E.M. connections than you can shake a shiny happy stick at. It certainly seemed to go down well with the assembled, so thanks to Dan for the pick and for a well-flung frisbaton in the direction of @vinomadic, who is waiting eagerly to address you all:

"Double bubble, toil and trouble??

Have a lot on my plate, but it seems so does every other Mother's son and daughter and arbitrarily, socially gendered, non-binary child...!

Made a quick decision to snatch the Frizz-Bat(R)on in mid-air as I 'browsingly' stumbled across an impulsive choice that might help us shake that funky thing a bit off our burden bags...funnily enough-- as the original selection, the artist's first recorded outing at age 19, clocked in at a scant 22 minutes, thought I'd make it a two-fer (just as I did last time at bat!) adding the 4th album-- a rather well-known, notorious outing in this act's varied & generous output...

Fairly recognisable from the git-go, dare say. Been trying to write a bit more since Sunday night, but all that stuff on my plate keeps messing with my attention, calling me away... <sigh>

I trust there will be good conversation & digital craic over the internet waves on Sunday, cheers!"

Splendiferous. Grab yourself a download here, or stream below.

Catch you at 8PM BST!

The Listening Club - 5th April 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Happy Easter, Bunnies, Eggs, Chocolate, Post-Equinox or Whatever Day to you and yours, if that's your sort of thing, no worries if not. It's still bright and sunny but cool and breezy here in Amsterdam, so the stooping has been restricted to a quick perch with a cup of tea mid-afternoon. Soon come, though.

Second reminder that I'm away next Sunday, and am still looking for someone to fill the #LC shoes for that day, so let me know if you're up for helping out, please!

Last Sunday, as was last-of month, we celebrated in style with a #NameDroppersVortex, paying tribute to those who pay tribute, and thanks to everyone who chipped in a fine range of tunes, a grand selection of bases were covered indeed, and double thanks to @saucer for managing to blend the disparate eras and sounds into a fine end-result. Looking back we find @soundclamp with the frisb, so over to them for today's intro...

"Released in 1990, this band hails from Athens, Georgia and this is their only full-length album. Volunteering the local college radio station exposed me to all sorts of hidden nuggets. If I am remembering correctly, people pigeon-holed them as punk country or cowpunk depending on what part of the States you’re from. In reality they drew inspiration from goth, dream pop, and folk music, delivering a heady concoction. There is a fun, as in — I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S NOT BUTTER -- reveal at the end!

Drinking Club recommendation: Some kind of stiff brandy for these times."

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today.

The Listening Club - 29th March 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Still mostly sunny yet cold as balls here in Amsterdam, there's even been a little sleety snow, which will hopefully not affect the lovely collection of buds gathering around Chez-K. Not much else to report other than to mention that I will be absent in a couple of weeks time, Sunday 12th April to be exact, therefore will be requiring a guest host for the #LC - If you can help out, give me a shout, please! 

Last Sunday it was me, @kleptones in the chair, rattling everyone's collected cages with The All-Seeing I's "Pickled Eggs & Sherbet", which seemed to put many of the assembled in a good mood, which was the intention! All that remained was for me to flip the frisb across the Atlantic to @soundclamp, who has an extra week to ponder because...

...yes, end-of-month means #vortex, and this time a #NameDroppersVortex was agreed, this being folks paying tribute to other folks in song (including themselves, such ego!) @Saucer has gathered up the collected donations and lovingly stitched them together into a fine tapestry, which you can dowload here, or stream below...

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) - Yes, the clocks have finally moved forward in this neck of the woods.

The Listening Club - 22nd March 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. A quiet week here in Amsterdam, still nice and sunny, but sadly not bringing the temperatures to match, so stooping season will have to wait a little longer, as the tulips keep pushing themselves out of the earth, we watch the buds appear on the lilac and wisteria, and sip on the last of the seasonal winter bock beers (always buy too many, but they're so very tasty).

Note that it's nearly the end of the month, so we're looking for a #vortex theme for next Sunday, so bring your ideas and shout 'em out later on... thanks in advance!

Last Sunday saw @ThatNewSound in the chair, sending everyone an emotional curveball in the shape of Apparat's new album "A Hum Of Maybe", which seemed to go down well with most of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to me, @kleptones, so it's time for me to go into character... 

*quickly dives behind curtain*

 ... 

*curtain rises*

"What a time we're living in, O my brothers and sisters, what a time, when not a day goes by without another slice of your personal freedom being surgically removed or another wholly unneccesary war starting, truly one cannot be blamed for turning on the wireless and choosing to indulge in some carefree, light-hearted pop music to soothe the spirits and remind yourselves of those simpler days of yesteryear.

Pop music, eh? Not something I often pick for Listening Club, some might say, but, in my defence, it's all pop music to me, mate. But hey now, here comes some actual English pop music, featuring some actual English pop stars (here and there) and a couple of Top 20 hits (in the UK, natch). Despite that, this album never made it past No.45 for a week in the (UK) charts and has now been tagged by some as a "cult classic", although the actual size of that cult, I'm not quite sure. It certainly did pass me by at the time, and even though I purchased several of those aforementioned singles (at least one of which you may well recognise), I didn't think a whole album by this artiste would be worth a punt, so I gave it a wide berth. Fortunately, for some reason this album got itself re-issued last year and fell into my world-famous "In-Tray" and well, reader, I must now consider myself seriously corrected... and like I said at the start, right now we need the occasional decent distraction from all the shite, and, imho, this is as good as you'll get, I reckon. From me, anyway. So I hope you agree!

Drinking club: Pint of Best for me and a Strawberry Daiquiri for the lady."

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

See you 20:00 GMT later on. (Our clocks change next Sunday, btw) 

The Listening Club - 15th March 2026

Greetings,

Hope you're doing good on this fine Ides of March. Singular or plural, I do not know, *searches* um, singular apparently, even though it's plural in nature it refers to a single day, which is today, so there you go. Been a sunny week here in Amsterdam, although still chilly, but spots of window-opening and general "getting ready for the warmer days" activity has been spotted around the neighbourhood, which is grand. The area's birds and cats are also appearing from their hibernatory / migratory zones, which is sure to lead to the expected high jinks in the coming months for sure.

In the land of #LC, last Sunday saw @ogili in the chair, sending people on a fine trip with their pick of Lausse The Cat's "The Mocking Stars", which got the assembled grooving and pondering in those equal measures that we love so much. Thanks to Oli for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @ThatNewSound who's here with today's intro...

"This is the first time I've picked something that I'm almost certain at least a few of you will have heard, or at least be tangentially aware of. I picked it because the title track found its way into my lap and immediately resonated with me. If you don't recognise this sound it may be because you're more familiar with this artists earlier work, which is quite different, or maybe you know their side project, which is also kinda different. Either way, whilst this is a fairly melancholy album I hope you feel the first hints of impending summer that I felt during my first listen.

Apparently this album is the result of a writing challenge coming off the back of several years of writers block and in reviews it has been described as echoing Colour of Spring era Talk Talk, which is high praise indeed. I hear it, though, and I think the production is wonderful and eclectic and I would feel immense pride to have made something like this.

Drinking club should go for a Mezcal old fashioned with a dash of kümmel"

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

Hope to see you at 20:00 GMT - Clocks changed last week in some areas, so check your local timezones to be sure of tuning in at the right time!