Sunday 17 March 2024

The Listening Club - 17th March 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. More spring signs across the city as blossom appears here and there, and a general spread of buds on the wisteria and lilac has appeared around the outside of the house, which is very welcome. Also with the seasonal change comes the occasional flurry of lost-looking tourists squinting at their phone-maps and trying to figure out where the hell they are. All as it should be really,

Last Sunday @EastVanHalen was in the chair, spinning soulful Egyptian sounds in the shape of Al Massrieen's "Modern Music", a compilation of 70s & 80s tracks put out in 2017 by the esteemed Habibi Funk label, which got everyone grooving most effectively, I'd say. Many thanks to Steph for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to, me @kleptones, so it's time to go all italic for tonight's intro...

"...right then. 

I deliberately left tonight's pick to the last minute, as I knew we were heading out to see Underworld last night, which would definitely influence what I wanted to pick tonight. And so, unsurprisingly after having had my senses seriously pummeled for a few hours, tonight's pick is a somewhat gentler contrast to help soothe those jangled senses, and the inevitable hangover, natch.

I'm surprised I've never picked this artist before (had to go and check the list to be sure) as their music has been a regular listen ever since I first discovered them over 15 years ago, but there you go. 

I think also this is the first time someone has picked a solo instrumental album for #LC, but I'll probably be proved wrong by someone. I'm sure there are similar musicians dotted around the world (you may know of one or two), but in this instance the discovery happened to be a reasonably local person (from Hastings, not far from my old home in Brighton), which allowed me the opportunity to see them perform close-to-home several times in appropriately intimate environments.

As usual I'm reluctant to say much more, other than to warn that this is a rather deep and spacious listen, so feel free to get comfortable in advance - you may even nod off, which is fine - I'm really not expecting the hashtag chat to be super lively either, although as always, you never know..

The album dates from 2007, but it's a little short, so I've attached a bonus track from their following album at the end, partially to extend the mood, and partially because the track in question is really beautiful, so consider it a pre-attched after-party tune.

Hope you enjoy!"

Okidoke, download's here, stream's below:

See you at 20:00 GMT tonight!


Sunday 10 March 2024

The Listening Club - 10th March 2024

Hey folks,

Hope you're doing good. Back in Amsterdam after a spontaneous soujourn to Prague last weekend, where the local beer and wine continues to flow deliciously and the sausages, goulash and dumplings do a grand job of soaking it all up. Back in Amsterdam there are plenty signs of an early spring, as buds and blossom appear around the neighbourhood, and the sun pokes its head out for the first time in god-knows-how-long, which is all very well and good, it must be said.

Whilst we were returning from the above, last Sunday @woj was in the chair, rocking and a souling with his pick of Barrence Whitfield & The Savages "Glory", which seemed to go down pretty damn well. Thanks to Woj for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @EastVanHalen, who's here with tonight's intro...

"I’ve been feeling weirdly stuck lately - busy with good work, grateful for friends and family, but treading water elsewhere. After many years of activism I’ve become used to fighting through hard situations and hard times, but the past few years have been heavy with many things, not least with the awareness that a lot of the 'good guys' - and the parts of activism that circle hungrily around power - aren’t so good at all. 

So it was happy luck to come across a comrade’s writing about his own feelings of being stuck, and about how he’s been finding his way back to hope. “[This artist] tells us, that even though things are really hard, seem hopeless, and you don’t see a way forward—the sun rises in the morning and calls to us: 'Ebda’ Men Gedid!' (Start from the Beginning!)" This comrade is from Egypt, the songs are in Arabic, I knew nothing about this artist, but it’s been cool to start exploring. And it has me thinking about what starting from the beginning looks like in my own traditions.   

In case you’re interested, here’s the blog post that got me (and us) here (spoiler alert!)"

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

See you 20:00 GMT, watch out for daylight-saving changes in other time zones!



Sunday 3 March 2024

The Listening Club - 3rd March 2024

Hey folks,

Hope you're all doing fine. Whizzing this out a few days in advance as we're heading off to the land of fine beer for a weekend away,  so let's get on with it...

Last Sunday we entertained alternate timelines in fine style with the #NeverEverVortex, a random, but somehow interconnected selection of tunes, the likes of which we will never see again, we hope. Many thanks to all who chipped in, and double plus thanks to @akx for the assembly work. Back in regular #LC-land, we find @woj holding the frisb, with this to say by way of introduction to their pick...

"A couple weeks ago now, we lost the great Dexter Romweber. Probably most well-known as a co-founder of the Flat Duo Jets, he also had a pretty storied career as a sideman for many big names and then with his sister Sara in the Dex Romweber Duo. His command of the stage, his presence, and his antics were legendary and, by all reports, way larger than life. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to see them - the Flat Duo Jets due to constraints of time and space and the Duo because I foolishly passed on the times he and his sister played in town thinking there would always be a next time. Alas. 

While ruminating about Dex, I got to thinking about other larger-than-life stage presences which naturally lead to this week's artist. He's also a maniac behind the mic and takes complete control of the audience with his powerful, soulful voice and his utter commitment to the performance. I have seen him and his band -- in the same small room that Dex and Sara would frequent here in New Haven in fact -- and his performances are not to be missed. Fortunately, most of that comes through on the studio albums...so here's his most recent release from last year. Turn it up and boogie woogie!"

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

See you 20:00 GMT on Sunday night!

Sunday 25 February 2024

The Listening Club - 25th February 2024

'Lo there folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Bit of a non-week here in Amsterdam, the usual blend of grey and wet, although the sun made a rare appearence today, there's a few flowers poking out of the ground here and there, and the wood pigeons are nesting in the bush over the way, so here's hoping these signs indicate an early spring for a change...

Last Sunday @holette was in the chair delivering Elliot Smith's posthumous final album "From A Basement On The Hill", which met the approval of the assembled quite whole heartedly, and deservedly so, imho. Thanks to Sarah for the pick, and for sailing the frisb acxross to @woj, who has a little extra time to ponder because...

Yep, end of the month means vortex time, and this time the conversation drifted over to a #NeverEverVortex - Ideas never used, artists never picked, for whatever reason, here's an opportunity to give them a moment in the sun. However you've interpreted it, it's here, mixed into a froth by @akx...

Download's here: gdrive or direct, stream's below:

See you at 20:00 GMT tonight.

Sunday 18 February 2024

The Listening Club - 18th February 2024

Salutations folks.

@kleptones here, back from faraway lands (which were very welcoming and enjoyable indeed, thanks for asking), and now suffering the traditional jetlag-enhanced "back-to-work" discombobulations. Huge thanks to @emmaprice and @saucer for keeping the ball rolling in my absence, very much appreciated. Also the calendar tells me it's going to be an end-of-the-month-sunday next week, so get your #vortex ideas out and we'll shake them all about later today...

Last Sunday (it says here), @aqidraco was in the chair sending out a solid classic (for me, anyways) in the shape of Talk Talk's "Spirit Of Eden" from back in 1988, which went down rather well, so it seemed. Thanks to Aqi for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @holette, who's here with tonight's intro....

"I don't really feel like saying too much about this album before you listen. 

Some of you will know about it and I hope it will be a chance to revisit the music and songwriting. It's an album I know really well but had somehow dropped off my playlist for years. It's been an absolute joy discovering it all over again. 

Drinking club recommendation: Two shots of happy, one shot of sad."

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

See you 20:00 GMT tonight.


Sunday 11 February 2024

The Listening Club - 11th February 2024

Hey it’s @Saucer again filling in for @Kleptones for one more week as we head into Saint Valentines Day. Not much to report from Boulder, as I gratefully suffer the aftermath of a vaccination… and kind of drift in and out of capacity to press keys on the keyboard in a nonrandom order. b;lnasdh

Last week @Erimichkea treated us to the third LP from Minneapolis band PoliçaUnited Crushers. A dreamy listen that evoked lots of near recognitions among the assembled. 

(In parallel, some controversy broke out regarding which Groundhog Day mascot rules. And yet… after some hot contention, not sure whether Punxsutawney Phil, Flatiron Freddy, or someone else came out on top….)

Which brings us (?) to this week’s pick, enabled by a deft, last-minute frisbaton snag by @aqidrago, here now with her intro…

“I really wanted to share and listen with you all together to this album on Sunday, May the 14, 2023. But then another album jumped ahead in line and took its spot. So, here we are 8 months later. You probably know a number of their famous songs. This album is more, well, experimental. It is an album, I only discovered through Mastodon and I keep coming back to it.

“As choice of beverage, I dare you to try something new, something experimental, outside of your usual choice of beverages and invite you to join me on this soundscape escape.

Happy Valentine’s Day. Aside from the typical commercial cards, chocolates, and flowers, why not do something non-commercial for your loved ones. Paint a picture, write a poem, sing a song… make a mixtape. 🥰”

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

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!  (That’s noon Pacific, 15:00 Eastern, 21:00 Central Europe)


Sunday 4 February 2024

The Listening Club - 4th February 2024

Hey LC fam, 

It’s @Saucer here filling in this week & next for @Kleptones on the old blog front. As I write you, it’s a mix of freezing rain, snow, and fog in Boulder. And apart from needing to go out and do some errands in a few… this is very much my kind of weather (not only happy when it rains, I promise). Poor birds, though! They were just getting accustomed to the sun & relative warmth and now everything’s covered in wet, heavy snow.

But speaking of warmth and winter… big thanks to @EmmaPrice for handling the LC duties last week for our winter/summer/Camus vortex… with a record-setting name suggested by @Vinomadic that reminded me of album titles by Spacemen 3 or Keiji Haino/Sumac: In the Depths of Winter, I Finally Learned that Within Me There Lay an Invincible Summer. What a vortex title. Big thanks to each of you who sent in such excellent tunes. Was an honor and a pleasure to sort and stich.

Just before our Camus vortex, @iamwahl had flipped that ol’ frisbee to @Erimichkea, and here she is now with her intro to tonight’s selection: 

"I hadn’t listened to this full album in a few years, and I found it again while searching for something to contribute to last week’s vortex playlist.  The title of the first track would have fit the theme nicely, but after listening to the whole album again, I decided to save it for my selection this week.  It’s a music genre that I don’t listen to a lot, but I’ve always enjoyed the singer’s vocals. The band has several other albums before and after this one, but this is the one I keep coming back to."

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

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!  (That’s noon Pacific, 15:00 Eastern, 21:00 Central Europe)