Sunday 24 April 2016

The Listening Club - 24th April 2016

Hey everyone,

Yeah well, that came as a complete shock didn't it. As with Bowie, I certainly don't need to wax lyrical about Prince here, it's pretty evident how important he was to so many people, myself included, and how much he will be missed. Even if his recorded output was seriously patchy from the late eighties onward, his live shows were always truly phenomenal, and, as @nessiest pointed out, unlike DB, he's been denied the chance of a glorious final recorded act. So very fucking sad indeed, and combined with the loss the day before of Negativland's Richard Lyons, which will mean less to most, but means a hell of a lot to me, I'm still feeling rather brain-frazzled after three days. Too many heroes gone.

Oddly, I forgot to kick off a vortex last week, and as there were no immediate suggestions, decided to go ahead with regularly scheduled programming, which still stands. However, if you want to do a #purplevortex next week, tweet me and we'll do one. It's up to you guys. Right now things seem a little raw to be paying immediate tribute.

Last week @samsmitter was in the chair, and played a fine hand in the shape of Laura Cantrell's "When The Roses Bloom Again", which mellowed out the evening splendidly. Thanks to Sam for the pick, and for sailing the frisbee across to @saucer, to whom apologies must be given for the vortex spin-around, and the additional purple-hued dilemmas. But it's business as usual, so over to him for the intro...

"(Although I was living in Minneapolis in the late seventies as Prince was playing around town as a local, I was into other sorts of music and art. And I remain supremely unqualified to pay tribute in words or with a suitable pick, so I humbly leave that to others. To wit, today's pick is a million miles from the week's devastating news, news that prompted @oatmeal to write on Wednesday, "I'm starting to suspect that George R.R. Martin is the author behind 2016."

So. If we can pretend for 40 minutes that it's just another week and maybe that time travel is a thing... here's what I wrote, for today, last Monday....)

In honor of the recent Record Store Day, this evening's artist was tipped to me in a tiny record store in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo (to define "tiny": to pass another customer, one of you has to briefly walk outside). That store, Ned's, specializes in Japanese noise. But while I was there one evening the owner's daughter happened in and I asked (expecting she had her own taste, not her dad's) if she'd offer recommendations. One of them was these guys, that we're about to hear. 

Today's pick is the band's [redacted], released [redacted]. It's lovingly stylized and expertly, deliciously anachronistic. If this is your first time hearing them, I hope you can start to enjoy their brilliant artistry, musicality, and humor half as much as I do."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is...



See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1).

Sunday 17 April 2016

The Listening Club - 17th April 2016

Hey folks,

Hope all is fine with everyone. Another mostly sunny weekend here in Amsterdam (yeah, I know I keep mentioning it, but this place usually grayer than gray for the most part, so it's remarkable), soundtracked by the webcast from Coachella, which has delivered a few gems amongst a lot of landfill indie and dance cheese. (Currently Ice Cube is declaring it a good day in the background as I type.) So... on y va.

Last week @akx was in the chair, and paused unpacking his new abode long enough to treat the assembled to Ott's "Hallucinogen In Dub", which seemed to chill folks quite satisfactorily. Thanks to Aarni for the pick, and for spinning the frisbee back down to London where @samsmitter is waiting with this week's intro....

"About 15 years ago I was living in America, sitting at a desk doing a tedious corporate job for most of the day. The internet was still young enough at that time that I was amazed and grateful that I could put on a pair of headphones at my desk, listen to John Peel’s show, and be transported home for a couple of hours. The show was still my most reliable source of hearing new music (nowadays its you people), and almost every show I would hear something that made me go “who was that?”. One show I remember well was when I heard the White Stripes for the first time, along with the artist I have picked today, in the same show.

It was John Peel’s enthusiastic endorsement that made this artist popular in the UK, among those who like this sort of thing at least. I later read that he described her first album (released today on vinyl for the first time, along with a BBC sessions album, which is one reason I am picking this) as the most enjoyable of the last 10 years or something. This is her second proper album, and just as good as the first in my opinion, if less celebrated. Its not really typical “John Peel” music (if such a thing exists) as its very conventional, easy listening kind of stuff. But it is full of great songs.

I’ve missed a few Listening Club sessions over the years but I also think this might be the first album we have had in this genre. For some time I have wanted to pick something that would prove to everyone that I own music recorded after 1979 – well now I have, but its not exactly Deep Scratch Cyber-Dub, in fact it sounds like it could have been recorded in the 1950s, production quality aside. I hope you enjoy it, but if you fall asleep, I won’t be offended.. Sam x"

Okidoke. Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is...




See y'all at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

Sunday 10 April 2016

The Listening Club - 10th April 2016

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing good, whatever you're up to. The going is gentle here in Amsterdam, another sunny weekend (what's going on there? that's three in a row...) this time packed with gigs (Besnard Lakes on Friday, Kevorkian/Krivet/Claussell DJing in a Body & Soul stylee last night, and Giant Sand & Grandaddy's Jason Lytle tonight), so naturally we're taking things pretty easy this afternoon, to say the least...

Last week in #LC land, @emmaprice was in the chair and treated us to a classic, The KLF's "The White Room", which naturally went down rather well. Thanks to Emma for the pick, and for flipping the frisbee across to the freshly home-moved @akx, who is here with this week's intro...

"Between stress from moving apartments and deadlines looming at work, it feels like I haven't had any sort of time to find new music.

Instead, I've been listening to good ol' classics (well, for a given
value of "classic") such as this one to get stuff done.

I recommend listening to this at a loud enough volume, and if you have something stronger than just #drinkingclub, that'd also be recommended."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here (right click, save as), and the HearThis stream is...



See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

Sunday 3 April 2016

The Listening Club - 3rd April 2016

Greetings folks,

Finally looks like the last icicles of winter have been put to bed as Amsterdam again bathes in sunshine, much to the joy of the tiny plantlings lined up along the windowsill. So, with windows cheerfully thrown wide open, on we go...

Last week we celebrated the season in musical form with the #spring/eastervortex (spookily an actual thing, kindof) and a mighty fine selection of tunes it was indeed; many thanks to you all for your picks. Casting minds back afore the vortex, we saw @EmmaPrice catching the frisbee, and here she is with this week's intro...

"Greetings all from a sunny London where it feels like spring has finally sprung. Musical thoughts this week have mostly been centred around the Glastonbury line up and how few of them I've heard of. Cue spreadsheets and much listening to new music in the hope of finding something to excite the soul.

I thought I knew what I was going to pick this week but had a last minute change of plans as I wasn't quite sure that I loved it enough yet to share with you all, instead I've gone with an album which will be familiar to many of you but I'm hoping new to at least some of you.

This album fills me with such joy and I believe it may be technically impossible to frown when listening to it. So uncork your finest beverages and listen away."

Okidoke. Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is...



See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)