The Listening Club - 4th May 2025

Greetings, folks, may the fourth etc.

Hope you're doing good. Been a lovely warm week here in Amsterdam, which made for a very enjoyable Kings Day and aftermath. Still surrounded by a lot of that aftermath too, really is time to put all the things back in their right place until next year, heh.

Last Sunday was #vortex time, and that was decreed a #ForeignLandsVortex, which saw tunes from far and wide, selected by folks from far and wide, mixed with finesse by @akx, and a mighty fine trip is was too. Thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes! Looking back we find @eastvanhalen holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"For some reason I got it into my head that today’s LC selection should come from the radio. I had listened to the WFMU fundraising marathon pretty much morning to night, two weeks of stellar and fascinating music and a lot of fun - DJs pairing up with DJs, Yo La Tengo doing their annual requests-for-pledges gig, the whole thing ending with a bunch of exhausted, drunk DJs making a live karaoke band in the studio. There’s a lively comments board for each show with a live playlist, and you can star tracks for your favourites list. So I dug through those, listening to albums, figuring out what I wanted to play.

So this afternoon I was listening to more radio and I heard a song and said WHAT IS THIS. THIS IS AMAZING. THIS IS MY SUMMER GROOVE. And I sensibly threw everything out the window in favour of an album by that artist, because this is the Listening Club Way. 

The new song isn’t being released with an album - it’s a single being released in three mixes. I’ve chosen the extended one, natch. It’s the last song you’ll hear in this set. Preceding it is a 2000 release that was this artist’s first solo album after decades of legendary work with Gil Scott-Heron (sorry if that gives it away) and as a session musician. Roy Ayers, latterly of these precincts, shows up on a track here too. I’ve had the new track on repeat today and I love all of this.

(Tangent: the first DJ slot after the WFMU marathon started with 12 or so minutes of this weird ambient noise, which everyone comfortably leaned in to, until the DJ started getting confused by the comments on the comments board and the comments board started getting confused by the live playlist…and everyone eventually realized that the DJ had been playing tunes, but we were all listening to weird noise because the station had bollixed switching the feed from the karaoke thing to the studio. The songs we didn’t hear disappeared from the playlist, replaced by "'Technical Difficulties' by Noise Wall Special,” which everyone promptly added to their favourites list. And this, in a nutshell, is why freeform radio is the best goddamned thing in the universe.)

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

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

The Listening Club - 27th April 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. It's the day after Kings Day here in the Netherlands, therefore as usual I have a high-grade hangover and a variety of aches across my body. Worth it though. So let's get on with this before my remaining energy expires, eh?

Last Sunday we had @nessiest in the chair, delivering a fine slice of kiwi vibes in the form of "Blame It On The Weather" by Mā, which went doen pretty damn well, I'd say. Thanks to Ness for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @EastVanHalen who has an extra week to ponder because...

... Yes indeed, end-of-month means #vortex, and this time an #ForeignLandsVortex has been decided, showcasing otherworldy songs and sounds in unfamiliar languages. @akx has gathered up your selections and the resulting mix can be downloaded here, or streamed below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) for playback.

The Listening Club - 20th April 2025

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Amsterdam's keeping on with the dry and sunny although personally, I could do with a few extra degrees warms, which I'm sure I say every year around this time. Looking good for Kings Day, too, even though the coats will be staying on, I think. Ah well. Plenty of home entertainment to be had also, flipping between live feeds of moose migration in Sweden and Semana Santa processions in Seville. Slow TV FTW, for sure.

Next Sunday is last-of-the-month, so, as is customary, we're looking for #vortex themes, so we're looking for suggestions - dig 'em out and flip 'em up later for discussion, ok?

Last Sunday saw @room2skank, (via @EmmaPrice) in the chair, dealing out Pom Poko's 2019 debut album "Birthday", which went down pretty damn well, I'd say. Thanks to Emma & Si for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @nessiest, who's here with tonight's intro...

"My initial pick for tonight was excellent shitkicking punk from my home country but unrelentingly heavy. Let me spare your collective eardrums, it didn't fit this weekend. After rummaging in my list of possibles, changing my mind again last minute for reasons, I remembered this artist. I’ve been following their career for a while, this album is new. I have not listened to it yet. Track two I know, plus a live cover of another artist who guests on this. I’ll be stunned if any of you know this. Taking a risk but delighted to find out what it’s like with all of you."

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

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

The Listening Club - 13th April 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Spring is bouncing around Amsterdam quite happily now, leading to some decent "no jacket required" weather (finally) on Saturday and even a spot of al fresco dining, hoorah. The flowers around the house haven't seemed too bothered by the cool temps, and have been racing each other to bloom, so everything looks lovely, must say - hope it holds out for Kings Day!

Last Sunday saw @zbender deliver a smooth and soulful selection in the shape of Hollie Smith's 2007 album "Long Player", which hit the spot for many folks. Thanks to Ben for the pick, and for leaving it up to me to fling the frisb, which landed at @EmmaPrice's feet...

"Greetings my fellow Listening Clubbers. I hope the sun is shining on your corner of the world. Here, I'm in the midst of festival season planning and lineup playthroughs (yes there's a colour coded Glastonbury spreadsheet) My partner Si and I have somewhat differing music backgrounds and there's a whole wave of bands & genres that are fundamental to his love of music that are all new to me. Which is ace and kinda part of the ethos of Listening Club. So I dropped the frisbaton into his willing lap and here he is with the intro.

Over to you Si:

Sometimes these algorithms that seemingly funnel media to us comes up with a winner.  And that is what happened to me with this band.  Conveying a feeling of being hit in the head with a mallet dipped in candyfloss, it grabbed me from the first track and it's stayed a favourite album ever since.  A wonderful, vivid wild ride of an album.

BTW Si's shiny new Mastodon account is https://mastodon.social/@room2skank"

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

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

The Listening Club - 6th April 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Cool and dry here in Amsterdam, with plenty of sun, which is nice, but also an icy cold northerly wind, which is not. Still, the plants are happy, looking like we'll be having an early crop of wisteria flowers this year, hoping that there's some left by Kings Day, hem.

Big thanks to @saucer last week for not only helming the #ChangingTimesVortex but also for taking care of admin here whilst I was away. Looking back we find @zbender in the chair, with this to say by way of intro to today's pick...

"It’s refreshing to relax, and it’s relaxing to be refreshed.

I came back to this recording recently, when I realised *waves hands* all this *keeps waving hands* was getting me down. Quite down.

And I remembered that when I luxuriated with music, I feel better. But there’s no time to just luxuriate.

Or is there? There is. During #ListeningClub, we can float away.

You may, or may not, or may a little, or shall not, or whatever, this album. But it’s olde-time crafted, in a yesteryear style, by talented people, from a little while back.

I would recommend a bittersweet beverage, and a small platter of cheese and crackers. That’s just for your soul. For you, as a person, I would suggest the most relaxing drink you can find, with the most time-consuming snack you can find."

Right then. Download's here in mp3 or flac, stream's below:

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

The Listening Club - 30th March 2025

Welcome to Summer Time, friends in the now BST and CEST timezones!

Hope you’re all doing okay. It’s @saucer here, in for @Kleptones  as he’s away for some family duties. Here in Boulder—in the United States of Apartheid (ahem)—we saw an intense hailstorm yesterday evening and a dusting of snow overnight. So in this neck of the woods it’s still well within the winter-to-spring transition zone. As for how things are going otherwise… well, when our jaws aren’t dropping at hourly demonstrations of incompetence by those in power, we’re enjoying certain signs of solidarity in the artistic and activist and human rights communities. Inklings of hope if you will.

Looking back to last Sunday, the very same vacationing @Kleptones was in the chair to offer the LC a straight up classic from 1971 in the form of "Nilsson Schmilsson," seventh album from singular pop genius Harry Nilsson. The pick stirred a range of responses from happy recognition, to “ah!”s for the hits, to some first-time appreciation of the piece’s timeless musicality. Thanks extended to Mr Kleptones for the pick and also for flipping the frisbee over to @zbender for his first time in the chair in a while. And Mr Haylock has an extra week to select because it’s vortex time!

Theme wise, last week the assembled gravitated to honoring the post-winter time change today for the UK and Central Europe, with a #changingTimes vortex. Yours truly, @saucer, has wrangled the submissions into shape for tonight’s curated entertainment. Hope you enjoy!

#DrinkingClub suggestion: a reflective cocktail.

Vortex download’s here, stream’s below:

See you 20:00 BST tonight.

The Listening Club - 23rd March 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Dry and warm here in Amsterdam for the most part, which is very welcome, as spring finally takes a firm hold and daffodils and tulips and yes, tons of humans start bursting out all over the place. Also welcome to get back into the Paradiso to see Orbital deliver a fine set of their first two albums... making me feel like 30 years have gone by in the blink of an eye, so it seems.

Also don't forget next Sunday is #vortex time, so get your thinking caps on, there was already some good ideas coming forward a week or two ago iirc, also advance gratitude to @saucer who will not only be handling the vortex but will also be taking care of admin right here, as I will be away on family duties.

Looking back to last Sunday, which saw @iamwahl in the chair, delivering a pair of emotionally charged Scots in the shape of "These Actions Cannot Be Undone" by Gentle Sinners (aka James Graham of The Twilight Sad and Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap). Thanks extended to Mr Wahl for the pick and also for flipping the frisb across to me, @kleptones, so it's time to go all italic for tonight's intro...

"... and here we are. 

Like a lot of folks, I have a little list of  #LC possibilities, but again, like a lot of folks, when it comes down to the crunch, often the list goes out the window. So... checking back over my last few picks it seems I've been firmly in the new and challenging releases camp, therefore this time, as a change from all that, as a balance to last week's pick, and also as a balm for the torrent of deeply vile shit that is spewing from certain people and certain parts of the planet, let's all head for the middle of the road, for a record that is considered a career-best for the artist in question, containing one grammy award winning mega hit, and a whole bunch of other mighty fine tunes. And even if you know a few of 'em, which you will, chances are you haven't heard the whole album. (And as it's such a short album I've included one of the CD bonus tracks, because it's easily as good as the rest.)

Oh yeah, the artist? A walking contradiction in their own lifetime for sure, a mighty songwriter (though their biggest hit's a cover) and one hell of a singer (but they never did any gigs), and a grammy nominated album that can easily be found for small change in many junk shops (mine cost 50p, still with the original (terrible) poster included). But it rocks. And after a track or two you'll be singing along too.

#DrinkingClub = Anything, as long as it's at least a treble. And keep 'em coming."

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

See you 20:00 GMT tonight. (US clocks are still askew, check your local timezone!)