The Listening Club - 17th November 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. @kleptones here, back after a fine weekend of deeply varied sounds, food and drink at Le Guess Who, and a seriously well-timed getaway that turned out to be, eh? Big thanks to @saucer for taking care of things here in my absence, very much appreciated.

Speaking of which, next Sunday is last-of-the-month so as usual we're looking for #vortex themes,  if you have ideas, stick 'em in the chat later on please!

Looking back, last Sunday saw @david@social.jazzbutcher.com in the chair, sending out Kara Jackson's "Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?" which seemed to soulfully serenade the assembled quite satisfactorily. Thanks to David for the selection and for sailing the frisb over to @vinomadic, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"ARGH-- it's been a week.

The endless cloudy grey backdrop to the distant threat of rolling thunder did not help-- I may have taken fighting (with) myself to new heights, not just second-  but third- & fourth-guessing myself.

On reflection, I was floored by last Sunday's pick so that I grew irritated-- ashamed, even-- at loitering & picking around music half a century old when there are artists working the current cultural zeitgeist so poignantly.

Thought I could justify this to myself finding a selection evidencing the sound of things falling apart & providing some minimal guide in addressing loss, finding one's way over grief even if only sleepwalking through it.

As you might imagine, going down that emotional rabbit hole proved rather fraught. (There being no lack for candidates, I have THREE more selections all prepped into tag-free single-track files joining the 'closing' 1967 release my linear mind had been keeping ready by the programming bedside, until I'm ready to delete those copies...)

'What, will these hands ne'er be clean? — No more o'that, my lord, no more o' that; you mar all with this starting.'

In the end, a selection of slightly more recent music-- just a bit over four decades old.

Loved it upon first listen at my buddy Carl's in 1982, only bought my own vinyl copy a decade later when I finally had my own flat in Puerto Rico & the audio equipment to play it on...this shouldn't be unfamiliar! Certainly varied enough...

Enjoy!"

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

Hope to see you 20:00 GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 10th November 2024

Hey, it’s @saucer here holding the fort, @kleptones away at Le Guess Who!

So, what a week, huh? What a week. Many of us trying to figure out how to digest the American election result, how to respond. I’m personally devastated, terrified, triggered. Compelled to reassess how I look at society, politics, history, psychology, communication, propaganda, ethics, activism. Seems there’s a lot of this going around.

I hope you’re doing OK.

But maybe let’s vinyl scratch away from that… or not? In any case, it’ll be there waiting for us on the other side. For now I’ll move on to the far more pleasant business of recapping last week’s LC.

Last Sunday our beloved Listening Club took a trip back and back again with the double album Odessey & Oracle {Revisited} - The 40th Anniversary Concert by The Zombies, lovingly selected and presented by @iamwahl. 

Much appreciated by most of us on hand. And when all was said and done, the frisbee found itself sailing California way and into the hands of @david, who’s here right now to introduce a pick that sounds like a suitable musical antidote to current events…

“Ok. I'm getting this out of the way before the nukes start raining down.

“Released earlier this year and unintentionally related to my last pick (the previous dude performs and produces), this is the debut LP by a talented contralto songwriter. She was also National Youth Poet Laureate earlier in life.

“Slow and introspective. Precision wordplay concerning relationships and such. Sparse and gorgeous production. A calming balm at a young lady's lived expense. Her live performances are solid.”

Allons y. Download’s here and the stream's below.

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!

The Listening Club - 3rd November 2024

Hola folks,

Hope you're all doing well and good. Still pretty mild for the time of year here in Amsterdam, which presents a nice background in which to watch the run up to the American election through gritted teeth. As with exactly four years ago, hoping once again that common sense prevails and the orange demon and his dodgy mates cult of personality are sent packing, this time for good. Also hoping, as you are, I'm sure, that unlike four years ago, the expected violence doesn't rematerialize. *throws salt over left shoulder and chants demon-banishing incantations*

As mentioned before, I'll be away next Sunday getting my annual dose of global music insanity at Le Guess Who, and it looks like @saucer will be holding the fort here, many advance thanks to him for helping out!

Looking back, last Sunday, as was end of the month, saw a #musicaboutmusicvortex, and oh my word, that really was quite the selection, from the subline to the ridiculous and back again several times. Thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune or two, and to @JimMcCauley for doing the fine construction work. Back in the normal world, we find @iamwahl holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"It’s Complicated...

Due to its length I have twice set this option aside in order to present albums of a more conventional duration. It is also difficult to talk about in a meaningful way without giving away all its secrets before pressing Play. Nonetheless, I suspect, as soon as we press Play there will be some who immediately recognize, if not it, what it represents. From the get-go it is obviously recorded live (so no spoiler there). At its heart it is a love letter to a very specific niche in the timeline of music history but it expands to represent much more. There is joy here, and love. Yes, this has been a complicated selection to make and, as it is a double album, it is also a big ask of the #ListeningClub members, so thank-you for your indulgence. NOTE: there will be a brief intermission between sets. Break out your best paisley and bell bottoms...and pass the Pimm’s..."

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

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!

The Listening Club - 27th October 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing well and good. Still reasonably mild here in Amsterdam, which has allowed for a bit of external tidying and order-unto-chaos before the temps do the full-on plummet bit. Hopefully that will not happen until after Le Guess Who though as zooming through the streets of Utrecht is much easier when there's fewer layers to manoeuvre.. Also I'm still looking for a sub-manager here in 2 weekends time whilst we're away so if anyone can help, lemme know.

Last Sunday saw @wbwolf in the chair for their debut pick of はっぴいえんど / Happy End's 1971 album "「風街ろまん」/ Kazemachi Roman", which went down nice and easy with the assembled. Thanks to Wilford for the selection, and for throwing thr frisb over to @iamwahl who has an extra week to ponder because...

... yep, it's end of month again, therefore #vortex time, and this time a #musicaboutmusicvortex has been decreed, and thanks are extended to @jimmccauley who has made fine work of your submissions, as we shall hear...

Download's here and the stream's below:

CLOCKS HAVE CHANGED! So we will see you at 20:00 GMT, okay?

The Listening Club - 20th October 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good - mild and dry week here in Amsterdam which has been very agreeable, and a bonus for the thousands who have decended for the annual Dance Event, which has been cheerfully filling the streets with sound for the last few days. Whilst I'm on the subject of streets full of sound, worth noting that I'll be away at Le Guess Who in a couple of weeks, so if anyone is available to take over here on Sunday 10th November, it will be very much appreciated, so please let me know if you can help!

Also a double note, next Sunday is last of the month, so we're looking for #vortex themes as usual, if you have ideas, stick 'em in the chat tonight!

Last Sunday saw @aqidraco rocking out in multiple genres with their pick of Unto Others' "Never, Neverland" which got the assembled rockin out and callin' out the influences in equal amounts, i'd say. Thanks to Aqi for the pick and for sailing the frisb over to @wbwolf who is right here with the intro to their debut pick...

"Thank you for letting me do my first contribution to the Listening Club. I hope I can pass the audition.

I refer to myself as 20th Century Wolf, since most of my musical tastes tend to center on 60s to the 90s, so that would be the first clue. For long time listeners, you have perhaps heard the work of some of the members of this band in the Club, but not of this particular band. Music from this album has shown up in the films of Sophia Coppola. This album is critically well regarded in certain circles. It's not on the 1001 Albums list, but it is on the 1001 Mastodon albums. All of the members after the band broke up went onto influential careers as producers, session players and songwriters.

As for the #DrinkingClub, I don't advocate day drinking, but a shochu neat wouldn't be out of line."

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

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

The Listening Club - 13th October 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all good in the hood. Bit of a grey blah week here in Amsterdam, as befits the time of year, so there's not been much doing cept hunkering down and planning future activities, which means... ah, you'll have to wait and see... heh.

During the meanwhilst, @ThatNewSound was in the chair, taking advantage of the situation to share a first listen of Sampha's 2023 album "Lahai", which got the assembled bopping and thinking in equal measures. Thanks extended not only for the pick but also for the frisb fling across to @aqidraco, who's got this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"I had one artist in mind from the start. Only discovered in the past couple months, they have become a favorite of mine. They just had a new album out and I wanted to listen to that with you all. As it’s probably usual, multiple other possibilities bubbled up that I needed to mull over and listen to the past week. Three of the six, selected themselves out but I got stuck on those other three. Finally Saturday evening I wrote each on a piece of paper and drew, just guess, the one I had wanted to share from the beginning of the process. So, again, just listen to your gut when the music demands to be listened to.

For the ones partaking in the drinking club, I suggest a micro brew of your choice, whiskey or more specific a Bye and Bye. 

Enjoy!

What’s going to be your Halloween costume?"

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

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

The Listening Club - 6th October 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing well and good. Amsterdam is in the middle of a fine weather patch, a few clear and mild days always good at this time of year to get out, shop, and enjoy the start of those low sun afternoons that we don't get many of (too much grey), but are very welcome when they do arrive. Also the air is full of unusual global sounds as we start prepping and digging into this year's Le Guess Who lineup (yep, it's that time of the year already), which is as diverse and inviting as always... looking forward!

Last Sunday, as was last of the month, we got reasonably seasonal with a #SoupsStewsAndBakedGoodsVortex, which got a wide range of tasty responses, as you'd expect. Thanks to everyone for chipping tunes and @akx for whipping up the mix.

Looking further back, we find @ThatNewSound holding the frisbee with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick....

"This weeks pick wasn't any easier than the first. I ignored good advice last time and picked something I loved, this time round I've picked something I haven't heard yet. This artist has a pretty massive following so there's a good chance some of you will get this from the intro to track 1, I'm not sure how I missed it when it was released but I'm looking forward to checking it out with you. For drinking club i'd suggest a dark rum with ginger beer and perhaps a splash of lime."

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

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