The Listening Club - 12th July 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. @kleptones here, back after one of those weekends-in-a-field-with-benefits (high points including David Byrne, Peaches, All Them Witches, Johnny Marr, CMAT & The Mary Wallopers amongst others) - thanks extended to @JimMcCauley for ably holding the fort in my absence - pleased to be returning only somewhat slightly dazed to a week of mighty fine weather, not too hot, not too cold, and I must say the outside of the homestead is looking particulary verdant, possibly the best it ever has, which is lovely to see. Hype Cat also is in a particularly good mood, and even me old country seems to be doing reasonably well in the Global Kick A Ball Cup, which, admittedly, is the only time I really pay much attention to the sport, but glad I have, as quite a few of the games have been cracking.

Speaking of which, I note that the cup final will be taking place next Sunday at a very synchronous time, so maybe we may want to move the #vortex a week forward and then we can go 2-for-1? Also saves someone having to compete for attention with their own pick. Open for discussion as always, let us know in the chat later on if that appeals...

Right then, looking back we extend thanks to @vinomadic for their pick of Beny Moré's "Magia Antillana" from way back the early 50s. Thanks extended for the pick and for flipping the frisb over to @wbwolf, who's here with today's intro...

"This is an album I've wanted to present to Listening Club since I joined two years ago, and the timing for this album is perfect. It's got a summery, breezy feel that I really enjoy. At the risk of being too predictable, this is in the same vein as two of my three previous selections; at least it is from a different era than the other two.

This artist's first release was a self-released album of Beach Boy covers. He made a name for himself for music arranging before becoming part of group associated with one of the members from the first album I presented to the Listening Club. This album is often considered his best album overall, but has connections to his early work. A few years earlier, he had began doing arrangements and songwriting for a singer who that by the time of this album he had recently married. Two songs from one of those albums (one as part of the main album, and a demo included as a bonus track) are included here. During the sessions for that album, he began working with an American singer-songwriter over the course of the next several years.

Also of note: this artist is very resistant to having his music online, so it not available on streaming or other digital formats, even in his native country. Fortunately, physical versions have been reissued regularly. This is also one of those albums that the cover is almost as famous as the music. The cover was adapted for a series of mashups of songs by this artist with another artist in a completely different genre."

Okaydoke. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 5th July 2026

Hey there, listening chums! It's me, @JimMcCauley, sitting in while @kleptones is away doing the Lord's work in some far-flung heathen lands, or something like that. Me, I'm sitting at my desk enjoying just the right level of warm weather before things get silly again over the next day or so. The good news, though, is that I just got the aircon fixed in my car, so now I can always go out and sit in that if it's too damn hot. What could possibly go wrong?

Last week, then, it was our annual #SummerVortex / #LiveVortex, whichever you prefer to call it, and considering we've been doing it for 13 years now, this one turned out pretty darn fine, I'm sure you'll all agree; especially as we managed to achieve a Double Underworld. So thanks to everyone who bunged in a track or two, and to @akx for putting everything in the right order.

This week, then, and @vinomadic has been called up to do the thing, and stap me if this isn't him right here, addressing you now...

"Haven't picked any Latin music since my inaugural selection, partly because I have shamefully very little of it on my HD.

It seems fitting that as climate change brings numbingly sweltering tropical weather to formerly temperate regions of the planet, I should choose the recorded selection of a great Cuban singer's tracks for this post-4th of July Sunday...

I almost changed my mind at the last minute-- that selection is converted & ready in the folder, but...the temptation was to program another two-fer featuring a blues/jazz singer songwriter- (...but I'll leave it at that, as it'll be in the wings very likely for my next turn)

...see, I don't know about you, but my undiagnosed, baseline ADHD struggles mightily in the sweltering heat ('It's not the heat, it's the humidity!?) -- so this is fairly short & sweet at just under 38 minutes, as per data.

On careful listening, you might find the compilation a bit uneven... You might blame this on the fact that, except for three numbers cut in Cuba in 1953, selections were recorded with three different orchestras in Mexico between 1949-1952. Contradictory information has the artist living there as little as six years, as many as 15, beginning in 1945...yup, if I'd gone back in time for my earlier choices, on this occasion it's something from before even my birthday-- hope you enjoy it!"

There we go then. Download's here, or stream below:

Catch you at 8PM! (BST!)

The Listening Club - 28th June 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Pretty boiling on this side of the ball this week, must say - hope you're coping okay if you're getting a dose, too - shame that we've gone into extreme heat mode again, seems to be happening more and more regularly, for obvious, sad, reasons. And although I love the warms, as you know, I do have my limits, would much rather a steady mid-20°Cs than perma-scorch, unsurprisingly. Even Hype Cat reached his limit and has required a few cool blocks to keep him happy. So it goes though. "This is why we can't have nice things" indeed.

Fortunately the simmer is lowering next week, which is welcome as we're going to be in a field enjoying some music, whilst @JimMcCauley takes care of things here next Sunday. Many thanks extended to them in advance for the help!

Last Sunday saw @holette in the chair delivering Floating Points 2024 album "Cascade" which got the assembled bopping and beeping quite happily so it seemed. Thanks to Ms. H for the pick, and for flipping the frisb across to @vinomadic, who has an extra week to ponder because...

... yep, it's mid-summer, which means time for our traditional festival-friendly summer #livevortex, or is it live #summervortex, either way you get the picture, folks have been chipping in some of their favourite live performances and @akx has done the needful and turned it into a fine set...

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 21st June 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Yep, the warms are here, and I'm pleased, as is Hype Cat, although he's looking rather melted right now. Not much else needs to be said really... *sips iced drink* ... apart from a couple of PSAs - (1) as mentioned I'll be away first weekend in July so if you feel like helping out and filling in here, let me know, and (2) end of the month is coming up next week so it's vortex time again. Customarily at this time of year we have a #SummerVortex consisting of some of your favourite live / concert performances, but as always open to suggestion so if you have ideas, bring 'em on down to the hashtag later today.

Last Sunday we had @room2skank in the chair, getting everyone rocking out in complex time with "All Hail Bright Futures" from And So I Watch You From Afar, which did the trick, I'd say. Thanks extended for the pick, and for flipping the frisb over to Wales, where @holette is waiting with today's intro...

"It was watching this artist perform at Glastonbury this time last year (sadly I only saw it on TV) that turned me onto this album.

Me and a mate watched mesmerised as a nerdy looking bloke twiddled knobs on banks of gadgetry while an artist painted with light on a somewhat temperamental overhead projector. Maybe some of you were there?

This is electronic music which, like the artist who has an extraordinary range of other projects, resists pigeonholing.

This sophisticated producer and polymath really knows how to conjure a narrative of sound that pushes your buttons of sensation and mood.

So, let's see, how does this album make you actually feel?

I have little understanding but huge respect for the technical bobbins behind the music.  But I'm always up for knowing more about the nerdy stuff from you Listening Clubbers with production know how.

Drinking club: A Black Dragon cider on ice for me."

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

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

The Listening Club - 14th June 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Still cool, grey and wet for the most part in Amsterdam, as summer refuses to get itself into gear for a decent spell, which will no doubt please those of you who are not fans of the season. I realise it really depends where you are in the world, but right here, right now, I'd rather be thinking about making bowls of coleslaw and long iced drinks, not be wearing a jumper and thinking about putting the heating on as we head towards the summer solstice, sigh.

Hoping it does pick up, as I'll be off on a little break in a couple of weeks, meaning I'm looking for someone to run things here on Sunday 5th July - If you can help out, let me know!

Last Sunday saw @EmmaPrice in the chair, getting everyone bouncing with her pick of Los Campesinos! debut album from 2008, "Hold On Now, Youngster". Thanks to Emma for the pick and for sailing the frisb an enormous distance to @room2skank, who's right here with today's intro...

"So this was one of those bands that you heard once on a demo CD, become obsessed with one track and then for whatever reason promptly forget about.  Fast forward a rather large chunk of time and you put a few musical jigsaw pieces together and spot a cool festival line up and see them on a bill and decide to go. The rest of the festival was great, lots of heavy, frenetic and sometimes down right sludgey. Then right at the end of the night, they arrive.  Done away with the aggression and sometimes trite existentialism of their contemporaries, you are exposed to energetic, bright soaring riffs and the world just does not seem so dull anymore.

Alas, that festival has recently succumbed to the ongoing plight of rising costs, but it will always be remembered.

Sidebar for the evening: To lost festivals, which ones have people been to that are no longer around

Drinking notes: That upteenth can of ever warming cider, the fruiter and stronger the better"

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

Hope to see you on the 'ol hashtag at 20:00 BST (GMT+1).

The Listening Club - 7th June 2026

Salutations, folks.

Hope you're doing okay. June not really feeling like June right now here as it's been cool, showery and overcast for much of the week (and more to come). The odd patch of sun, but already pining for the lovely warms of a while ago (ymmv, natch). Despite the weather I'm feeling culturally and musically enriched after grabbing a cheap last-minute ticket to see a matinee performance of Philip Glass' "Akhnaten" yesterday, which was really rather excellent indeed, even if I did feel a little out-of-place surrounded by the smoked-salmon-sandwich-munching hoardes of older, classier Dutch opera-goers. Plus ça change for me, indeed, as always.

Last Sunday, as was end-of month, saw us undertake an oddball #vortex journey in the shape of the #DoYouKnowWhereYoureGoingToVortex, which presented a splendid multitude of options - thanks to everyone who chipped in one or two, and to @JimMcCauley for the fine assemblage. Checking my notes, we find @EmmaPrice right here with today's intro...

"Evening all. Hope you're having a good start to the summer and are successfully navigating the oh god I'm melting/monsoon season we seem to be having of late.

Way back many, many moons ago, there was a boy, he was not to put too fine a point on it a gaslighting ****. It also turns out there was another girl. She is a lot like me, a lover of music and whimsy and art in all it's forms. She's also one of my favourite people on the planet and I am forever thankful that circumstances brought us together.

Turns out this exceptional girl loves this band. So much so that she's travelled 6500km to visit me and see them play in London. Not once but twice so far. Listening back to this album today has reminded me of those awesome gigs and how a love of music and friendship can transcend thousands of miles. Just look at us today tuning in from across the continents. 

There's quite a few interesting things this band does when they tour. I'll fill you in during the playback

Drinking club - something with a lot of ice in and possibly enough fruit garnish to cover your 5 a day.

Here's an opening question for you all. What's the furthest you've travelled to see an artist and who was it?"

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

Hope to see you on the ol' hashtag at 20:00 BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 31st May 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Another fine week of weather here in Amsterdam, dotted with thunder and lightning, not as boiling as some folks seem to have had, which is a relief, although it can't ever be warm enough for Hype Cat, he's in his element dozing in the undergrowth in the hottest spot he can find, crazy mog that he is.

Last Sunday saw @giflian in the chair, delivering a fine debut pick in the shape of Claude Léveillée's 1978 album "Black Sun", which seemed to go down quite splendidly with the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @EmmaPrice, who has an extra week to ponder because...

... bien sur, #vortex time, and this time, possibly indicating holiday season's arrival on this side of the planet, a vortex of destinations was called for, begging the question, Do You Know Where You're Going To? Many have responded, and @JimMcCauley has blended the answers into a mighty travelogue...

...download's here, and the stream's below:

Hope to see you at 20:00 BST (GMT+1)