The Listening Club - 23rd August 2026

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Another cool and wet week here in Amsterdam, which is not the best news for one of the biggest summer festival weekends of the year here (and the Grand Prix too), and has already got folks proclaiming Summer being "over". Fingers crossed it's not, for me and hype cat's sake at the very least...

Speaking of time passing, end-of-the-month is coming soon, which means time again for a #vortex, so if you have theme ideas, bring 'em to the hashtag later on and shout 'em out!

Last Sunday saw @das_ulicorn in the chair delivering Kae Tempest's most recent waxing, "Self-Titled", which hit the spot for many of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @SimonLandmine, who's right here with today's intro...

"Another quandary as to who to pick from my overlong 'shortlist', but I narrowed it down to two. Listening through the other album, it was quite 'samey', and I do like to provide a bit of a variety. So you're getting this, possibly partly as an odd kind of response to last week's pick. It's someone who I've seen live, although possibly not supporting an artist you'd necessarily expect them to (and I think it was equally surprising to some in the audience).

This was the artist's second album, and features some potentially unexpected guest appearances. Since this one, they've gone on to release several more, as well as apparently making their mark as an actor.

Warn the cats that this does involve the kind of language that would get it one of those 'PARENTAL ADVISORY' stickers, including some use of the 'n'-word.

Drinking club - gin and juice? Too-warm Red Stripe? Communion wine? Cheap venue lager in a too-thin plastic 'glass' that will spray the contents the moment someone collides with you? Who knows?"

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

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

The Listening Club - 16th August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay - finally a decent rain shower and a bit of cooling off in Amsterdam, which is very much appreciated as the place was starting to pong a bit. Very quiet and gentle chez K as we're feeling the after effects of a friend's birthday party last night. A restorative curry is in order, I think...

Last Sunday we had @saucer in the chair, getting funky and conscious with his pick of "Voice Of The Revolution" by The Neighborhood Kids, which got the assembled bopping and pondering in equal measures. Thanks to Mr. S for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @das_ulicorn, who's back after having been away for a good long sabbatical and a change of moniker, and has this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Happy Sunday, all of y'all, I hope you didn't collectively melt into puddles in the current temperature extravaganza.

Last week, Simon and I discussed how hip hop and spoken word art intersect, so maybe today is another data point in the lyrics-forward area of music. Discogs thinks today's album is both "Hip Hop" and

"Non-Music", supporting some people in the notion that Hip Hop is not music. (Personally, I'd say this album isn't very Hip Hop, but what do I know.)

Singer, writer, poet, Glastonbury regular, yet, I guess, not very widely known outside the UK, the artist has been on LC before, a looong time ago, long before my first time around here. (Y'all have been doing this for ages, haven't you?)  A lot has happened since, so it's time to catch up, catch a deep breath, pause and reflect.

And then open the floodgates, because this has the whole range of emotions, from rage and defiance to love and regret and hopelessness and heartbreaking sadness. I could say I didn't cry the first time I

listened to this all the way through, that I didn't sit stunned, but I'd be a liar.

LibationClub: a shot of tea. (Or pop some E, whichever way you're inclined.)"

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

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

The Listening Club - 9th August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay. Hot one here today in Amsterdam, and it's a day of doing for me, so let's get this tapped out early and struck off the do list, eh?

Last Sunday saw @ThatNewSound in the chair, delivering some modern art rock in the shape of William Doyle's "Your Wilderness Revisited" from 2019, which went down very well indeed with many of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @saucer, who's got this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Even though the world was/is/always-will-be rough (Buddha, Kierkegaard, Bernd das Brot), lately it's a bit much with all the geopolitical bullshit, deadly climate change, AI-pilled VC money, ....

The dark pushes me toward distraction or catharsis, and that was the direction this week's pick was headed. 

But there's an album that's been on my rotation that looks at the light... by facing, engaging, standing tall.

So here you go. I hope this gentle labor of love inspires you even half as much as it does me. 

Drinking suggestion: something hydrating and tasty."

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

Hope to see you at 20:00 BST later today.

The Listening Club - 2nd August 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay - warm and sunny here in Amsterdam, but it's been a very quiet day, mainly due to a good chunk of the city being several shades of hungover following yesterday's Pride celebrations, which, being as Amsterdam is the city for this year's "World Pride", saw even more folks than usual decend on the city to party their asses off. And they certainly did. So today's a quiet day for most, myself included, apart from the folks over at Dekmantel, who are still bopping their way through the remainder of the weekend like the troopers they are (live stream of one of the stages here if you want a taste).

Last Sunday chez #LC, as it was the end of the month, therefore a #vortex, and this time a rather unusual #EarwormVortex was called for - could have been a painful listen, but many folks submitted some very pleasurable examples and the end result was highly enjoyable indeed. Thanks to all for submissions, and to @saucer for doing the expert assembly work.

Looking back, we see @ThatNewSound holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"This one has been sitting in my back pocket for a few LC picks now and listening through my options for this time around it feels like just the right record to share. 

It comes from someone now recording under their own name after releasing a pretty banging series of records under a pseudonym. This stuff is decidedly less banging, in that their previous outfit was an occasionally pretty industrial electropop band and this is, well, not, though it certainly bangs in its own way. That said I think this album is incredibly tightly produced, a really great selection of sounds that you can tell have been diligently crafted. The track list flows really well and you'll also find a couple of surprise features. Ten points to the first person to shout it out. I hope you enjoy it. 

Drinking Club, get yourself a nice cup of tea or if you fancy something stronger maybe a nice Gin and Tonic."

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

See yoiu 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today.

The Listening Club - 26th July 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay and not going up in smoke somewhere. Amsterdam and it's environs are, I think, pretty well protected from any wildfires (below sea level, lots of canals, at the very least), and the Netherlands being flat-as-a-pancake would slow the spread of anything, for a bit, anyways (fires prefer going up hills because heat rises, innit?), but still, hey, welcome to our continually encroaching dystopian present, eh, readers? 

Last Sunday saw @akx in the chair, crossing borders and genres like there was no tomorrow (see prev para) with his pick of Irina Björklund's "Ce Soir Tout Peut Arriver...", which got the assembled swaying pretty successfully I'd say. Thanks to Aarni for the pick and the frisb flip over to @ThatNewSound who has an extra week to ponder because...

Yeah, #vortex time again, and this time, for better or worse, an #EarwormVortex has been decreed, and @saucer has been tasked with assembling the montage of brain-sticky sounds. Or are they? Only one way to find out...

Download's here (right click save as) and the super stream is below:

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

The Listening Club - 19th July 2026

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing okay and not suffering too much from any seasonal man-made climate disaster side-effects. Still in a friendly not-too-hot-not-too-cold zone here in Amsterdam, which means tasty salads, lashings of well-iced tinto de verano and friendly stooping activities chatting with the neighbours whilst watching Hype Cat bouncing around the streeet playing toss'n'catch with a recently caught mouse. And incorporating the occasional global sporting event on the television, which has been dragged out into the street by the neighbours for the occasion. All very normal and enjoyable, indeed.

Last Sunday chez #LC saw @wbwolf in the chair introducing many to the City Pop sounds of Tatsuro Yamashita's "For You" from 1982, which got the assembled smoothly grooving for sure. Thanks to Wilford for the pick and for flipping the frisb all the way over to @akx, who's here with today's intro...

"Bonsoir !

If "listen to a French-language covers of Nordic songs recorded with local New Orleans artists and street buskers" happens to be on your bucket list, you can cross it off after tonight.

#drinkingclub recommendation: something elegant."

Right then, download here (right-click save-as) or stream from @akx's fancy new widget below:

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

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)