The Listening Club - 24th November 2013

Howdy!

24/11 already? Jeez. Where does the time go? Everything is super festive here, which would draw annoyance from some wait-till-December English quarters, but as the Dutch have separated the two main winter holidays (Santa day, St.Nicholas Eve, is 5th Dec - that's when the presents happen - then the day of lil' Jesus is as you'd expect) they've managed to legitimately stretch the festivities about as far as they can go... can't really blame 'em, I mean, you'd do similar I'm sure if you could.

Anyhoo, back in #lc land it's #vortex time again next week, slightly later than it should be due to my poor calendar reading... but thanks to @rougeforever's suggestion it's a #breakupvortex! So dig deep into your minds for the tunes that struck the deepest chord with you during those dark times. Email links or mp3s to me (eric at kleptones dot com) and get ready with the gin and kleenex next Sunday...

Also, as I mentioned on twitter this week, a well-in-advance heads up for the return of the big one - the original #vortex, yea verily the #xmasvortex will be back on Sunday 29th December, helping you through the tedious post-xmas, pre-NYE time of turkey sandwiches and crap telly. For the benefit of new folks, what we need from you is two of your favourite tunes released during this year (that's 2013, remember?). They'll all get thrown into the randomizer, then we'll make merry and enjoy the results buffet. Tunes to me, as above!)

Phew. Last week, that @rougeforever was in the selector's chair also, and treated us to a bona fide indie classic, Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over The Sea". Known by some, not by others, but roundly appreciated. Many thanks to her for the pick and for flipping the frisbee across to @pamac66 for this week. And here he is...

"Thanks to @rougeforever for choosing me to host this weeks Listening Club. Great album last week and I'm so excited to be seeing Jeff Mangum and Co. at The Roundhouse next year :-)

But back to this week, here's an album by an artist I know absolutely nothing about. I discovered her last week whilst doing a bit of research into her record producer (who also plays on this album). I took a look at her Wikipedia entry and found it only consists of a one line biography and a list of 6 albums released since 1997.

Now, I know that you Listening Clubbers are a knowledgable lot and will probably know who this artist is as soon as the first track starts - she could be a hugely well known for all I know but just passed me by.

This particular album was released in 2004. The first track includes guest vocals by someone you should all know instantly (incidentally, a version of this track sung solely by the artist herself is included as a bonus - track 12). This album also comes with it's own credits (track 11) so I don't even have to reveal all at the end.

Enjoy."

Okaydoke! Dropbox download is here, and the Mixcloud stream (which may reveal the track titles, you have been warned)  is here!

Search #listeningclub to see what's going on, and follow @listeningclub for the admin.

Hope to see you tonight at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 17th November 2013

Greetings to you all,

Well, well, here we are again - hope your week has been as good as all-things-considered possible, not bad here in A-dam, getting chillier by the day, but today's arrival of Sinterklass in Amsterdam is making the place seem rather festive already (just don't mention Zwarte Piet, mmkay?). Has been a good week for gigs also, with Fuck Buttons aural assault on Wednesday and John Wizards chirpy afro-bop on Saturday both sounding mighty fine. Tonight I shall be AWOL also, off to see the good Captain Caveman & His Bad Seeds... so hup ho, on with the show...

Last week @cakehugga was in the chair, and treated us to Imani Coppola's "The Glass Wall", which hit home with quite a few of you - big thanks to her for the pick and for sailing the frisbee down to @rougeforever, who is here with the pre-match...

"I pondered for a while about this week's choice.   We all do, don't we?   In the end I went with something that a lot of you may know - and some of you probably will know quite well.  This band have influenced a lot of the artists I really like, and I first picked up this album (in a very cool record shop in Portland, I think) from a Portland band who I really like (and who namechecked this band in an interview).   To be honest. there are a couple of songs on this record I like a little less...but there are several which blow most songwriting out of the water.  If you could bottle my psyche it would be in this record.  

It's another of those bands who are really just a front for the main singer/songwriter guy - and following the release of a couple of records he stopped making music or touring.  I've never seen this band live - I'm not sure I could without weeping for a month, such is the legendary status I've given them in my mind.

Oh - and by the way - I've noticed in the conversion to MP3 I have accidentally made the track quiet. TURN IT UP!"

Splendid! Dropbox direct mp3 download is here (right click save as), and the Mixcloud stream (which may reveal the track titles, you have been warned)  is here!

Search #listeningclub to see what's going on, and follow @listeningclub for the admin.

The clocks have changed everywhere  now I think, so hopefully the time of clock confusion is over, and hope to see you tonight at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 10th November 2013

Hello hello hello,

Hope you're all doing fine... we've been blessed with a rare sunny autumn day here in A'dam, so I'm being all minimal on the intro to get this done, then off for a stroll around the park while the goodness lasts!

Last week, yes indeed, @petemaskreplica made his debut selection, and sent everyone back to a murky, funky period of history with his choice of Miles Davis' 1972 classic "On The Corner". Certainly did the trick for most of you, I reckon. Many thanks to Pete for the pick, and for skipping the frisbee across to @cakehugga for this week's choice. And here she is...

"So a lot has happened since I lost my beautiful wife @Jayesofine in August. It has been an incredibly difficult 3 months to get through. I have only got through it with the love and support of my friends, family and my twitter peeps. 

I narrowed my choice of listening club down to 5 albums and played them all repeatedly this week. This album stood out as being “the one”. 

The album came out last year and blew my mind. I have been following the career of this very talented musician and singer since both she and I were teenagers. I was lucky enough to see her perform live in a dingy little venue in Manchester when I was 20 and her live performance did not disappoint. I remember a lot of wigs and glittery eyeshadow as well as her enthusiastic use of the electric violin which caused a hole in the ceiling (yes, the venue was that small). 

It is a mystery to me why she is not more well- known. I have chosen this album over her extensive back catalogue (although if you like what you hear tonight I would recommend checking it out), as I feel that her work has improved with practice. 

This album covers a range of musical styles and genres and includes pop hooks, rock, soul, bicycle bells, intelligent lyrics, bonkers lyrics and some amazing dub step drops. All I ask is that you listen to it with an open mind and enjoy the musical ride."

OK, Dropbox download is here, and the Mixcloud stream (which may reveal the track titles, you have been warned)  is here!

Search #listeningclub to see what's going on, and follow @listeningclub for the admin.

The clocks have changed everywhere  now I think, so hopefully the time of clock confusion is over, and hope to see you tonight at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 3rd November 2013

Hey there,

Another week zooms by and we're back again. Amsterdam is doing the trad stormy-then-sunny routine, which keeps you on your toes if you want to get anywhere without being drowned, hailstoned or brained by falling branches and/or chunks of quality 17th century masonry. After last Sunday's weekendus-interruptus and a week of bastard-throat-infection, I've been taking it easy, but also bearing in mind a great run of gigs coming up for me in the next couple of weeks (including Nick Cave, Fuck Buttons, Lee Ranaldo, John Wizards), conservation of energy right now is definitely a good thing.

Last week the #scaryasfuckvortex was in full effect, and woo-hah, did it ever live up to its name. Big thanks to all who contributed a track, and all who listened in. Some seriously unsettling moments, for sure! If you missed it, roll back a week and check it out - tracklist has been added in the comments for the curious...

And casting minds further back, two weeks gone, @petemaskreplica was left holding the frisbee, and lo, here he is with his debut selection...

"So, after two weeks of indecision, I went with the album I'd first thought of. How many others have done that?

What people will make of this record I'm not sure. I suspect it's the kind of thing you'll love or hate. It's definitely one of the artist's more controversial releases - when it came out it was pretty much universally panned by the critics. It's a groundbreaking album, a good 20 years ahead of its time. It's also damn funky. I love it and I hope you do too!"

Boffo. Direct mp3 download is here (right click save as), and the Mixcloud stream (which may reveal the track titles, you have been warned)  is here!

Search #listeningclub to see what's going on, and follow @listeningclub for the admin.

The clocks have changed in Europe now, don't forget, so hope to see you tonight at 8pm GMT!