The Listening Club - 28th September 2014

Greetings folks,

Well I'm back again, following another mighty dose of Kate Bush and a gentle couple of days on family tech-support duties sorting out a new laptop for my mum. One more flyaway for me next weekend and I'm done for a bit, which will probably be welcome news to Jim, who has been doing a sterling job keeping this ticking over in my absence...

Last week @samsmitter was in the hot seat, and sent forth a cracking selection of highlights from the Lee Scratch Perry box set "Arkology". A mightier set of tunes you'd be hard pushed to find, I must say. Many thanks to Sam for the selection, and for flipping the frisbee to @akx for next week...

...but first, behold the "Songs You Like By Bands You Hate" Vortex! (or #sylbbyhvortex, if you like) Yes, we have 16 songs that occupy a rather unique and lonely place in your collective collections - and some real surprises too, I'm pleased to say...

So get grabbing... Download is here (link  at top middle of page) and the Mixcloud stream (song titles, spoilers, etc.) is here!

See you at 8pm BST!

The Listening Club - 21st September 2014

Hallo, chums!

It's @JimMcCauley here again because @kleptones is off for another helping of Kate Bush, damn him. Me, I'm making the most of a splendidly sunny day in Bath by getting some washing done and wondering whether I should mow the lawn now or save it for later in the week when I become unemployed (or rather, self-employed; back to the life of a freelance writer for me). Exciting times!

Last week @mutster101 stepped up to the decks and spun Lissie's 2010 debut, "Catching a Tiger", which went down nicely with the #listeningclub masses. Thanks to him for the pick, and for aiming the frisbee squarely at @samsmitter, who will address you presently.

Before that, next week's #vortex that I just remembered about! As suggested by @Holette, it's the Songs You Love By Bands You Hate vortex, which hashtags nicely down to #sylbbyhvortex. Get your thinking implements out and bung a pick (or two, bearing last month's rather short vortex in mind) to Eric during the week. And now here's Sam with this week's pick:

"This is a compilation (not mine, this is not another mix tape!) showcasing a truly legendary producer and former champion domino player. The actual full compilation is a 3-CD set, all of which is great stuff and very interesting, but I have trimmed it down to respectable sub-one-hour listening club size. That was a tough job, but I did it for you guys.

The music here sounds so fresh and innovative to me that it is hard to believe it was made at the time it was made, on the equipment it was made on. But it was. The producer also wrote most of the songs here, although the artists and singers are a mixture. This is a genre I have picked before (quite a while back now), but I’m not sure that anyone else has, and when I met up with some LC people it was generally agreed we could do with a bit more of this sort of thing. So, I hope it hits a Sunday sweet spot for you .. Sam x"

Mega. Download is here and the Mixcloud stream (song titles, spoilers, etc.) is here!

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)!

(And if anyone fancies a bit of an after-party, what say we freshen up our drinks after Sam's pick and have a 10th anniversary listen to Mr K's "A Night at the Hip-Hopera" at 9PM? Yeah? Yeah! In the unlikely event of you not already having it; grab it here.)

The Listening Club - 14th September 2014

What ho,

Indian Summer in full effect here in A-dam, hoping it's sunny where you are also. Been a couple of action packed weekends since I last saw you, last week taking in the mighty Kate Bush show (truly, truly magnificent, and yes, I am going again next weekend, sorry Jim), the new Gilbert & George exhibition (also excellent, it's free, go see if you're in London), some quality Dalston Turkish breakfasts, and some cracking slices of Yacht Rock action at The Social in the company of @nessiest, @cakehugga and @emmaprice. This weekend has seen a flying lunchtime visit here in the 'Dam from @dingster, some awesome psych-rock grooves in the Melkweg from Action Beat and Al Lover, and ended up with a late night boat cruise around the least touristy areas of the town's canals. Oh and beer. Plenty of it. Phew and wow. Glad of a chill day today for sure...

Last week, @cdrose_writer was in the chair, and spaced us all with the way out lounge stylings of "Entropicalia" by The Soundcarriers. Many thanks to him for the fine pick and for flipping the frisbee across to @mutster101. Will he throw another cat amongst the pigeons after last time's Lana Del Rey marathon? Only one way to find out...

"So there I was minding my own business, easing myself back into the business of twitter after a month's break, and before I know it I'm holding the frisbee again. In a week's time it's the anniversary of my first pick, which is largely irrelevant but I'm mentioning it anyway.

I was ever so ever so tempted to go with a certain album that magically appeared in my iTunes this week, which for the record I have not listened to, but then I figured that would be funny for about 30 seconds and then just be low-grade trolling.

So instead... this is the first time I've had a pretty clear idea of what album to do before the weekend. I discovered this artist in the same way that I discovered the artist in my last pick (yes, THAT one), ie, via the iTunes free single of the week. While in this case it didn't lead to obsessive listening, it was once again something a little outside of my normal wheelhouse that I took a liking to. I promise that this time it's just one CD, hehe.

Oh, and I'm teetotal, but if I wasn't: bourbon on the rocks (probably)."

Okaydoke. Download is here (right click save as) and the Mixcloud stream (which may reveal the song titles, as any fule now kno)  is here!

Get yourself along at 8pm (GMT+1), be lovely to see you!

The Listening Club - 7th September 2014

Well, hello!

@JimMcCauley at the controls again, because @kleptones is in That London to worship at the altar of the blessed Saint Kate. I'm not at all utterly consumed by jealousy. Just as long as he doesn't rub it in by going to see her again or anything. It's FINE.

So! Last week saw the #onehitwondervortex, and not only was it very sweet and extremely short, it somehow managed to avoid chucking up Joe Dolce, Clive Dunn or even Renée and Renato. Well done, all. And so to @cdrose_writer with this week's pick:

"Seeing as several Listening Clubbers are off drinking overpriced lager out of plastic cups and getting soaked by the rain while watching some wonky-haired dweebs chugging through mud and appalling sound this weekend (jealous? me? ha!), I picked tonight’s selection hoping it might replicate a festival vibe for those of us lucky enough to be stuck at home in our living rooms. Hm.

It comes from a label whose highly distinctive aesthetic I have loved, but has perhaps become slightly self-restrictive of late.  This, however, the third record from the band but their first on this label is a warm breeze through hauntological furrows. 

I’ll say no more, other than to warn the faint-hearted that there is a 12-minute wig out at one point, during which you might want to put the kettle on, nip to the loo, out for a fag, or even as far as your corner shop for a refill (though you may miss the spoken word cameo by a Hollywood A-lister...)

Drink recommendation: caipirinha (with a twist of something lysergic)."

Tidy. Download is here (download link at the top of the page) and the Mixcloud stream (blah blah song titles) is here!

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)!