The Listening Club - 5th February 2017

Evening all,

Now then, actually quite a positive week gone by, at least in terms of masses of people far and wide saying "Oh no you don't, matey" to a certain orange-topped lunatic, all very gratifying to see. Still in hibernatory mode here in Amsterdam, but getting busy with plans for trips and gigs, so feeling good about the months to come for a change...

Last week it was I, @kleptones, in the chair, bending the rules slightly to bring you all 33 songs discussed in Dorian Lynskey's fine tome "33 Revolutions Per Minute - A History Of Protest Songs", which went down very well indeed, not surprising though given the outstanding quality of those tunes. As she spotted it rather sharpish, the frisbaton was sailed across to @RougeForever, who is here, now, yes, with this week's introduction...

"It's been a pretty hard month, out there in the big world.  It was a pretty hard week for @mrhig and I last week - so our little family has battened down the hatches, clung to the lifeboat of each other and started pedalling for shore.   It's times like this we all have to be super kind to ourselves - so we have been sleeping more, I've been cooking more and yesterday we spent a few happy hours chatting and relaxing over boardgames with lovely friends.

It's times like this I need music to comfort and cheer up.  And this record is one of those from me.  It's a sort of indie pop record from the early part of the decade by a band who have since split.  These pop songs take me away to where they were written and I think about the lives about the people mentioned in the songs.  It's not altogether cheerful (two tracks were written about Elliot Smith) but it's cheerful music for sad people.  

I hope wherever you are and whether it's the personal or the political that has got you down this little record manages to lift your spirits some.

SOLIDARITY to your house from mine."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the spoiler-happy HearThis stream is...


See you at 8pm GMT!