The Listening Club - 29th September 2019

Greetings folks.

Wet, wet, wet. What a shit name for a band, eh? Highly appropriate right now though, as it continues pissing down for the nth day. Still, as the inside of the house is filled with the sound of random Sunday music and the smell of bubbling cassoulet, outside can do what it bloody well likes, we'll just sit in the window with a tasty drink and watch the soggy world go by...

Last week in #LC-land, @brainspiritus was getting us down and bluesy with their pick of  "Mad Dog Blues" by The Hamburg Blues Band, which did a fine job of turning our corner of twitter into a jumping dive bar. Thanks to them for the pick  and for sailing the frisb back across the channel where @emmaprice is waiting with this to say...

"Hello from a rather soggy south London where autumn is in full effect. When catching the frisbaton last week I (for a change) immediately knew who I wanted to pick. Normally the selection process is a matter of some angst in Emma world as I try and find something that will intrigue, excite and potentially amuse people.

I discovered this artist after seeing one of the musicians from this band in one of his other projects and and being absolutely blown away by the sheer vitality and life of their live performance. Definitely one of my live gig experiences of the year. The album is new to me as is their back catalogue but hopefully it will be the gateway drug to stumbling across them live for some of you.

Drinking club is something suitable for a darkened basement club where masters have been honing their craft since time immemorial."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's below:


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

The Listening Club - 22nd September 2019

Greetings folks,

Well, the weather gods have given us another glorious warm weekend, so after a Saturday of sun, beer, pizza, friends and music, today has been all about the gentle recovery, and tonight I think will be all about a large curry, and more music from these environs. Perfert weekend, really.

Last week, as a prelude to a week of flute-related discussion and punnery, @SimonLandmine was in the chair dosing everyone up with The Young Gods' 2008 acoustic escapade "Knock On Wood", which seemed to go down pretty well indeed (yes I am biased). Thanks to Simon for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @Brainspiritus, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"This week, I'm breaking promises. I know some of you are hoping for entirely non-surprising metal guitars. (Did you not learn anything from last time?)  On the other hand, I promised the jester in me that should I catch the audio frisbaton in late summer, I'd pick a very particular version of a very particular work by Tchaikovsky to celebrate the return of Stollen and Christmas Pudding to the supermarkets. I guess we're all lucky tonight.

Tonight's pick, instead, is a 2008 mixed studio/live album by a group I stumbled across on an online radio stream around 2010. Funny how you need a streamer from California to learn about a band that's basically from one city over and has been going for over 35 years now. Sound-wise, they may be a bit on the rough and scruffy side sometimes (as one of their members once put it: "we're from a big city, where there's quite a bit of noise to shout over"), but I'm scruffy, too, so what do you expect? Also, Bonus points for recognizing the two guest vocalists from the UK, who've been quite successful with other groups or on their own.

#drinkingclub is probably pilsener, but a decent one, from a proper glass."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's below:


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

The Listening Club - 15th September 2019

Greetings folks,

Well, that late bit of sun seems to have appeared as hoped, so making the most of it picnic-style and "sunniest spot outside a bar we can find"-style has been the order of the days, alongside grabbing tickets for autumn/winter giggage, and starting to seriously look forward to Autumn's saving grace aka Le Guess Who Festival in November already...

Last week here in #LC land, the returning @Jonny_Pigg was in compilation mode presaging the Big Beat revival with his pick of "Dope On Plastic 4" from 1997, to which the assembled jigged and bopped and bantered, as would be expected. Thanks to Jonny for the pick and for sailing the frisb down to London, where @SimonLandmine is waiting with tonight's intro...

"This week, I managed to avoid drastically overthinking my selection (at least at time of writing this), and simply picked an album from my 'Listening Club Shortlist.txt' file. Hopefully people will enjoy it.

I first encountered this band when at university, and house-sitting for a mate over the summer holidays. He gave me leave to listen to his vinyl while there, and it introduced me to a number of acts I'd not previously encountered (including Neurosis, which some of you will probably be glad this is not).

And there was a live album by these chaps, who had, I have since discovered, named themselves after someone else's EP, and who have also covered the work of another artist previously featured on
Listening Club. Some of you may well be familiar with some of their oeuvre, but a few years ago (well, OK, over ten), they decided to have another go at some of it, and recorded and released this, which I am rather fond of as well. I finally got to see them live a couple of years ago, when they were doing one of those anniversary tours which have become popular."

Okaydoke. Direct download's here, and the stream is below:


See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1) tonight.

The Listening Club - 8th September 2019

Greetings folks,

Feeling decidedly autumnal here in Amsterdam, already, and hoping the warms decide to return for a last hurrah before the grey sets in. In the meanwhilst, there's a thrum of tidying and sorting in and around the house, the traditional sort of post-hibernation prep that comes with the time of year, before it's impossible to go outside without layers on. Still, as the festival season comes to a close, the indoor gigging season begins again, hoorah. And so it goes. (Phew, managed to avoid mentioning the current British political shitshow, well done me...)

Last week, @ohmyliver was in the chair, providing a lyrical take on that which shall not be named and much more, in the form of Kano's "Hoodies All Summer", which went down pretty good with the assembled. Thanks to Oli for the pick, and for sailing the frisb up to Tyneside, and the returning @Jonny_Pigg, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"So, it's been a while, turns out kids take up quite a lot of your time, who knew? Well, everyone I think still, I've managed a return and a frisbaton catch and here we are. 

First thoughts were to the list I still had in mind to work through and pick one, however, I'd not really listened to any of them lately, in fact the last few months have been a rabbit hole of Spotify's making which has introduced and re-introduced me to uncountable tunes which I'd like to play all of. Bands I'd forgotten about/never heard of but should have, songs I'd missed first time round, artists I'd ignored for no real reason. 

The hardest part here was picking an album as most of the tracks tended to be the standout or part of a small group of standout tracks on an album, with the rest not really catching my attention. So I thought about what listeningclub was to me and what I'd missed about it. Basically I like switching off on a Sunday with a drink and doing nowt but listening to music for an hour or so. Nice to chat to people as well and all that, but the switching off from the day and just settling in is a belter.  So, what album did I want to listen to uninterrupted? It's the end of the weekend, it's been a long week with another ahead, something I can switch off to, nod my head, tap my feet and just take it in. 4 albums sprung to mind, after a quick run through the winner was picked. 

Now, this is a 2 cd album of which I hardly ever listen to number 2, but as there's a couple of scratches on cd 1 I've had to edit out 2 tracks so as an encore I've added the first one on the second cd. So get comfy, this isn't going to be like the time I made you all listen to Japanese techno metal.

Enjoy"

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


See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1) tonight, while it lasts!

The Listening Club - 1st September 2019

Greetings folks,

Hope all is well and good. September already, really? Still holding on to the warm and sunny as best we can here, aided by a local band just round the corner serenading us with easy listening Latin-American sounds this afternoon. All very neighbourly and civilized indeed.

Last week round these parts, @xpollen8 was in the chair, serenading folks with the electronic stylings of Geotic's "Traversa" which seemed to go down pretty well. Thanks to David for the pick, and for sailing frisb across to post-carnival London, where @ohmyliver has this to say...

"So, I seem to have in my possession the Listening Club frisbee.   

Last week, I started out in a post-carnival glow.  It was a good Carnival.  Amidst the standard roots/reggae sound systems, I even had a bit of a boogie to some Dr Dre, and Drum and Bass.  Oh and Jam Rock, which I heard on 3 different sound systems as I pottered around Notting Hill/The Grove.  I’m not a huge fan of that song, but its bass rattling through the streets of Victorian terrace sounds great.  

So, I was wondering if I could get away with a Saxon Sounds live recording from ‘84.  Or a Channel One one from this year or last year.  Y’know, a big up to the London cultures which have been hugely important to British music, a big up to a still free festival which is a celebration of a London at risk from the rising nationalist effluence. 

But then, politics intruded.  The direction of travel of politics in the UK is alarming, to say the least.  Whilst the shutting down of Parliament by an executive which only has minority support, pushing through a hugely damaging (yet profitable to the right people) change which again has minority support, isn’t technically a coup, it sure fucking feels like the beginnings of one.  The Thick of it, with Alan Moore as script consultant, as you were. 

So I wanted to respond to this.  So something like Jungle Revolution by Congo Natty, or anything by Lowkey, would work wonders.  But then this popped up, like some sort of Grime divine intervention.  

It’s very new (came out a couple of days ago).  It’s from someone who started out in East London’s N.A.S.T.Y crew (alongside D double E, Jammer, etc), won various ‘best newcomer’ awards in 2004/5 and even got props from the then Mayor of London.  

I’ve listened to it a couple of times, and I can understand why it’s getting good reviews all over the shop.  I think I prefer the more introspective 0800-Dinosaur presents Trim, but it’s similar territory."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's down below:



See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1) tonight.