The Listening Club - 27th October 2019

Greetings from the un-united kingdom.

Yep, I'm back over in the UK doing the traditional selection of DIY and IT support for my mum, as you do. Seem to have developed a habit of visiting these shores just before another brexit deadline flutters off into the distance. Even managed a couple of pints in the pub that I purchased my very first ever beer (aged 15), which last night was oddly hosting a Pink Floyd tribute band, who weren't that bad, as long as they kept away from the complicated bits...

Oh yeah, don't forget THE CLOCKS HAVE GONE BACK. So we're on GMT again.

Last week, @zbendr was indie mood, with his selection of Beirut's 2019 opus "Gallipoli", which massaged the ears of the assembled to mostly positive effect. Thanks to Ben for the pick, and for flipping the frisb back across to London, where @SimonLandmine has this to say...

"As I retrieved the Frisbaton from where @zbendr ably threw it (and I fumbled my catch, volleying it through next door's greenhouse), I opened up my Listening Club Ideas.txt file. And remained thoroughly undecided about any of them.

So instead of anything that was actually on that list, you get this
instead, which has been in the CD player in my study for a while now, and has grown on me each time. For a change, it's not an act I've seen many times - in fact, I think this line-up only came together for a tour, and this, the associated live album. And, to be honest, I missed the tour. But the CD was for sale on the merch stand after a performance by another associated project, in the physical implementation of the "If you liked that, you might like this" marketing algorithm of certain companies. And I thought "Ooh, that looks interesting."

This one's not so much about the artists, although they're talented, and known in their field, but more about the songs - a mixture of original pieces and some well-known covers, written and selected with a central theme by the chap who brought the project together. I hope that you enjoy them, and I apologise for the lack of unsurprise metal guitars. Blame the weather, or something. Normal service may be resumed another time.

Drinking Club - probably a mug of tea, maybe out of a thermos, and almost certainly in mismatched mugs, probably in a converted church, or maybe one still functioning as such when it's not a music venue. Sorry the pews are a bit hard - we did suggest you brought a cushion*.
(* Yes, that is a call-out to one specific London venue, where 'VIP membership' means a cuppa and a cushion.)"

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


See you at 8pm GMT. No ifs or buts.

The Listening Club - 20th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing fine. As usual trying not to type anything related to current British politics, but the combination of that metashambles and me managing to lose a very, very important thing that will most likely never ever be seen again (no need for details, sure you've all been there) has led to a rather grumbly state of mind this weekend. Still, as I always say at times like this, thank god for music. And beer. And good company...

Speaking of which, last week chez #LC, wor @nessiest managed to hit everyone hard in the emotionals with her choice of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds new opus "Ghosteen". Thanks to her for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @zbendr, who is back within #LC timezone range, and has this to say by way of introduction to his pick of the day...

“Imagine…you lived in a shambolic world. Your everyday plod through life was a shambles, and things just crumbled and rusted when you touched them. You were…a Shambles King Midas, of sorts.

Now, imagine you scraped together a few coppers to pay for a holiday. After packing your favourite clothes into a small battered fibreboard suitcase, you took a discount airline to an exotic place, in a country that no longer exists.

But you’re not staying in the nice part.

You unpack your clothes into a broken wardrobe, grab your hat, and stroll down to the local taverna. I think that’s what they call them here : “tav er na”. As your first cheap drink arrives, a band unpacks battered and bent instruments and…simply starts playing.

And you realise that being shambolic is, sometimes, a bit magnificent."

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

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 13th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Hope all is good in your hoods. Not much to report here, yeah, still grey and rainy, and looking forward to Le Guess Who more than ever now the lineup timetable is out, even though it's clash city central all the way through (e.g. Godflesh, Gryff Rhys and William Tyler at exactly the same time, and that's just the first hour... what to choose?) But these are good problems to have, of course. Speaking of which, naturally I'll be needing someone to manage things here on that weekend (Sun 10th November) so if anyone's up for standing in, let me know, thx.

Last week, the returning @NeilPBardhan got lo-fi on our posteriors with his pick of Ah Holly Fam'ly's 2007 album "Your Body Will Become An Anchor", which seemed to strike a chord with quite a few folks. Thanks to Neil for the pick and for sailing the frisb back here, where @Nessiest is waiting with this to say...

"I haven’t heard this album yet, but I want to listen to it with the club. A nod to the origins of the Listening Club I guess.

It’s also fitting given it’s the time of year when Kleptones and I met (our anniversary was this week) and tonight’s artist was the first concert I bought tickets for us to go see. It was dead romantic too, which says a lot about my idea of romance.

Drinking club suggestion - something robust and warming, not too fizzy."

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


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

The Listening Club - 6th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Well, it's been pissing down all day again, politics is getting worse by the minute, Ginger Baker has shuffled off his mortal coil (probably in 6/8 time) and the annual crapshoot for Glastonbury tickets failed for everyone in the gang, so as far as Sundays go, let's move swiftly on...

Last week, @emmaprice was in the chair, getting cosmic with The Comet Is Coming's debut elpee "Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery", which got the required positive response from all sides, and quite right too. Thanks to Emma for the pick, and for sailing the frisb up to the satellite that is @NeilPBardhan, who, after going 20 rounds with an external hard drive, has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Here's one from my vaults. Been a while since I even sat down for a full listen of this. More of a "red wine" selection for the Drinking Club set, I think. I've had a copy of this probably since about the time of its release, through an old friend who was part of this project. Not sure whatever became of the group, but I feel like they had some local and national success. It's interesting to go back on these Frisbaton selections and see what I've picked out over the years, how I can dig a little deeper each time, play to the crowd's interests (or not)."

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


See you at 8pm BST tonight!