The Listening Club - 27th September 2020

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing OK and keeping safe. Autumn has hit Amsterdam as expected, and the outlook is grotty, however last night trudging through the rain was a pleasure,  as we were off to see a friend DJ at a local (socially distant and covid compliant, natch) cafe, which was a ton of fun, and a much needed excursion, it's been a while...

Last week chez #LC, @eastvanhalen was in the chair, rocking out with Run The Jewels "RTJ4", which got the assembled bouncing in the way that only RTJ can. Thanks to Steph for the pick, and for sailing the frisbaton across the ocean to west Wales, where @holette has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's selection...

"This probably won’t be a mystery album to many of you. But in another anxiety inducing week in the business of holiday accommodation, I felt like turning to something familiar I’ve been enjoying for quite a while. The album brings back happy memories to me of listening to it in January on a sweaty, crowded train crawling across dusty Cambodia, watching exotic birds fly up from the paddy fields. What a different world that feels now.

I like the songwriting, pensive vocals and fuzzy guitars but it’s the musical fairy dust the production casts that make the songs really sparkle for me. 

Drinking club recommendation is a full bodied red, in the absence of any killer strength Cambodian Klang beer."

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

See you 8pm BST (GMT+1 while stocks last).

The Listening Club - 20th September 2020

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Looks like this is going to be the last sunny weekend of the summer here in Amsterdam, so I'm tapping this out early so we can get off out to enjoy it while we still can...

Last Sunday @ohmyliver was in the chair, bamboozling the assembled with his choice of "a selection of tracks from The Adventure Time Soundtrack volumes 1 to 5", which triggered quite the full spectrum of responses, which is a very impressive achievement round these parts. Many thanks to Oli for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across sea and land to @EastVanHalen, who's right here with tonight's intro...

"Remember way back in the other timeline when there were record stores and release days, and you’d show up when the shop opened to get the album you’d been waiting for for months? You don’t? Ok, the olds will at least...

This was like that. I waited on it for months, and when it dropped early in the depths of lockdown I stopped everything I was doing to download and listen to it.

Short, sharp, righteous: here’s the latest from my favourite artists of the last decade."

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

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 13th September 2020

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Enjoying a short burst of late summer warmth here in Amsterdam, which is very enjoyable indeed after a few grey weeks, even if the city is still battling with increasing covid numbers, but at least that means finding new quieter spots to wander to, even further away from the tourist hustle of the centre than usual...

Last Sunday it was wor @nessiest in the chair, hitting the 2020 mood squarely between the eyes with her pick of Billy Nomates' eponymous debut album, which seemed to go down very well indeed. Thanks to Ness for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to that London, where @ohmyliver is waiting with tonight's intro...

"I’ve been toying with this being my next pick for the last couple of weeks.  Knocked off course somewhat by Simeon Coxe of The Silver Apples dying, a band who turned a falling out with their guitarist into an innovative exploration of synths, and balearic beats a couple of decades ahead of its time, and of course the mighty mighty Toots, of Toots of the Maytels succumbing to covid.  2020: it’s the year that keeps on giving. 

Anyhoo.  On with the show. 

You want a Shimmy Disc style underground-absurdist concept album? A wigged out, yet wholesome exploration of growing up, belonging, loss, friendship and other similar themes, with hints of a quasi-mystical philosophy that makes complete sense at 4am on a very heavy night?  Listen no further. 

There are lots of short tracks.  Lots under a minute.   Think of it as a Nouvelle Cuisine style selection of tiny, but catchy, pop dishes. tasty hints of a range of influences.  Boom-bap rap, squarepusher mentalism, spacey proggy synths, 70s MOR pop, country, 8 bit computer game music, grunge, fey indie pop, doo-wap, autotune-pop, 80s funk, shouty rock diva etc, there’s hopefully something for a range of tastes.  But if a track sticks in the throat, remember you’ll hear something different in a few seconds. But there will hopefully be moments which will make you go Ooo. 

Ok, I’m struggling with the food metaphors here. Bit off more than I could chew with that one. I’m sure it’s not going to be to everyone’s tastes, but this has been one of my favourite musical discoveries of the last 5 years.

Drinkingclub?  Well, whatever you want. I’d advise some sort of altered state though.  Lack of sleep, a not your regular brand hand rolled cigarette, the bottom end of a bottle of mezcal, a one-too-many beer,  that sort of thing. "

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

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 6th September 2020

Greetings folks,

Hope all is going OK. Same old same old here in Amsterdam, as the weather chills and the city decides its not possible to reopen clubs and venues yet, which is sadly justified, but still causing more than a little annoyance as you'd expect.... 

Last week chez #LC, @emmaprice was in the chair, hitting the assembled with the barnstorming sounds of Leftfield's classic debut album "Leftism", which brought grooving and rem'niscing in equal measures. Thanks to Emma for the pick, and for sailing the frisb back over here to Amsterdam, where @nessiest is waiting with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Today I had the common LC dilemma of vacillating between comforting familiar pleasure and something new and interesting but maybe not quite as comfortable.

I've not listened all the way through this, as I wanted to finish my first listen with you lovely lot. Please make yourselves comfortable because I didn't go for it. 

We should all be in a black-walled slightly dingy venue just to the right of the sound desk, about 20 metres from the front of the stage, listening to whatever's playing on the PA because there is no opening act. I've tucked my earplugs into my bra, just in case.

Drinking club suggestion: icy-cold pilsner in a scratched plastic grolsch glass."

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

See you 8pm BST (GMT+1)