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)