The Listening Club - 26th February 2023

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. A clear, cold week here in Amsterdam, which has been nice in terms of streaming sun throughout the house and tootling off to the market enclosed in puffa and sunglasses, but hype cat's insistance on jumping in and out of the windows into that very same sun has left the place pretty damn chilly. Fair's fair, I guess, but in conclusion, brrrrr.

Last Sunday @nessiest was in the chair, getting groovy in an electronic stylee with her pick of Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul's "Topical Dancer", which got the assembled bopping about successfully. Thanks to Vanessa for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @eastvanhalen, who has an extra week to think, because...

Yea verily, end of the month already, and this time the crowd have decreed an #oddcouplevortex, or maybe a more unusual #duetsvortex, who knows. @JimMcCauley has done the vital work, so thanks to him,  we shall soon see.

Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 19th February 2023

Salutations, folks.

Hope all is well with you. Doing better here having finally got rid of most of my grotty lurgi, only the occasional coughing fit now, for which I'm very grateful. Sufficiently well enough to re-enter into society and go out to drink beer and see a bunch of local punkish bands the other night, which was jolly good fun (best band of the bunch being the very stompy L.A. Sagne). Hoorah for gigs.

February is a damn short month, so we find ourself facing a #vortex next week, therefore we find ourselves open to suggestions through the usual channels, as per.

Last Sunday we had @Holette in the chair, laying down Haai's latest album "Baby, We're Ascending", which rocked the assembled socks pretty successfully I'd say. Thanks to Sarah for the pick, and for flipping the frisb over the channel to @nessiest who's here with tonight's intro...

"Joy. The last few years haven’t had many joyous opportunities for reasons too dismally obvious to list. In 2022 in particular the moments where I felt unfiltered joy were notable when they did arise, because there simply weren’t enough of them. (I know, I’m working on it).

Like Saturday 12 November 2022. We swooped through the smorgasbord of Le Guess Who festival that night, having the best of fun, buoyed on currents of marvellous music.

I had two pick-worthy albums in mind for Listening Club, each by different artists we saw that night. 

I went for the one I’m hoping will lead to the liveliest discussion. It pairs catchy pop grooves with unflinching commentary and wry humour. I’ve admired the vocalist for years. It’s a delight to see them in a creative pairing and with production that works for them."

Right then. Download is here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 12th February 2023

Hey folks,

Not much new to report here, as I'm recovering after a solid week of yukky illness. One of the nastiest viruses I've had in many a year, will be really happy to see the back of it.

Last Sunday we had @saucer@mastodon.social in the chair, paying tribute to the legend that was Tom Verlaine with his pick of Television "Live At The Old Waldorf, San Francisco, 1978", which certainly triggered off a ton of discussion and remeniscence. Thanks extended for the pick, and also for sailing the frisb over to Wales, where @holette@toot.wales can be seen cheerfully waving an axe about with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's selection:

"After last Sunday's angsty guitar fest I thought I'd choose something quite different.

I'm enjoying hearing more women making electronic music ranging from experimental to pop and proper bangers.

Here's one of them combining a bit of all that in one album. You may spot collaborations with a couple of well known electronic music producers.

Writing this slightly hungover after annual meet up with an old mate so drinking club recommendation has to be hair of the dog."

Okaydoke. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 5th February 2023

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Hopefully better than me, who somehow managed to pick up a rather nasty respiratory virus, and therefore has spent the best part of the last few days making the kind of noises and byproducts that only a mother or significant other could love. Bleuch. Hopefully it will be on its way soon!

Last Sunday in #LC land, as it was the end of the month, delivered unto us a Lunar New Year shaped #rabbitvortex, as collated and mixed by @akx, and mighty fine it was too. Many thanks to everyone who chipped in a track or two!

Back to regular scheduled programming, we find @saucer clutching the frisb with the following to report by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Lots of music changes your mood, some changes your perspective, and some just slices through the zeitgeist and changes your life.

I have my stories about this and you have yours. If I said more I'd reveal what we're listening to so I'll shut up.

In deep gratitude and astonishment, I give you....

(#DrinkingEtcClub suggestion: What these guys are on.)"

Right then. Download's here, stream is below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight.