The Listening Club - 27th August 2023

Salutations all,

Hope you're doing good. Summer seems to be hanging in there here in Amsterdam, which is all well and good, as we've got pretty adept in wringing out whatever we can from it this year. Looking forward to an early start to the autumn gigging season too on Monday, when the Yeah Yeah Yeahs stop by at the Paradiso on their way back from headlining some other festivals, which should be jolly nice...

Last Sunday saw @iamwahl in the chair, shaking it soulfully with the help of "I Learned the Hard Way" by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings from 2010, which hit the spot for most of the assembled. Thanks to Wahl for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @erimichkea, who has an extra week to ponder their pick, because..

Yep, end of the month means #vortex time, and this time a topical #firevortex has been proposed, although it remains to be seen how it's been interpreted by the contributrors... Thanks in advance to @saucer for gathering the tunes and assembling the mix...

...which you can download here, and stream below:

Hope to see you at 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight!

The Listening Club - 20th August 2023

Salutations,

Hope you're all doing good, whatever you're up to. Very bon temps here in Amsterdam (finally) as the temperature and atmosphere balance out agreeably. Been a splendid week for sure, doubly so as we've been entertaining a house guest, which is always a fine excuse to go and do some of the stuff in the vicinity that you never got around to (e.g. the Van Gogh Museum & Den Haag's Escher House). A def win-win week, fo sho.

Also of note, we're heading for the end of the month, so considerations for a #vortex theme next week are very welcome...

Last Sunday saw @holette emerge from their summer peak season madness to deliver H. Hawkline's "Milk for Flowers", which resonated well with a good proportion of the assembled. Thanks to Sarah for the pick, and for sailing the frisb to @iamwahl, who stands here ready to declaim...

"I only came to being attentive to this artist's work in the last few years, and have been kicking myself for not tuning in when friends first named them as notable. For this week's instalment I was initially thinking I'd drop their last recording (the first I acquired in their oeuvre) but, after reconsidering their other offerings in my collection, I decided to go back to something smack-dab in the middle of their discography, released immediately prior to their Grammy nominated work. I was surprised (while also being relieved) to discover that not one of their albums have previously been offered as a main #ListeningClub selection. Although I expect there will be some of you who recognize this album/artist from the sound of the voice or the singles released (if not simply being familiar with the full recording), I hope these songs will still be a welcome listening experience.

So, please sit back and enjoy some of the delicious, sultry grooves herein contained. For those who may be inclined towards dancing, expect it to be relaxed and artful more than high octane — flowing garments may be the most fun/apt attire for this party. As for #DrinkingClub, I suggest choosing something refreshing, smooth, and satisfying (you won't go wrong with Prosecco), which should nicely match the vibe provided by this soundtrack for a lazy Sunday afternoon/evening…"

Right then, download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight.

The Listening Club - 13th August 2023

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Weather seems to have picked up a bit here in Amsterdam, at least insofar as it's stopped raining so much. Hopefully a few dry warm days to come, if we're lucky. Always more than willing to trade some weather off with one of you if you have too much on your side of the world, just box it up and ship it over, ok?

Last Sunday @nessiest was in the chair, laying out Fever Ray's "Radical Romantics" to some funky responses from the assembled. Thanks to Ness for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @Holette, who's here with tonight's intro...

"This artist's fifth album sees them producing their most powerful work yet in my opinion. The opening upbeat songs and pop hooks  disguise the sense of deep personal loss which underlie the record. By the close, the surreal visual imagery and more complex sounds lead the mood into quite a different place. For me there's echoes of Gram Parsons amongst others. The artist and collaborator who produced the record will be well known to some of you. Their distinctive, light touch perfectly enhances the delicate emotional texture. It will be interested to see what you all make of it."

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight.

The Listening Club - 6th August 2023

Greetings folks,

Hope all is going good for you all. Yet another grey and wet week here, as hopes of a decent summer fade into the distance, but stuff goes on despite, hence we find ourselves recovering following a soggy but boptastic day at Dekmantel (highlights being live sets from Mu-ziq and Shackleton and an all-smiles back-to-back set from Anz & Special Request to finish the day). Still chuckling at the young chap who came up to us during Mu-ziq to proclaim delight that we were still "doing this at our age"!?!?! Apart from the fact that we're not that f*ckin' old (yet!), I didn't have the heart to tell him that the gentleman banging out the intense grooves on stage was of the same vintage. So it goes... 

Last Sunday saw @akx in gathering and assembing mode to present the #VacationVortex, which saw a fine selection of awaydays as selected by yourselves. Thanks to all who chipped in tracks, and the aforementioned @akx natch. Looking back, we find @nessiest clutching the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"We saw this live earlier in the summer, in a mesmerising performance verging on cabaret. I’m still mulling on its layers of meaning a couple of months on and to be honest I haven’t listened to this album a lot since, so it’s still fresh to my ears. As always I am interested in what you lovely lot think so I won’t wiffle on here, instead let’s listen together."

Right then - download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) tonight.