The Listening Club - 17th December 2023

Hi there folks,

Well then, last #LC of '23 and feeling astonished the year is over already, where did it go.. although looking back we managed to accomplish quite a bit, although this week chez kleptone we've not accomplished much apart from recovering from the evil flu. Que sera. Looking forward to a gentle and relaxed holday period, and wishing the same for y'all wherever you are and whatever you're up to, peace be with you all.

Of course, post-holidays it will be time for the 2023 #festivevortex, so it's time for you to pluck a couple of this year's finest sounds according to your ears and throw them into the pot. We return here on Sunday 7th January for playback and new years resolutions! (Also advance notice that I'm going to be away for a whole frickin' month in Jan/Feb, so will be needing managerial help here from 21st January onwards - can you help? Let me know, please!)

Last Sunday saw @Corin_Ja in the chair, pulling out something new by someone old in the shape of Peter Gabriel's "i/o" (the dark-side mix, should you be wondering) which got the assembled bobbing on their segways for sure. Thanks to Corin for the pick and for bouncing the frisb off my shoulder across to @woj, who's here with the last pick of the year...

As is my tradition, if the frisbee flits its way to me in December or January, I like to peruse the year-end best albums lists, select a highly ranked album by someone I've never heard, and - for good or for ill - listen to it for the first time with all of you. This Sunday is no different. There were a few albums I was eyeing whose descriptions looked particularly interesting but ultimately decided to go with this one since it's from a genre I know next to nothing about and almost never listen to: reggaeton! And that is pretty much the only bit of information I have to share about this album.

Also as is my tradition, I will be driving back from the airport when the appointed time of gathering rolls around but should be back home when the album ends. So while there'll be no #DrinkingClub for me, I'll be listening along in the car though - have no fear!

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

See you 20:00 GMT.

The Listening Club - 10th December 2023

Greetings,

Hope you're all doing good. Bit of a non-week here as the cold I picked up last week at The Prodigy gig decided to develop into a particularly unpleasant strain of Flu, which has wiped me out all week and now @nessiest too (sharing is caring, sorry my dear!). So I have nothing further to report. Bleurg.

Last Sunday @soundclamp went all west-coast klezmer on the collectively assembled's posteriors with his pick of Charming Hostess' "Eat" from 1998, which had the desired effect, at least it looked like it from here. Thanks to Dan for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across the Atlantic to @corin_ja, who's right here with tonight's intro...

"Well then. I had spent all week trying to decide between two very nostalgic albums from my early years, each of which I'd been meaning to inflict on ListeningClub for a while. I'd been pretty much decided which I was going to plump for. I even went and bought a CD as the version I had was not easily transferable to the internetz. And then two separate conversations with friends completely changed my mind about the choice for today.

Something was guiding me in a different direction.

So here instead is an album that is essentially new to me, and new to the world. The artist, I suspect, will be fairly readily identifiable by many. They are a significant figure by any standard, so it will be interesting to see what people make of it. We can go on a voyage of discovery together."

Indeedy. Download's here, and the stream's below:

See you tonight at 20:00 GMT.

The Listening Club - 3rd December 2023

Greetings folks,

Well, quite literally as I type, the first few tentative flakes of this Winter's snow are falling on Amsterdam, but as it's been raining all day, I don't see much laying just yet. Won't be going out in it either way, as, following a fine Wednesday evening catching up with old friends, drinking a few beers and watching The Prodigy, I've come down with a classic post-gig cold (ah-fuckin-choo). So no snow adventures for me for a few days...

In other news, glancing at the calendar, this year is one of those where Christmas Eve / New Years Eve falls on a Sunday, so advance notice thar we will be closed for the holidays! - Last #LC of '23 will be 17th December, then we will be back on 7th January 2024 for the customary #FestiveVortex, comprising of some of your favourite music of 2023!

Speaking of vortices, last Sunday we visualised a collectively agreed and much needed #HealingVortex, so many different kinds of healing, so little time. Thanks to all who chipped in a tune or two, and to @saucer for the fine assembly.

Which leaves us back in regularly scheduled programming land, where @soundclamp is waiting with his intro to tonight's pick...

"There’s so much weird shit going on everywhere and it’s really weighing on me, y’know? I kinda struggled to find a pick that felt good.

So… I’m doing something a little different and keeping it local this time. Let's go to West Oakland for a sweaty hoedown where bodacious babes belt the blues in Bulgarian, Ladino, and sometimes even English while an avant-rock band kicks out the jams (motherfucker) in accompaniment. They call it PUNK-KLEZMER. This is their debut album. It was released in 1998 on a small independent label and instantly made waves.

I actually saw them once at a night club in San Francisco called Slim’s (requiescat), and it was incredible. Okay, on with the show!"

Right then, download's here, stream below:

Hope to see you 20:00 GMT.