The Listening Club - 24th November 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing as good as can be expected. Another fallout week it seems, as yet more folks finally quit the birdsite and go shuffling around the other social networks - taking no pride in being seemingly ahead of the pack on that one (it's a steady flow, tbh, but that's not much of a story for the media, is it?), though I'm kinda disappointed to find that despite both Bluesky & Threads claiming to be "Federated", for the most part we can't follow or interact with their users like we can with folks on other Mastodon servers, which seems to me to be the whole point of federation, really. Another case of "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"? Time will tell, but until then, this little gathering will stay on Mastodon, looking forward to federating with everyone, eventually...

Last Sunday saw @vinomadic in the chair, delivering sharp words and guitars from a previous time in the shape of XTC's "English Settlement", which went down pretty well with most folks. Thanks to Mr V for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @saucer who has an extra week to ponder because...

...he's got his #vortex hat on, hip hip hip hooray. Or not, as may be the case as it's an #ApocalypseIIThisTimeWeMeanItVortex, for which the aforementioned @saucer has been gathering up your submissions and here is the mighty result. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 GMT tonight for playback, and may the gods have mercy on your souls.

The Listening Club - 17th November 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. @kleptones here, back after a fine weekend of deeply varied sounds, food and drink at Le Guess Who, and a seriously well-timed getaway that turned out to be, eh? Big thanks to @saucer for taking care of things here in my absence, very much appreciated.

Speaking of which, next Sunday is last-of-the-month so as usual we're looking for #vortex themes,  if you have ideas, stick 'em in the chat later on please!

Looking back, last Sunday saw @david@social.jazzbutcher.com in the chair, sending out Kara Jackson's "Why Does The Earth Give Us People To Love?" which seemed to soulfully serenade the assembled quite satisfactorily. Thanks to David for the selection and for sailing the frisb over to @vinomadic, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"ARGH-- it's been a week.

The endless cloudy grey backdrop to the distant threat of rolling thunder did not help-- I may have taken fighting (with) myself to new heights, not just second-  but third- & fourth-guessing myself.

On reflection, I was floored by last Sunday's pick so that I grew irritated-- ashamed, even-- at loitering & picking around music half a century old when there are artists working the current cultural zeitgeist so poignantly.

Thought I could justify this to myself finding a selection evidencing the sound of things falling apart & providing some minimal guide in addressing loss, finding one's way over grief even if only sleepwalking through it.

As you might imagine, going down that emotional rabbit hole proved rather fraught. (There being no lack for candidates, I have THREE more selections all prepped into tag-free single-track files joining the 'closing' 1967 release my linear mind had been keeping ready by the programming bedside, until I'm ready to delete those copies...)

'What, will these hands ne'er be clean? — No more o'that, my lord, no more o' that; you mar all with this starting.'

In the end, a selection of slightly more recent music-- just a bit over four decades old.

Loved it upon first listen at my buddy Carl's in 1982, only bought my own vinyl copy a decade later when I finally had my own flat in Puerto Rico & the audio equipment to play it on...this shouldn't be unfamiliar! Certainly varied enough...

Enjoy!"

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

Hope to see you 20:00 GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 10th November 2024

Hey, it’s @saucer here holding the fort, @kleptones away at Le Guess Who!

So, what a week, huh? What a week. Many of us trying to figure out how to digest the American election result, how to respond. I’m personally devastated, terrified, triggered. Compelled to reassess how I look at society, politics, history, psychology, communication, propaganda, ethics, activism. Seems there’s a lot of this going around.

I hope you’re doing OK.

But maybe let’s vinyl scratch away from that… or not? In any case, it’ll be there waiting for us on the other side. For now I’ll move on to the far more pleasant business of recapping last week’s LC.

Last Sunday our beloved Listening Club took a trip back and back again with the double album Odessey & Oracle {Revisited} - The 40th Anniversary Concert by The Zombies, lovingly selected and presented by @iamwahl. 

Much appreciated by most of us on hand. And when all was said and done, the frisbee found itself sailing California way and into the hands of @david, who’s here right now to introduce a pick that sounds like a suitable musical antidote to current events…

“Ok. I'm getting this out of the way before the nukes start raining down.

“Released earlier this year and unintentionally related to my last pick (the previous dude performs and produces), this is the debut LP by a talented contralto songwriter. She was also National Youth Poet Laureate earlier in life.

“Slow and introspective. Precision wordplay concerning relationships and such. Sparse and gorgeous production. A calming balm at a young lady's lived expense. Her live performances are solid.”

Allons y. Download’s here and the stream's below.

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!

The Listening Club - 3rd November 2024

Hola folks,

Hope you're all doing well and good. Still pretty mild for the time of year here in Amsterdam, which presents a nice background in which to watch the run up to the American election through gritted teeth. As with exactly four years ago, hoping once again that common sense prevails and the orange demon and his dodgy mates cult of personality are sent packing, this time for good. Also hoping, as you are, I'm sure, that unlike four years ago, the expected violence doesn't rematerialize. *throws salt over left shoulder and chants demon-banishing incantations*

As mentioned before, I'll be away next Sunday getting my annual dose of global music insanity at Le Guess Who, and it looks like @saucer will be holding the fort here, many advance thanks to him for helping out!

Looking back, last Sunday, as was end of the month, saw a #musicaboutmusicvortex, and oh my word, that really was quite the selection, from the subline to the ridiculous and back again several times. Thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune or two, and to @JimMcCauley for doing the fine construction work. Back in the normal world, we find @iamwahl holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"It’s Complicated...

Due to its length I have twice set this option aside in order to present albums of a more conventional duration. It is also difficult to talk about in a meaningful way without giving away all its secrets before pressing Play. Nonetheless, I suspect, as soon as we press Play there will be some who immediately recognize, if not it, what it represents. From the get-go it is obviously recorded live (so no spoiler there). At its heart it is a love letter to a very specific niche in the timeline of music history but it expands to represent much more. There is joy here, and love. Yes, this has been a complicated selection to make and, as it is a double album, it is also a big ask of the #ListeningClub members, so thank-you for your indulgence. NOTE: there will be a brief intermission between sets. Break out your best paisley and bell bottoms...and pass the Pimm’s..."

Right then, download's here, and the stream's below.

See you 20:00 GMT tonight!