The Listening Club - 27th July 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Tapping this out early as the sun is poking its head out after a mostly humid and overcast week, so a trip out to a market followed by a picnic in a park beckons. So let's on y va, shall we?

Last Sunday saw @eryngium in the chair, delivering a seriously global sound with Juanita Euka's "Mabanzo" from 2022. Many thanks to Eryn for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @saucer, who has an extra week to ponder because he's got something else to take care of first...

...indeed, it's end of the month, which as u kno means #vortex time, and this time, for whatever reasons you may surmise, a #RecoveryRedemptionRebirthVortex has been called for, with the aforementioned @saucer at the helm, gathering and blending your submissions.

The resultant download is here, and the stream's below:

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

The Listening Club - 20th July 2025

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good - It's been another week of sunshine and showers here in Amsterdam, which is no problem for the most part, as long as it's not stopping us getting out and enjoying little local festivals, alfresco tapas gatherings, oddball psych rock gigs, mates' DJ sets and of course neighbourhood visits to find out which bush Hype Cat is sleeping under today, which is all well and good. For once, I really can't complain... 

Reminder that it's end-of-the-month-time next week, so as is customary, we're looking for #vortex themes again, bring your ideas tonight and pitch 'em, please and thank you!

Last Sunday saw @soundclamp in the chair, delivering The Coctails eponymous, yet final album from 1996, which definitely hit the sport with quite a few of the assembled. Many thanks to Dan for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @eryngium, who's here with the intro to today's pick...

"I heard a song from this artist on the soundtrack of a television show and promptly went off in search of the rest of the album. You’ll hear a mix of influences, languages, and beats reflecting the different countries this artist has called home. This is the artist’s first solo album, but they have previously been a vocalist for various bands, including some that are geographically local to a few of you. And if you are at all like me, you may want to clear some floor space in case you hear something that makes you want to get up and dance."

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

Hope to see you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) later today.

The Listening Club - 13th July 2025

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing pretty good. Been a week of sunshine and showers here, not too much of one or the other, which is really how we like it, right? Also it's been good to have the weekend ending with a surprise free (and excellent) open-air saxophone quartet concert just round the corner - and thankfully inbetween rain showers, too - sometimes Amsterdam's little attempts to drop bits of culture around the neighbourhoods works out just fine, it really does.

Last Sunday chez #LC saw @ThatNewSound in the chair delivering Ditz's latest album "Never Exhale", which hit the spot for many of the assembled. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @Soundclamp, who's got this to say by way of introduction to today's pick...

"Say you look like you could use a break, pal. This week’s pick is from a lesser-known yet equally deserving Chicago-based band. This is actually their last album from *checks notes* 1996 where their transition into post-rock music was nearly complete. What you get is something that sometimes sounds melancholy, sometimes bouncy, but always beautiful. Really, it’s the perfect balm for these hot summer days. If we had yacht rock or roséwave in the 90s it would be fair to call them that, too.

Recommended drink is your favorite fruity cocktail with or without the alcohol and a large umbrella."

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

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

The Listening Club - 6th July 2025

Greetings folks,

Yes indeedy, @kleptones here, back again from my travels, and in typical "need a holiday to get over the holiday" mode. It was worth it though, of course. Major thanks to @corin_ja, @saucer, @holette & @akx for keeping the boat afloat whilst I was away, really grateful to you all. Sadly the weekend here has been full of overcast soggy weather, which is fine for the greenery, but not so fine for Amsterdam Roots Festival, which is happening today and always seems to get the unluckiest weather forecast, year after year. Hoping it clears up before the end of the day so we can pop down for a bit, therefore tapping this out early just in case...

Last Sunday, as I was communing with many other folks of a certain age (including one Stewart Lee, celeb-spotters), watching the very legendary Roy Harper at Glastonbury, back here in #LC land twas the annual solstice-driven #LiveVortex, which looked like a mighty wide ranging selection as always. Many thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes, and to @akx for the mix. Back in regular programming mode, we find @ThatNewSound holding the frisb with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"The pattern so far has been old, new, old and so this one was meant to be a brand new one but Ive been feeling out of the groove recently and havent heard many really fresh releases that tickled me. Scanning my slowly growing collection of pre-saved maybes wasnt inspiring me too much either, there's some good stuff there but none of it felt right this time. For a brief moment I thought maybe something chilled and sunset ready would be good, but the weather looks like it might be a bit crap here this weekend.

Instead what Ive ended up doing is just picking something I like... again. This record is pretty noisy so you're owed a fair warning. It was released in 2025 but right back at the beginning and so I've given it a fair few spins since then and even seen the artist live which I will encourage you to do after the revel. There's a song on it about the commodification of queer culture and they've been pretty outspoken about the many forms of bigotry. It being Pride weekend this felt like it could be a winner and so it was chosen.

Non drinkers grab yourself something colourful but those attending drinking club should absolutely get themselves in a few cans of 'Existence As A Radical Act' from Queer Brewing... I'll probably be nursing a hangover they caused on saturday - hopefully this LC pick will bring me back to life."

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

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