The Listening Club - 21st December 2014

Seasons greetings folks!

Can't think of any witty festive banter to go here as my brain is seriously fogged with hangover - god damn those tasty Belgian beers... Hope you all have a grand holidaytime anyways, whatever you're up to. Don't forget next week is #festivevortex, so if you haven't send me your two favourite tunes of the year yet, please do!

Last week @akx was in the chair, continuing the current trend of spaced out listening with "Program Music 1" by Kashiwa Daisuke, which went down very well indeed, much to the surprise of some of you. Many thanks to Aarni for the brain stretching tunes, and for flipping the frisbee across the Atlantic to @EastVanHalen, who's here with the intro...

"Hey all!

In a pleasant change from my usual dithering, I knew what to play this week before @akx's frisbee had reached my hand, because I have pretty much had it on repeat non-stop for the past couple of weeks and it is SO GOOD.

This album is showing up on everyone's best-of lists for 2014, and there will be tons of writing about it. So I'll just say I love it because it's furious, righteous, revolutionary -- dangerous, even. Its braggadocio is interposed with heartbreaking and hilarious interrogations of masculinity. And it's and outrageously, exquisitely filthy.

Track four is probably my favourite song of this year. Track nine is just...oh hell, you have to hear it.

The download includes the PDF booklet that came with the release, so don't look if you don't want a spoiler.

Also, #drinkingclub is definitely #smokingclub this week."

Okay doke! Direct download is here, Mixcloud (it knows! and tells!) stream is here.

See you at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 14th December 2014

Greetings one and all,

Hell, it's scary typing that date out. 14th already? Where does the time go... For once, I'm not feeling the full shilling here, having been struck down by a rather odd lurgi that's left me feeling slightly feverish. rather washed out and seriously lacking in energy. Would be concerned that I'd brought something back with me from warmer climes if it wasn't for the fact that @nessiest has it too. So, one of those "something going around" things, then. To be honest, I can't remember the last time I was feeling under the weather sorting out #lc, but I can't be arsed to look. Don't remember it happening tho. Anyways, grumble grumble etc. Be thankful and all that.

Don't forget, #festivevortex coming up! Two of your most excellent tunes of the year each please - mine are already selected and in the baggie, so to speak, so get your annual caps on and submit, submit!

Last week @faberfedor continued his fine stream of selections by sending us all to outer space quite literally, supplying the "Symphonies Of The Planets" (Part 1, no less), as experienced by Voyager 1 & Voyager 2 as they zoomed about the solar system. Impressive stuff to be sure (although sadly I can't say the same about the cover artwork, yuk), and quite a bar to set for @akx, who is tasked with this week's follow up, and here he is...

"After last week's cosmic symphony going down a treat, let's see
how this fares..."

Well then, that's you lot told. Direct download is here, Mixcloud (crying into it's beer cos it can't recognise anything anymore) stream is here.

See you at 8pm GMT, in sha Allah!

The Listening Club - 7th December 2014

Well, hello there! Long time no see...

Yes, I'm back after a couple of rather excellent weekends away, first at Le Guess Who in Utrecht, which was a whole mega-smorgasbord of quality musical delights, then off down the west coast of Africa for some delights of a very different nature. Nice to be back tho for a well needed mellow weekend in the 'Dam, even though it's pissing down outside...

So last week, @jonnydapigg run tings, and compiled the
#herematyoureallyneedto
hearthistrackvortex or #HMYRNTHTTV, which brought forth a damn fine selection of tunes that, well, we really needed to hear. Merci beaucoup to you all for the contributions!

Next #vortex, as u well kno, will be the daddy of all vorticons, the 3rd annual #festivevortex. So yes, from each of you we'd like your two favourite tunes created in this year, thee twenty fourteen. Playback will be on Sunday 28th December, and will be a right merry ding dong as usual, please get your picks in as soon as you know 'em, so as to give me a decent run up in compiling inbetwixt other festive activities...

(Also you'll be interested to hear that the fun of the last couple of vorticons has given me another cracking idea for the January vortex. Would maybe be better suited to December but we already have one sorted for then, so I will pitch it to you all in the new year and see what you reckon...!)

Back in real time, @faberfedor is in the chair, and here he is...

"After last week's rousing selection by, well, all of us, (loving the vortices, btw) and @jonnydapigg's the week before, and what with the mad rush of the holidays looming before us, I decided to go in the opposite direction energy-wise. This week's selection is mellow.

Very. Mellow.

Melll

Freakin'

Loooow

I'm talkin' tranquilizer-level mellow.

For those of you where night has fallen, get all comfy and cozy with a glass of your favorite alcoholic beverage (but preferably a spliff), lower the lights, turn up the stereo or, better yet, put on headphones and get ready to drift off. 

For those of you where the sun is still shining, come back at the end of your day. Follow the above instructions.  Don't worry, you not going to miss anything in conversations; I suspect no one on the night side is going to be typing anything for the next half hour.

Finally, there is a very interesting back-story to this week's entry; one, I think, that will blow your mind.

It's included in the download and will also be posted to the blog shortly after the playback."

Direct download is here and the Mixcloud (caveat emptor and all that, but in this case I'll be bloody amazed) link is here.

See you at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 30th November 2014

Now then, alreet there, how's it all going?
It's all going a bit Christmas here, cats eating tinsel, boy eating baubles, wife shopping and me grumbling cos it's still only fucking November. I trust you all managed not to punch anyone over a discount and avoided any Black Friday free for alls? That said a few have been quiet so maybes still in the clink.

So, last week, was me (@jonnydapigg) with the excellent DJ Food and DK with mix and match effort that is Now, Listen! which I think went down rather well (maybes not the softer ending though, but hey, it had Spock reading Ray Bradbury in amongst some funky beats, what more could you really ask for). Next week sees the return of @faberfedor to the hot seat, but he must wait as first we have business to attend.

Yes indeedy it is time for #herematyoureallyneedtohearthistrackvortex or #HMYRNTHTTV if you so desire. So best warn the neighbours, put the cat out, make sure the dog is feeling safe as I think this one may get a little loud. For now we are metaphorically elbowing our way to the hi-fi to grab the attention of everyone at the party, "Here, mate..."

Your download link can be found here, and should you wish to use the services of mixcloud, head here. I shall post the tracklist in the comments at the end.

Note: Returning to the helm next week is Mr Kleptone so if any of you wish to delete the nudes you've been sending me through the twitter account, I've screenshot them all (double in some cases!!!) so help yourselves.

Enjoy
JonnyDaPigg

The Listening Club - 23rd November 2014

Whey, alreet there,
yup it's me (@JonnyDaPigg) doing the intros and blurbs this week and next as Eric is off gallivanting at a festival. In his absence I'm going to encourage all manner of mischief, noise, swearing, drunken ramblings, hey, if you fancy breaking something don't let me stop you. I may even do a little wee somewhere.

Before I get on with the show an item of note to be discussed this week is the #vortex. We need a theme. I have such great ideas for this whilst in the bath but never the technological means to record said ideas and upon leaving the bathroom my mind returns to a vacant lot. So, ideas please. Upon reaching a theme can you send your choices to mrjonnypigg @ gmail.com (take the spaces out, you know the score). Now,  as Newcastle don't have a home game next week so I'm more than happy for late entries but if you could get them to me by Saturday that would be awesome.

So, last week @emmaprice added LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver to the jukebox list of awesome that is the ListeningClub picks. Went down rather well, certainly my next door neighbours agreed as they were banging in time with it once I added a touch of volume to the evening. Top pick! Some how my shameless self promotion of number two offspring to be had the LC frisbee heading back over in my direction. So, here's me, introducing me...

"Well then, not long since I last had it but I really have an album that I want to play, so after a quick album top trumps to test it's worthiness it prevailed (shaking off a very late challenge from a recently purchased new entry) and I'm sat here getting it ready for upload... Nah, hang on, gotta stop myself there. I've only gone and changed my mind, as I'm uploading. This seems wrong. Now I feel like I'm cheating on an album but my new pick has all the ingredients of a LC album. Sunday evening culinary delight, it has a soupson of everything in this. Be fair warned mind, upon ingesting this with your ears some dancing may occur..."

Right then, cheers for that, erm, me. Download link is here and mixcloud if it behaves itself is here.
Enjoy.

P.S. Not even proofreading this #hardcore

The Listening Club - 16th November 2014

Hey everyone,

Hope all is fine with you all - A grey rainy weekend here in A-dam, which is actually fine by me, as I'm readying myself for two weekends away in the coming weeks, so a bit of time inside learning all about my new DJ controller (Akai APC40 mk2 if you're interested) is very welcome. Next weekend I'll be off in Utrecht with @nessiest for Le Guess Who festival (seriously, check out this lineup!), but rest ye assured the most excellent @JonnyDaPigg will be running things here in my absence. Speaking of which, we'll be needing a #vortex theme soon also, so suggestions and ideas welcome, as per.

Last week, @saucer took his debut turn in the big #lc chair, and sent forth The Herms, from San Francisco, with their 2006 album "Drop Out" which seemed to go down very well indeed. Big thanks to him for the pick, and for flipping the frisbee across to @emmaprice, who's here with the pre-match...

"I'm sitting here with happy tears streaming down my face over the little space robot that's 300 million miles away after 10 years travelling to land on a comet for a few short hours. An amazing human endeavour and one of those moments which transcends the routine of normal life and reminds us that there is a whole universe out there which we need to explore.

As I cried over a small spacecraft dying so far from home I was reminded that what separates us from machines is the capability to love, to emote, to feel pain, joy, sadness and to just dance round the room in your socks because that track came on. This is what music can do for us, to tap into the place deep within our soul & remind us what we're capable of.

This album reminds me what it is to love.

I recommend friends, a comfy sofa and an after party that goes on until the dawn."

Well then, better get on it, eh? Direct download is here and the Mixcloud (caveat emptor and all that) link is here.

See you at 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 9th November 2014

Hey hey hey,

Hope you're all doing fine. Amsterdam has finally entered the brr-zone, after a good few bonus warm weekends. Blessed we have been this year, I'd say, but now time to reach for the coats and scarves, and ready ourselves for the chilly times...

Over in #lc land, last week saw @mrhig flipping his selection across the Atlantic from Los Angeles in the shape of Aimee Mann's "@#%&*! Smilers" (pronounced "Fucking Smilers"), which didn't quite result in as many smilers as anticipated, but he did issue a gloom warning, so fair call there, I think. Thanks to Matt for the pick, and for sailing the frisbee across to @saucer, for his debut selection. And here they are...

"Shocked, is what I was, honestly, when I looked up from my Activia yogurt (as it's called in the U.S.) and saw @mrhig happily tossing the @listeningclub frisbee at my head. Rather than duck... I leapt like a trusting dog and caught the surprisingly fast-spinning projectile in my teeth. Ouch.

I'll spare you the wrenching details of how harrowing and daunting this first-time selection process felt (you've, most of you, done it to live another day), although I will tell you that I auditioned and rejected DIY/outsider pop, Swedish pop, computer/noise, Neokrautrock, First-wave Europsychedelia, experimental jazz, '80s synthpop, Lounge/noir, and Dada/chamber-pop before settling on this week's album.

This duo (+ borrowed drummer) hailed from (city elided) and so very well exemplified the area's musical Ortgeist (to awkwardly coin a German word for which there ought to be a German word). Oh so sly, erudite, understated, transgressive, seriously playful, playfully serious. Not easy listening at times, but so worth it.

Looking forward to hearing who you hear them referencing (always on purpose, mind you), and joining me in bemoaning the tragedy of their minuscule recorded output relative to their outsized musical genius.

Here, then, is my first try at this listening club thing. I hope you enjoy."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here and the Mixcloud (caveat emptor and all that) link is here.

See you at 8pm GMT!