The Listening Club - 18th October 2015

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all fine and dandy. Amsterdam is currently thronged with music types as the annual Dance Event takes over the entire city. Sadly the weather has been rather crappy, so the temptation to go out and about and see what free entertainment can be blagged has been seriously dampened. Still managed to trek out through the squelch into a nearby forest on Thursday (quite literally in the case of part of the return journey, glad I had a torch and a personal sat-nav), to see Robert Fripp play in a remote house with his hundred-strong Symphony of Crafty Guitarists. With barely 70-80 people watching (no room for more) it was quite the intimate affair. I'm still buzzing from the experience...

A reminder that it's #vortex time again next week, so looking for thematic suggestions - the last two #sleepyvortex and #wakeupvortex were both mighty fine indeed, so get thinking and we'll discuss it later this evening....

Last week, @emmaprice was in the chair, and treated us all to the sounds of Misty's Big Adventure and their "Funny Times" album, which produced a bit of marmite-ism amongst the assembled - some fell for it considerably, others not so much, but as always, very welcome - thanks to Emma for the pick and for flipping the frisbee across to myself, guess I deserved it. So let's get all italic and break out the heavy duty hyperbole...

"Must say, this one is proving quite tricky to introduce without revealing too much. 

It's certainly not an album, that I can be sure of. Maybe it could be considered an unexpected historical revisionary recreation, or possibly an intercepted archival transmission from a parallel universe of an event never to be realised within this one, an experience of magnanimous proportions, a true gathering of the tribes, a bootleg recording of the soundtrack to a cataclysmic electronic ritual, an incantation intended to blast open the minds of a generation, the culmination of several years intense preparation and observance, resulting in a gigantic celebratory occasion the likes of which had never been seen before, and maybe never would again. One thing is for sure - if this is what it sounded like, who knows what such a spectacle may have actually looked like, or what it must have felt to experience it. Sadly, this is the closest we will ever get... the rest lies between you and your imagination.

To those already initiated there will hopefully be much surprise and rejoicing. To those completely unfamiliar, take a deep breath and hold on tight.

#DrinkingClub = Nectar Of The Gods or failing that, Tennant's Super."

Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is....

See you at 8pm! (BST +1)

The Listening Club - 11th October 2015

Hey folks,

Hope all is fine with you - not bad here in A-dam, a late delivery of sun making for an enjoyably bright early autumn, meanwhile the evenings have included taking in two mighty fine vocal performances, courtesy of Public Image Ltd and Blackalicious - both prime examples of astonishing vocal talent, and the accompanying music was none too shabby either... cracking sets both.

Last week in #LC land, @JimMcCauley was in the chair, and rocked the fuck out of everyone, early-70s Brummie style with his pick of "Slade Alive" - A righteously rocking sound indeed. Many thanks to Jim for the pick, and for sailing the frisbee across to @EmmaPrice, who's here with this week's intro...

"Greetings fellow Listening Clubbers

I've been wanting to share this album with you all for a while so have neatly avoided the notorious frisbee angst.

Have you ever met someone and instantly known they're a musical soul mate? Someone to talk about music into the night with, to go to gigs with and share mixtapes with because you can't wait to hear what they think of the music that makes you tick.

Like Listening Club really, you never know quite what you're going to be introduced to next.

This is a truly bizarre and glorious band I discovered in such a way. They never fail to make me smile and to unleash the chair dancing. 

Drinking club recommendation is cold cider, a marquee in a field and lots of bunting."

Okidoke - Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is...


See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)...

The Listening Club - 4th October 2015

Hey everyone!

#ListeningClub this week is on location, coming to you live and direct from my mum's house in Kent, where I've been doing the usual mix of odd jobs and IT support as you'd expect. Also taking time to grab a few choice English delicacies to bring back (lime marmalade and pickled onions, since you ask), enjoy some late summer sunshine with a few pints of bitter and a roast dinner, and celebrate the Amsterdam Glastonbury ticket squad's excellent performance this morning sorting out festival tickets for a whole bunch of people. A quite respectable day all round indeed.

Last week we woke up the town with the #wakeupvortex (not actual pope album pictured, obv), a rather spectacular selection of rise-and-shine anthems and then some. Thanks to all for the picks, track list is in the comments of last week's post if you missed it!

Back to regularly scheduled programming, @JimMcCauley was left clutching the frisbee, so here he is with this week's intro...

"Picking tonight's mystery LP was a piece of cake. Figuring out what to write about it isn't so easy. The problem is that the band in question is – to the UK contingent at least – instantly recognisable. You'd be hard pushed to find anyone in this country who doesn't know at least one of their songs pretty much off by heart. So it's difficult to say too much about them without giving the game away.

The thing is though, I've known all the hit singles for years, but beyond that I've never had a clue, so recently I've been acquainting myself with their albums and I think this is the one that stands out. It's a live album, recorded on a shoestring budget just after they'd begun to have a bit of success in the singles chart. Up until then they'd made a living on the road but not managed to sell many records; this was the album that turned things around.

It's big and loud, top-heavy with covers and all over just a little too quickly (which should please everyone who wants to watch This is England '90 at 9pm), but it's one of the great live albums, capturing the energy of a tight live act who've hit their stride and are about ready to take up residency on Top of the Pops, and it really makes me wish I'd been around to see them back then."

Alright! Direct download is here, and the new old HearThis stream is below:


See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1) !!!

The Listening Club - 27th September 2015

Hi folks,

Hope all is fine with y'all - Gentle weekend here, following a three day gig run as previously mentioned (all excellent too), the snotty cold doing the rounds here that has previously been kept at bay has finally taken a bit of a hold, so both myself and @nessiest are tucking ourselves up all cozy like and sipping a warming toddy. Soon will be well again tho, and no shortage of things to do with a vortex to keep me occupied during the meanwhilst...

Last week, the aforementioned @nessiest was back in the chair, and pulled out quite the modern classic (biased? moi?) in the shape of Cornelius's "Point", which was received very warmly indeed by the assembled. Thanks to Vanessa for the pick and for sailing the frisbee across to @JimMcCauley for next week's selection.

But first, the counterpoint to last month's #sleepyvortex, yep, it's the #wakeupvortex! A selection of fine morning selections from you all - going to be hard to get to sleep after this lot, I'm telling you...

Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is here:


See you at 8pm (GMT+1) for a wake up call!

The Listening Club - 20th September 2015

Greetings folks,

Hope you're doing fine and dandy, whatever you're up to - the drift into Autumn continues here in A-dam, which really just means the rain is getting slightly colder, however my body has definitely clocked the season change, putting the old nasal mucous membrane into production duty and starting the yearning for warming pots of stew, chilli and curry, not to forget the delicious local range of seasonal bock beers. However, already feeling rather musically nourished following a 6 hour Mr Scruff set on Friday might that touched pretty much all the possible bases, including a full 16 minute drop of this when he needed to pop off to the little DJs room. Very impressive stuff, as always. This week there's Hugh Cornwell, King Crimson and Demdike Stare to look forward to, so join me in saying Yay to the Autumn touring times!

And Lo, it's #vortex time again next week folks too, after the #sleepyvortex are we having a #wakeupvortex ? Let me know on the tweets, please....

Last week @NeilPBardhan was in the #LC chair and hit a huge home run with his pick of "Granada Doaba" from Gnawledge, a very impressive blend of cultures and beats indeed, and one that received a pretty much universal thumbs-up from the assembled. Many thanks to Neil for the pick and for sailing the frisbee back across to @nessiest, who's here with this week's intro...

"My listening club dilemma is often “how do I find something none of you will know, that’s still worth taking up your evening for”? Tonight I finally let that one go – I suspect more than a couple of you will know this album and the artist, and you know what? I would love to listen to this album with you guys so much. If it can’t be with you in the room, then at least we can listen to it together. I was going to go for a recent release by someone else but flipped to this because hopefully even if you do know it, you may not have listened to it in a little while.

This is a playful gem of an album, focused, precise, but never cold and remarkably cohesive. It balances sweeping grooves with songs veering off into the horizon. Less is more sums up this album nicely and the result is a lyrical dream. (Yes I used all the adjectives.)

It’s not unrelated to a recent-ish pick by another listeningclubber, but definitely not the same. I like the idea of our choices being part of a longer dialogue though.

Reminder: shuffles off, folks – this story needs to be told in order."

Yeehaw. Direct download is here, and the HearThis stream is here!

See you at 8pm (BST+1)

The Listening Club - 13th September 2015

Hey there,

Hope you're all doing fine - all is gentle here at Kleptone Towers following a rather rambunctious Saturday session at Magneet Festival, which is kind of like a forgotten corner of Glastonbury or Burning Man relocated to a sandbank on the north east coast of Amsterdam. Much lunacy, bizarre music, happy people and tasty beer, and now the inevitable hangover. Well worth it tho... one of the best fests in the city for sure.

Last week in these here environs, @cdrose_writer was in the chair, and chose to celebrate Mancunian culture with his pick of Lonelady's 'Hinterland' which was rather warmly received by the assembled. Thanks to Chris for the pick and for flipping the frisbee across to @neilpbardhan who's here with this week's intro...

"My oldest friend tipped me off to this album in the summer of 2009. It got some national (American) attention at the time, which pleased my friend: it's a project by some of his college friends who'd gotten Fulbrights to Spain to put together this record with influences from several continents' worth of traditions. In time, they formed a collective to put out more records like this. I lost track of them by and large, but this album keeps coming back for me as that "just so" feeling and sound. I nod my head. I sway. I write. I think a lot about their inspirations for these combinations. It's about mixes and meetings, collaborations and conquests, beats and breaths.

And if you're reading this while listening to the first track and thinking "What are you talking about, combinations?", just wait until you hit the second. Enjoy!"

Okaydoke - direct download is here, and the hearthis stream is here

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)!

The Listening Club - 6th September 2015

Hey all,

"September already? Can't believe it" etc. Feeling short changed over the summer for sure, but still, indoor fun doth beckon with a satisfactorily full calendar of gigs to attend over the next few months, kicked off on Friday with a rare visit to these shores from John Cooper Clarke, and mighty fine he was too....

Over in #LC land we all donned jim-jams last Sunday for the #sleepyvortex, although looking at the tracklist a fair chunk of it was rather a non-sleeping vortex - make of that what you will... a fine selection of picks though, thanks to all who chipped in. Are we doing a #wakeywakeyvortex next time then?

Back to regular programming, @cdrose_writer was left holding the frisbee, and here he is with this week's intro...

"Instead of lazing by a poolside with a margarita and a trashy paperback in hand, I spent much of this summer rekindling an ongoing on/off love affair with my hometown, the great city of Manchester.  (Yeah, it’s on again.)

Aside from Vimto, Corrie, the splitting of the atom, the invention of graphene, Eccles Cakes and the Manchester Egg, I am sure that most of you will know this great city as the home of one or two well-known bands.  Given this heritage I was tempted to choose something Manc for your ears this evening.  You’ll probably be pleased to know I skipped over Northside and even Frank Sidebottom when considering my choice (though the latter was a sore temptation), and wouldn’t have gone for anything as obvious as Unknown Pleasures or Slaughter and the Dogs’ Do It Dog Style. 

I didn’t want the evening to descend into the endless debate about which the best Fall album is (though it’s Bend Sinister btw), there are too many Durutti Column lps to even think about and – sadly – A Certain Ratio recorded many great tracks, but never made a great album.

And then I realised I was being far too nostalgic.  Manchester – I was surprised to find - is still a town where a fair number of men of a certain age (about my age, tbh), still wander around with that haircut, desert boots and designer cagoules, telling each other that things are 'sorted,' and a place where several pubs seem to have Madchester’s 20 Greatest Hits stuck on a loop.  I wanted none of that, so have gone for a record from earlier this year, a record that looks back to the city’s industrial past and forward to its post-Industrial future.  It’s a record that could be from lots of places, yet remains very Manc."

Reety-ho. Direct download is here, and as mixcloud has taken this down before I even finish typing out the blurb, it's time to try something new, let me know how it goes for you... so you'll find the stream on HearThis!


See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)!