The Listening Club - 3rd November 2019

Greetings and happy blow up parliament day, nearly...

Got to admit this is one of the few times I do miss old blighty, there's nothing like building a damn good bonfire and chucking a few industrial-strength bangers around to cheer yourself into the winter months... The Dutch don't have much in the way of an equivalent, although New Year's eve does come close in the homespun pyrotechnical danger stakes...

Last Sunday, @SimonLandmine was in the chair casting out his folky demons in the shape of Greg Russell's 2017 "Shake The Chains" project, which brought forth great debate, as would be expected. Thanks to Simon for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @JimMcCauley, who's right here with tonight's intro...

"A friend died a couple of weeks ago, suddenly and unexpectedly. We'd only known each other for six months, but in that time we'd played, improvised, performed weird street theatre in the centre of Bath and had many drinks afterwards; the sort of things that break down barriers between people fast.

The last time I saw him we were down the pub with other friends from our little group, plotting an upcoming performance and batting mad ideas back and forth. There were hugs on the street afterwards, we went our separate ways and then at some point later he died.

I was at work when I received the email, and it knocked me sideways; I had to quickly finish up what I was writing and get the fuck out of there. The first music I reached for was @kleptones' LO, which hits so many of the emotional notes that have been in my head since I got the news, but I hope we're all familiar enough with that particular work.

So what I've chosen instead is something that appeared a couple of days after I got the news. Some of you may well have heard it already; I'm not going to explain what it is, only that it helped provide me and some friends with some lovely background noise when things were feeling pretty raw last Saturday morning."

Direct download is here, and the stream is below:

See you at 8pm GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 27th October 2019

Greetings from the un-united kingdom.

Yep, I'm back over in the UK doing the traditional selection of DIY and IT support for my mum, as you do. Seem to have developed a habit of visiting these shores just before another brexit deadline flutters off into the distance. Even managed a couple of pints in the pub that I purchased my very first ever beer (aged 15), which last night was oddly hosting a Pink Floyd tribute band, who weren't that bad, as long as they kept away from the complicated bits...

Oh yeah, don't forget THE CLOCKS HAVE GONE BACK. So we're on GMT again.

Last week, @zbendr was indie mood, with his selection of Beirut's 2019 opus "Gallipoli", which massaged the ears of the assembled to mostly positive effect. Thanks to Ben for the pick, and for flipping the frisb back across to London, where @SimonLandmine has this to say...

"As I retrieved the Frisbaton from where @zbendr ably threw it (and I fumbled my catch, volleying it through next door's greenhouse), I opened up my Listening Club Ideas.txt file. And remained thoroughly undecided about any of them.

So instead of anything that was actually on that list, you get this
instead, which has been in the CD player in my study for a while now, and has grown on me each time. For a change, it's not an act I've seen many times - in fact, I think this line-up only came together for a tour, and this, the associated live album. And, to be honest, I missed the tour. But the CD was for sale on the merch stand after a performance by another associated project, in the physical implementation of the "If you liked that, you might like this" marketing algorithm of certain companies. And I thought "Ooh, that looks interesting."

This one's not so much about the artists, although they're talented, and known in their field, but more about the songs - a mixture of original pieces and some well-known covers, written and selected with a central theme by the chap who brought the project together. I hope that you enjoy them, and I apologise for the lack of unsurprise metal guitars. Blame the weather, or something. Normal service may be resumed another time.

Drinking Club - probably a mug of tea, maybe out of a thermos, and almost certainly in mismatched mugs, probably in a converted church, or maybe one still functioning as such when it's not a music venue. Sorry the pews are a bit hard - we did suggest you brought a cushion*.
(* Yes, that is a call-out to one specific London venue, where 'VIP membership' means a cuppa and a cushion.)"

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's below:


See you at 8pm GMT. No ifs or buts.

The Listening Club - 20th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing fine. As usual trying not to type anything related to current British politics, but the combination of that metashambles and me managing to lose a very, very important thing that will most likely never ever be seen again (no need for details, sure you've all been there) has led to a rather grumbly state of mind this weekend. Still, as I always say at times like this, thank god for music. And beer. And good company...

Speaking of which, last week chez #LC, wor @nessiest managed to hit everyone hard in the emotionals with her choice of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds new opus "Ghosteen". Thanks to her for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to @zbendr, who is back within #LC timezone range, and has this to say by way of introduction to his pick of the day...

“Imagine…you lived in a shambolic world. Your everyday plod through life was a shambles, and things just crumbled and rusted when you touched them. You were…a Shambles King Midas, of sorts.

Now, imagine you scraped together a few coppers to pay for a holiday. After packing your favourite clothes into a small battered fibreboard suitcase, you took a discount airline to an exotic place, in a country that no longer exists.

But you’re not staying in the nice part.

You unpack your clothes into a broken wardrobe, grab your hat, and stroll down to the local taverna. I think that’s what they call them here : “tav er na”. As your first cheap drink arrives, a band unpacks battered and bent instruments and…simply starts playing.

And you realise that being shambolic is, sometimes, a bit magnificent."

Direct download is here, and the stream's below:

See you at 8pm BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 13th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Hope all is good in your hoods. Not much to report here, yeah, still grey and rainy, and looking forward to Le Guess Who more than ever now the lineup timetable is out, even though it's clash city central all the way through (e.g. Godflesh, Gryff Rhys and William Tyler at exactly the same time, and that's just the first hour... what to choose?) But these are good problems to have, of course. Speaking of which, naturally I'll be needing someone to manage things here on that weekend (Sun 10th November) so if anyone's up for standing in, let me know, thx.

Last week, the returning @NeilPBardhan got lo-fi on our posteriors with his pick of Ah Holly Fam'ly's 2007 album "Your Body Will Become An Anchor", which seemed to strike a chord with quite a few folks. Thanks to Neil for the pick and for sailing the frisb back here, where @Nessiest is waiting with this to say...

"I haven’t heard this album yet, but I want to listen to it with the club. A nod to the origins of the Listening Club I guess.

It’s also fitting given it’s the time of year when Kleptones and I met (our anniversary was this week) and tonight’s artist was the first concert I bought tickets for us to go see. It was dead romantic too, which says a lot about my idea of romance.

Drinking club suggestion - something robust and warming, not too fizzy."

Direct download is here, and the stream's right down below.


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

The Listening Club - 6th October 2019

Greetings folks,

Well, it's been pissing down all day again, politics is getting worse by the minute, Ginger Baker has shuffled off his mortal coil (probably in 6/8 time) and the annual crapshoot for Glastonbury tickets failed for everyone in the gang, so as far as Sundays go, let's move swiftly on...

Last week, @emmaprice was in the chair, getting cosmic with The Comet Is Coming's debut elpee "Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery", which got the required positive response from all sides, and quite right too. Thanks to Emma for the pick, and for sailing the frisb up to the satellite that is @NeilPBardhan, who, after going 20 rounds with an external hard drive, has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Here's one from my vaults. Been a while since I even sat down for a full listen of this. More of a "red wine" selection for the Drinking Club set, I think. I've had a copy of this probably since about the time of its release, through an old friend who was part of this project. Not sure whatever became of the group, but I feel like they had some local and national success. It's interesting to go back on these Frisbaton selections and see what I've picked out over the years, how I can dig a little deeper each time, play to the crowd's interests (or not)."

Okaydoke. Direct download's here, and the stream's below.


See you at 8pm BST tonight!

The Listening Club - 29th September 2019

Greetings folks.

Wet, wet, wet. What a shit name for a band, eh? Highly appropriate right now though, as it continues pissing down for the nth day. Still, as the inside of the house is filled with the sound of random Sunday music and the smell of bubbling cassoulet, outside can do what it bloody well likes, we'll just sit in the window with a tasty drink and watch the soggy world go by...

Last week in #LC-land, @brainspiritus was getting us down and bluesy with their pick of  "Mad Dog Blues" by The Hamburg Blues Band, which did a fine job of turning our corner of twitter into a jumping dive bar. Thanks to them for the pick  and for sailing the frisb back across the channel where @emmaprice is waiting with this to say...

"Hello from a rather soggy south London where autumn is in full effect. When catching the frisbaton last week I (for a change) immediately knew who I wanted to pick. Normally the selection process is a matter of some angst in Emma world as I try and find something that will intrigue, excite and potentially amuse people.

I discovered this artist after seeing one of the musicians from this band in one of his other projects and and being absolutely blown away by the sheer vitality and life of their live performance. Definitely one of my live gig experiences of the year. The album is new to me as is their back catalogue but hopefully it will be the gateway drug to stumbling across them live for some of you.

Drinking club is something suitable for a darkened basement club where masters have been honing their craft since time immemorial."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's below:


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

The Listening Club - 22nd September 2019

Greetings folks,

Well, the weather gods have given us another glorious warm weekend, so after a Saturday of sun, beer, pizza, friends and music, today has been all about the gentle recovery, and tonight I think will be all about a large curry, and more music from these environs. Perfert weekend, really.

Last week, as a prelude to a week of flute-related discussion and punnery, @SimonLandmine was in the chair dosing everyone up with The Young Gods' 2008 acoustic escapade "Knock On Wood", which seemed to go down pretty well indeed (yes I am biased). Thanks to Simon for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @Brainspiritus, who has this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"This week, I'm breaking promises. I know some of you are hoping for entirely non-surprising metal guitars. (Did you not learn anything from last time?)  On the other hand, I promised the jester in me that should I catch the audio frisbaton in late summer, I'd pick a very particular version of a very particular work by Tchaikovsky to celebrate the return of Stollen and Christmas Pudding to the supermarkets. I guess we're all lucky tonight.

Tonight's pick, instead, is a 2008 mixed studio/live album by a group I stumbled across on an online radio stream around 2010. Funny how you need a streamer from California to learn about a band that's basically from one city over and has been going for over 35 years now. Sound-wise, they may be a bit on the rough and scruffy side sometimes (as one of their members once put it: "we're from a big city, where there's quite a bit of noise to shout over"), but I'm scruffy, too, so what do you expect? Also, Bonus points for recognizing the two guest vocalists from the UK, who've been quite successful with other groups or on their own.

#drinkingclub is probably pilsener, but a decent one, from a proper glass."

Okaydoke. Direct download is here, and the stream's below:


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