The Listening Club - 13th February 2022

Happy All-Hateful Eve to you all! Um, that's how it works, isn't it?

Amsterdam is quiet and dozing today, which is understandable after most of the clubs in town opened last night in protest at the continuing night-time events curfew... (it's been nearly two years now, give or take the odd week, since clubs have been allowed to open) meanwhile the govt continue to drag out the re-opening, an hour or two at a time, which really is infuriating. Hopefully, if we're really really lucky we can get one or two full nights out before the next variant shuts everything down again, eh?... *gripes behind mask*

Anyhoo, last Sunday in the balmy garden of #LC, @emmaprice was in the chair, setting everyone off on a raft of reminiscence and opinion with her pick of Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours". Thanks to Emma for the selection, and for sailing the frisb over to Vancouver, where @eastvanhalen has risen from the sofa to proclaim...

"Hey there lovelies,

It’s jazz. Don’t @ me. It’s also funky, and off-kilter enough that any chill doesn’t drift into mellow. I listened to this album on repeat while I was hanging out at a cabin on the coast recently, just me and the woodstove and the sound of the ocean, and this oddly beautiful instrumental work floating through it. 

#drinkingclub is probably weed. Or good scotch, but that’s just because you can’t go wrong with good scotch."

Okaydoke. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 8pm GMT tonight.

The Listening Club - 6th February 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing OK. Still mostly wet and grey here in Amsterdam, but the odd sunny hour and green shoot popping up bring welcome signs of spring, let's hope it's an early one this year. Also the re-appearance of late night screams, laughs and yodels indicate that the govt's relaxing of covid rules is very much being appreciated. The city is healing a little bit, so it seems...

Last Sunday chez #LC we were deep in the #moshpitvortex, which really shook the cobwebs out of the assembled. Thanks to everyone who chipped in a tune or two, and mega thanks to @saucer for gathering the collection and stitching it together most excellently. Looking back to go forward, we see @emmaprice clutching the frisbaton with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick...

"Greetings all. I have angsted long and hard about this week's pick. My head has been full of non music thoughts of late so I've been struggling to think of something glorious that I've not already picked in the past. So, I've gone for an album which I'm sure you all know, but in these strange and confusing times I'm finding comfort in the familiar and the things I know bring me joy. This album definitely does this and is one of the albums I listened to most last year.

Not entirely sure what to suggest for #drinkingclub for this one. I welcome your suggestions."

Okaydoke, download's here, stream's below:

See you 8pm GMT tonight!

The Listening Club - 30th January 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. A bright weekend here in Amsterdam for a pleasant change, doubly pleasant as the govt have finally allowed the country to open up a bit (well, at least until 10pm), so we've been out for Sunday lunch for the first time in eons. So everything seems quite normal for a change, which is nice, all that remains is to tap this out and then take the cat for an evening walk...

Last Sunday saw @Andrew_Oleksiuk in the chair, entertaining the assembled with their debut pick of Khruangbin's "Con Todo El Mundo", which got everyone gently grooving in a soulful Sunday kind of way. Thanks to Andrew for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @emmaprice, who has until next Sunday to consider their pick because...

...yep, it's end of the month, so it's vortex time again, this time the popular vote has called for a #moshpitvortex, so kudos to @saucer, who has spent the week gathering and assembling your collected submissions of submission. Download here, stream below:

See you down the front, naturally, at 8pm GMT, for playback. 

The Listening Club - 23rd January 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay and keeping safe. No change here in Amsterdam, lockdown loosening slightly as more sectors of the business community protest, despite the numbers going up so fast that they can't process all the positive tests in time for the daily reports (yes really), so we know it's not good, but not by how much. Ah well, par for the course, I guess...

Last Sunday, within the fine #LC bubble, we had @saucer getting live and real with his pick of 75 Dollar Bill's "Social Music at Troost vol​.​3: (Other) People's Music", which did a fine job of recreating gig atmos. Many thanks to Mr. S for the pick, and for sailing the frisb over to @Andrew_Oleksiuk, who's right here with the intro to their debut selection...

"Despite the international influences, or perhaps because of them, this album is a uniquely North American offering. Hailing from the southern United States, this band has been playing the festival circuits of late. You can dance to their funky beats but there is also an ethereal quality to their style that leads to a complicated and contemplative feel. This album from 2018 was nary their sophomore offering, yet their sound had already crystallized via a uniquely crafted tune smithery.

Nearly completely instrumental, this album does find a pop aesthetic that bubbles and folds back onto itself like slow-cooked pork. It’s deep winter here, so I’ll refrain from talking too much about delicious smoked meats and veggies, which is more of a summer backyard thing for me. There are sporadic vocals, working more as percussive elements against the backdrop of guitar sounds that are all at once sparse and lush. Enigmatic? For sure. But don’t let their haircuts fool you.

It’s the dead of winter here (did I mention that already?). Pair this music with something and someone you love. In my case, it’s Le Jus, a New England-style India Pale Ale, fresh from Chicago’s Alarmist Brewery."

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

See you 8pm GMT.

The Listening Club - 16th January 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay and keeping as safe as you can manage, although that doesn't seem to be helping as much as it did last year from the sounds of things. Here in Amsterdam the weather's grey and the outlook's more of the same, meanwhile lockdown-wise, the shops have been allowed to open again a bit, but everything else is still closed, so yeah, more of the same in that respect too. Fed up of being fed up with it, to be honest...

Last Sunday we were in the capable hands of @wojsvenwoj, who pulled out a soulful selection in the shape of Jazmine Sullivan's "Heaux Tales", which got the assembled grooving, so it seemed. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @saucer, who's here with tonight's intro...

"Picking an album for listening club is so much harder than putting together a DJ set, because with a set you have more chances to connect with your listener and more leverage to convey what you meant. I do love the challenge of an LC pick.

This time round I started off with a synesthetic visualization of a feeling... and never found what I was looking for. But somehow and super surprisingly to me, this album was closest. 

The band’s core members are from the SF and NYC areas, and the music very much reflects the two divergent aesthetics. I adore them individually and it’s rare to find them present together in such harmony.

It’s kind of raw, it’s very live, it’s all covers. Somehow it evokes my current television obsession, Station Eleven, better even than the quite awesome series soundtrack itself.

Have a listen. The drink you have in your hand is the best one."

Okaydoke. Download's here, stream's below:

See you 8pm GMT.

The Listening Club - 9th January 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay and keeping safe. Well, yeah, that's the new year started with a bang, eh? Of course I'm talking about last Sunday's #festivevortex and not the engulfing Omicron waves, really I'm not... #sigh.

Anyroad, that was indeed a mighty fine #festivevortex indeed, if I do say so myself, thanks again to everyone who chipped in some tunes, and hope y'all enjoyed the results! Back to regularly scheduled programming, we find @wojsvenwoj standing by the sidelines, blowing into his gloves, trying to keep warm...

"Another year down the drain and, now that it's over and all the year-ending best-of lists are out, it's time to take stock of everything I missed or forgot about or just didn't have time for. So, in the spirit of discovery, let's do this together today!

This record is the highest-placed album on a heavy-weight music blog's 2021 list that I wasn't familiar with. I do remember hearing about the artist a little bit and they sounded interesting but never got around to listening to this record. So, aside from a few brief previews to make sure the mp3 rendered okay, it'll be my first spin of it too! Maybe it's really great? Maybe it's over-rated? Maybe it's over-hyped? Only one way to find out!

Some may remember I did a pick this way before. The results were mixed but why let past performance dissuade one from future efforts?

One warning: there are explicit warnings on nearly all tracks so playback accordingly if that factors into your audio calculus."

Okaydoke. download's here, stream's below:

See you 8pm GMT!

The Listening Club - 2nd January 2022

Greetings and Happy '22 to you all.

Hope you managed to have a decent holiday season, whatever you got up to. Pleased to say that, despite covid restrictions coming down around us fast, we managed to achieve our intended plans (unlike last year), successfully and safely. Hooray for small victories, but we still have a long way to go... fingers remain firmly crossed for now.

Week before last we had @holette in the chair, getting everyone bopping at the office party with her pick of Daniel Avery's FabricLive66 Mix from 2012, which definitely hit the spot on the techno-boogie-ometer. Thanks to Sarah for the pick and for sailing the frisb over to @wojsvenwoj, who has another week to ponder because...

Yes, it's that #festivevortex time again. Been doing this for nine years now, and it always seems to get weirder and wilder every time, and this one is no exception, although definitely a little mellower overall, maybe...? Sign of the times, I guess, if so. Anyhoo, here's 28 fine representations and interpretations of 2021, thanks to all who chipped in!

Download's here, stream's below!

See you 8pm GMT. Bring a favourite bottle!