The Listening Club - 15th September 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing fine. Been a grotty week here in Amsterdam as a nasty northerly wind has swept autumnal vibes onto us with a vengeance. That said, the sun's peeking out and it's a mild afternoon, so let's get this tapped out so I can go make the most of it...

Last Sunday we had @woj in the chair, delivering something new from old with his pick of Wanda Jackson's "This Party Ain't Over" produced by Jack White in 2009, which got the assembled jivin' and swingin' as you'd expect. Thanks to Woj for the pick and for sailing the frisb over to @corin_ja who is here with tonight's intro...

"I think my taste in music could be roughly divided between very popular, top-of-the-charts acts of the 1970s and 80s and somewhat obscure, meditative, downtempo things that have niche appeal. In making a selection for Listening Club I am usually torn between these two poles, anyhow. Do I pick something that everyone probably knows, hoping it'll be a fun experience if most people like or at least are aware of the record in question?

Or do I take a risk with something that probably fewer people will know but that might not work at all, some people might even flee, screaming in horror?

I'll let you decide which option I have gone for this week, and we shall see what happens.

#DrinkingClub suggestion is a Negroni for this one, but don't read too much into that."

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

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

The Listening Club - 8th September 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Summer still hanging on here in Amsterdam, although the forthcoming week sees wet and grey heading our way, which is annoying. Still, the cultural season continues in full force, and Cornelius (and group) played an absolute blinder on Tuesday, so there's not much to complain about, apart from my inability to grasp responsive css and drag my website into the 21st century, but hey, at least I'm finally trying... ;-)

Anyhoo, last Sunday it was me, @kleptones, in the chair, trying to surprise as best I could with my pick of Spurv's 2003 album "Brefj​æ​re" which rocked and folked in plenty of epic directions. Following that, all that remained was to flip the frisb across to @woj, who is right here with tonight's intro...

"As usual, I had several ideas rattling around in my head for this week's Listening Club and was spiralling in on one of them to select but then I had an opportunity to see a film called "Rock Chicks...I Am Not Female To You" this past week and my plans were revised. With a title like that, it's pretty obvious that this pick is by a woman so gendered pronouns it is!. Today's pick was not in the film herself but is still a central figure as a good portion of the film features her former guitarist. While I knew this woman and some of her songs, I realized I wasn't as versed in her long carer as I should have been so di a little reading, did a little listening, and ended up picking this record to grace our earballs today. It's one of her comeback records, to an extent, and has a famous producer but that's not why i selected it. I mostly selected it because it's one of her longer records...and still under 40 minutes long! Anyway, hope you enjoy it!"

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

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1) while stocks last!

The Listening Club - 1st September 2024

Greetings folks, pinch and a punch and all that.

Hope all is good for you all. Alas, September est arrivé, along with the end of the summer holidays, although the 28 degrees celsius I feel and the skate park block party round the corner that we will soon be attending are both begging to differ. It's been a fun week or two, as the remains of the summer and the start of the Dutch "cultural season" collide, providing opportunities to see odd bits of classical and jazz being performed for free around the city, which is really very nice indeed. Add meeting up with a few old friends here and there for food, drink and fine conversation, and well, what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, Cornelius is playing the Paradiso on Tuesday. So yes, I'm in musn't grumble mode right now, for sure.

Last Sunday, as befits the last of the month, saw us in #vortex mode, this time a #OneLastTuneVortex, which as predicted was quite evenly split between mellow finishes and balls-to-the-wall moments, with only one or two crowd-clearers in attedance. Thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes, and the mighty @Saucer for the tough job of stitching it all together!

Looking back to our regular program, we find it's me, @kleptones, that has the frisb, so let's get italic for tonight's intro...

"Right then. 

Around the turn of the year, if I have time, I bookmark a few "best of year" music lists, particularly for genres of music that's I'm not particularly au fait with or a fan of, just to have a listen to what is considered new and great, on the off chance that something will catch my ear. Most of it gets binned after 20-30 seconds of listening, but occasionally something slips through and makes its way into the permanent collection.

Here's one that slipped through from last year's lists. It's epic, It's Scandinavian and that's probably nuff said for now. Looking forward to seeing what you think...."

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

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

The Listening Club - 25th August 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good - Summer continuing nicely here in Amsterdam, although the occasional chill wind and the first sight of Christmas produce in the supermarkets (yes, really) reminding us that the end of the warms is in sight, so as usual, we're determined to make the most of it, thus you find us returning from a nice day out in the park, ready to get on with this...

Last Sunday saw @holette in the chair, hitting a classic straight out the stadium with her pick of Roxy Music's "For Your Pleasure" from 1973, which got the assembled mostly bouncing in their stack heels as you'd expect. Thanks to Sarah for the pick and for sailing the frisb across to me, @kleptones, who is quite grateful for an extra week to ponder because...

...yep, end of the month means #vortex time, and this time the votes decreed a #OneLastTuneVortex... is that to be one more tune to get the crowd jumping, or one more tune to send them out the door arm in arm, or even one more tune to get the place empty fast so the workers can get home? We're about to find out, as @saucer has gathered and arranged your submissions and offereings - advance thanks to him for the effort.

Download's here, stream's below:

See you 20:00 BST (GMT+1). Time for one last round before the bar closes!

The Listening Club - 18th August 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. It's Mid-August already? Dammit, I'm only just getting used to this sitting-around-in-considerably-less-clothes-than-usual-sipping-iced-drinks-whilst-pretending-to-be-a-sensible-person-online kind of thing (as usual). So it goes. Hype cat also continues to be very, very happy as the warmness continues, so it's best to follow his lead really... or else.

Also as the mid-August is falling on oddball days, it's a gonna be a #vortex next Sunday, so dig out those ideas and display them chez mastodon for all to see later on tonight!

Last Sunday, whilst astonishingly nursing a fractured tibia (such dedication!), @soundclamp got everyone deep into the fusion with Christer Bothén & Bolon Bata's "Trancedance" from 1984. Big thanks & get well soon wishes to Dan, and extra thanks extended, as before he headed off to A&E he managed to sail the frisb over to @holette, who is right here with tonight's intro...

"No prizes for guessing tonight's pick.  

Aficionados will be able to name that tune in one I expect.

I sensed a frisson of excitement rippling through some Listening Clubbers when I mentioned this band a while back,  so why resist the temptation to share?

For those who don't know it, this album is a wild ride of delicious affectation, darkly weird lyrics, outlandish experimentation and frankly bonkers synths.

Drinking club recommendation: a knock out Cosmopolitan."

Yes indeed. Download is here, stream's below.

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

The Listening Club - 11th August 2024

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Been a zoomy week here, as we nipped off to Paris last Sunday (hence the early #LC post and sharp exit) to enjoy some Olympic bidniss and general Parisian activity, mainly of the food and drink varieties, natch, but with a bit of culture here and there amongst the heatwaves. And all very génial it was too. 

Last Sunday, as we chugged off on the train, @eastvanhalen hit the nail squarely on the head with her pick of Roy Ayers' "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" from 1976 which got the assembled moving and grooving as one would expect. Thanks to Steph for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @soundclamp, who's right here with the intro to tonight's pick...

"This week’s Listening Club pick was really fucken ponderous because an offhand remark Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth made, music has become very factionalized, burrowed in deep and wouldn’t get out of my head. In the spirit of finding something going against that grain, I’ve yanked out a new old album from 1984 with a fusion of ideas and a really unique pedigree. Hopefully you’ll agree I haven’t failed the assignment."

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

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

The Listening Club - 4th August 2024

Salutations folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Summer finally in full flow here in Amsterdam, which is pleasing the locals, especially Hype Cat, who is happily spending some good long days napping in the nearby undergrowth, occasionally reaching out a paw to catch a passing mouse. It's definitely his favourite time of year for sure, bless.

In equivalently chill mode, last Sunday we joined together for a #RelaxationVortex, which saw a fine variety of sounds that soothe, not all mellow either. Thanks to everyone for chipping in tunes, and to @akx for blending everything together.

Back to regular programming, we see @EastVanHalen holding the frisb, with this to say by way of introduction to tonight's pick:

"Good summer Sunday afternoon/evening/etc everyone,

For this week’s LC pick, I knew I wanted an album that feels just right for those warm, languid days that are deepening into late summer, and I remembered this - something I had thought about playing before, but which had dropped off my radar until I was recently reminded by…a meme. Don’t @ me. I also first heard this artist because they used one of the songs on this album in a commercial - I’m not proud, just glad to have heard the guy, and that he’s getting paid :) He’s also been sampled by pretty much everybody, so if you haven’t given his work a spin you still might hear something you recognize.

So sit back, get some languid funky vibes going, and enjoy. For #drinkingclub, make it long and cool."

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

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