The Listening Club - 25th September 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Summer is well out of the way now here in Amsterdam, with no sign of a last mini-heatwave, sigh. Still, when the outdoors is not so good, the indoors comes along to make up for it, so it's another Sunday gig for us tonight (Vaudou Game this time) and another to follow next Sunday too (Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets), so as always, I really shouldn't be complaining, eh?

Chez #LC, last Sunday we had @akx in the chair, jazzily mellowing folks nicely with his pick of  Linda Fredriksson's "Juniper", which looked like it went down very well indeed. Thanks to Aarni for the selection, and for sailing the frisb across to @saucer, who will deal with it in due course, as he has other fish to fry...

That's right, it's end-of-the-month, and that means #vortex time, and this time, maybe understandably as it's been in everyone's faces for the last couple of weeks, folks plumped for a #royalvortex, so that very same @saucer has been gathering and sorting your selections on a regal theme, for better and for worse, and here they are...

Download's here, stream's below:

See you 8pm BST for playback.

The Listening Club - 18th September 2022

Greetings folks,

Well, finally the warm embrace of summer ends, to be replaced by the clammy grey embrace of cloakroom season. Kinda apt as I'm off out this Sunday and next at gigs, hoorah.

Last Sunday saw wor @nessiest in the chair, sending the assembled spiralling off into the cosmic range with her pick of Gene Clark's "No Other" from 1974, which hit the spot that only "No Other" can hit, hence the name, I guess... Thanks to Vanessa for the pick, and for flipping the frisb over to Finland, where @akx looks up and declaims...

"This was on repeat for a while when it was released in April this year.

#drinkingclub: an introspective dram, or a pot of tea or coffee."

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

See you 8pm BST (GMT+1) tonight

The Listening Club - 11th September 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Still warm here in Amsterdam, although the rains are creeping in, but the shorts and flip-flops remain resolutely in use as much as possible. Been an unusual week all things considered (as u may kno), but glad we found time to pop out and see the Concertgebouw Orchestra kick off their season with an open air show in the westerpark, which, even though it was quite middle-of-the-road as classical stuff goes, was bloody lovely.

Last Sunday we had @iamwahl in the chair, dealing out "The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You" from Neko Case, which definitely hit the spot, both with those who knew, and those who didn't. Thanks extended for the pick, and also for the frisbaton sail across the ocean to @nessiest, who, despite having a super busy week (can testify), emailed this over as an intro for tonight's pick...

"I love this album. When @kleptones wanted to watch a documentary about this artist one evening, I was hooked. Many of you will know this, although if so I am hoping you haven’t listened to it in a while.  If you don’t know it, I think you should, voila! It’s been on my list of possibles for a long time. 

The artist is of Irish and Native American heritage and well, I just want to hear their voice this weekend.

Drinking club recommendations, gosh. Neat bourbon or a mug of tea."

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

See you 8pm BST (GMT+1)

The Listening Club - 4th September 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. September eh? *Looks at thermometer* well, you coulda fooled me (26°C since you ask) *cracks open cold one*, nope, still not complaining, at least until the electric bill arrives. #truth

Last Sunday, we danced about the place to the #architecturevortex, which was a very fine selection of interpretations, thanks everyone for chipping in tunes and especial thanks to @jimmccauley for the excellent construction work. Prior to that we had @iamwahl clutching the frisb, so here he is with tonight's intro...

"This week’s selection comes to you courtesy of serendipity. I had something else completely cued up and ready to process and file with the editors. Then, while making a short drive to a favourite trail park for a late afternoon dog walk following last week’s vortex, a track on one of the mixed CDs I regularly cycle through while driving caught my attention and I couldn’t believe this recording wasn’t already in my pocket for upcoming ListeningClub inclusion. I think this artist is a monster of creativity and imagination, bringing a big dose of both to this album. Not easily pigeonholed or categorized, I hope the range of tunes and tones on this record will deliver at least a little something for everyone. Added bonus, it is from this decade…!

For #DrinkingClub I’d suggest a favoured brew, or something “neat”…."

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

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

 

The Listening Club - 28th August 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. Still sunny and dry here in Amsterdam, though temps are back down to a more seasonal average, but seeing as it's been the "official hottest and sunniest summer since records began" (apparently), that's fair enough, I guess. Still, impending ecodisasters notwithstanding, I very much enjoyed it, and will be sad to see things cool down... le sigh.

Last Sunday we had that @zensolo back in the chair, getting angular in an early 80s NYC stylee with his pick of The Golden Palominos' debut album, which got the assembled bopping in a zippy way. Thanks to David for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @IamWahl, who has an extra week to ponder because...

Yes, vortex time again, and this time we prepare to dance to an #architecturevortex - Advance thanks to everyone who has chipped in tunes, and double treble thanks to @JimMcCauley for stepping in late in the day to do the heavy lifting. (I should note here that we're always looking for more vortex compilers, so if you have the skills and want to have a go, please send us a DM, would be great to have your help!)

Anyhoo, direct download's here, and the stream's below...

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

The Listening Club - 21st August 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing good. A little cooler this week in Amsterdam, with a few thunderstorms, which has been welcomed by the parched and somewhat stinky (thanks local dogs!) streets. Still warm enough to take in some alfresco cinema ("Millie Lies Low", highly recommended) and check out some lesser known Amsterdam venues, well, the ones with outdoor spaces anyways... no complaints right now, really, which is nice, eh?

Last Sunday we had @fertanish in the chair for their debut pick, sailing out the brain-boggling "Tan Man's Hat" by Sean Noonan Pavees Dance which certainly got the assembled classes chattering happily. Thanks to Bill for the pick, and for doing a fast return of the frisbee back to @zensolo, so here's that man again...

"Last week's selection fueled repeated dives down some musical rabbit holes, leading to the realization that I actually have more jazz and jazz-adjacent sounds on this HD than I realized, as I haven't listened to them in a while.

This, of course, triggered the usual bout of second-guessing as I pondered a choice for this Sunday's selection, but, at the risk of being a bit too obvious, I'm sticking with the original idea of following through on some musical connections:

The bottom line (ouch) was-- last week's bass player is a guest on a couple of tracks here.

The motor for the project was, indeed, the rhythm nexus, which led to variations-- an evolution?-- in sound and style according to the variety of personnel invited to contribute from one recording to another.

Next year will be the 40th anniversary of this first outing's release! The labels 'no-wave' and 'avant-funk' hold up pretty well. The grapevine, even at this historical distance, is that the record didn't quite live up to what this outfit, in all its various permutations, could deliver onstage.

So I'll just shut up now. There's a fun, fun connection for an afterparty selection I'll keep under wraps...enjoy!"

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

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

The Listening Club - 14th August 2022

Greetings folks,

Hope you're all doing okay. Hot as balls here in Amsterdam, so it's been a week of low achievement and high speed fans, interspersed with occasional outdoor eating / drinking sessions when the temperature is agreeable. Even the expected tourist foot traffic around the neighbourhood has reduced to almost nothing, which is saying something. Meanwhile, most of our neighbours are away to their regular destinations of Italy, South of France, Spain etc... Good luck with that, I say.

Last Sunday we cooled our heels to the sounds of Marc Ribot's "Silent Movies" from back in 2010, as selected by @zensolo for the assembled's delectation, and collective appreciation, I'd say. Thanks extended for the pick, and for sailing the frisb across to @fertanish, who has this to say by way of introduction to their debut selection....

"He walked behind the drum kit and looked at us with wide eyes and a goofy grin. The message was clear, “we are going to have fun up here.” Every note played was new to my ears, but the joy of the show made it easy to turn the songs into friends.

I bought this release only hours after being introduced to the “Rhythmic Storyteller” and his wonderful band. I had doubts that the energy of the show I had just watched would be as infectious on a studio recording; however, this is easily the most-played album I have bought this year (which is really saying something). Thanks for the opportunity to share it with you and mentally revisit that concert."

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

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