The Listening Club - 17th April 2016

Hey folks,

Hope all is fine with everyone. Another mostly sunny weekend here in Amsterdam (yeah, I know I keep mentioning it, but this place usually grayer than gray for the most part, so it's remarkable), soundtracked by the webcast from Coachella, which has delivered a few gems amongst a lot of landfill indie and dance cheese. (Currently Ice Cube is declaring it a good day in the background as I type.) So... on y va.

Last week @akx was in the chair, and paused unpacking his new abode long enough to treat the assembled to Ott's "Hallucinogen In Dub", which seemed to chill folks quite satisfactorily. Thanks to Aarni for the pick, and for spinning the frisbee back down to London where @samsmitter is waiting with this week's intro....

"About 15 years ago I was living in America, sitting at a desk doing a tedious corporate job for most of the day. The internet was still young enough at that time that I was amazed and grateful that I could put on a pair of headphones at my desk, listen to John Peel’s show, and be transported home for a couple of hours. The show was still my most reliable source of hearing new music (nowadays its you people), and almost every show I would hear something that made me go “who was that?”. One show I remember well was when I heard the White Stripes for the first time, along with the artist I have picked today, in the same show.

It was John Peel’s enthusiastic endorsement that made this artist popular in the UK, among those who like this sort of thing at least. I later read that he described her first album (released today on vinyl for the first time, along with a BBC sessions album, which is one reason I am picking this) as the most enjoyable of the last 10 years or something. This is her second proper album, and just as good as the first in my opinion, if less celebrated. Its not really typical “John Peel” music (if such a thing exists) as its very conventional, easy listening kind of stuff. But it is full of great songs.

I’ve missed a few Listening Club sessions over the years but I also think this might be the first album we have had in this genre. For some time I have wanted to pick something that would prove to everyone that I own music recorded after 1979 – well now I have, but its not exactly Deep Scratch Cyber-Dub, in fact it sounds like it could have been recorded in the 1950s, production quality aside. I hope you enjoy it, but if you fall asleep, I won’t be offended.. Sam x"

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

Listening Club 17 April 2016 by samsmitter on hearthis.at

See y'all at 8pm BST (GMT+1)