The Active Listener Sampler # 16 Available Now!

This month's sampler is here and ready to download.
We've been blessed with some EXTREMELY talented artists this month, from those you know (Morgan Delt, Doug Tuttle, The Resonars) to those you may not, but definitely should (how good is that Fogbound track - sheesh!)

Welcome back to our fantastic cover artist Martin Butler who's creations always capture the essence of what we're trying to do here perfectly - follow his artwork on Facebook here.

This month features the following tracks:

1. Doug Tuttle - With Us Soon 02:54
2. Violet Swells - Only 03:37
3. The Orgone Box - Mirrorball 02:46
4. Fogbound - Whispering Corridors 03:16
5. Vintage Cucumber - Das Mönchsgebrabbel 08:46
6. Lunar Grave - Rune Spells 02:45
7. Morgan Delt - Obstacle Eyes 03:27
8. The Frowning Clouds - Into The Ground 02:48
9. The Resonars - Six Daisy Neckchain (New Mono Mix) 02:52
10. The Prisoner of Mars - Radio Dada 04:15
11. Bat Faced Girl - The Voodoo Found You 02:06
12. The Diamond Family Archive - Old Time Religion 03:05
13. Dodson & Fogg - Mystery 03:03
14. Tönen - U-Raumfahrtprogram 08:00
15. Rosco A.K.A Sterling Roswell - Nobody Loves The Hulk 03:12
16. Palace of Swords - (We Are) The New Hyperboreans 02:14
17. Kanoi - Obstacles 06:36

Discover more music from these artists:
Bat Faced Girl : http://batfacedgirl.bandcamp.com/
The Diamond Family Archive : http://thediamondfamilyarchive.bandcamp.com/
Dodson & Fogg : http://wisdomtwinsbooks.bandcamp.com/
Fogbound : http://fogbound.bandcamp.com/
The Frowning Clouds : https://www.facebook.com/thefrowningclouds
Kanoi : http://kanoi.bandcamp.com/
Lunar Grave : http://lunargrave.bandcamp.com/
Morgan Delt : https://www.facebook.com/morgandeltmusic / http://troubleinmindrecs.com/
The Orgone Box :  https://www.facebook.com/orgonebox
Palace of Swords : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Palace-of-Swords/208750835810091
The Prisoner of Mars : http://theprisonerofmars.com/
The Resonars : http://theresonars1.bandcamp.com/
Rosco : http://rosco-aka-sterlingroswell.bandcamp.com/
Tönen : http://tonen.bandcamp.com/
Doug Tuttle ; https://www.facebook.com/dougtuttledougtuttle / http://troubleinmindrecs.com/
Vintage Cucumber : http://vintagecucumber.bandcamp.com/
Violet Swells : http://violetswells.bandcamp.com/

Download or stream the sampler here:

Nine Questions with Bat Faced Girl

Nine Questions is a new regular feature on the Active Listener, where we ask our favourite artists nine simple questions and get all sorts of answers....

Today..... Jim Crick from Bat Faced Girl.

What was the first record you bought? 
It was Appetite for Destruction by Guns and Roses when it was first released on tape. I used to have it playing in my old Morris Marina while I was cruising the countryside. It's hard to remember how massive that record was at the time. It's still damn brilliant.

What was the last record you bought? 
Albino Father - II. I got into Albino Father when they released AGE. I think I discovered it through Bill at THE SODA SHOP. They are pretty big on Doom but Albino Father straddle over into Garage and do some fine tunes.

What's one thing about you that very few people know?
I'm an award winning horror actor. :) A few years back I did a short film called BELLY OF THE WOLF and it's won several awards, including the British Horror Award in 2013. I got to go to the Empire at Leicester Square in London and see it screened. I landed the part from being in a band at a friend's wedding. I was very drunk, dressed as Keith Richards. The director was there and he said at that point that he knew I'd be up for the film, but his wife made him wait till the next day before he asked me.

If you could record with any one artist who would it be and why? 
Bobby Hecksher from the Warlocks. There's been some cross pollination already. I've met him a couple of times and he adapted one of my tunes and stuck it on one of his albums. That's all I'm saying about that... I'm pretty chuffed and anyone that knows my old work should have worked that out already. He's a nice guy and I love his new album Skull Lover. It was great to see him back in London last year on his birthday. It's been difficult for him over the last few years, a bit like me.

Who should we be listening to right now? 
My friends THE BARON FOUR. They made a great album last year. 

Vinyl, CD or digital? 
CD... I love packaging but I don't like scratchy vinyl. MP3's serve a purpose but I can hear the frequency cut offs. You're better off with FLAC but not too many gadgets support playing FLAC. It's a bummer.

Tell us about your latest release.
I released WAY OUT this year. It's an 11 track album of Psych, Garage and Blues. There's a lot of fuzz on it. I've been hand building fuzzes, so they all got on the record. That, and my tendon problems have eased a bit so there's more guitar on it than ATROPHE. The big blues tune "WHEN THE DEVIL COMES" is just a guitar / keyboard / bass solo war.  I grew up playing blues bass so a blues revival is not a big surprise, it's always been there like rock and roll, it just sneaks out every now and then. I really like the garage on the record, stupid little riffs played loud hahaha.... Chris taught me that.

What's next for you, musically? 
I'm starting a garage funk band... I'm not saying anymore at the minute but it's sounding really good.

What's for dinner?
Curry... I may put the ghost chilli's in. I'm feeling brave.

https://batfacedgirl.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BatFacedGirl

Nous Sommes Paris

While we have no desire to introduce politics and religion into the mix here at the Active Listener, sometimes these things can't (and shouldn't) be ignored.

So calling in a few favours, and generally working ourselves into a bit of a tizzy, we've spent the last week furiously emailing around and compiling this massive, 35 track collection, which is yours for a steal at only $10 (or more if you can afford it). All proceeds will go to the French Red Cross in their efforts to aid the survivors as well as the families of the victims of those affected by the incidents in Paris on Friday the 13th of November.

Thanks first and foremost to the artists who have kindly contributed to this collection (as well as their labels, management and publishing companies). We'd have nothing to offer without their generous contributions, and they've been very patient with my erratic correspondence. They've provided some great music, much of which is previously unreleased or very hard to come by. We're humbled by their generosity.

And thanks also to Matt Talbot for his thoughtful and tasteful cover image.

Here's the impressive track listing:

1. Courtney Barnett - Ode To Odetta 02:46 2. The Sufis - Different Views 02:42 3. The Phoenix Foundation - I Want More 04:19 4. The Limiñanas - Wunderbar 02:31 5. WJLP - Sunrise 03:21 6. Violet Swells - Gravity Wins Again 03:08 7. Sudden Death of Stars - The Void 04:13 8. Kontiki Suite - I Wish 03:20 9. Daniel Wylie's Cosmic Rough Riders - Misty Dreamer 02:32 10. The Green Pajamas - The Jailer's Song 03:59 11. Soft Hearted Scientists - Midnight Mutinies (Home Demo) 05:15 12. Brown Recluse - Silver Lake 03:51 13. Wilding - Evalina 03:14 14. Eerie Wanda - Volcano Lagoon 02:54 15. Bat Faced Girl - Straight In My Heart 01:54 16. The Magnetic Mind - Stay Away From The Door 03:01 17. Sky Picnic - Upon Further Reflection 03:23 18. Eric Lichter - Slicing Through My Thumb 04:22 19. Nick J. Morfitt - Embryo 04:13 20. The Blue Giant Zeta Puppies - The Wild Ride of Ichabod Crane (Dandelion Radio Version) 02:52 21. Cornershop - Let The Good Time Roll 02:26 22. The Luck of Eden Hall - Twelve 05:09 23. Kanoi - Mountains Of The Sun 06:45 24. Orgasmo Sonore - French Gainsbourg 03:27 25. Alasdair Roberts and Debbie Armour - Come, My Darling Polly (2015 Version) 04:07 26. Emily Jones - Light Appearing 01:45 27. The Diamond Family - A Raven 05:43 28. The Ilk - Jacques Bonsergent 02:50 29. Katje Janisch - The Yew Tree (Resurrection) 04:17 30. The Sound Of The Shires - Judy Fly 03:58 31. The Sigmaticle Tour Green - Star Gazer 02:57 32. Keith Seatman - It’s Now Time to Let Go 04:47 33. Polypores - Man With Antlers 06:08 34. Jim Griffin - After a Walk in The Country 03:53 35. The Hare And The Moon - Come Unto The Corn 04:26

Please give generously and share around as you can. Merci beaucoup.