The Underground of Happiness

An instrumental mix for this summer/autumn crossover (sum/tumn).

Some of my favourite soundtrack cuts in here. Also a few notable new releases. Some on the experimental end.

Plenty of drones.

Enjoy.



Playlist
William Tyler – I’m gonna live forever (If it kills me) (Merge Records)
Glenn Jones – From Frederick to Fredericksburg (Thrill Jockey)
Richard Osborn – Streets of Laredo, A Pastorale (Tompkins Square)
Spindle Ensemble – Moonbow (Adderwell Music)
Sebastian Reynolds – Mahajanaka (Remix by Emseatee) (www.sebastianreynolds.co.uk)
Bernard Herrmann – Scene d’amour (from the soundtrack of the film Vertigo, Varese Sarabande)
Moondog – Theme (Columbia)
Soccer 96 – Button basher (Slowfoot Records)
Infinite Music – Magenta (Infinite Music: A Tribute to La Monte Young, Fire Records)
Jodie Lowther – Dream of the Melting Plane (The Blow Vol 4, Front & Follow)
Eat Lights, Become Lights – Modular Living (Rocket Girl)
Tangerine Dream – Teetering scales (from the soundtrack of the fil…

A review of the year so far in music.

Some great sounds in 2018.

Enjoy.



Playlist 489 - Best of 2018, Jan-July

Kacy & Clayton – The siren’s song (New West Records)
Kacey Johansing – The hiding (Night Bloom Records/Melodic)
Jessica Risker – Anyway when I look in your eyes (Western Vinyl)
Jim Ghedi – Sloade Lane (Basin Rock Records)
Szun Waves – Constellation (The Leaf Label)
Spindle Ensemble – Moonbow (Adderwell Music)
Nightports w/ Matthew Bourne – Exit (The Leaf Label)
Get Well Soon – Martyrs (City Slang)
Caroline Says – First song (Western Vinyl)
The Saxophones – Aloha (Full Time Hobby)
Jack Hayter – At Crossness Pumping Station (Gare du Nord)
Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread - Less than positive (Full Time Hobby)
Jennifer Castle – Texas (Paradise of Bachelors)
Kamasi Washington – The Space Traveller’s Lullaby (Young Turks)
Django Django – In your beat (Because Music)
De Lux – 875 dollars (Innovative Leisure)
BOYTOY – Mary Anne (Stolen Body Records)
…

Now and again a record comes along that just seems to suit the atomsphere.

As in the actual weather.

One album has dominated the last two months for me. It has soundtracked my heatwave. Almost as if it was written specially for it.

The sound is dreamy. There’s a shimmer to it. All acoustic guitars, staccato picked electrics and upfront airy synths. Back of the room drums with plenty of toms. Pitter patter basslines.

And a voice that conjures nothing but a warm summer night.

You might say a California sound.

This album was released last year in the US but thanks to the people at Melodic in England it’s getting a second life.

The vocals deserve another mention. They’re an absolute dream.

Soulful.

Swooning.

Persuasive with gorgeous tumbling bittersweet melodies.

At times the between the eyes purity of a Christine McVie. At times the drifting enigma of a Victoria Legrand.

At all times the most convincing natural thing in the world.

And not just t…

A playlist for summer.

Sunshine.

Heatwave.

(We've been having that around this neck of the woods.)

When the heat does things to you. Changes your brain. Makes everything blurry. So it shimmers.

Enjoy.



Kacy & Clayton – The light of day (New West Records)
Gene Clark – Why not your baby (A&M Records)
The Byrds – Wild Mountain Thyme (Columbia)
Jess Williamson – I see the white (Mexican Summer)
Naim Gabriel Amor – Just before revelation (Vacilando ’68)
Kamasi Washington – The Space Traveller’s Lullaby (Young Turks)
Esquivel – My blue heaven (RCA)
Ennio Morricone feat. Edda Dell’Orso – Una spiaggia a mezzogiorno (from the soundtrack of the film Vergogna Schifosi) (Ariete)
LWW – CTP (radio edit) (The Leaf Label)
Szun Waves – Constellation (The Leaf Label)
Kody Nielson – Bic’s birthday (Flying Nun)
Os Mutantes – Bat macumba (Polydor)
Malena Zavala – If it goes (Yucatan Records)
Tenniscoats – Ende (Alien Transistor)
The Saxophones – Aloha (Full Time Hobby)
Kacey …

A playlist for Spring.

Things growing. There is sun but in this part of the world it's still weak. A cooling sun (with thanks to Jessica Risker, see below).

Enjoy.



Playlist 487 – May 2018: A cooling sun

Modern Studies – Young sun (Fire Records) (playing The Lexington, London, May 28)
Nightports w/ Matthew Bourne – Exit (The Leaf Label) (Matthew Bourne playing Leeds Jazz Festival, July 22)
Jack Hayter – The mulberry tree at Abbey Wood (Gare du Nord)
Sebastian Reynolds – Mahajanaka (Remix by Emseatee)
Laurence Pike – Cloud and wires (The Leaf Label)
Alasdair Roberts, David McGuinness, Amble Skuse – Long a-growing (Drag City) (Alasdair Roberts, playing Campfire Club, London, Sept 14)
Spindle Ensemble – Panic amongst the dragonflies (Adderwell Music) (playing The Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol, May 20)
Moondog – Voices of spring (CBS/BGO Records)
Death & Vanilla – Free Design Kung-Fu (live, The Tenant) (Fire Records)
Ennio Morricone with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, T…

The final weekly show for the time being has a number of my favourite things in 2018 so far.

Caroline Says, a dream pop of devastating hush.
Jim Ghedi, beautiful chamber folk and each element holding its own.
La Luz, stalking noir pop with an unbeatable bassline.
Kacy & Clayton, great country rock with an unforgettable lead vocal.
Jack Hayter's wonderful heart on sleeve narratives.

And new Jessica Risker, folk music with gorgeous/unsettling psych tones.

Keep in touch on these pages.



The Underground of Happiness
uplifting pop music of every creed

www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com
Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy

Playlist 486
Tues Apr 17 2018
11.00am-12.00pm
(repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm)
UCC 98.3FM
listen live on the web at www.ucc.ie/983fm
*listen back to this show here
goo.gl/C2Skvv

Playlist
The Byrds – She don’t care about time
Kacy & Clayton – A lifeboat (playing Cathedral Arts Quarter Festival, Belfast, May 7)
Jessica Risker – Cut my hair
Jim Ghedi – S…