The Underground of Happiness

A thrilling mix of drones, motorik and kosmische from Tim Gane (ex-Stereolab) with friends Joe Dilworth and Holger Zapf , and a couple of mouthwatering vocal cameos from Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Sonic Boom . There’s enough of that familiar analogue synth bounce to keep Stereolabbers happy. But plenty more dirty filthy beats and sky gazing melodies, hints of everything from industrial to garage rock to psych-noir soundtracks, with a plethora of cracking (mostly danceable) tunes. Tis only early but definitely one of the albums of the year.

Gorgeous baroque pop with a psych folk edge like a meeting of The Zombies and Nick Drake, with a side of Bob Lind, the definition of a lost classic. Here’s the story in the man’s own words. "It was September 1969 and I was 20 years old. I walked into a Parisian recording studio full of orchestra and Eddy Vartan (the producer). The result, two weeks later was the album 'The Nightmare of J.B. Stanislas' [Disc'Az]. The label owner [Lucien Morisse] who had signed me up, died a few weeks later and the album was never released. So I went on my way. I taught water skiing on an Italian island and skiing in the Swiss Alps. I carried on writing and would play my songs to my mother (my only fan) in her kitchen where the sound was good. When she died, I recorded the album 'Suitcase Man' with some of Cat Stevens' musicians and the album went to No.1 in Spain. The label forgot to pay me but I did get to open for Leonard Cohen in Spain which was probably worth mor...

A wonderfully smouldering cut from Stuart Staples and crew which simply confirms the band’s deep roots in soul. Stax is the particular branch that comes to the surface here, discreet horns and a lovely moving bassline putting the cap on Staples’ complete one off of a voice, injured and searching, the epitome of down in the gutter looking up at the stars. More magnificent pop music from a band that doesn’t know the meaning of a bad album.

More or less all new music on the show this week, plenty of it in the air this weather. We Show Up On Radar , a kind of bedroom pop Flaming Lips, winsome gorgeous tunes with a bite. A Dyjecinski , a guy from British Columbia in Canada who sings like he has the weight on him, a country lounge strain out of Lambchop or Boa Morte, brilliant. Astronauts , you know, masterful hushed motorik. Man of Moon , new tune, krautrock garage boon, over too soon. And Jaako Eino Kalevi , a 2015 gem, sublime bedroom soul from Finland. Get into it. More on the blog. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 395 Tues Mar 29 2016 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 https://goo.gl/BfEbHm Playlist Virginia Wing - Rhonda ( playin...

A special themed show this week to mark Easter . So songs about sacrifice, yearning, the awesome power of the universe. And love, death and the void. Plus some of not taking God very seriously. I like flippant in the face of mortality. It's (very) loosely broken down as follows: The Universe (Tks 1-5) Devotional (Tks 6-8) Non-believers (Tks 9-14) Full tracklist below. Enjoy. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 394 - Religion/Spirituality/Universe Special Tues Mar 22 2016 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 https://goo.gl/ANE7Fx Playlist The Ronettes – Paradise Bjork – Oceania The Beach Boys - Transcendental Meditation Howe Gelb - Paradise here abouts Gavin Bryars feat. Tom Waits and an unnamed tra...

M Ward has produced some of the most sublime songs over his career which reference the roots of rock and roll – country, blues, swing, soul, a touch of lounge, orchestral – and here’s another beauty for the collection. With consoling back of the room strings, cavern reverb guitar and a devastating hushed croon, he creates a memorable atmosphere of dreamy late night intrigue. That the song turns out to be an epitaph to a friend who died in a car crash only confirms what a grade A songwriter Ward is. *Doo wop gets a run out on the equally lovely ‘Little baby’, as if Buddy Holly started a barbershop quartet and grew a falsetto. Track 11 in this playlist

Serge Gainsbourg died 25 years ago this month. Always room at UOH Towers to pay tribute to that legend. Whyte Horses (pic) are a new band on me, making some lovely psych pop, sung in French here which is always good. This is the Kit can also do French, brilliantly, and they play Cork in April. More Giorgio Tuma , loving that album, sitting somewhere between Stereolab/High Llamas and Ennio Morricone. And Britta Phillips (of Luna, Dean & Britta), debut album out next month. Check Bert Jansch goodies out for Record Store Day on Earth Records . And a nice little electronic run with Iggy Pop taking Walt Whitman on a journey with Tarwater & Alva Noto and gorgeous ambient sounds from Qluster . And Orchestra of Spheres , the best bonkers music to shake your ass to. More on these pages. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: Undergrou...

A beautiful album of (mostly) chamber pop capable of swinging between noirish and swooning melancholy tones and sharp as a pin lyrically, from the co-founder of The Delgados. So you have string drenched French style torch songs like ‘Don’t make me wait’; spooky stalked atmospheres like ‘Alabaster’, a satisfyingly piquant slice of regret and betrayal; and intimate austere string quartet arrangements like ‘Intermission’, full of throbbing cello and sawing violins. The frantic buzzing backbeat of single ‘Parks and Recreation’ drags things out of the chamber and into the garage, a detour confirmed by the great thudding prog pop of ‘Vacant stare’. This mini run is closed with the very appealing ‘In the company of the damned’, a simple restless electric guitar strum, a faint drone and a wonderful clear-eyed lyric of sycophants and cheats. The album closes as it opened in a minor key with the sublime and spacious orchestral folk of ‘Dark skies’ and the deceptively cutting ‘Old gh...

Ex Stereolab all over this week's show. Tim Gane's new band Cavern of Anti-Matter have a great debut album full of machine drones and kosmische tones. Meanwhile Laetitia Sadier sings guest on the new Giorgio Tuma album, beautiful drifting dream pop under the shadow of Morricone. The Goon Sax are from Brisbane and make lovely off kilter guitar pop very much in the style of early Go Betweens (as it happens the band features Louis Forster , son of ex Go Between Robert). M Ward is back with a new album, another gorgeous excavation of his roots of rock n roll influences - doo wop, country, soul et al. And his old compadres in Giant Sand are touring soon, including Cyprus Avenue in Cork on April 14th (with Jason Lytle too of Grandaddy fame). And some baroque pop - The Zombies, Nick Garrie and The Association , a certain glorious psych edge is never far away. More on the blog. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroun...

A beautifully muted chamber piece from the artist recently moved to Johannesburg. Insistent piano arpeggios, head held high string quartet and a gorgeous sighing steel guitar combine to give a certain existential feel. That and the mysterious poetic quality of the words - “I am a tunnel that’s not long enough...a headlight to your rabbit”. A sublime perfectly formed miniature.

New music this week from Tindersticks (typically smouldering soul cut with brass), The Comet Is Coming (outer space free jazz rumblings with sax drones), Britta Phillips (sweet dream pop cover of Evie Sands)and Virginia Wing (dark mutated disco). A couple of great reissues from Nick Garrie (gorgeous baroque pop from 1969) and The Monochrome Set (filthy lyrical put downs from 1985). A gorgeous remix of Lutine by Sarah Angliss and Stephen Hiscock . And Matthew Bourne , wringing magical sounds from a moog. More on these pages. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 391 Tues Mar 1 2016 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 https://goo.gl/iDP5fs Playlist Matthew Bourne – Sam ( playing BFI Southbank, London, Mar ...