The Underground of Happiness

Sounds from the universe. Sounding well. With love. x Playlist The Chills – The male monster with the id (Fire, reissue) St Vincent – Piggy (Caroline) Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – 30,000 megabucks (Communion) Terry Gross – Specificity (Or what have you) (Thrill Jockey) Sleeper & Snake – Lock up the loose (Upset The Ryhthm) Louis Philippe & The Night Mail – Fall in a daydream (Tapete) Emily Barker – The woman who planted trees Arch Garrison – Lady young ghost (Believers Roast) Joe Hisaishi with New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra – Procession of the spirits (from the soundtrack of the film Spirited away ) Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy feat. Sean O’Hagan – Wish you were gay (Drag City) Drug Store Romeos – Jim, let’s play (Caroline) Half Japanese – Undisputed champions (Fire) Margot – Falling in between days (Full Time Hobby) Trashcan Sinatras – Twisted and bent (Go! Discs) Skinshape – Another day (Big Crown Records) Edwa...

autumn give a little bit it'll do you good x Playlist The Notwist feat. Saya – Ship (Morr Music/Alien Transistor) Normil Hawaiians – In the stone (Upset The Rhythm) Sam Prekop – Comma (Thrill Jockey) Bert Jansch – Crimson moon (Earth, reissue) Tame Impala – Tomorrow’s dust (Caroline) Lizette & Quevin – Talk to me (Big Crown Records) B-Fax – Therefore (Disco-Ordination) El Michels Affair feat. Piya Malik – Dhuaan (Big Crown Records) El Michels Affair feat.Shannon Wise – Sha na na (Big Crown Records) Gabriel Olafs – Bára (Hugar Rework) (One Little Independent) Global Charming – Charming (Subroutine Records) Half Japanese – Wondrous wonder (Fire) Holy Sons – Lady of the hour (Thrill Jockey) Jens Kuross – Golden Septembers Josephine Foster – The wheel of fortune (Fire) Lee Fields & The Expressions – Two timer (Big Crown Records) M Ward – For heavens sake (Anti) Naked Roommate – Mad love (Upset The Rhythm) Mera Bhai – Manana groove (Moshi Mosh...

A set of tunes pulled from the ether of this 2020 summer. Much love. X Playlist Josephine Foster – I’m a dreamer (Fire) The Allergies feat The Cuban Brothers – Let them know (Jalapeno Records) Spirit Fest – Circle love (Morr Music) Go Hirano – Windy shores (Morr Music/Alien Transistor) Stuart Moxham & Louis Phillippe – Tidy away (Tiny Global Productions) William Tyler – An opening (from the soundtrack of the film First Cow) (Merge) Malena Zavala – En la noche (Yucatan Records) 79.5 – My dream (Big Crown Records) The Dears – Is this what you really want (Dangerbird Records) El Michels Affair – Hipps (Big Crown Records) Brainstory – Runaway (Big Crown Records) Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard – Double denim hop (Caroline International) Hiss Golden Messenger – Cat’s eye blue (Live at Spacebomb) Dead Famous People – Goddess of chill (Fire) Hater – Sift (Fire) Holy Hive – Be thou by my side (Big Crown Records) Laurence Pike – Nero (The Leaf Label...

New music for you. Curated by the universe. Enjoy. Playlist Pozi - Whitewashing (PRAH Recordings) The Cool Greenhouse – The sticks (Melodic) The Dears – Heart of an animal (Dangerbird Records) The Beths – Dying to believe (Captured Tracks) Dick Dent – Juliet (Riviera Sun Records) Nation of Language – September again (self-released) M Ward – Unreal city (Anti Records) Cabane feat Bonnie “Prince” Billy – tu ne joueras plus a l’amour (Cabane Records) Damien Jurado – Fool Maria (Loose Recordings) AJ Lambert – One rizla (Bandcamp) Trashcan Sinatras – The closer you move away from me (Oceans Apart Recordings) Coco – One time villain (FCA Records) Bananagun – People talk too much (Full Time Hobby) El Michels Affair feat The Shacks – Enfant (Big Crown Records) Girlhood – The love I need (Team Talk Records) Holy Hive – Broom (Big Crown Records) Jason Joshua – Language of love (Big Crown Records) Skinshape feat D’Alma – Sua Alma (Big Crown Records) Thee Sacred So...

These are a bunch of songs. Primarily they’re all songs or tunes I love. They all mean something to me. But I was also thinking about music during a pandemic. Music that can unite as all the best music does. That’s universal. Music when you’re stuck somewhere – at home, maybe, or somewhere not many other people are – and what it can do for you. Music when you’re looking for meaning. Music when you’re isolated. Distanced. Music when you need hope or inspiration or comfort. Or an uplift. Or strength. Music when you’re worried. It turns out songwriters and composers have addressed these themes. A lot. Like Talking Heads giving paranoia a cathartic groove. Lambchop paying tribute to people in the form of an irresistible soul singalong. Songs of love for someone in particular (I’ll light your way back, You’re the one, Can’t do without you, Heart of chambers). Songs about love more generally (Undying love for humanity, Triumph of a heart)...

New tunes for a new decade. Enjoy. Playlist The Fantasy Orchestra - Flow (Disco-Ordination) Arboretum – A prism in reverse (Thrill Jockey) Cabane feat. Kate Stables & Bost Gehio – Now, winter comes (White Label) Coco – Empty Beach (FCA Records) Craven Faults – Vacca wall (The Leaf Label) Caribou – Never come back (Merge/City Slang) Olafur Arnalds feat. Voces8 – Nyepi (choir version) Daniel Knox – Room key (HP Johnson Presents) Keeley Forsyth – Look to yourself (The Leaf label) Aoife Nessa Frances – Libra (Basin Rock) Dead Famous People – Groovy girl (Fire Records) Jeffrey Lewis & The Voltage – Exactly what nobody wanted (Moshi Moshi Records) Katie Von Schleicher – Caged sleep (Full Time Hobby) Theatre Royal – A marvellous death (Vacilando ’68) Shadow Show – Contessa (Stolen Body Records) Lewsberg – From never to once M Ward – Migration of souls (Anti Records) Mick Harvey – The Somme (from the soundtrack of the film Waves of Anzac) (Mute) Modern Stu...

My favourite tunes of 2019.* Sounds like another great year. Enjoy. *A few snuck in from other years on the basis that they happened for me in 2019. So as well as the year of Twen, Purple Mountains, Vanishing Twin, Paul & The Tall Trees... The year of Bright Phoebus . The year of Steve McQueen (acoustic) . The year of Loch na hEala . Playlist Vanishing Twin – Magician’s success (Fire Records) POZI – Engaged (Prah Recordings) Weyes Blood – Everyday (Sub Pop) Hiss Golden Messenger – My wing (Merge) Charles Rumback & Ryley Walker – Half joking (Thrill Jockey) Twen – Holy river (Frenchkiss Records) Paul & The Tall Trees – Then we’ll wave (So long) (Big Crown Records) Rozi Plain – Trouble (Memphis Industries) Fixity – Becoming an earthworm (Penske Recordings) C Duncan – Reverie (Fat Cat Records) Sarah Louise – Late night healing choir (Thrill Jockey) Bedouine – Tall man (Caroline) Paperface – Little monsters (Daydream Records) Purple Mou...