The Underground of Happiness

More tunes from the universe. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Soccer96 – Carry us home (Moshi Moshi) 2. Telefís – Mister Imperator (Dimple Discs) 3. Craig Fortnam – Peter Roy and Ron are gone 4. Richard Dawson – weaver (Weird World) 5. Vapors of Morphine – Irene (Schnitzel Records Ltd.) 6. Lewsberg – The corner ( playing Moth Club, London, Nov 23 ) 7. Mocky – Bora! (Heavy Sheet) 8. El Michels Affair – Ala vida (Big Crown Records) 9. The Allergies – Love somebody (Jalapeno Records) 10. Dragon Welding – Frog (Dimple Discs) 11. Stereo Total – A la sortie du lycee (Tapete Records) 12. Me Lost Me – Sing to the sun 13. Rozi Plain – Silent fan (Memphis Industries) 14. Ruthann Friedmann – Hurried life (Tompkins Square) 15. Jessica Pratt – Back baby (Drag City) 16. The Association – Windy (Warner Bros) 17. Sparks – So may we start (Milan Records) (from the soundtrack of the film Annette ) 18. Prefab Sprout – Appetite (acoustic) (Epic) 19. Mose Allison Trio – Autumn song (...

A backlog of music in the autumn time. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Buffet Lunch – Cheeks (Upset the Rhythm)( playing Mono, Glasgow, Nov 11 ) 2. Faust – I’ve got my car and my tv (Bureau B) 3. Harmonious Thelonious – Ayranman (Bureau B) 4. Herbert feat Mel Uye-Parker – Hypnotised (Accidental Records) 5. SUEP – Domesticated dream (Memorials of Distinction) 6. Clear History – Solar death ray (Upset The Rhythm) 7. Sone Institute – Echo Zulu India (Mystery Bridge) 8. Margot – Watercolour (Full Time Hobby) ( playing Sebright Arms, London, Nov 11 ) 9. Shuko feat Lee Fields & Nia Wyn – Nothing’s gonna change (For the Love of It Recordings) 10. The Magic Lantern – There’s a light (Hectic Eclectic Records) ( playing Wardrobe, Bristol, Dec 13 ) 11. Abiodun Oyewole – Harlem (Afar) 12. Anna Vincent – Thin skin (Ultimate Blends) ( playing Waiting Room, London, Nov 1 ) 13. Barry Adamson – The climber (Mute) 14. Pretty Happy – Sea sea sea (Art For Blind) ( playin...

A soundtrack for the end. Or the beginning. Or in between. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Faust – Vorsatz (Bureau B) 2. Curse of Lono – Let your love rain down on me (Submarine Cat Records) 3. Herbert feat Verushka – Fantasy (Accidental Records) 4. Luca Wilding – Book of fate (Abbey Records) 5. Nation of Language – This fractured mind ( playing Grand Social, Dublin, Jan 29th 2022 ) 6. Shannon Lay – Geist (Sub Pop) 7. The Go! Team – A bee without its sting (Memphis Industries) 8. Vanessa Anne Redd – By the time (Sharp Attack Records) 9. Virginia Wing – Soft fruit (Fire Records) ( playing Moth Club, London, Sept 24th ) 10. Sone Institute – Dead ahead (Mystery Bridge) 11. Lomond Campbell – Engineer of fear (One Little Independent) 12. Dntel – Connect (Les Albums Claus) 13. Fryars with Sean O’Hagan – God melodies 14. Hackedepicciotto – Evermore (Mute) 15. Henrik Lindstrand – För Den Goda Viljan (Robert Ames rework) (One Little Independent) ...

Tracks from 16 albums I've enjoyed a lot this year so far. Enjoy x Playlist 1. Cool Ghouls – In Michoacan (Empty Cellar Records/Melodic) 2. The Chills – You’re immortal (Fire) 3. Buffet Lunch – Red apple happiness (Upset The Rhythm) 4. Cathal Coughlan – Falling out North Street (Dimple Discs) 5. St Vincent – Down and out (Loma Vista) 6. El Michels Affair feat Piya Malik – Murkit gem (Big Crown Records) 7. Shannon Lay – Wild (Sub Pop) actually released in 2019 but heard for the first time by me this year… 8. Craig Fortnam – Ark (Onomatopoeia Records) 9. Lucy Gooch – Rain’s break (Fire) 10. Mark Fry – Song for Wilde (Now-Again Reserve Records) (reissue) 11. Marina Allen – Belong here (Fire) 12. yumbo – A house (Morr Music) 13. Colleen – Implosion-Explosion (Thrill Jockey) 14. Adrian Crowley – Bread and wine (Chemikal Underground) 15. Lambchop – Chef’s kiss (Merge/City Slang) 16. Ann Scott - Sweetheart

New music for your lugholes. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Herbert feat Y’akoto – The way (Accidental Records) 2. Me & My Friends – All that is you 3. Nation of Language – Across that fine line ( playing Reading/Leeds Festivals, Aug 27 & 28 2021 ) 4. Soccer96 feat Nuha Ruby Ra – Dopamine (Moshi Moshi) 5. The Go! Team – Pow (Memphis Industries) 6. Shannon Lay – Rare to wake (Sub Pop) 7. Jack Cheshire – Mystery train (Loose Tongue Records) 8. The Magic Lantern – Bound for glory (Hectic Eclectic Records) 9. Mocky – Stevie’s room (Heavy Sheet) 10. Band of Holy Joy – Leap into the great unknown (Tiny Global Productions) 11. Telefís – We need (251 Records/Dimple Discs) 12. Alasdair Roberts og Volvur – Orison of union (Drag City) 13. Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band – Dirt off your shoulder (Big Crown Records) 14. Craig Fortnam – Ark (Onomatopoeia Records) 15. Henrik Lindstrand – Enghave Lys (Alex Somers Remix) (One Little Independent) 16. Boa Morte –...

Amid word of a new album collaboration with Gaby Moreno, I felt like digging into VDP's extensive back catalogue. He's something of a Zelig character - his fingerprints are all over some of the most progressive and extraordinary pop music of the last 50 plus years, whether as writer, singer, arranger, producer or simply player. (Music pop quiz nugget - What links The Byrds' 5D and Robert Altman's Popeye?) Here is just a taste. x Playlist The Byrds – 5D (Fifth Dimension) (1966, VDP plays organ) Tim Buckley – Song for Janie (1966, VDP plays keyboard) Van Dyke Parks – Palm desert (1967, Song cycle) Harper’s Bizarre – Come to the sunshine (1967, written by VDP, also plays keyboard on recording) Phil Harris & Bruce Reitherman – The bare necessities (1967, arranged by VDP, from soundtrack of the film The Jungle Book ) Randy Newman – I think it’s going to rain today (1968, co-produced by VDP with Len...

Hup there. The sounds of the universe. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Cool Ghouls – In Michoacan (Empty Cellar Records/Melodic Records) 2. Buffet Lunch – Bladderwrack (Upset the Rhythm) 3. The Chills – Soft bomb (Slash/London Records) 4. The Chills – Hourglass (Fire Records) 5. Marina Allen – Belong here (Fire Records) 6. Catenary Wires – Face on the rail line (Skep Wax Records) 7. Conrad Clipper – Heron’s Book of Dreams (Luau Records) 8. Roedelius & Czjzek – Sonniger morgen (Bureau B) 9. Dragon Welding – Lights behind the eyes (Dimple Disc Recordings) 10. Aidan Noell – Selective service 11. Alex Frankel – Still got it 12. MAGUIRE – Come down (SevenFourSevenSix) 13. El Michels Affair feat Piya Malik – Unathi (Big Crown Records) 14. Will Beeley – A highway’s not a home (Tompkins Square) 15. Gene Clark – Los Angeles (A&M) 16. Cool Ghouls – How free (Empty Cellar Records/Melodic Records) 17. Cool Ghouls – Land song (Empty Ce...

Tunes for you. Including the wonderful Cool Ghouls (pictured). And Jane Weaver who is playing an actual live show (it's next year, in January, but still). And plenty more. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Buffet Lunch – Red apple happiness (Upset the Rhythm) 2. Cathal Coughlan – The knockout artist (Dimple Discs) 3. Bobby Oroza – I got love (Big Crown Records) 4. Brainstory – Bye bye (Big Crown Records) 5. Marina Allen – Oh Louise (Fire Records) 6. Julia Holter – Sea calls me home (Domino Records) 7. Virginia Wing – Out for something… (Fire Records) 8. Jane Weaver – Modern reputation (Fire Records) ( playing Whelan’s, Dublin, Jan 28th 2022 ) 9. Stereolab – Ping pong (Duophonic) 10. Skinshape feat Idd Aziz – Afande (Lewis Recordings) 11. Talking Heads – Love -> Building on fire (Sire) 12. Toler Gibson – Country queen (Rocket Girl) 13. Dntel – The lilac and the apple (remix) (Morr Music) 14. Coll...

A 2 hour show that went out on Mar 1st 2021 on UCC98.3FM. One in a series of occasional Lockdown Specials. Lot of new releases in this one, lot of good tunes. Enjoy x Playlist 1. The Chills – You’re immortal (Fire) 2. The Chills – Monolith (Fire) 3. Buffet Lunch – The power of rocks (Upset the Rhythm) 4. Cathal Coughlan – Owl in the parlour 5. The Hamrahlid Choir – Sonnets (One Little Independent) 6. Boa Morte – By the time 7. Colleen – Gazing at Taurus-Santa Eulalia (Thrill Jockey) 8. Lucy Gooch – Ash and orange (Fire) 9. Sarah Neufeld – Stories (One Little Independent) 10. Cory Hanson – Paper fog ( Drag City) 11. Jack Cheshire – Tiny hands (Loose Tongue Records) 12. Esther Rose – Keeps me running (Full Time Hobby) 13. M Ward – You’ve changed (ANTI) 14. Sam Brookes – 18 and sleeping 15. Goose – Viper 16. Dntel – Fall in love (Morr Music) 17. Ed Dowie – Number Eight wire (Needle Mythology) 18. Nation of Language...

A round up of my favourite music released in 2020. Despite everything, it seems like a marvellous year for recorded sound. Enjoy and stay well. x Playlist Sleeper & Snake – Shoot through (Upset The Rhythm) Louis Philippe & The Night Mail – Rio Grande (Tapete) Emily Barker – Sonogram (bandcamp) Arch Garrison – The more I know (Believers Roast) Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy feat. Sean O’Hagan – Wish you were gay (Drag City) Skinshape feat. D’alma – Sua alma (Big Crown Records) Caribou – Home (Merge Records/City Slang) The Hamrahlid Choir – Cosmogony (One Little Independent) Keeley Forsyth – Large oak (The Leaf Label) Nadia Reid – Get the devil out of me (Spacebomb) Bert Jansch – Crimson moon (Earth, reissue) Tame Impala – Is it true (Caroline) Rats on Rafts – Tokyo Music Experience (Fire) Mikael Tariverdiev – Prelude from My younger brother (Earth) (from the soundtrack of the film My younger ...