The Underground of Happiness

The third and final part of my Best of 2018 round up. Some folk sounds. A few soundtrack cuts. Hint of ambient. A share of dream pop. Great memories of 2018 for me. And again it must be said that it was another wonderful year for music in this neck of the woods. Enjoy. Playlist Jessica Risker – I see you among the stars (Western Vinyl) Jim Ghedi – Sloade Lane (Basin Rock Records) Alasdair Roberts, Amble Skuse & David McGuinness – Babylon (Drag City) Jack Hayter – At Crossness Pumping Station (Gare du Nord) Caroline Says – First song (Western Vinyl) The Saxophones – Aloha (Full Time Hobby) Jennifer Castle – Texas (Paradise of Bachelors) Gabriel Naim Amor – Just before revelation (Vacilando ’68) LOMA – Dark oscillations (Sub Pop) Tenniscoats – Ende (Alien Transistor) Spirit Fest – Anohito (Till the gate) (Alien Transistor) Landless – Caoin (Humble Serpent) Kathryn Joseph – we have been loved by our mothers (Rock Action) Low – Always trying...

Some events happening which tie in this week. Gene Clark died 25 years ago this year. The very good people at Young Hearts Run Free are putting on a tribute event in Dublin next month featuring a host of people playing GC songs. Should be great. Slow Moving Clouds start a short Irish tour this w'end in Cork - go. Julia Kent is back in Dublin next month also, cellos all round. Other than that, if you're in the UK you can check Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, Anna von Hausswolff, Kathryn Joseph in the next while - spoiled ye are over there. And JC Vannier rules of course. I'm sure he's not at all inconsolable, contrary to what Lake Ruth would have us believe. 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 399 Tues Apr 26 2016 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC ...

Welcome to Part 2 of my Best of 2015 review. If you're a regular listener to the show, you'll know that folk music in all its forms is a staple of the playlists. And that's where we pick up here with another 22 great tunes. And as usual, it's fascinating to watch and hear what other strands make their way in - lounge, orchestral, whatever. Once again enjoy, and see you all on the other side in 2016. ************************************************************************************************ 1. Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi – Shapeless (from the album Cold moon , Believe Recordings) A glorious winter entry to start, a collaboration between two fascinating artists in their own right. Like many in this list, it takes folk music and stretches it out until it’s transparent. In this case, classical, choral and tribal music are just a few of the ancestors visible behind Francesconi’s riveting fingerpicked guitar and Diane’s wonderfully pure and clea...

A round up of my favourite music of the year to date, a show which went out a couple of weeks ago before the summer break. Another belting set of tunes I must say and there was another whole bunch that didn't fit into the hour. So another great year for music, basically. I'll keep the preamble short here as you'll find plenty more around these pages on the artists listed below. Enjoy. July 28 2015 - Best of 2015 (Jan - July) by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 366 Tues July 28 2015 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/PhSV4Z Playlist Kathryn Joseph - The want ( playing Summerhall, Edinburgh, Aug 12, w/ Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat ) ...

Now and again a piece of music arrives that tends to wash other things out. Something arresting and transformative to make you want to put words away, that’s what this is. It’s a perfect miniature and soaked in atmosphere, such a prized quality in all music but particularly pop music. And all with just the merest piano chords and a voice that swoons and cracks. Kathryn Joseph is the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award winner and could there be a more deserving one especially when you read words like these from a recent interview at the SAY awards. http://thegenn.co.uk/kathryn-joseph-wins-scottish-album-of-the-year-award/ “I didn’t love my music before and now I love it because Marcus (MacKay, producer) has made it harder, stronger and more beautiful, and I’d never felt like that about it before.” And now I’m going to put words away and just listen. bones you have thrown me and blood i've spilled by kathryn joseph

I wouldn't often use the word spellbinding but I'm comfortable using it in relation to Kathryn Joseph and partcularly the song in this week's show, 'The want'. Stop you in your tracks, arresting, quietening, words and phrases like this. Superb important music centred around one woman's pleading and completely convincing voice with spare piano. Jim O'Rourke is back with a new album which is great, sounding soulful and loose and loving it. Novella are a band from Brighton with a lovely line in motorik backbeat. The Phoenix Foundation whipping up a satisfying proggy storm from their new album. And loads more, check it out, plus more on these pages. June 16 2015 w/ Lee Hazlewood,Sterling Roswell,Jim O'Rourke,Circuit des Yeux,Novella,Tender Prey++ by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundo...