The Underground of Happiness

Another winning piece of leftfield pop from the Belgian Freaksville stable. Benjamin Schoos has hit gold before especially in collaboration with Laetitia Sadier and showing a gift for matching his songwriting to the singer’s particular qualities. So where a sumptuous orchestral pop suited Ms Sadier here we have a more mid tempo jam drawing from white soul and perhaps lounge a little all the better to work the strengths of Dent May’s wonderful laconic drawl. Sensuous.

A lash of new music again this week. Lake Ruth , lush baroque pop tones. Brona McVittie , pastoral folk music with a kosmische filter. Jim Ghedi , sprightly enervating folk instrumentals. Chloe March , sumptuous dream pop. Benjamin Schoos & Dent May , gorgeous orch pop. Plus an aching memory from Michael Nyman from 1988 (pic), soundtrack music for the ages. 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 475 Tues Jan 23 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/KyG3NM Playlist Percolator – Crab supernova ( playing Quarter Block Party, Cork Feb 2-4 ) Lake Ruth – Julia’s call Tandem Felix – Nothing I do will ever be good enough ( playing Quarter Block Party, Cork, Feb 2-4 ) The...

Sumptuous, string-laden pop gem from the Freaksville label founder Benjamin Schoos with the help of his accomplice April March , which summons the spirit of Serge & Jane as well as the sweep of Stereolab. There’s a great bittersweet quality to the lyric obviously – “I tried to love you” bringing to mind Gainsbourg’s break-up classic ‘Je suis venu te dire que je m’en vais” (“I’ve come to tell you that I’m going”) – but it’s the marvellous arrangement that carries off the tune via a series of stirring contrasts. The voices – March floating among the clouds, Schoos occupying a much earthier place – the soaring string parts against the bouncing backbeat, the smoothness of the synths against the bass pulses. It all amounts to a marvellous, timeless piece of work and another Freaksville treasure. J'ai essayé de t'aimer by Benjamin Schoos & April March

We opened this week's show with Dublin group Seti The First who play Cork this weekend as part of Cork Film Festival (apologies for the glitch during this piece, and premature ending). Their second album is on the way soon, I can't wait. As film is in the air this week, we also had some classic Henry Mancini , plus equally classic lyrics by Johnny Mercer . Lambchop play their album Nixon at Dublin's National Concert Hall next February, any excuse to play the wonderful 'Up with people' from that album. East River Pipe are labelmates of The 'Chop, kindred spirits too, as is Ariel Pink I would say, even though musically not obviously related. All three are examples of truly great modern American songwriters. Jessica Pratt making a simple folk song sound like the first time it's ever been sung on earth. The slow burn of the new José Gonzalez single. The masterful twist and bend of Caribou , the (off)beat and throb of Wildbirds & Peacedrums . And ...

More new material from Wildbirds & Peacedrums this week - their wonderful new album is available to stream on Spotify and bandcamp now. And a new band (on me) with a Halloween reference from San Francisco, Cool Ghouls , playing sprightly psych rock which I like very much. Also a new album from Elisa Luu , great to hear from her again, and sounding just as beautiful and strange as ever. Silver Servants with Anna Bronsted on vocals, and that gauzy dream pop that I hear as a kind of companion sound. Benjamin Schoos is back too, new album soon but here's the single feat. April March on duetting vocals - swoonsome is the word. Grasscut covering Robert Wyatt gorgeously. And East River Pipe being many shades of wonderful. More on these pages as always. Oct 28 2014 w/ Cool Ghouls,W&P,Little Tornados,Benjamin Schoos,East RIver Pipe,Elisa Luu++ by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed ...

Delicious, swinging synth pop (of the vintage kind) from the Freaksville boss, with a customarily gorgeous cameo from the ex-Stereolab singer. As I listen, there’s even enough jangle to make you swoon after those hazy, rose-tinted days of the late 80s. Whatever...that pit-pat bassline, that bending keyboard melody...yes is the word, that’s all. Une dernière danse (feat. Laetitia Sadier) by Benjamin Schoos

I finally got around to clubbing Teenage Fanclub and The Scud Mountain Boys together with The New Mendicants , which features Norman Blake and Joe Pernice from those great 1990s bands. Some great new electro singles from Future Islands and Eyedress , plus a memory from Metronomy who play tonight in Dublin. Patterns and Katie Kim both play Cork in the next month or so. Golden Retriever's sublime minimalism, Glenn Gould's transcendant Bach piano. And Benjamin Schoos with Laetitia Sadier (pic) sounding like they're ushering in springtime with a blast of breezy sunshine pop. Mar 11 2014 w/ Future Islands,Metronomy,Benjamin Schoos,Polar Bear,Golden Retriever,Glenn Gould++ by Theundergroundofhappiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Playlist 302 Tues Mar 11 2014 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC 9...