The Underground of Happiness

So here's the final instalment of this Best of 2016 loosely centring on Psych Pop and some offshoots. I must say it was great listening back to the tunes over the last few weeks. It seems I always say this, but it really was another great year for music. It’s also very interesting when compiling a list like this to spot trends over the year, or longer, some kind of pattern that might be developing, or on the other hand any glorious one offs. I think I always say this too but no harm in repeating. These lists aren’t meant to be representative in any way. I know there are glaring omissions here out of the sum of music released last year but this list is made up of the music that struck a chord with me and in almost all cases was played (generally quite a bit) on the show. So once more with feeling, these are in no particular order. Enjoy. ************************************************************************** 1. Weyes Blood – Front row seat to Earth (Mexican Summ...

The last show before the summer recess was a round up of my favourite music of 2016 so far. Cate Le Bon feeling the joy of wonky Tortoise being a delicious groove beast The Fiction Aisle making gorgeous gloomy orchestral pop A Dyjecinski making lugubrious soulful and sexy Iggy Pop, Tarwater & Alva Noto taking Walt Whitman downtown for some treatment Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld creating the most beautiful brooding chamber atmospheres Whyte Horses in the embrace of bouncy Franco sych pop More on these pages and watch out also for a 2nd instalment of this mid year review, coming soon. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 412 Tues July 26 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/14b...

The latest Le Bon trades in some of the psych in favour of some endearingly wonky pop shapes. Guitar lines cavort in giddy fashion, falling around the place good natured and wide eyed. What’s striking amidst the loopiness of the arrangements is the unbeatable quality of the songwriting – short and sharp but giving the impression of taking its time and possessing a sweet almost childlike lyricism. Take this endlessly fascinating section from 'Find me', a kind of surreal pastoral scene - Mindful of the host Colouring the cookbooks in with love Shimmying your tree Looking for my morning breakfast In an absolutely killer first six songs (the single 'Wonderful', 'Love is not love', 'I was born on the wrong day' etc ), 'I’m a dirty attic' makes a compelling case for best song title in the history of pop music. As you listen further, you discover hidden pockets of unruly horns, mischievous xylophones and buzzing synths. Le Bo...

Which sees Cate dialling down the psych a tad but up on the wonderfully wonky pop, all manner of pastoral folk and baroque ballads rubbing up against angular post punk. This song sings its own brand of wonky psych, a love song apparently, and why not, love is more psych than most, my heart’s in my liver / my heart’s in my supper my supper my supper. And if you think that’s risky, watch the video. There really is nothing cooler than someone willing to risk looking ridiculous. The key of course is that Cate doesn’t give a fuck (I mean tan leather gloves?). An endearing quality in itself. Paired with savage tunes it makes great pop music for all of us.

Wonderfully wonky new single from Cate Le Bon appropriately titled 'Wonderful'. New Robert Pollard album out, why not dig out a GBV classic from 1996, and as we're at it some classic Pavement from around the same time. What a great time for "alt rock" that was. The Bonk , making some tasty psych sounds, playing in Cork this weekend. Damien Jurado picking up where he left off with his last great psych folk album, playing Whelan's this week. The Chap with some salutary advice for students, touring Europe now. The Chills with some salutary advice for the human race, playing Primavera in June. Rejoice. 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 397 Tues Apr 12 2016 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC 98.3FM listen live on the web at www.ucc.ie/983fm ...