The Underground of Happiness

That time of year again when we take stock. It's good to take stock, be thankful for what you have, mourn what you miss, make plans for the future, rekindle memories. Musical memories are obviously pretty specific, conjuring up a place, a time, the people you were with, or maybe just how the music made you feel. It can even seem like music transports us back to a more innocent time. Last January really does seem like a long time ago and some of this list dates back that far. Musical memories are always personal and often completely private. This list is the first part of a four-part (probably) series. I'm a bit of a hoarder so lists tend to be long. But everything here is treasured by me. I'm calling it Kosmische/Instrumental/Soundtrack/Jazz/Dance . As usual, tags are somewhat arbitrary but let's go with those. And the tunes are in no particular order. I'm aiming for the second part of the review sometime between Christmas and New Year's if you're a di...

A compelling and invigorating slice of what sounds quite like performance art on record from Haley Fohr of Chicago. If that’s a new name to you, here’s the press blurb behind her new album. Haley Fohr’s music strikes a unique balance between the personal and universal. As Circuit des Yeux she creates music that embodies the complexity of human emotions, juxtaposing tenderness and grief, ecstasy and horror, using sounds as representations of the emotional spectrum that we all experience. Fohr’s striking voice, an impassioned baritone, is the music’s centerpiece and guiding force. On In Plain Speech, Fohr is joined by some of the most progressive musicians in the Chicago music community; Cooper Crain (Cave, Bitchin Bajas), Whitney Johnson (Verma), Rob Frye (Bitchin Bajas), Adam Luksetich (Little Scream), and Kathleen Baird (Spires That In The Sunset Rise). Fohr cements her reputation as a fearless songwriter and inventive arranger with this stirring collection of songs that ar...

If you're a regular, you'll know I've been a huge fan of Aldous Harding since first coming across her late last year. The woman taps into a timeless folk strain but with a sharp & gothic songwriting style. She's on tour in the UK right now, check her out. Circuit des Yeux is Haley Fohr of Chicago, also on tour soon inc in Cork, a fascinating purveyor of minimalist patterns with very appealing open-throated singing. I'm always a sucker for high quality orchestral pop and Paperface is exactly that - strings, sentiment, wry observations, it's all there. Taking orchestral pop into more Scott Walkerish territory is August Wells , an old fashioned thoroughly gorgeous song. The Star Department with lovely low key psych pop; Daniel Knox with irresistibly lilting cabaret; Twerps bringing jangle pop home gloriously. And Dawn of Midi , for fans of Hauschka, brilliant excavation of rhythm. More on these pages. May 12 2015 w/ Circuit des Yeux,Dawn ...