The Underground of Happiness

visiting tokyo, cork, boston, melbourne, berlin, london, sunderland, rotterdam, belfast and dublin enjoy x Playlist 1. Bananagun – Free energy (Full Time Hobby) 2. Chalk – Tell me (Nice Swan) 3. Sprints – Up and comer (City Slang) 4. Rats on Rafts – Japanese medicine (Fire Records) 5. Memorials – Acceptable experience (Fire Records) 6. Silverbacks – Selling shovels (bandcamp) 7. The Last Sound – Sting Possible Combinations (Cruel Nature Records) 8. Albertine Sarges – Stand near your fire (Moshi Moshi) 9. Marcel Wave – Something looming (Upset The Rhythm) 10. Field Music – The waitress of St Louis (Memphis Industries) 11. The Silver Abduction – Remember my heart (Lightwell Recordings) 12. Katrina Ford – Dundalk dungeon (Violin Films) 13. Oslo Twins – Sally (Half Normal Records) 14. Hilary Bow – Fall fall (bandcamp) 15. Kugelschreiber – (me x u) ≠ (u x me) (Wamho Records) 16. muckno – manboy (bandcamp) 17. Throwing Muses – Drigstore drastic (Fire Records) ...

marvellous tunes i hope you agree enjoy x Playlist 1. Naim Amor – Amorsonic (Fort Lowell Records) 2. Fixity – Why wait (bandcamp) ( playing The Conncert, Co Mayo, Aug 3, w/ Trá Pháidín, Junk Drawer ++ ) 3. Rachael Lavelle – Let me unlock your full potential (bandcamp) ( playing All Together Now, Aug 2-5 ) 4. Louis Carnell & Nailah Hunter – fourteen (Mute) 5. Kugelschreiber – (me x u) ≠ (u x me) (WAMHO Records) 6. William D. Drake – The flickering shade (Zebedog Records) 7. Barry McCormack – We will prevail (bandcamp) 8. Boa Morte – A cloud of stars / 2122 (reworked) (bandcamp) 9. Bobby Oroza – Goddess (Big Crown Records) 10. Brian Lopez & KT Tunstall – Road to Avalon (Vacilando ’68) 11. Camille Baziadoly – Skin on fire (bandcamp) 12. Caolán Austin feat Our Krypton Son – Walking into the furnace (Only You Recordings) 13. Crumbs – 4291 (Skep Wax) 14. Daniel Pickard – Room service (Daniel Pickard) 15. Dave Guy – 7th heaven (Big Crown Records) 16. E...

And finally...my last word on the music that floated my boat in 2023. May the year rise with you. x Playlist 1. Saeko Killy – Sun shower (Tapete Records/bureau b) 2. Hiro Ama – Ultramarine (Silent Way) 3. Robert Forster – It’s only poison (Tapete Records) 4. The Bonk – The stars look great (bandcamp) 5. Nation of Language – Sole obsession (Play It Again Sam) 6. Decisive Pink – Destiny (Fire Records) 7. Sprints – Up and comer (City Slang) 8. POZI – Pest control (PRAH Recordings) 9. Chalk – Asking (Dutch Tilt) 10. m(h)aol – Nice guys (Tulle) 11. Martin Rev – Dreams (bureau b) 12. The Umlauts – Dance and go (PRAH Recordings) 13. Ghost Woman – Yoko (Full Time Hobby) 14. Christian Cohle – Another life (bandcamp) 15. Special Friend – Bete (Skep Wax Records) 16. Surprise Chef – Rosemary Hemphill (Big Crown Records) 17. Sally Anne Morgan – The center (Thrill Jockey) 18. Cormac O Caoimh – A good place for you (bandcamp) 19. Craig Fortnam – Ruins in time (Believer...

love in a time of chaos enjoy the music x Playlist 1. Hellsongs – Use what u got (Tapete) 2. Laetitia Sadier – Une autre attente (Duophonic Super 45s) 3. The Telescopes – Where do we begin? (Modares Remix) (Tapete) 4. Martin Rev – Dreams (bureau b) 5. Tenderhost – Plod along phenomenon (Tenderhost) 6. Andersens – Fuyu (Alien Transistor) (GLITZERBOX 2 compilation) 7. Brainstory – Nobody but you (Big Crown Records) 8. Dan Cross – Like a river 9. Ella Raphael – See you through (Fire Records) 10. Faux Real – Faux Maux (City Slang) 11. Ghostwoman – Yoko (Full Time Hobby) ( playing Workman’s Cellar, Feb 4 2024 ) 12. Hochzeitskapelle + Tenniscoats – Garden of peace (Alien Transistor) 13. Louis Carnell & Ben Vince – three (Mute) 14. Manu Delago feat Mad About Lemon – Modern people (One Little Independent) 15. Marry Waterson & Adrian Crowley – Undear sphere (One Little Independent) 16. Óisín Leech – October sun (Outside Music - Tremone Records) ( playing Sug...

aka Massive Summer Backlog Mix Lots of cello going around at the moment. Not sure why. But always welcome. Enjoy. x Playlist 1. Decisive Pink – Destiny (Fire Records) 2. Bruce Haack – Cherubic hymn (Columbia) 3. CV Vision – Die frommen wanderer (bureau b) 4. Mera Bhai feat Stealing Sheep – Evil butter (Morning Raga Recordings) 5. Air Waves – Star earring (Planningtorock’s Planning to Star Version) (Fire Records) ( playing The Shacklewell Arms, London, June 19 ) 6. Modern Cosmology – Le train ne passera pas (Duophonic UHF Disk) 7. The Chills – Party in my heart (Fire Records) 8. The Chills – Double summer (Fire Records) ( playing Whelan’s, Dublin, June 22 ) 9. Caoilian Sherlock – Push the oil away (bandcamp) ( playing The Green Room, Cork Opera House, July 1 ) 10. MD Pallavi & Andi Otto – Flute boy (Pingipung) 11. Eden Ahbez – Eden’s Island (Trunk Records) 12. Minwhi Lee – Borrowed tongue (Morr Music) 13. The Saxophones – Boy crazy (Full Time Hobby) 14....

The 2nd instalment of my Best of 2018 review. In no particular order although I wouldn't argue if you forced me to pick Kacey Johansing (pictured) as my album of the year. 3rd part to follow soon. Enjoy. Playlist Kacy & Clayton – The light of day (New West Records) Hiss Golden Messenger – Rock holy (Merge) Jess Williamson – I see the white (Mexican Summer) Kacey Johansing – Do you want me (Night Bloom Records/Melodic) Get Well Soon – Martyrs (City Slang) Lake Ruth – Julia’s call (Feral Child) Those Unfortunates – John Cronin is unwell Hater – I wish I gave you more time because I love you (Fire) Tanukichan – Perfect (Company Records) The Sea & Cake – I should care (Thrill Jockey) Crayola Lectern – Rescue mission (Onomatopoeia) BOYTOY – Mary Anne (Stolen Body Records) La Luz – Cicada (Hardly Art) The Chills – Bad sugar (Fire) Comet Gain – If not tomorrow (Tapete) Damien Jurado – Allocate (Secretly Canadian) Daniel Knox feat. Ni...

Autotune on vocals is about the last thing I would put on my wish list for the next Lambchop (or any) album but when dealing with a legend like Kurt Wagner (and pals) let’s say we can give him more leeway than most. And it turns out autotune, which is appalling on all those strident belt it out vocal styles, produces a surprisingly delicate effect in the case of a subtle and restrained instrument like Wagner’s. It acts as a blink and you’ll miss it twist to his low key croon. So it adds a level of intrigue to opening track ‘In care of 8675309’, something somehow punk rock among the gorgeous lounge soul stylings. It plays up the funk on a track like ‘Old masters’, a slow and smooching dancefloor jam. And it adds deep pathos on the title track, a song with an already sad nostalgic air and undercut by softly skittering electronic beats. For the rest of the album you can drift or you can listen closely, treating it as a warm bath or an aural puzzle, a kind of shapeshift...

A spate of great gigs coming up in Cork and we played several of these bands on the show this week. Fixity , a new album conceived in Cork, recorded in Malmo and sounding like a pure beast, launches in Triskel Dec 3. The Altered Hours , "hometown" show at the Kino Dec 10, it's been too long. Also Rozi Plain , same venue the following night, all part of the Sudden Club Weekender . Great. A terrible clash but also on Dec 10 in Cobh at the Sirius Arts Centre , the return of the wonderful Slow Moving Clouds , strings and drones turned into gorgeous ambient hum. Also great music from Cool Ghouls , channelling The Byrds from 1965/6; Rothko with vocals by Johny Brown, sterling bass and voice expositions from the north of England; The Sea Nymphs , a timeless treasure from 1992, just released. And Lambchop , making autotuned vocals credible for the first time. More on these pages. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.th...

A couple of great new records featured this week. Hilma Nikolaisen might be best known as the bass player in Norwegian shoegazers Sereena Maneesh . Her first solo record is a brilliant combination of dreamy jangle pop and psychedelic grooves, adorned with outstanding bass playing, maybe not surprisingly. Lambchop are back with a shift in focus. Kurt Wagner has been on the autotune but it tends to work a dream with his gentle croon and on a bed of electronic clicks and coos. Also new sounds from Goat, Cory Hanson, Virginia Wing . And a treasure from Bruce Haack , inner space moog masterpiece. 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 422 Tues Nov 8 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 ...

A wonderfully smouldering cut from Stuart Staples and crew which simply confirms the band’s deep roots in soul. Stax is the particular branch that comes to the surface here, discreet horns and a lovely moving bassline putting the cap on Staples’ complete one off of a voice, injured and searching, the epitome of down in the gutter looking up at the stars. More magnificent pop music from a band that doesn’t know the meaning of a bad album.

New music this week from Tindersticks (typically smouldering soul cut with brass), The Comet Is Coming (outer space free jazz rumblings with sax drones), Britta Phillips (sweet dream pop cover of Evie Sands)and Virginia Wing (dark mutated disco). A couple of great reissues from Nick Garrie (gorgeous baroque pop from 1969) and The Monochrome Set (filthy lyrical put downs from 1985). A gorgeous remix of Lutine by Sarah Angliss and Stephen Hiscock . And Matthew Bourne , wringing magical sounds from a moog. 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 391 Tues Mar 1 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/iDP5fs Playlist Matthew Bourne – Sam ( playing BFI Southbank, London, Mar ...

Another clutch of people playing these parts son and a raft of new music. Richard Hawley , bringing his A-grade folk/soul/whatever to Cork Opera House this month along with Marry Waterson & David A Jaycock , sparkling folk songs Tindersticks , back with more white soul orchestrations of the highest order Shearwater , epic protest music. Also Emma Pollock with lovely twisting chamber pop Nadia Reid , sweet fuzzy alt country Iggy Pop , reciting Walt Whitman over Tarwater & Alva Noto , gripping Cardinal , a cult classic w strings and trumpet fanfare. And Il Maestro Ennio Morricone bringing his 100+ piece group to Dublin this week. More on these pages as always. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 388 Tues Feb 9 2016 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC 98.3FM listen live on the web at...

This week's show was dominated by a look back at some of my favourite music of 2014. (There'll be more on this in the next few weeks by the way, stay tuned for details.) So plenty of album of the year candidates in Caribou and Wildbirds & Peacedrums , Future Islands and East River Pipe (albeit reissued), Adrian Crowley and Aldous Harding . There was also some new music from Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Slow Dancing Society , more from both of those in the new year. And a Hawaiian Christmas treatment from Arthur Lyman (thanks Trunk Records ), just to keep things seasonal. As I said, more on the blog over the next few weeks on my fave music of 2014. And the next show is on Jan 6th. Happy holidays. Dec 16 2014 w/ Caribou,W&P,Adrian Crowley,Jessica Pratt,Aldous Harding,Cool Ghouls,East River Pipe++ by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com...

In a reluctant (if you know what I mean) addition to the category of favourite bands you've lost touch with (speaking for myself), there's a new album from Tindersticks on the way, The something rain , on City Slang . They're giving away Frozen for free on this link - it's got the trademark rolling bassline, whipcrack guitars, and some great wailing saxophone and trumpet. As usual with this band, it's a fantastic mood piece. http://www.tindersticks.co.uk/the-something-rain/ There's also a beautiful, nostalgic film made at their recording studio, backed by the mournful, cello-laden Medicine . tindersticks - Medicine (official video) from tindersticks on Vimeo . I haven't always been thinking about them but I'm glad they're back.

I've been working my way gradually through a mountain of music during the radio show's summer break. And here's a nugget that was sitting in my inbox for a while, which has quite an international background. The band is Dear Reader , the main force in which is one Cheri MacNeil , who is South African originally. She moved to Berlin from Johannesburg and I assume that's how she came to hook up with the City Slang people, who are releasing her new album next month. The (almost) title track is available for the price of an e-mail address at this link. http://dearreadermusic.com/newsletter-2/ In the absence of a listening link, you'll have to take my word for how it sounds. It's an unusual mixture of intimate and epic, all at the same time. Close vocals and rimshot drums on the one hand, huge massed backing vocals on the other. And speaking of epic, I'd have to say the root-note basslines and insistent piano come on like a lower key Arcade Fire . And nothi...