The Underground of Happiness

A lovely loud/soft kinda thing from Cory Hanson and buds. Again (as on his great solo album from last year) he sounds scarily like Marc Bolan and the loud bits here are not a million miles from the hip swinging boogie that T Rex brought to the world. But I must say the soft parts take the prize for me. Winsome. Twinkling. Tender even in their vaguely psychedelic demeanour. When the band crashes in it all crackles with intent.

Another set with a few more Best of 2016 picks and a share of new music. New Entrance album next month, baroque but heartfelt folk shapes. New Brian Eno , ambient majesty. Mick Harvey with Vol 4 of his great Serge Gainsbourg translations/interpretations. Mind Over Mirrors , antique drones. The Last Sound , brooding industrial pop soundscapes. And Rothko , bracing spoken word memoir over stark solo bass. 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 429 Tues Jan 10 2017 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/za8Ixn Playlist Cory Hanson – Replica Entrance – Winter lady Mind Over Mirrors – 600 miles around Alasdair Roberts – The downward road ( playing Café Oto, London, Feb 23 ) Hilma N...

Musical moments and memories from the year gone by. In no particular order. Enjoy. ******************************************************************* 1. North Sea Radio Orchestra – Dronne (The Household Mark) Another sublime set of tunes from Craig Fortnam and company which combines folk, kosmische and avant garde classical strands, taking the legacy of former band Cardiacs into fascinating new territory. Woodwind and strings are strong and strident against a hushed motorik rhythm on centrepiece song ‘The British road’, a wonderfully sharp state of the nation analysis of Brexit era Britain – when will they learn to fight like our men, how can I rise if you don’t fall. These poised swooping strings, along with the cooing woodwind, the signature guitar style of Craig Fortnam – courtly, playful, lithe – buzzing synths and the great pure singing of Craig’s wife Sharon against Craig’s reedier tones provide the core elements throughout. Essential food for the ears, th...

A sweet left turn from the Wand frontman into gorgeous string soaked psych folk territory. With a voice knowing like early Marc Bolan but vocal delivery straight and earnest like Nick Drake. Beautiful things that will stick with you from this record. The brilliant slow build of the title track, with a string playout that is balm for the soul. The soft shoe boogie, strident string section and killer up and down vocal melody of ‘Replica’. The hushed major seventh mood of ‘Violent moon’, with plaintive cello accompaniment. The line “ordinary people took my mother from me” amid a string section throbbing one minute and soaring the next, irresistible but emotionally fraught. The swooning melancholy of the highlighted vocal on ‘The garden of delight’. The all round intrigue and arms length psych feel of the set. A wonderful wonderful piece of work.