The Underground of Happiness

Some events happening which tie in this week. Gene Clark died 25 years ago this year. The very good people at Young Hearts Run Free are putting on a tribute event in Dublin next month featuring a host of people playing GC songs. Should be great. Slow Moving Clouds start a short Irish tour this w'end in Cork - go. Julia Kent is back in Dublin next month also, cellos all round. Other than that, if you're in the UK you can check Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, Anna von Hausswolff, Kathryn Joseph in the next while - spoiled ye are over there. And JC Vannier rules of course. I'm sure he's not at all inconsolable, contrary to what Lake Ruth would have us believe. 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 399 Tues Apr 26 2016 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC ...

A most welcome addition to the canon of foul mouthed folk music from a pair of teenage Scottish brothers. A rowdy acoustic guitar and an accordion carry most of this but there’s not a hint of The Proclaimers you’ll be glad to hear (in fairness, I suppose the Reid brothers aren’t the worst, but ‘500 Miles’ does still give me the night sweats). There’s winning melodies at every turn and a great rough croon of a lead vocal but I think what I like best are the fantastic lyrical chops. Take this gem for example - I’m sorry for my output I’m surrounded by wankers I’m only 17 and I don’t have all the answers...yet Yeah, bit of a punk spirit, or “low-fi traditional skronk” as they put it themselves. Top notch all round and like Frightened Rabbit, who were also launched by Hits the Fan , you wouldn’t rule out stadiums for them. Bring The Witch Doctor - EP by JR Green

A round up of my favourite music of the year to date, a show which went out a couple of weeks ago before the summer break. Another belting set of tunes I must say and there was another whole bunch that didn't fit into the hour. So another great year for music, basically. I'll keep the preamble short here as you'll find plenty more around these pages on the artists listed below. Enjoy. July 28 2015 - Best of 2015 (Jan - July) by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 366 Tues July 28 2015 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/PhSV4Z Playlist Kathryn Joseph - The want ( playing Summerhall, Edinburgh, Aug 12, w/ Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat ) ...

Now and again a piece of music arrives that tends to wash other things out. Something arresting and transformative to make you want to put words away, that’s what this is. It’s a perfect miniature and soaked in atmosphere, such a prized quality in all music but particularly pop music. And all with just the merest piano chords and a voice that swoons and cracks. Kathryn Joseph is the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award winner and could there be a more deserving one especially when you read words like these from a recent interview at the SAY awards. http://thegenn.co.uk/kathryn-joseph-wins-scottish-album-of-the-year-award/ “I didn’t love my music before and now I love it because Marcus (MacKay, producer) has made it harder, stronger and more beautiful, and I’d never felt like that about it before.” And now I’m going to put words away and just listen. bones you have thrown me and blood i've spilled by kathryn joseph

I wouldn't often use the word spellbinding but I'm comfortable using it in relation to Kathryn Joseph and partcularly the song in this week's show, 'The want'. Stop you in your tracks, arresting, quietening, words and phrases like this. Superb important music centred around one woman's pleading and completely convincing voice with spare piano. Jim O'Rourke is back with a new album which is great, sounding soulful and loose and loving it. Novella are a band from Brighton with a lovely line in motorik backbeat. The Phoenix Foundation whipping up a satisfying proggy storm from their new album. And loads more, check it out, plus more on these pages. June 16 2015 w/ Lee Hazlewood,Sterling Roswell,Jim O'Rourke,Circuit des Yeux,Novella,Tender Prey++ by The Underground Of Happiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundo...