The Underground of Happiness

The first instalment of my favourite music of 2018. Categories are a bit arbitrary as always. Parts 2 and 3 to follow. Enjoy. Playlist Django Django – In your beat (Because Music) De Lux – 875 dollars (Innovative Leisure) Tune-Yards – Heart attack (4AD) Kamasi Washington – The Space Traveller’s Lullaby (Young Turks) Todd Tobias & Combo Qasam – Do the Massabu (Tiny Room/Hidden Shoal) Khruangbin – Maria tambien (Dead Oceans) Richard Swift – Broken finger blues (Secretly Canadian) Terry – The whip (Upset The Rhythm) Gulp – Claudia (E.L.K Records) Blue Orchids – Get Bramah (Tiny Global Productions) Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread – When (Full Time Hobby) Jessica Pratt – This time around (Mexican Summer) Steve Gunn – New moon (Matador) Soccer 96 – Harmonious Monk (Slowfoot Records) Orchestra of Spheres – Koudede (Fire) Nightports w/ Matthew Bourne – Exit (Leaf) Camera – Super 8 (Bureau B) Snapped Ankles – Drink and glide (Leaf) Sz...

Welcome to Part 2 of my Best of 2015 review. If you're a regular listener to the show, you'll know that folk music in all its forms is a staple of the playlists. And that's where we pick up here with another 22 great tunes. And as usual, it's fascinating to watch and hear what other strands make their way in - lounge, orchestral, whatever. Once again enjoy, and see you all on the other side in 2016. ************************************************************************************************ 1. Alela Diane & Ryan Francesconi – Shapeless (from the album Cold moon , Believe Recordings) A glorious winter entry to start, a collaboration between two fascinating artists in their own right. Like many in this list, it takes folk music and stretches it out until it’s transparent. In this case, classical, choral and tribal music are just a few of the ancestors visible behind Francesconi’s riveting fingerpicked guitar and Diane’s wonderfully pure and clea...

We started last week's show with 'Los Angeles' by Gene Clark. This week two contemporary LA-based artists, Jessica Pratt & Ariel Pink , the latter someone described recently by the former as one of the leading lights of the LA underground of weirdos. Nice. New single from Tune-Yards , with a memory from Talking Heads from 1979. Syn-cop-a-tions. A new band on me called Barringtone , reminding me a bit of classic rushing XTC - so they're paired with some classic rushing XTC from 1978. Three new instrumental pieces in the middle - The Notwist (cinematic), Troyka (ambient drift), Sam Prekop (euphoric). The Altered Hours play the Quarter Block Party in Cork this weekend, St Vincent plays three Irish dates in July. And some new essential folk cuts from Elephant Micah , Steve Gunn & The Black Twig Pickers & Alasdair Roberts . More on these pages. Feb 3 2015 w/ Jessica Pratt,Ariel Pink,Altered Hours,Alasdair Roberts,Notwist,Troyka++ by The Un...

I gave in to list culture a few years back, so here's my contribution. In fairness, I find looking back over the year a good way of rediscovering musical highlights, refreshing the mucial memory. Plus I've tried to add a bit of depth by describing why these musical moments, albums, songs, phrases, whatever, have stayed with me. This first instalment I'm calling Folk/Roots/Country , as usual a somewhat arbitrary set of tags but broadly representative. Enjoy, the rest of the series will follow over the next couple of weeks or so (in total there will be three or four). 1. Olof Arnalds – Patience (One Little Indian) Another superb album from the Icelandic singer this year, Palme . As with all her work, there’s an endearing quirkiness to the songs but through ingenious arrangements she manages to avoid the stultifying cul de sac which is the home of many of the twee-inclined. This song has her quivering tones (not unlike Bjork in her quieter moments, in terms of p...

This Los Angeles-based singer was a new name on me lately but this first taste from her upcoming album is absolutely intoxicating. And it kinda shows up the limitations of writing down words about someone else producing sounds. Because this song is made up of such apparently simple raw materials. And describing them in words does no justice to the enduring atmosphere they create. A Spanish guitar, strummed lightly and sunnily, although the lyrics undercut the breeziness with sombre reflections about love lost. In fact, repeated listens reveal a disapproving or even caustic tone wrapped in the soft, gentle musical skin. And Pratt’s voice. That’s it, apart from a few harmony vocals and some double tracked guitar here and there. Plus the swing, bordering on samba. And the major seventh chords. Except her vocal delivery and phrasing are endlessly intriguing. The one word I find myself coming back to again and again is “time”, as in “if there was a time that you loved me”. ...

We kicked off with psych pop this week in the shape of the new Liam Hayes (Plush) single, that's great, there's an album to follow called Slurrup . And 'Getting better', an outstanding Beatles classic and my favourite song from Sgt Pepper . A couple of recent obsessions. Dan Michaelson , that deep cracking voice, the musical chemistry, gorgeous. And Jessica Pratt , that voice lilting over a swinging acoustic. Inspired. Mid show, three jangly guitar pop gems from A Lazarus Soul, The Chills & Theatre Royal , it does the soul good. Then a bit of a switch for the close. Lubomyr Melnyk with handsome piano melodies, Markus Mehr with a compellingly beautiful combination of found sounds, industrial rumbles and elegiac piano. Something new from Silver Apples , bleeping bouncing, and something old and thrilling from Bruce Haack . More on the blog. Nov 18 2014 w/ Liam Hayes,Jessica Pratt,The Chills,Altered Hrs,Silver Apples,Bruce Haack,M Mehr++ by The Underg...

We opened this week's show with Dublin group Seti The First who play Cork this weekend as part of Cork Film Festival (apologies for the glitch during this piece, and premature ending). Their second album is on the way soon, I can't wait. As film is in the air this week, we also had some classic Henry Mancini , plus equally classic lyrics by Johnny Mercer . Lambchop play their album Nixon at Dublin's National Concert Hall next February, any excuse to play the wonderful 'Up with people' from that album. East River Pipe are labelmates of The 'Chop, kindred spirits too, as is Ariel Pink I would say, even though musically not obviously related. All three are examples of truly great modern American songwriters. Jessica Pratt making a simple folk song sound like the first time it's ever been sung on earth. The slow burn of the new José Gonzalez single. The masterful twist and bend of Caribou , the (off)beat and throb of Wildbirds & Peacedrums . And ...