The Underground of Happiness

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...

A few nice pairings in this week's show. Robert Forster - "my soup-stained vest, my critical eye" Bob Dylan - "God said to Abraham, give me a son, Abe said, God you gotta be puttin me on" Joanna Newsom with leaping folk singing and a stirring medieval undertow Julia Holter crashing brilliantly through the naff barrier with delicate singing and unashamed sax solos Leo Abrahams going to town on Brian Eno, who sings guest Brian Eno going to town on 70s pop music Sun Ra going to the future. More on these pages. Sept 29 2015 w/ Robert Forster,Bob Dylan,Joanna Newsom,Julia Holter,Sun Ra,Leo Abrahams,Leaf Library 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 371 Tues Sept 29 2015 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) UCC 98.3FM listen ...

After a gap of five years, a return of supreme newsomness from the milk-eyed honey-voiced one. From the upcoming album Divers out in October. That’s to say a restlessly upbeat piano tune – some folk, some jazz, all Newsom – which seems to chart a history of Greenwich Village (or the area where that village now stands). This from http://www.newnetherlandinstitute.org/history-and-heritage/digital-exhibitions/a-tour-of-new-netherland/manhattan/greenwich-village/ - “Sapokanikan was the name of one of several Lenape villages that archaeologists have identified as existing on Manhattan Island prior to the coming of Europeans. It was located in the southwest portion of the island, on the shores of a trout stream the Indians called Minetta. Stretching things just a bit, one might say the members of this seasonal community were the first residents of Greenwich Village.” Apart from Newsom’s soaring and thrilling vocals – sounding more Kate Bush quixotic here than at any time – there’s...

We had a track on the show a few weeks ago from Ryan Francesconi and Mirabai Peart , called Road to Palios . It's the title track of an album to be released on Bella Union on Dec 3rd. It's a series of tunes, really, spun out over almost 9 minutes - sometimes meditative, sometimes urgent - consisting of guitar and violin instrumentals, and it's absolutely fantastic stuff. For anyone in Cork, you might remember Ryan & Mirabai played in Triskel Christchurch last year, around the time of the Joanna Newsom show in Marlay Park in Dublin (they both play in her touring band). Here were my thoughts on that gig at the time - it was a stunning performance. http://theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.ie/2011/07/ryan-francesconi-cian-nugent-in-cork.html I can't be sure if they played Road to Palios that night, but there were certainly other tunes with similar trajectories, drawn from their travels around Greece and the Balkans. Here's the blurb from the Bella Unio...

You could have been in Eastern Europe at times. If you stared up at the renovated church ceiling, you could have been back in time by a couple of hundred years, such was the antique quality of the music*. This was Ryan Francesconi playing at Triskel Christchurch in Cork last Friday, a sublime match-up of artist and venue, if ever there was one. Before saying any more about the gig, here's a few lines from a review of his current album that caught my eye. " Skirting any obvious models, this is an attempt to establish his own original voice on the instrument ... These are polished and meditative pieces, given to frequent pauses and moody moments. On the title track Francesconi can flight out sparkling ornaments that recall Toumani Diabate's kora ... The music is sophisticated, but there's an escape from the urban, a sort of West Coast Buddhist romanticism. That's not meant as a snide comment - this is a beautiful album, carried off with poetic aplomb ....

I've been meaning to put down a few thoughts for quite a while about Van Dyke Parks . He's one of these Zelig-like characters, appearing at many crucial junctures in pop music history. This much I knew. I knew he played keyboards on the title track of The Byrds' 1966 album 5-D (I can hear that sunburst organ on the playout now - actually so can you, here). I knew about his association with Brian Wilson , co-writing several songs with him for the lost Smile album. Including this absolute classic, Heroes and villains . What a great lyric - I'm fit with the stuff To ride in the rough And sunny down snuff I'm alright He was also involved in plenty of other Beach Boys compositions, co-writing with Brian mostly, not always with the approval of the other 'Boys (Mike Love in particular, I think). And I notice he crops up on backing vocals on one of my all-time favourite Beach Boys songs, A day in the life of a tree from Surf's up , 1971. Mmmm. ...

The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed Best of 2010 Podcast *in most cases, you'll find album and label details for these in the "best of 2010"  post   *d'load this podcast at http://rapidshare.com/files/437128544/UOH_Best_of_2010_Podcast.mp3 Playlist   Frankie Rose & the Outs - Candy Field Music - Measure  Future Islands - Tin man Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and round Caribou - Odessa Peter Broderick - Part I: Discovery (from the soundtrack of the dance piece Congregation ) Toro y Moi - Leave everywhere Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Fight for me Bjork & Dirty Projectors - On and ever onward Joanna Newsom - '81 CocoRosie - Hopscotch Boxharp - The green Sone Institute - On tree hill She & Him - Over it over again Oh No Ono - Swim Secret Cities - Boyfriends The Chap - Pain fun Seeland - Black dot, white spider Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern feat. Emmy the Great - Calling out your name again Dum Dum Gi...