The Underground of Happiness

Surf noir they’re calling this and the reality is as good as that label sounds. There are somewhat expected guitar breaks over a major to minor foundation. Mysterious dream laden vocals carry a message of desire? transcendance? other things? However the core of the tune is an absolutely killer bass line so good it keeps me coming back every time on its own. It’s the definition of stalking but somehow not threatening. Propulsive certainly. Savage momentum without doubt. You’ll be humming along to it within 5 seconds upfront and centre in the mix as it is. Honourable mention to the excellent churning organ stabs which ride shotgun and complete the picture. Catch this wave now.

Another winning slice of baked sunshine soul from the LA duo. Once again the bouncy and deceptively friendly backbeat camouflages serious intent much like Talking Heads once did with ‘Once in a lifetime’. In this case both the need to disco and the internal struggle showcased in the highly entertaining video. I especially love the whining one note synth line which remains consistent and true as things clatter all around it. A great way to start the year.

A genius turn from the LA duo which takes two crucial elements of the vintage Talking Heads sound and fuses them with an authentic 21st century anxiety. Those elements are the relentless pulse bass of Tina Weymouth. And the declamatory, talking-loudly-to-myself vocals of David Byrne. World War 4. US Civil War 2024. No money. Everything is free. They suggest a scenario in which dancing to a four to the floor disco beat can alleviate this state of affairs. Not a solution maybe but a way to soothe your mind and body. You might even feel like embracing an uncertain future if the soundtrack is as brilliant as this.

Angel Deradoorian used to be in Dirty Projectors where her voice was used to tremendous and startling effect in a choral bank. She's a solo artist now using her surname and operating out of L.A. but still sounding in fantastic voice. Nice to hear her alongside her old muckers + Bjork from 2010 serenading whales in Northern California. C Duncan is a singer and composer from Glasgow who makes beautiful baroque sounds with room for...rejoice...whistling. It was a recommendation from Kathryn Joseph that put me on to him, she needs no recommendation from me or anyone else, just take a listen and weep. Blank Realm make psych pop with a lovely glide to it, they're from Brisbane . Totally Mild are from Melbourne and make very tasty guitar pop with a twist. De Lux are a duo from L.A. who clearly enjoy Talking Heads (and who doesn't) and make a great rattle reminiscient of Tina Weymouth's bass playing and David Byrne's shouty singing. And Kevin Murphy ...

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”. ...

Another lost classic re-issued by the wonderful Jonny Trunk . This album was originally released in 1960 on Del-Fi Records and features one of life’s proto-hippies in the shape of Eden Ahbez (an assumed name, as you may have guessed, born Alexander Aberle in Brooklyn in 1908), a drifter, performer, student of Oriental mysticism, who moved west and reportedly lived outdoors with his family in Los Angeles , under the first L in the Hollywood sign. He was also a regular performer at the city’s coffeehouses in the 1940’s, mixing poetry with flute and bongo arrangements. And, most famously, he was responsible for the song Nature boy , that superb evocation of innocence abroad which was turned into a hit by Nat King Cole in 1947. All those elements are present on this album, along with a strong undercurrent of Central American rhythms which tends to bring Esquivel to mind (this is always welcome). Especially on songs like Full moon , a beautiful, sombre vibes arrangement with a spoken word p...

A couple of other notes to add to the Serge Gainsbourg post yesterday . For anyone in the Los Angeles area, next Sunday would be a good day to get down to the Hollywood Bowl . They're throwing a special event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SG's death , which features a mouth-watering line-up consisting of Jean-Claude Vannier conducting a full orchestra, as well as Beck, Sean Lennon, Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear), Victoria Legrand (Beach House), and others. Full details here. FFS, I think is the appropriate abbreviation. http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4575 Funnily enough, it had passed me by that this year was the 20th anniversary of his death. But this gorgeous looking box-set release by Wrasse Records seems like another worthy tribute. Nice to see they've included 2 full CD's of his songs and scores for films in there. 20th Anniversary Box Set And finally, I also came across this fine article from the Guardian by Nick Ke...