The Underground of Happiness

It's Serge Gasinsbourg's 27th anniversary this month. Time to mark the occasion although no excuse is needed. The ageless 'Bonnie & Clyde' with Brigitte Bardot and a lovely late years version of 'La Javanaise' by Jane Birkin . A beautful hushed Yo La Tengo number sung by Georgia. Breezy jazz pop from the top drawer from The Sea & Cake . And lush power pop from Mr Ben Montero of Melbourne via Athens. 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 483 Tues Mar 27 2018 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/FsG4qg Playlist Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot – Bonnie & Clyde Jane Birkin – La javanaise Katie Von Schleicher – Glad to be here (...

The spirit of GBV and Pavement is alive and well on this Melbourne 4-piece’s excellent second album. Satisfying not as simple as they sound guitars make hay with gorgeous go ahead drumming. In general the feel is of the joy of the bandroom. But let’s also point out the superior songwriting and nagging tunes at the heart of gems like ‘Chancer’ and ‘Cruiser’. It’s a beautiful thing. Good by The Stevens

This week’s show has a lot of great music. At least four of my favourite tunes of the year (you know the ones if you're here regularly). But really this week come for the pop genius of The Go! Team ...brass band handclaps xylophones joyous teenage guest singers. Then stay for the rest. 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 465 Tues Oct 24 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/HajPmV Playlist The Go! Team – The semicircle song ( playing Electric Ballroom, London, Feb 15 ) Hater – Blushing ( playing Rough Trade East, London, Nov 29 ) This is the Kit – By my demon eye ( playing Cyprus Ave, Cork, Jan 16 ) Montero – Vibrations ( playing Vicar Street, Dublin Nov 22, w ...

Meet Ben Montero of Melbourne who is currently shacking up in Athens and by all appearances (from the music video anyway) having a whale of a time on the Mediterranean. This storming tune has shades of Connan Mockasin and Tame Impala although imagined through MOR/soft rock rather than filthy funk or psych rock. A quick perusal of his Facbook confirms the suspicion that this is the music of someone quite happy to proclaim love for the likes of Fleetwood Mac and REO Speedwagon. Which in itself is a beautiful thing. There’s also the small matter of a song which begins with a chorus especially one as good as this. A lost art in pop music. The sound of genius in the making I feel.

I don’t need much encouragement to get worked up about Australian bands but even so I like this crowd a lot. Melbourne seems to be quite the hotbed this weather from where this four piece fashion what they’re calling dolewave. I’m not sure it’ll catch on as a name tag but the music has a charm and swagger to it that’s very appealing and the word slacker might not be out of place. Rudimentary drum machine. One note couldntgiveafuck guitar attitude. Supremely deadpan vocals proclaiming “off his bloody head goes”. The beautiful judicious use of a fuzzbox. Another Australian band who manage to make pop poetry out of unpromising materials.

There’s something about Elizabeth Mitchell’s voice. While singing these lines - I’m in bed and I never want to go outside again she sounds like she’s drifting off into sentimental or even mildly ecstatic reverie. The voice is billed as falsetto. I’m not sure it is exactly but I’m sure it’s pitched just above the shelf of full throated. Delicately poised. Meanwhile the genius guitar line forms a duet with it in the spiral staircase chorus. Thereafter the rhythm section pulls the neat trick of leaving out half the beats. With the twined guitar and posied at an angle voice this has the wonderful effect of slowing you right down to the pace of the song as it stretches its limbs. Twould nearly make you want to up sticks to Melbourne . It is languid and altogether very very lovely. Down TIme by Totally Mild

A classic slacker (anti) anthem from the Melbourner. Apart from the wonderful pummelling riff I find I mostly get stuck on this line – Give me all your money and I’ll make some origami honey It’s one of those lines that probably reads quite plain on paper but somehow it shows off Barnett’s knack of being able to puncture all the bullshit poses we go on with while wrapping it all in lovely sloppy trashy guitar playing and hilarious wordplay. Right then, carry on. Doo doo doodoo Doo doo doodoo

Ever wondered what might have happened if Dusty Springfield had hooked up with Ennio Morricone? Friends, wonder no more for Sophia Brous (pronounced “Bruce”) of Melbourne, Australia has supplied a glorious pseudo-reality to that tantalising daydream. Ever since I came across it yesterday, I've been hooked on this absolute classic, part Dusty domestic mini-epic, part Euro lounge exotica nugget. Apparently coming from a jazz background, Brous has forged a sound from the classic age of 60s pop, all swooping melodies, but with baroque arrangements of organ, harpsichord and bending strings which succeed in nodding very gently to the Italian cinema master. Add in a bonkers Bollywood flourish here and there (check those fantastically unhinged la-la-las and spacey Moog squelches) and you’ve got the headiest global pop confection heard in years, possibly. What’s particularly satisfying is that Brous has one foot in the avant garde – further research reveals she is lined up for...

Beaches are five women from Melbourne who mine a tasty brand of psych rock with a permeating drone. The pick of their second album is this long distance kraut trip which features Michael Rother of NEU! on drums for added authenticity. I love the way the welter of guitars to begin dissolves into a stew of blurry harmonies. Resilient, there's a word.

The new album from Dublin's The Last Sound comes out this week, we started the show with their knockout single from a couple of years ago taken from it, followed by more great drones from Date Palms . The new O Emperor album comes out soon too, it's very interesting, more from that over the next few weeks. More tasty Irish music in the shape of Cat Dowling, Floor Staff, Enemies & Sundernix . The Collision/Detection Box Set is out in June, from that wonderful series we heard Hong Kong in the 60s and Sone Institute . And something of a double play for Michael Rother , first drumming with Melbourne's Beaches (pictured), then in his own right with a NEU! classic from 1975. Somehow, motorik is sunny music. June 4 2013 Show w/ O Emperor,Beaches,NEU!,Date Palms,The Last Sound,Cat Dowling,Olof Arnalds++ by Theundergroundofhappiness on Mixcloud The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.co...