The Underground of Happiness

The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Playlist 195 Tues Nov 1 2011 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://rapidshare.com/files/904457803/The_Underground_Of_Happiness_Nov_1_2011.m4a Playlist Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands - Too many harsh words Metronomy - Everything goes my way Crystal Stilts - Silver sun ( playing Grand Social, Dublin, Nov 4 ) St Vincent - Cruel ( playing Button Factory, Dublin, Nov 13 ) (The) Caseworker - National runner The Go! Team - Rolling blackouts ( playing KOKO Theatre, London, Nov 30, Memphis Industries 13th Birthday Party ) Apparat - Song of Los ( playing Sala Apolo, Barcelona, Dec 9 ) Simian Ghost - Free agent Mint Julep - Aviary Tune-Yards - You yes you ( playing Button Factory, Dublin, Feb 12 2012 ) Jean-Clau...

I flicked around the BBC love-in over the weekend, otherwise known as the Glastonbury Festival . In among the constant back-slapping, there were some genuinely memorable pop moments. (Not including Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyoncé and Jay-Z standing together in the VIP pit watching Coldplay . Or U2 . Although both had some anthropological value.) I'm thinking more of Metronomy's performance of The look in the backstage "fairy garden", which was brilliant. They came complete with compulsory wellies, handclaps, watertight vocal harmonies and that unforgettable vintage keyboard riff. Magic. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate the footage of the performance on the net, so we'll have to make do with the video. And as a bonus, here's the ridiculously entertaining video for their new single The Bay , a sub-Ian Fleming fantasy, showing off lovely Torquay, I believe. *I must also mention the mindblowing performance of Janelle Monae . Apart from the flaw...

Metronomy - The English Riviera (Because) A less immediate album than their previous, the wonderful Nights out , but rewards repeated listening, as they say. So, the out-of-phase vocal and saxophone stabs of Everything goes my way creep up on you gradually; the gameshow organ of single The look takes on a different colour bedded under scratchy percussion, high-tone bass and a yacht rock synth. The terrific Trouble comes on like an 80's Northern soul throwback (I'm thinking Orange Juice) with a half beat, chorused electric guitars and falsetto male harmonies. The bay is closest in tone to Nights out , with a slap bass and serious dancefloor chops among the massed harmonies. But then again the great synth build of Some written , from an unassuming samba shuffle, also shows an unlikely future in dance music for the kazoo. Pop music with an endearing sense of adventure and hooks to burn. Free download of She wants - www.metronomy.co.uk Playing Oxegen Festival, Punchesto...

So we've had our summer here in Ireland, in the shape of an Easter heatwave. Normal service has been resumed now in the shape of rain (sometimes wholehearted downpours, sometimes a cheeky drizzle, just for variety). More great music to listen to (indoors) this month, with chamber pop particularly to the fore. But you'll also find orchestral, psychedelic, garage-rock and IDM flourishes, among others, below. What's a pop music tag between friends anyway. All albums, unless otherwise noted. The Doomed Bird of Providence - Will ever pray (Front & Follow) It's quite unusual to find an album that is the result of, in effect, a research project. What a bonus when the music has a mysterious and compelling quality (although we partly guessed as much based on the band's fine eponymous EP of last year). The research in question, by singer Mark Kluzek, focuses on early Australian history and reveals harrowing tales of death and delinquency in the inhospitable tropics an...