The Underground of Happiness

Musical moments and memories from the year gone by. In no particular order. Enjoy. ******************************************************************* 1. North Sea Radio Orchestra – Dronne (The Household Mark) Another sublime set of tunes from Craig Fortnam and company which combines folk, kosmische and avant garde classical strands, taking the legacy of former band Cardiacs into fascinating new territory. Woodwind and strings are strong and strident against a hushed motorik rhythm on centrepiece song ‘The British road’, a wonderfully sharp state of the nation analysis of Brexit era Britain – when will they learn to fight like our men, how can I rise if you don’t fall. These poised swooping strings, along with the cooing woodwind, the signature guitar style of Craig Fortnam – courtly, playful, lithe – buzzing synths and the great pure singing of Craig’s wife Sharon against Craig’s reedier tones provide the core elements throughout. Essential food for the ears, th...

Gorgeous baroque pop with a psych folk edge like a meeting of The Zombies and Nick Drake, with a side of Bob Lind, the definition of a lost classic. Here’s the story in the man’s own words. "It was September 1969 and I was 20 years old. I walked into a Parisian recording studio full of orchestra and Eddy Vartan (the producer). The result, two weeks later was the album 'The Nightmare of J.B. Stanislas' [Disc'Az]. The label owner [Lucien Morisse] who had signed me up, died a few weeks later and the album was never released. So I went on my way. I taught water skiing on an Italian island and skiing in the Swiss Alps. I carried on writing and would play my songs to my mother (my only fan) in her kitchen where the sound was good. When she died, I recorded the album 'Suitcase Man' with some of Cat Stevens' musicians and the album went to No.1 in Spain. The label forgot to pay me but I did get to open for Leonard Cohen in Spain which was probably worth mor...

New music this week from Tindersticks (typically smouldering soul cut with brass), The Comet Is Coming (outer space free jazz rumblings with sax drones), Britta Phillips (sweet dream pop cover of Evie Sands)and Virginia Wing (dark mutated disco). A couple of great reissues from Nick Garrie (gorgeous baroque pop from 1969) and The Monochrome Set (filthy lyrical put downs from 1985). A gorgeous remix of Lutine by Sarah Angliss and Stephen Hiscock . And Matthew Bourne , wringing magical sounds from a moog. 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 391 Tues Mar 1 2016 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://goo.gl/iDP5fs Playlist Matthew Bourne – Sam ( playing BFI Southbank, London, Mar ...