The Underground of Happiness

The 2nd instalment of my Best of 2018 review. In no particular order although I wouldn't argue if you forced me to pick Kacey Johansing (pictured) as my album of the year. 3rd part to follow soon. Enjoy. Playlist Kacy & Clayton – The light of day (New West Records) Hiss Golden Messenger – Rock holy (Merge) Jess Williamson – I see the white (Mexican Summer) Kacey Johansing – Do you want me (Night Bloom Records/Melodic) Get Well Soon – Martyrs (City Slang) Lake Ruth – Julia’s call (Feral Child) Those Unfortunates – John Cronin is unwell Hater – I wish I gave you more time because I love you (Fire) Tanukichan – Perfect (Company Records) The Sea & Cake – I should care (Thrill Jockey) Crayola Lectern – Rescue mission (Onomatopoeia) BOYTOY – Mary Anne (Stolen Body Records) La Luz – Cicada (Hardly Art) The Chills – Bad sugar (Fire) Comet Gain – If not tomorrow (Tapete) Damien Jurado – Allocate (Secretly Canadian) Daniel Knox feat. Ni...

A selection of miscellaneous favourites from UOH Towers lately. It so happens they tend around the psych/kosmische/dream pop axis for the most part. Also a bit of jazz and instrumental, a children's tv soundtrack (Bagpuss) and a concept piece about WWI survivors (Thankful Villages), for good measure. All new releases. Enjoy. Playlist Todd Tobias & Chloe March – Lillavva (Hidden Shoal) Darren Hayman – Bigby ( Thankful Villages Vol 3 , Belka Records in association with The Arts Council and Caught By The River) Yann Tiersen – Tempelhof (Mute) The Magic Lantern – Darling day (Hectic Eclectic Records) Peace Signs – Satellite Hitori (Gare du Nord) Camera – Super 8 (Bureau B) Lewsberg – The smile Methyl Ethel – Scream whole (4AD) O Emperor – Effort (Big Skin Records) Hilma Nikolaisen – Only me (Fysisk Format) Snapped Ankles – Drink and glide (The Leaf Label) Orchestra of Spheres – Chimes (Fire Records) Harmony Rockets – Atropos (Tompkins Square) Sone ...

You’ll have heard this song by now. The downbeat perfectly appointed antidote to all those windy male singing buffoons. Like a white soul Midlake. A little bit stoned and all seeing for that. Some kind of wisdom in these deceptively banal words - “I left drinking on the city train To spend some time on the road” Whether you go with “feral indie bros” (The Guardian) or “Neil Young guesting with The Band” (that was me) or some other line, you’ll find it hard not to fall in love with. The dappled electric piano intro. The high tone male semi falsetto. The unbeatable twisting guitar part. The stoic banks of trumpets. The swooning fiddle. The general country soul swing and amiability. A beguiling mix.

Say hello to Whitney who sound a bit like Neil Young fronting The Band, that is to say a beautiful thing. William Tyler has a new album out soon, more beautiful guitar (with band) instrumentals contemplating the state of America today. August Wells are touring over here soon, another great song of bruised soul music from them, album coming later in the year. And Rozi Plain , sublime kosmische folk, playing the Clonmel Junction Festival in July. More on these pages as always. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com www.facebook.com/theundergroundofhappiness Twitter: UndergroundOfHappy Playlist 405 Tues June 7 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/95cWuc Playlist Rozi Plain – Marshes ( playing Clonmel Junction Festival, July 10 ) Nadia Reid – Runway Stranded Horse ...

A tremendous album which takes folk music on an intriguing, epic journey. From the beginning, ‘Silver Timothy’ would remind you of America (the band, one of several songs with those signature close vocal harmonies and brushed acoustic guitars; the vast continent too), although with an added psychedelic, cosmic sheen. In fact the whole album has this feel about it. It’s not that it’s all-out trippy, but inherent to it is a definite step away from accepted reality. It is folk music taken out of the coffee house and brought back into the wild. ‘Metallic cloud’ has a beautiful heightened atmosphere created by a chorus of voices and glockenspiel and topped off by these lines – “you wanna be amazed and see the sky on delay”. With its bar room piano and country soul underpinnings, it’s as if The Band had sat in on The Flaming Lips’ Soft Bulletin sessions for an afternoon. (Come to think of it, a couple of The Band did sit in on the Mercury Rev Deserters’ songs sessions around the...