The Underground of Happiness

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 ...

A great collection to mark 10 years of the Manchester-based label featuring 25 artists who have graced its releases over that time. My own personal highlights are – the beautiful delicate cello lines of Andy Nice the bracing pre-modern overbowed violin swells of Laura Cannell the compelling folk narratives of The Doomed Bird of Providence the wonderful loops and samples of Sone Institute building guitar slides and phrases with birdsong and electronic pulses. It warms the heart and the ears that this label is alive in the world. LESSONS by Various Artists

It was 2010 that I first came across Sone Institute , which is largely one man, Roman Bezdyk . His album that year, Curious memories , was a masterful set of Burt Bacharach leaning tunes (in terms of their laid back atmosphere only), put together using samples and cut and paste wizardry. (In fact, I featured a tune from it in the recent Trumpets special, 'On tree hill' which samples the iconic trumpet part from the Bacharach-produced, Gene Pitney classic '24 hours from Tulsa', alongside a frantic Bollywood sample) This follow up shares the beauty and enigmatic qualities of the previous album, but adds a more organic feel, possibly due to the host of collaborators on show - among them Nils Frahm , Katie English of Isnaj Dui and Dale Grundle of The Sleeping Years. 'Frozen leaves/Falling from trees' superbly maps the space between an Eden Ahbez-style cosmic lounge (bongo and flute are prominent) and studied post-jazz instrumentals. 'Back at yesterday...

We spoke about the above mini-album recently, a companion to the current Doomed Bird of Providence album, Will ever pray , which is wonderful. Well there's more, in the shape of a Sone Institute remix of the same track. You need to go here to stream it. http://www.thewire.co.uk/articles/6679/ It's very woozy without losing any of the drama of the original. By the way, as you're at it, check the Sone Institute album of last year, Curious memories , and the Dollboy meets Sone Institute collaboration, The sum and the difference , both on Front & Follow . This is what I thought of them at the time, with listening links added. Sone Institute – Curious memories (Front & Follow) Beguiling album of Burt Bacharach tones and gorgeous orchestrations, in among the cut-and-paste glitches and samples, from one man electronic wiz Roman Bezdyk. Here's the absolutely sublime French woods from that album. Sone Institute - French Woods by beneshmade Various A...

The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed Best of 2010 Podcast *in most cases, you'll find album and label details for these in the "best of 2010"  post   *d'load this podcast at http://rapidshare.com/files/437128544/UOH_Best_of_2010_Podcast.mp3 Playlist   Frankie Rose & the Outs - Candy Field Music - Measure  Future Islands - Tin man Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and round Caribou - Odessa Peter Broderick - Part I: Discovery (from the soundtrack of the dance piece Congregation ) Toro y Moi - Leave everywhere Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Fight for me Bjork & Dirty Projectors - On and ever onward Joanna Newsom - '81 CocoRosie - Hopscotch Boxharp - The green Sone Institute - On tree hill She & Him - Over it over again Oh No Ono - Swim Secret Cities - Boyfriends The Chap - Pain fun Seeland - Black dot, white spider Darren Hayman & the Secondary Modern feat. Emmy the Great - Calling out your name again Dum Dum Gi...