The Underground of Happiness

Part 3 of this epic poem, and I hope your year's been good so far. We're at a faster clip (tempo basically) for this section, there's something about these songs that shows some kind of urgency, people in a hurry, on some kind of mission maybe. And it strikes me that few things in life are more exciting to me than pop music with progressive tendencies. What exactly this means we can debate but wrapping a pop tune around a literary/unexpected/twisted lyric or conceptual idea raises the genre to a higher artform. Or building a classic rock guitar riff then undercutting it with a kosmische synth. Or steeping a song in jazz influences only to strap a motorik backbeat onto it. Or...well you get the gist. Enjoy. ************************************************************************************************ 1. Ezra Furman – Restless year (from the album Perpetual motion people , Bella Union) Fantastic opening gambit from the lipsticked one’s current albu...

This came out a couple of months ago. The first new music in a few years from a band I am very fond of, from the upcoming new album of "political rock songs". On paper their music doesn’t always sound promising, taking as it does elements of Frank Zappa, Deerhoof and krautrock – not natural bedfellows you might say. This tune features an angular post-punk rhythm – the kind fans of the bad will be familiar with – combined with a shapeshifting melody. Where before satire has been employed to undercut the grandiose claims of artists (‘We work in bars’), here vocals are dispensed with altogether so that the humour has a more abstract feel. Well there are vocals, just not words. One voice uses a daydreaming “ba-dee-n-da-da” motif as the main line. The second is something between a forced cough and an exclamation of disgust, not a million miles from a Harry Enfield or even Kenny Everett character tic. The two (on the face of it unrelated) vocal lines are looped and spl...

The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed www.theundergroundofhappiness.blogspot.com Playlist 161 Tues Feb 1st 2011 11.00am-12.00pm (repeated on Tuesdays 8.30pm) Cork Campus Radio, 98.3FM listen live on the web at www.ucc.ie/ccr *listen back to this show at http://rapidshare.com/files/445656417/UOH_Podcast_Feb_1_2011.mp3 Playlist Essie Jain - Lay down ( playing Union Chapel, London, March 12 ) The Chap - We'll see to your breakdown Twin Shadow - At my heels ( playing Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, May 26-28 ) Deerhunter - Desire lines ( playing Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, May 26-28 ) Grinderman - Palaces of Montezuma ( playing Marquee, Cork, June 20 ) Toro y Moi - Still sound The Memory Band - Run river run Smoke Fairies - Strange moon rising ( playing Scala, London, Feb 3 ) John Stammers - The fridge Vessels feat. Stuart Warwick - Meatman, piano tuner, prostitute ( playing The Quad, Cork, Feb 26, w/ Sideproject ) Incar...

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...

That time of year for lists again. A vaguely arbitrary exercise, although strangely satisfying. Especially when it's been another great year for pop music . Below is what has been soundtracking the UOH cabin for the past year. Read. Discard. Listen. Enjoy. I've also put together a Best of 2010 Podcast which I'll send details of in another post. Til 2011, stay warm. The Underground of Happiness uplifting pop music of every creed Favourite Albums of 2010 (71, in no particular order) Syd Matters - Brotherocean (Because Music) Sone Institute – Curious memories (Front & Follow) Dum Dum Girls - I will be (Sub Pop) NLF3 - Beautiful is the way to the world beyond (Prohibited Records) Joanna Newsom - Have one on me (Drag City) She & Him - Volume Two (Double 6) Christy & Emily - No rest (Klangbad) Field Music - Field Music (Measure) (Memphis Industries) *d'load interview (phone) with David & Peter from Field Music here The Ruby Suns - Fight softl...