The Underground of Happiness

Tracks from 16 albums I've enjoyed a lot this year so far. Enjoy x Playlist 1. Cool Ghouls – In Michoacan (Empty Cellar Records/Melodic) 2. The Chills – You’re immortal (Fire) 3. Buffet Lunch – Red apple happiness (Upset The Rhythm) 4. Cathal Coughlan – Falling out North Street (Dimple Discs) 5. St Vincent – Down and out (Loma Vista) 6. El Michels Affair feat Piya Malik – Murkit gem (Big Crown Records) 7. Shannon Lay – Wild (Sub Pop) actually released in 2019 but heard for the first time by me this year… 8. Craig Fortnam – Ark (Onomatopoeia Records) 9. Lucy Gooch – Rain’s break (Fire) 10. Mark Fry – Song for Wilde (Now-Again Reserve Records) (reissue) 11. Marina Allen – Belong here (Fire) 12. yumbo – A house (Morr Music) 13. Colleen – Implosion-Explosion (Thrill Jockey) 14. Adrian Crowley – Bread and wine (Chemikal Underground) 15. Lambchop – Chef’s kiss (Merge/City Slang) 16. Ann Scott - Sweetheart

It’s been a vintage year for Irish album releases. O Emperor, Cat Dowling, Biggles Flys Again, The Last Sound, Peter Delaney, Ann Scott, Enemies, Hidden Highways, God Is An Astronaut have all released singular and accomplished works. It’s time to add another one to that list, someone who is likely to be much less known to you than even those mentioned above. Kevin Murphy is an Irishman currently living in Australia, maybe that’s why he’s slipped under the radar of the Irish mainstream media. In line with those others, he writes songs that stay with you, in his case because of an achingly authentic delivery and brilliantly subtle arrangements. Here’s a review I wrote of his album for WeAreNoise a while back. An unassuming package came through the Noise letterbox recently (I mean that literally, it was a CD). An indistinct, autumnal woodland cover. The artist's name, Kevin Murphy , the album title LOVEhATE (which I'm happy to report appears to bear no relation to the tv s...

Happy New Year. Just a quick hello to land you with a list of 46* (edit - make it 48) albums that did the rounds many times in here in the past year. Another great year for pop music, I think you'll agree. A couple of other miscellaneous highlights underneath. I'm not bothering with lots of links and pictures and videos in this post - that's what the rest of the blog is for, go digging and you'll find. Most, if not all, of the list have been represented in these pages over the last year. And I might also mention that interviews with Crystal Stilts, Efterklang, (The) Caseworker, Hotels, Josh T. Pearson and Neville Skelly from the year gone by are also over there on the right hand side of the page. I may well have left a few people out, and there were a few borderline cases - if anyone has any particular beef with me on what's below, give me a shout. I'm all on for, like, engagement. Say no more. (I'm making one exception, I can't get enough of this) ...

(The) Caseworker – Letters from the coast (Hidden Shoal) *Brother and sister Conor & Eimer Devlin (originally Irish) form the core of this three-piece. They’ve produced a beguiling album of sunburst guitar melodies, sitting on a foundation of drone, with a thin gauze of hazy suspense draped over it. We’ve already spoken about the chiming single National runner - written about the Ethiopian long-distance athlete Miruts Yifter and it shares something of his relentless drive. The widescreen feel of Boats is created with banks of ringing, Byrdsian guitars, which combine for a thrilling crescendo. The beautiful Sea years has Eimer’s hushed, low-in the-mix vocal set against a driving bassline (reminiscient of Yo La Tengo a little bit). There’s more than a shade of shoegaze about both Sister song and Little good it did you , with fuzz smears and high-fretted bass. And I love The slow track with its ingenious uplift of trumpet, coming in the wake of a closet bossa nova. Enigmatic but a...

Josh Ottum - Watch TV (Tapete Records) Thrilling revival of all that is good about 70's AM rock and a certain 80's high fidelity sound (you know you love it), from America's Pacific Northwest. Goin gone has authentic prog-pop chops (a bit like a calmer Darwin Deez ) and a knockout chorus (two different ones, in fact) that recalls the theme tune to The Greatest American Hero . The spectre of Chicago (the band) hangs comfortably around the twin guitar solo of Fool in the night . The very next song, Storms in the summertime , takes a left turn with synth gurgles and handclap syncopations - sounding quite like a 21st century Steely Dan - underlining the experimental heart beneath the pop hooks. The gorgeous male falsetto of Green in the sun belongs on primetime television (not a putdown), which is appropriate given the title of the album. Not built for two seems at first like the type of electric piano ballad not heard since Dean Friedman's I am in love with a McDonald...

Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - Everything's getting older (Chemikal Underground) Grand Snr's a big fan of this and it's grown on me like something you'd look forward to wearing. We already spoke last month about the brilliant single The copper top , a plaintiff meditation on mortality. Among other things worthy of your attention on the album, check the shopping list monologue of Cages with its handclap jazz beat backing; the raw, and very Arab Strap -ish, confessional of Ballad of the Bastard ; the scuzzy Scottish street funk of Glasgow Jubilee , all back-alleys and blow jobs; the great Runyonesque noir gone wrong of Dinner time . The arrangements of legendary jazzman Wells, anchored by sombre piano, are pitch-perfect all the way, sincere or playful as needs be. And Moffat's writing jumps off the page, characters fully formed, a dirty-realist page-turner. It's a great piece of work, this album.

A few months late with this, but there are some things so special you won't mind waiting. Julianna Barwick - The magic place (Asthmatic Kitty) From the opening strains of Envelop , with multiple wordless, heavily treated vocal parts creating texture as well as melody, you know you're in the presence of something special here. By the end of that track, as a distressed piano line gradually swamps the vocals, a haunting, heartrending mood has taken over from the initial bliss. The title track is a choral symphony which slowly disintegrates into a lone soprano. Cloak sounds for all the world like a line from a church hymn sampled and looped, until its layers gather a power not witnessed in any church I've ever been in. White flag creates the effect of standing at the mid-point of three competing choirs, which somehow manage to complement each other. You could quibble that a sameness sets in midway through the album which might have been broken by the use of more percussion...

EDM - Night people (Western Vinyl) You'll have heard of Bloomington, Indiana's progressive rockers Early Day Miners (their 2009 album The treatment was a particular favourite round these parts), now shortened to this acronym. Very reminiscient in places of ex-Cardinal Richard Davies' psych-folk/pop solo style (that's only a good thing), but with extra prog stylings. So you have the dense, galactic instrumental Milking the moon (a bit like a slowed-down Wooden Shjips), also the stirring folk-rock-with-recorder of Turncoats , the itchy psych-guitar of Hold me down , the insistent, circling melodies of Stereo/Video . The initials are no drawback. A fine, fine album. Stereo/Video free d'load : http://westernvinyl.com/audio/WV90.SV.mp3

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...

Antonymes - A licence to interpret dreams (Hidden Shoal) A deceptively simple set of neo-classical instrumentals (there is spoken word on one track), featuring piano, atmospherics and heart-swelling orchestral arrangements, from north Wales' Ian Hazeldine. There's a stillness and glacial beauty about these tunes which inevitably bring existential matters to mind. The maritime pull of The siren, hopelessly lost , for example. Or The Gospel Pass , with a religious bearing brought on by a solemn church organ. The single Endlessly somehow draws a rumbling chord from a series of ineffable tones. An unexpected muted trumpet fanfare opens The door towards the dream , followed by a female soprano signalling the stars. The Reichian piano structure of A light from the heavens is gradually submerged under yearning cellos. Honestly, the fact that one man/the world can produce an album this gorgeous gives hope for the future of the human race. *I must say also that ambient opener A frag...

Crystal Stilts - In love with oblivion (Fortuna Pop) As I've said before, this is a special band. Among the many delights on this record, you will find: the great oscillating bassline of Sycamore tree ; the Byrdsian shimmer of Silver sun ; the swirling Animals-esque organ of Shake the shackles (which somehow also sounds, thrillingly, like early Go-Betweens); the stomping reverb guitar hook of Precarious stair , eventually submerged under an authentic garage rock beat; the fantastic tambourine and organ rush of Half a moon ; the VU-ish John Cale piano+Lou Reed guitar thrash of Prometheus at large ; the couldn't-give-a-fuck vocals of Brad Hargett while all around him musical fireworks go off. And finally, the mention of Bo Diddley in an interview from 2009 (below) reminds me that the wonderful Blood barons is a runaway train BD beat. This is a brilliant album. Free d'load of Through the floor http://www.fortunapop.com/free_download.php?id=28 Through the floor -

Josh T. Pearson - Last of the country gentlemen (Mute) A man struggling with the end of a relationship. One side of a dialogue between two lovers. A dramatic storyline of religious intensity and naked honesty. This album is all of these things, and some more. Including a compelling answer to the challenge of three chords and the truth. And a deconstruction of country music, using tempo changes and squalls of overlapping, fingerpicked guitar patterns. Also Thou art loosed comes on like an out-of-phase Roy Orbison, who after all was the king of break-up records. Sad songs, in this case, say so much. You need to hear this. *Interview with JTP coming soon Playing Barbican Theatre, London, November 26 (with guests tba)

Damon & Naomi - False beats and true hearts (Broken Horse) The former bandmates of Dean Wareham in Galaxie 500 are still making a handsome contribution to the canon of dream pop. You only need to hear the plangent beauty of How do I say goodbye , or the English folk revival feel (albeit with a VU-ish electric guitar drone lurking in the shadows) of the gorgeous Shadow boxing . My own fave is What she brings , with its aching slide, creamy psych guitar and vibrating bells. Rich textures are supplied by understated mellotrons and flutes. All in all, a dizzy drift of pleasure through your subconscious. Which is something I recommend. Damon & Naomi with Chris Marker - And You Are There from The Wire Magazine on Vimeo .

Left with Pictures - In time (Organ Grinder Records) If you're into chamber pop (and I am) you'll want to be checking out this English band's second album. It's a concept-ish album, with 12 songs, each one relating to a different month of the year. So, it opens with Constantly , a bittersweet meditation on the passing of time, driven along by a rolling piano figure and some great banjo playing. The Ides of March sounds strangely like Morrissey (only, if he'd been into The Zombies instead of the New York Dolls). August's Go Simon, Go! brilliantly finds common ground between a barbershop quartet and Thin Lizzy's Dancing in the Moonlight . And the at-odds-textures of bowed saw and jaunty brass on closing song Forgive me perfectly evoke the mixed feelings of an English December. Joining folk and classical music, via English music hall, this album just goes to show how broad a church pop music can be, if you go looking in the right places. And don't you j...

Julia Kent - Green and grey (Tin Angel Records) This second album by the Canadian (she used to be part of the Antony and the Jonsons touring band) might sound a bit off-putting on paper - solo cello, layered, with field recordings. Don't be put off, it's one of the most beautiful instrumental collections you'll hear in a while. For example, the cinematic poise of Pleiades . Or the gorgeous thrum of Acquario 's opening bars with background lapping water, followed by the romantic sweep of several entwined cello parts. The majestic Overlook makes me think of tragic French films. Simply, it's beautiful, beautiful music. Highly recommended. Interview from 2009: Playing Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona, May 26-28

Some more beauties now plucked from the fog of the recent monthly round-up. William D. Drake - Rising of the lights (Onomatopoeia Records) Here's what I know about William D. Drake. He used to be in English band Cardiacs. He's obviously interested in English folk and medieval music - I have a hunch he enjoys silent film soundtracks too. His music is playful and quite surreal, but not at the expense of passion and energy. The instrumental track Ziegler starts like a Buster Keaton chase sequence (with twirling clarinet) before becoming very like the theme tune to (the fondly remembered Irish children's tv programme) Wanderly Wagon . He's a fantastic piano player, who sounds like he'd be right at home with jazz, classical, traditional or any other genre you'd like to throw at him. The song Ornamental hermit concerns the (presumably discontinued, although you never know) practice of wealthy English families keeping a hermit on their grounds. The title of the al...

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...

Just to double up a little bit, I'm posting a few of the March monthly picks in their own right. This is one record (CD in fact) on heavy rotation around at UOH HQ lately. Check it out. Grimes - Halfaxa (Lo Recordings) Meet Claire Boucher from Montreal, who has produced a fascinating, impossible-to-pigeonhole album. The constant features are haunting vocals - layered, filtered, and antique sounding, calling to mind Liz Frasier or Kate Bush in places - and sparse drum machine+synth backing. The overall effect is of a wide-ranging and completely "other" soundworld. From the de-constructed R 'n B ballad Heartbeats , to the ghostly-lament-masquerading-as-dance-pop of sagrad , the deliriously shoegazey Devon , and the ukulele stomp of Favriel . Be prepared for a trip. An album to treasure. Grimes performs at Gorilla Vs Bear / Mexican Summer party, SXSW '11 from BlearyEyedBrooklyn.com on Vimeo . Playing Whelan's Upstairs, Dublin, May 15th

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...