The Underground of Happiness

Keep the pop gems coming in this wet steamy summer. Playlist Mambo Noir Trio – Matador (Oona Records) Laurence Pike – Dance of the earth (The Leaf Label) Kingo Dia Ntotila – Mutwashi (Fancy Cat Remix) (Pussyfoot Records) Purple Mountains – Margaritas at the mall (Drag City) Bananagun – Do yeah (Full Time Hobby) Corey King – Fertility filter (Def Pressé) Cross Record – The fly (Ba Da Bing) Alasdair Roberts – The evernew tongue (Drag City) Drahla – Pyramid Estate (Captured Tracks) Gruff Rhys – Pang (Rough Trade) Hochzeitskapelle – Sonido Amazonico (Gutfeeling Records/Broken Silence) Manu Louis – Internet (Igloo Records) Mermaidens – I might disappear (Flying Nun) Sarathy Korwar – Bol (The Leaf Label) Band of Holy Joy – Electric pilgrims Terry – Spud (Upset The Rhythm) Twen – Damsel (Frenchkiss Records) Cabogato – Drive on dust (Hidden Shoal) Solo Collective – By the tower, at nightfall (Nonostar Records) Dubi Dolczek – Tangerine Moon (Stolen Body Re...

The first instalment of my favourite music of 2018. Categories are a bit arbitrary as always. Parts 2 and 3 to follow. Enjoy. Playlist Django Django – In your beat (Because Music) De Lux – 875 dollars (Innovative Leisure) Tune-Yards – Heart attack (4AD) Kamasi Washington – The Space Traveller’s Lullaby (Young Turks) Todd Tobias & Combo Qasam – Do the Massabu (Tiny Room/Hidden Shoal) Khruangbin – Maria tambien (Dead Oceans) Richard Swift – Broken finger blues (Secretly Canadian) Terry – The whip (Upset The Rhythm) Gulp – Claudia (E.L.K Records) Blue Orchids – Get Bramah (Tiny Global Productions) Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread – When (Full Time Hobby) Jessica Pratt – This time around (Mexican Summer) Steve Gunn – New moon (Matador) Soccer 96 – Harmonious Monk (Slowfoot Records) Orchestra of Spheres – Koudede (Fire) Nightports w/ Matthew Bourne – Exit (Leaf) Camera – Super 8 (Bureau B) Snapped Ankles – Drink and glide (Leaf) Sz...

A collection of recent favourites here at UOH Towers. Mostly new or upcoming releases. Across genres. The way it should be. Plus a few of an older vintage. Enjoy. Playlist Elaine Malone – You Josephine Foster – Shepherd moon of starry height (Fire Records) Todd Tobias & Chloe March – Lillavva (Hidden Shoal) Kamasi Washington – Will you sing (Young Turks) Szun Waves – Moon runes (The Leaf Label) Spike & Debbie – Always sunshine (Tiny Global Productions) The Free Design – Make the madness stop (Project 3) Alison Statton & Spike – Open portal (Tiny Global Productions) Terry – The whip (Upset The Rhythm) Comet Gain – If not tomorrow (Tapete) Hater – I wish I gave you more time because I love you (Fire Records) The Chills – Deep belief (Fire Records) The Big Lovin’ – Adiadiadio The Honey Hahs – River (Rough Trade) Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread – When (Full Time Hobby) Lee Hazlewood – My autumn’s done come (Light in the Attic) Kathryn Jo...

I don’t need much encouragement to get worked up about Australian bands but even so I like this crowd a lot. Melbourne seems to be quite the hotbed this weather from where this four piece fashion what they’re calling dolewave. I’m not sure it’ll catch on as a name tag but the music has a charm and swagger to it that’s very appealing and the word slacker might not be out of place. Rudimentary drum machine. One note couldntgiveafuck guitar attitude. Supremely deadpan vocals proclaiming “off his bloody head goes”. The beautiful judicious use of a fuzzbox. Another Australian band who manage to make pop poetry out of unpromising materials.