Connecticut’s Midi & The Modern Dance are a pretty ravishing listen most of the time but given the day that’s in it and the fact that they’ve a song with ghost in the title it seems like fate has brought us together once again. We’ve dipped into their debut album ‘Twilight, How Sweet You Are’ several times before and given that’s it now free to download from their myspace I recommend you make a sliver of your music wearing memory capacity very happy indeed. ‘Ghost’ is rich in dramatics, starting slowly like most M&TMD songs before building to a tempered crescendo. A perfect band playing small venues when surely their talent should be opening up much bigger doors. Scary really. KD

Midi & The Modern Dance - Ghost

More Info: Official
Buy Songs For Free: Midi & The Modern Dance
Year: 2008

Yeah it my favourite film by a wide margin and yeah I watch it at Christmas every year (Easter, Paddy’s and the odd Tuesday too). Luckily Mrs Hugger is equally enamoured as will baby hugger once we’ve brainwashed her. Of course it helps that the movie’s OST is perfect, as sweet as the goods from the factory and as cruel as the 4 losing kids. Forget about Depp’s update, it couldn’t possibly compete if it had been 10 times better. There’s magic all around, just one of a kind that won’t be bettered. KD

Diana Sowle - Cheer Up, Charlie

More Info: Wiki
Buy Songs: Willy Wonka OST
Year: 1971

I picked ‘The Moon & Antarctica’ up in a shoebox in temple bar square and despite absolutely adoring every second it marked both the beginning and end of my flirtation with Modest Mouse. Not sure why, delving further might have tarnished our near perfect relationship I suppose. So odd really but then Modest Mouse are no ordinary band to award your fanship. For one it has at various times featured excerpts from the Smiths and Grandaddy. Lead singer Issac Brooks is a ticket too, deciding that ‘The Moon & Antarctica’ should become overtly instrumental while at the same time nursing a broken jaw (clever clever). The second track ‘Gravity Rides Everything’ is classic slacker rock, shuffling through a series of wondering peaks and troughs. KD

Modest Mouse - Gravity Rides Everything

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Modest Mouse
Year: 2000

I was about to thrash it before I got distracted and by the time I refocused I had fallen under ‘Over’s spell (a track from the bonus CD on the 'Nights Out' album). Metronomy are one of those acts that seem to habitually appear on every second blog so being the pioneer that I think I am I tended to give them a wide berth. Silly me, for ‘Over’ is a rollicking piece of inventive electronic. Metronomy have been around for just over a decade and is primarily the work of Brighton based Joseph Mount. His remixes are ubiquitous too, not bad for a lad who started out with a clapped out computer rejected by his dad. ‘Over’ starts out like a steamship short on fuel but soon exhibits a swaggering imagination. The twists and turns are absorbing even more so when it starts to sound like ‘Pure’ towards the end. KD

Metronomy - Over

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Metronomy
Year: 2008

I promise I’ve done as much research as is humanely possible but even the internet throws back vacant stares when quizzed on the origins of the Static Hand (Berlin btw). Creepy isn’t it, I imagine even google streetview is flummoxed. But given the week that’s in it perhaps it might be wise to concentrate on the music rather than its ghostly maker. The prompt was an email that included a bandcamp link to download the EP (‘Background Fuzz’) and a little intro citing Eno as a major influence. Now having skirted around that particular artist I’ll have to admit to falling for the Static Hand for a lot less man hours. ‘Number One’ won’t alarm fragile household pets owing to its steady amble but its spirit is strong and by the 7th minute you may be cowering in the kennel along with Rex. Ghoul pop. KD

The Static Hand - Number One

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Static Hand
Year: 2010

Common Loon duo of Matt Campbell and Robert Hirschfeld may have reached the age where dirty nappies could cloud inspiration and sorting the rubbish into different coloured bins could be an excuse for low innovation yet ‘Mexico’ from their newbie ‘The Long Dream of Birds’ dispels that frankly ludicrous supposition. Their fresh-faced approach skews all routes to planet chart but then their sonic experiments aren’t exactly taxing on the ear. It was the lone chord play that drew me in at first but there is much more to ‘Mexico’ than first impressions would lead you to believe. There’s something vaguely Suede about the goings on especially during its psych-out turns and Nada Surf’s high watermark also gets a look in. You'd really have to be a regular nut to overlook them. KD

Common Loon - Mexico

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Common Loon
Year: 2010

As uplifting and euphoric as Sigur Ros’ music is you could hardly ever label it happy and for all the childlike wonder a sense of eternal melancholy persists. So isn’t it a nice departure that the band’s singer can record a song for his new solo record that is fuelled by joyous endorphins. And what better way to wind down a week of Happiness that to issue a call to arms to ‘Go Do’. Don’t think I can’t see you smiling. KD

Jónsi - Go Do

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Jónsi
Year: 2010

It’s not only the music that should make you smile because this Wellington act (hmm, better explain, they come from New Zealand) are named after a fictional organisation from the 80’s show MacGyver. You should remember MacGyver for he was the lad who could break out of jail with a toothpick and 15cm of dyed wool. Nods to thrash TV aside the Phoenix Foundation really nailed it with this the title track from their 4th album. It is just so alive, vibrant and about to make waves when the album gets a European release (whether such things make sense in the internet age) early next year. And that’s before you even realise that the lyrics are actually about a Buffalo. KD

The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Phoenix Foundation
Year: 2010

Although I can be quite the crank when hungover, inside I am just another lonely soul on the lookout for something to soundtrack my elongated stares on the desolate prairie outside. Sigur Ros or Explosions In The Sky normally fill the gap but today as brain outbeats racing heart Flowers of Hell took on the onerous task of providing solace pre the inevitable delirium tremens action tonight. Can’t believe I’ve missed Flowers of Hell up to this point given their cinematic range and the hugely impressive list of collaborators (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3, British Sea Power…). The band is led by ever-constant Greg Jarvis who has a trained eye for grand sonic statements (he is a synaesthete who sees/perceives sounds as shapes) which unsuprisingly caught the ear of MBV along the way (they toured together in 2008). ‘O’ is the latest release, a 45-minute piece of slow building mournful montages. It is utterly affecting (within or outside the ravages of a post alcohol haze), as you’ll soon discover from the sampler below. Those who fell for BSP’s ‘Man of Aran’ are in for a treat. KD

Flowers Of Hell - O

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Flower of Hell
Year: 2010

One man’s meat is another man’s poison, or so said my old granddad after a healthy dose of Jameson. And the same logic could be applied to Pavement. A band who within the space of a couple tracks could flip between being a melodic tour de force and an off beat cookie collective. This is most obvious on their 3rd album ‘Wowee Zowee’ which had shiny beacon’s like ‘Grave Architecture’, ‘Grounded’, ‘Father To A Sister Of Thought’ and ‘Kennel District’ alongside the very unsingle like ‘Rattle By The Rush’ or the downright psychiatric ‘Brinx Job’. And this after the pure pop of the band’s sophomore ‘Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain’, all their ducks appeared to be in a row but Malkmus being Malkmus decided to detour at the sign for obscureville. ‘Kennel District’ came towards the end of the album, almost out of reach, but it’s fluid lines meant that it has ascended to the summit of a back catalogue littered with indie gems. No band has ever been this forgiven for the frustration they inflicted on their fans. KD

Pavement - Kennel District

More Info: Info
Buy Songs: Pavement
Year: 1995

It would have been so easy to fill all 7 days of our Happiness week with songs from Jeremy Jensen's songbook. In the interest of fairness though we decided that 'Sweater' was the obvious choice to illustrate the bounce that the Very Most are capable of. I can only recall 2 other songs about pullovers (Sultans of Ping and Weezer) off the top of my head so when the Very Most sang about their favourite piece of apparel it almost seemed off the cuff (!). Typically the Boise indie-poppers provide lyrics that are both sweet and funny but 'Sweater' goes one better by including a cast of dozens for the jamboree revelling at its core. This could easily enliven a grey evening and even spur those not inclined to handclaps into a frenzy of open palm gesticulation. KD

The Very Most - Sweater

More Info: The Very Most
Buy Songs: The Very Most
Year: 2009

It would be remiss of me to pass up on Liverpool’s the Coral for any series that had happiness in the title. For that feeling is what pervades on their latest album ‘Butterfly House’. Getting in John Leckie (he of the Stone Roses debut fame) was a masterstroke because the fella can sure conjure the stereophonic allure of the past. That said there’s no point in having a creative producer in to polish a batch of duds, so James Skelly worked even harder on his mesmerising retro flourishes. ‘Another Way’ is a highlight from the album, all sun is out and everyone’s feeling fine vibes from its dreamy harmonies and low-key acoustics. Smiling is catching. KD

The Coral - Another Way

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Coral
Year: 2010

The doom and gloom is really getting intolerable. Turn on the TV and its 5 billion here, 10 billion there, open a newspaper and its batten down the hatches for the imminent budget to arrest the unprecedented economic crash. Taking the haircut has never been so unpalatable, so much so that I write this with 2 hairclips, borrowed from the little ones carry bag, damming what is an unstoppable rush of fringe. So in a hastily organised scheme to guide thoughts away from all matters fiscal this blog will be hosting a week of the happiest songs that we can lay our ears on (with the clever tagline of 'Happiness'). As the days roll by all thoughts of Cowen and his cohort of bovine wonders will be shelved with the fastidiousness of the proposed hardback by Wayne Rooney titled 'My Fergie, My King'. Our opening salvo comes courtesy of Marc Carroll and the Hormones who made lots of Friends stateside in the late 90's. My favourite Carroll moment came much earlier however when he fronted Puppy Love Bomb and wrote the effervescent 'Bobby Milk' EP. Thankfully he is still writing tunes so lets hope his talent gets the recognition it deserves. KD

The Hormones - Stay Ahead

More Info: Official Buy Songs: The Hormones
Year: 1998

The Gorgeous Colours launched their own kickstarteresque fund during the summer and in the process found out just how many people out there think they’re both the rainbow and the elusive pot of gold underneath. Our last meet was on foot of their glorious eponymous debut with ‘Means To An End’ finding itself well within the confines of our top 42 songs for 2008. The title track from ‘The Creatures Down Below’ is likely to replicate that feat owing to its delicate craft and innate pop sensibilities. The promo video accompanying the song is pretty stark and disturbing so for today we’ll stick to the rich harmonies and wanton experimentation which never detracts from what is close to the premier piece of Irish pop I’ve heard all year. There’s probably no end to this bands talent so strap yourself in for lots of future treats. KD

The Gorgeous Colours - The Creatures Down Below

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Gorgeous Colours
Year: 2010

Sunday evenings were just made for retro silliness and as we’re on the eve of the reissue of the Sewing Room’s ‘And Nico’ this might just be the thing to get you in that way things used to be mood. But first, take a peek at the inspiration from 80’s TV (yeah, it had me spellbound in 2 channel land all those years ago even if the bullfrog was a little unsettling). The splendid cover comes from Hopewell (having formed in 1993 they would have taken in the TV programme giving the piece the required authenticity) who not only retain the twee nerdiness of the original but also give it a spankingly loud anthemic quality. Hopewell lead man Jason Russo actually started out with Mercury Rev, explaining the appearance of Dave Fridmann as producer on several of their records. Science was never this interesting. KD

Hopewell - Contact

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Hopewell
Year: 1998

Not the cheeriest title and probably not the most uplifting of subject matters but who cares when the tune is this sweet? An oldie too, 15 years to be precise since the day the Sewing Room's debut album 'And Nico' made its first appearance on the revered Dublin label Dead Elvis. Now thanks to Eamon Crudden (from the label) and Dez Foley from the band we are able to offer the LP in shiny digital form via our very own Indiecater. This is such a proud moment for us because 'And Nico' is
never far from our side such is its classy manoeuvring. It spins tales so morose it hardly seems sane to reintroduce it when we are at such a low ebb as a nation but look beyond the bleakness and you'll be treated to song writing of the highest order. 'Kill Me' has a splendid indie pop jangle and an experimental edge which permeates through the album. We're offering 'And Nico' for just 4 euro but you can hear it in full for free so you don't have to feel left out if bobs are in short supply. KD

The Sewing Room - Kill Me

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Sewing Room
Year: 1995 & 2010

‘If you would like to sample SNOWBLIND WALTZ, they would be happy to m a k e you a copy of their four-track cassette. You provide the blank tape and 40p and it's yours.’ So went the piece in the Galway Advertiser towards the end of March 1990, only 20 short years ago but an altogether different world. I’d heard of the band via a Fanning Session and they sounded much more soft and jangly than this song but somehow this was my favourite track from their one and only album ‘Sheer’. Probably because it sounded like Whipping Boy before they became famous. SnowblinkWaltz were friends with Toasted Heretic back then and look at Julian Gough now, award-winning novelist no less. Pity poor Snowblind Waltz, they’ve melted away, confined to near forgotten memories of a Galway that still rains just as much to this day. KD

SnowblindWaltz - Bread Van

More Info: SnowblindWaltz
Year: 1995

I’d put Hosannas in the highest bracket imaginable because they dare to do something different. Something that doesn’t sound like the band practising next door, something that takes unexpected tangents, something completely experimental yet unexpectedly symmetrical. ‘When We Were Young’ practices bright new constructs while all the while offering a taste of the Cure/Walkmen. It’s taken from the Portland bands’ upcoming album ‘Together’ and that prospect is making me feel quite giddy. This first taster ain’t something to apply your Saturday night makeup to, instead it should have you rinsing the week from your hair come 9pm on a booze soaked Friday evening down the local dirt and grime indie emporium. Thank the heavens for Hosannas. KD

Hosannas - When We Were Young

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Hosannas
Year: 2010

Another friggin draw from the elusive jaws of victory, another two points down the plughole and yet more evidence against the case to canonise Robbie Keane. Watching Ireland play is like having your joyful senses pulled apart mercilessly by a slowly moving herd of dray horses. The result means we’ve got to hang on until March before the next chapter of this adventure witnessed through 5 sweaty fingers and a tuft of ruffled hair unravels in such a ridiculously comic way. And that’s before you realise that Macedonia much like our robster were equally ineffective from 10 yards. The most surprising thing of course is that we still get frustrated with this state of affairs given that much the same scenario has revealed itself umpteen times over the last decade. I find the best thing to do in situations like this is to seek out some German electro from yesteryear, turn off the lights and dream of Paris in the the spring (once Thierry has skipped town of course). KD

Solar Eclipse - From Here To Enlightment

More Info: Discogs
Year: 1995

Hard to mistake that voice but then that’s where the similarity with Alan Sparhawk’s Low ends, for Retribution Gospel Choir are an utterly euphoric entity. The song opens the 3-piece’s (which includes fellow Low player Eric Pollard) second LP ‘2’ in cinematic fashion with guitars crunching furiously as the percussion marches along in time. It could likely scare those enamoured by Low’s slow funereal march as Sparhawk obliterates cobwebs as the song reaches its cavernous crescendo. Somewhat unforgiveably I keep hearing Coldplay's 'Yellow' as the chords unleash their white knuckled fury. KD

Retribution Gospel Choir - Hide It Away

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Retribution Gospel Choir
Year: 2010

After a particularly dusty session in the attic searching for the upcoming reissue on Indiecater (it’s a goodie from the Sewing Room) I came across ‘Open Book’ by the Lemon Trees. Couldn’t believe that it’s 17 years old but then chief songwriter Guy Chambers has been quite the busy boy since that incandescent piece of pop shipped from his mind. For you see there would not have been a Robbie Williams solo career were it not for Mr. Chambers input (he co-wrote many of Williams' monster hits). That transgression aside it’s difficult not to sink to ones knees and praise the gods for the Lemon Trees one and only LP (a second was recorded but never released), which sparkled with several of the best songs of the 90’s (really). ‘Let It Loose’ is one of them, a combine harvester of a tune, laden with so much ripe melody it could power a whole village through its environmentally friendly yet explosive pop fusion. KD

The Lemon Trees - Let It Loose

More Info: Wiki
Buy Songs: The Lemon Trees
Year: 1993

Whatever about the market for vinyl releases I’m guessing the audience for cassettes has got to be as limited as a one legged sprinter. Sure they look pretty cool but their usefulness for getting to your appointed tune involves a nimbleness of the fingers normally reserved for playstation gamers. Regardless Jordan Lee of Mutual Benefit fame runs a DIY cassette label and believes so much in the idea he has decided to release his new album that way. Pretty cool huh? The clincher of course is that his attic derived Mutual Benefit is instantly likeable, offering simple and affecting ditties like ‘Here’. It’s certainly worth half an hour of fast forward, slow rewind and general thumb bruising shenanigans. KD

Mutual Benefit - Here

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Mutual Benefit
Year: 2010

Oh what a cute name I thought and wouldn’t it be so ace if the Hugs could make it through our strict filtering process and onto the pages of mp3hugger. Well it only took a cursory few seconds to realise that the Hugs were utterly huggable. Maybe we should form the hugger alliance or something, tonight though I think I’ll just flop around my sitting floor in a middle aged attempt to mimic ‘She’s Was High’s sense of fun and vibrancy. The Hugs are the second Portland band to appear on this blog this week but give the impression that they'd rather be somewhere else. Maybe that’s why they took the title of a Blur song (almost) and turned its psychedelic core into a rainbow coloured sing-a-along. Who said youth was wasted on the young? KD

The Hugs - She Was High

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Hugs
Year: 2009

Wasn’t expecting a lot with a name like that, much less when the sound of a country twang hoved into ear view. Thankfully though I wasn’t as trigger happy on the delete function as normal and the Ascetic Junkies began to work their undoubted yet understated charm. The Portland band are onto their second album ‘The Cage Has No Bottom’ (out mid next month) and the 3 songs I’ve heard from it are all such fine jamborees. ‘Get What You Want, Get What You Need’ is especially huggable, the kind of tune the Waltons could have lapped up if they hadn’t been such squares. Elsewhere the tuneage (‘Water From Wine’ being a fine example) aren’t quite as country but still manage to pack the requisite charm to sweep you onto the sawdust. KD

The Ascetic Junkies - Get What You Want, Get What You Need

The Ascetic Junkies - Water From Wine

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Ascetic Junkies
Year: 2010

Last weekend I engaged in a little youtube DJ’ing via text with a friend. The theme was the dance anthems that had fuelled our binges back in the mid to late 90’s. This was all undertaken against a backdrop of the weekly iron and the daily baby bottle sterilisation but it still managed to get its fair share of hair on end moments. One of those came courtesy of the Goodmen’s ‘Give It Up’ from way back in 1993. Simply Red sampled the samba parts heavily for their mega hit ‘Fairground’ and in one fell swoop the Dutch duo of Zki and Dobre probably earned more money than they did for the rest of their career. ‘Give It Up’ should really have pulled longevity for its obvious football anthem appeal but somehow it has drifted into the ether. Won’t stop us from playing it to the Russian’s next Friday mind. KD

The Goodmen - Give It Up

More Info: Wiki
Buy Songs:
The Good Men
Year: 1993

A petty annoyance for the easily annoyed music blogger is the persistent email. The one that shifts its axis ever so slightly on every visit but still offers the same info and more pertinently the same mp3. The promo folks for Lower Dens have turned the repeat broadcast into an artform and I’m sure my yelps would have turned into tears were it not for the fact that this band are pretty neat. They include one Jana Hunter too, who we tipped for global stardom a couple of years back. The first fruits from the Baltimore act is ‘Twin-Hand Movement’ and ‘Hospice Gates’ is one of its 11 tracks. This is an atmospheric affair (reminds me of Sound Team), which elegantly profiles Hunter’s off the cuff delivery. KD

Lower Dens - Hospice Gates

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: Lower Dens
Year: 2010

I’ve said it a thousand times before and I know it could well be because I was a young student at the time but ’89 to ’93 are the years that I look back on as the last great period for music. Genre’s sprouted from nowhere and disappeared overnight as did many of the bands but there are dozens of great records from then that still sound illuminating. You only have to listen to Cymbals Eat Guitars to understand the influence of that time. The Soundscapes from Sao Paulo (brothers Raphael and Rodrigo Carvalho, now domiciled in New York) are obviously of the same opinion because ‘Here’s When’ reeks of that early 90’s spirit. The primary reference point is Ride, that dreamy combo from Oxford who for their first 2 albums at least were untouchable. ‘Here’s When’ hardly suffers from its muddy production because its guitar lines are so sleek, the piece de resistance comes via the twin vocals that create swirling and quite beautiful harmonies. Wonderful. KD

The Soundscapes - Here's When

More Info: Official
Buy Songs: The Soundscapes
Year: 2008