ISO suggestions for uplifting / happy / upbeat songs...
 

...to try and lighten up my mood.


I'm not even sure the title is in proper english.


Anything goes, bonus points if there's a fun brass section included.
Decent lyrics are a plus, but not essential, I'd love to hear languages I can't even understand.
Artist + song title will be enough, no need to waste your time searching for links, that's on me.


Thanks.
Here's a reward for you:


https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/

Nic! I'm supposed to be working...

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.c...24786286280704 This is a return to song writing form right here...

The first foreign language band that springs to mind is legendary Turkish 'a forest' worshipers, She Past Away. I'm pretty sure they use tinny terrible/amazing brass section samples sometimes reminiscent of 80's Depeche Mode.

She Past Away

ISO? :D

well, my recommendation is not going to be any kind of avant garde obscure stuff but i often look to new orleans music to put me in a festive mood. goes great with cooking and eating.

eg any and all professor longhair should fit the bill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srlwp6tjys0
for brass, i listen often to a lot of rebirth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAdZ0-NUa2o
also aurora nealand
https://vimeo.com/269275745
and throw in a lil bit of bonerama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG13EKb00Bc
:D

haha i hope you enjoy some of those

Feelies - slipping into something

https://youtu.be/WigFJOrUAHA

https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.c...82101169471488 for you


thanks, I'll save links/names from this thread and listen asap






Thanks man! Absolutely no need for obscure stuff, even ultrafamous shamelessy commercial songs will be appreciated.


ISO possibly not the most correct use for it, but today I can't communicate properly, not even IRL :D






thanks Mr. Clone!


nice to see some familiar faces replying.

Upbeat tracks with brass-section:


The Sound - Words Fail Me - I mean, it's as upbeat as you can get with The Sound


The Honeymoon Killers - Fonce à Mort - More quirky and fast-paced than happy-go-lucky, but it has some brassy goodness in there.


Material Girls - Tightrope Same ilk as The Honeymoon Killers. Fast-paced and quirky. But seedy and erratic lyrics-wise. Kind of James Chance-esque with a slightly poppier sentiment.

KONK - Your Life - Life-affirming 80s Dance-number.

A Tribe Called Quest - Excursions - That beat is a pure manifestation of the warm and fuzzies.

Thelonious Monk - Misterioso - Some actual Jazz maybe? I find this one quite uplifting


And that's about all of the more upbeat brassy stuff I can come up with right now that isn't just straight-up Jazz (except for the bonus monk number).



As for generally upbeat/uplifting stuff:


Camper Van Beethoven - Life Is Grand - I know they aren't exactly popular on this board, but hey, they have a few awesome tunes. This one's unapologetically optimistic.


The Magnetic Fields - Long Forgotten Fairytale As with most Magnetic Fields songs, the lyrics aren't exactly feel-good. But I'll be damned, if this doesn't sound like a high-energy mashup between Erasure and OMD.


The Garden Club - Little Girl Lost And Found Obscure little psychedelic gem from the late 60s, apparently a micro-genre some call "Toytown". Vocals by Ruthann Friedman (writer of the massive 60s Association smash-hit "Windy)


Ruthann Friedman - Windy - And while we're at it - the writer performing her song, completely blowing the more well-known chart-topper version out of the water.


Cornelius - Perfect Rainbow - Shibuya Kei is probably one of the go-to genres for upbeat melodies. Also, not in the English language for once


The Pillows - Happy Bivouac More Japanese goodness.


Hi-Posi - You Are My Music Let's triple down on the Japanese goodness. This is super sugarcoated. I guess it's upbeat, but it's also quite weird in it's 90s candystore kind of way. Actually quite surreal in its reverance for kitsch. But damn is it catchy. And that outro is absolutely fucking gorgeous.


Velocity Girl - Audrey's Eyes Themes of loss notwithstanding - this one of those gorgeously bubbly and warm sounding 90s alternative songs.


Clouds - Sweetest Thing Somewhat some vein as Velocity Girl. Little known Aussie-band though.


Eve's Plum - Jesus Loves You (Not As Much As I Do) In keeping with bubbly 90s stuff - upping the ante on the bubblegum here. A bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. Yes, that's Vitamin C before she threw all pretension out of the window and went full Pop.


The Meters - Cissy Strut An absolute classic. Had to think of it when I saw symbols mention New Orleans music.


The Blue Hearts - Mirai Wa Bokura No Te No Naka - Additional Japanese goodness. Punk this time. The title translates to "The Future Is In Our Hands" - a stark contrast to the "No Future"-ethos that's been floating around in that genre.

ok. no brass here but check out the 70s hairdos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQUlA8Hcv4s

(i cant listen to this without thinking of the royal tenenbaums ha ha. even though it was in a different movie. what is wrong with me?)

back to brass & new orleans:

kid ory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06FEKDVxVe8

preservation hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7M8ZkQma3I

treme brass band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BBO6chcIk0

Genius!

I discovered this band recently; Sweeping Promises, reminds me of early Strokes but with a motorik post-punk chorus style bass and lo-fi tone: Sweeping Promises

This always lightens my mood...

Super Furry Animals - Ice Hockey Hair

https://youtu.be/o2gh5kzeTPk

I was thinking of this song earlier. Good call :D

Thanks man. I love this band so much. My first gig was SFA at London ULU.

Shonen knife, watch some live videos especially
https://youtu.be/ccNpXsp5V3U

For some reason I can only think of non-English music right now.
(addition: probably because you asked for it and I had already forgotten, nevermind)

There used to be a German band called Wir Sind Helden, very poppy rocky and their uptempo numbers are very happy-making if that's a word. Just skip the slow ballad songs :)

There's a French singer named Phillippe Katerine (not to be confused with the jazz guitarist with similar name), who's unique in music making and lyrics
Bla bla bla
Banane
Les derniers seront toujours les premiers
Juifs arabes

Also French, Les Rita Mitsouko, but they especially make me happy because it reminds me of summer holidays
C'est comme ça

Oh and here's something Flemmish that I'm not sure if you like if you don't understand. They're sort of a comedy act like Spinal Tap and sing in very deep dialect about drilling machines or women asking if their ass is too fat for their skirt

Last but not least Frank Zappa. Not sure which album is best or funniest, but I guess this one will do
Sheik Yerbouti

Oh oh oh wait wait wait

I didn't read it all. You want brass?
The Ex & Brass Unbound

or even Madness or Specials, that's what comes to my mind further when I think of it. Not that I really know them


Edit:
last one really
There's a Dutch brass band Jungle By Night. Don't really know them, but perhaps you like

oh, there's always rossini

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3QDi7el3jk

in its most popular version...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yebj37BMIO4
(they mixed in a bit of mendelssohn near the end lol)

Move on up by Curtis Mayfield has some of the best brass ever

duke ellington had some cheerful tunes
https://vimeo.com/295641290

and the most accessible coltrane is pretty cheerful also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG2dsXV5HI

however, this one puts an insane grin on my face
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30FTr6G53VU

and this little video maybe explains why
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62tIvfP9A2w
even though i know zero music theory. but the ear hears.

last for today, the eroica, which i listen to on the regular, while not exactly a "happy" piece of music (it even has a funeral march) gives me a great sense of struggle and overcoming. i like to listen to it when i need to "charge" against some sort of difficulty and it gives me a sense of euphoria in the end.

i have not seen the movie this is from but it's an interesting clip i found while looking for a link for you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJy5NzDq2Dk
the horn is the hero! hahahaha. love it.
(now i wanna see the movie)

"A rArArArA", by YUTAoshimiO (YoshimiO of Boredoms and her daughter Uta): An hybrid of studio experimentalism, free improvisation and the candid vocalizations of a child. :)
https://shochy.bandcamp.com/album/a-rararara

Happy Hardcore Mix

Star Feminine Band


Wild Classical Music Ensemble
Lee Ranaldo has played with them, but not on record (yet), nor can I find any video of it on YT