Jon Pinon

10/30/14
Journalism II
Mr. White

Musical Antidepressants: Eight Songs to Brighten Up a Rough Day

On days where we feel particularly under the weather, we often gravitate

more towards somber kinds of music with dark, depressing themes. This is quite
reasonable, as it directly expresses negative emotions to which we relate during
those hardships. However, we also have a tendency to lose sight of the sheer power
music can have over our emotions and how uplifting it can be in our darkest times.
For the next time you find looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, Ive compiled
a brief list of songs from a variety of genres in which it is physically impossible to
feel negative emotions while listening to them.

1. Katamari Damacy The Moon & The Prince

Since its 2004 release, Katamari Damacy has been hailed as one of the
greatest games of the modern era with its unique gameplay mechanics and
whimsical art style, which includes the quirky, cheerful soundtrack.
Composed by Akitaka Tohyama, this particular track combines a bright
tonality and idiosyncratic electronic production with much success,
generating a nice, sunny tune thatll have you dancing the whole day as it
rings throughout your subconscious. Just set it as your morning alarm and let
its infectious groove guide you through whatever the day happens to throw
your way!
2. George Benson Breezin
Nineteen seventy-six saw the release of George Bensons Breezin, one of the
most iconic smooth jazz albums out there. The albums title track utterly
epitomizes the word pretty as it indulges your ears with an elegant flute
intro before the bass and drums even enter. Immediately afterwards begins

Bensons jazz guitar playing, flowing and fluid in a way that makes the songs
title more than well-deserved.
3. Incubus Are You In?
Rock band Incubus has had plenty of hits in the past with the uplifting tunes
Drive and Stellar from their album Make Yourself, but this more
overlooked track off of the Morning View album is no less effective in
lightening up your mood. Singer Brandon Boyd has a rather friendly and
chipper tone as he recites the lyrics which quite literally serve to invite you
to join what must be the sort of fun Incubus had recording this track.
Combine that with a groovy rhythm section and guitars awash with effects
and you have quite a beautiful, resonant song to put a smile on your face.
4. Lotus Spiritualize
A forerunner of the jamtronica scene, Lotus merges live instrumentation
and improvisation with elements of electronic music into a very unique,
enjoyable style. While they have matured their sound with every album, this
track from their debut Nomad is simply phenomenal. Let its steady groove,
subdued guitar playing and lush synthesizers take over your mind and wash
away your troubles. It may just be the happiest nine minutes and eighteen
seconds of your life.
5. Aphex Twin Fingerbib
You have Aphex Twin to thank for essentially everything good about modern
electronica. Ever since his 1992 inception with Selected Ambient Works 8592, he has been one of the most innovative and influential producers out
there. Every track he puts out is a strange little masterpiece, and this one
from the Richard D. James Album is no exception. Hearing this track with its
indescribable jovial quality is much like breathing a sigh of relief at the end of
a great struggle knowing that everything turned out alright in the end.
6. Spiritualized Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space
Spiritualized (not to be confused with the aforementioned Lotus song) is
typically classified as a space rock band, characterized by sonorous,
psychedelic musical textures meant to evoke feelings of floating, cruising,
and flying. The eponymous track from the bands album Ladies and
Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space certainly does not fall short of that
definition. The continuous rhythm, subtle guitar melodies, airy vocal delivery

and resonant synth chords all work together to create a feel much akin to,
well, floating in space. A fantastic listen before going to bed after a relatively
difficult day and waking up the next day to The Moon & The Prince!
7. Charles Mingus Moanin
Many a brilliant composition lies within the discography of legendary jazzman
Charles Mingus, and this classic is one of the many highlights of his
repertoire. One of his most uptempo tunes, this lively jam outlined by the
virtuosic bari-sax work of Ronnie Cuber is almost certain to have you tapping
your feet along to its vigorous swing rhythm for all nine minutes of it!
8. Claude Debussy Clair de Lune
Well cap off this list with perhaps the most well-known work on here: Claude
Debussys solo piano masterpiece Clair de Lune. Being a work of
impressionism, this piece emphasizes the depiction of a certain mood and
feel as opposed to conventional composition. That means there is no set
tempo and technically no set tonality, leaving the piano to drift gracefully on
its own with an indescribable splendor. The sounds you will hear in this piece
are nothing short of hypnotic, and it goes to show what a great musician can
do with just a piano. Whether youre relaxing after a long day or about to cry
yourself to sleep, take five minutes to let this sublime work of art transport
you to its own little world where, for the duration of the performance, nothing
exists but sheer beauty.
I heavily encourage you to not only listen to the above songs, but also
to look into their creators bodies of work if you arent already familiar with
them. The act of expanding your musical tastes in and of itself will help to
brighten your spirits! Enjoy the music and have a wonderful day!