We have officially reached the "lag" of the summer—the point where we are all bored with all this extra free time but still dread the onset of school, textbook purchases and deadlines. My solution? Drive out to the nearest ice cream stand, windows down and tunes turned up. Here's an eclectic mix of feel-good jams to eat your soft serve to.
1. "MoneyGrabber" by Fitz and the Tantrums
This nu soul/indie rock group is the epitome of feel good music. "MoneyGrabber" features a driving beat and super catchy melodic line. In short, it's funky. For my fellow Boston area students, these guys will be at the House of Blues in November!
2. "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire is probably the happiest group to ever exist on this planet. I mean, just look at them! Even though it isn't September yet, we can still party on... And on... And on...
3. "Tropicalia" by Beck
"Loser" is not Beck's only song. I was surprised too, believe me. This song is super chill and mellow, with classy brass backgrounds. I love classy brass backgrounds.
4. "Fat Bottomed Girls" by Queen
The original booty song, "Fat Bottomed Girls" deserves a full bass and shouted lyrics. If you're eager to get back to school (or a music major like me), here is a recent study into Freddie Mercury's voice and how he sang like an angel. He did indeed make the rockin' world go 'round.
5. "I Was Made to Love Her" by Stevie Wonder
Oh, Stevie. Champion of the love song. Man after my own heart. This throwback, aside from its ripping harmonica solo, tells a driving story from start to finish.
6. "Alexander Hamilton" from Hamilton
While you may not be able to get tickets and you're still mourning Lin-Manuel Miranda's departure from the cast, you can still live the revolution by listening to the Hamilton album again and again and again. I may or may not still have the Tony Awards saved on my DVR. I may or may not have watched it three times.
7. "The Sound" by The 1975
I just started listening to The 1975 this year, and I am a woman obsessed. Their whole second album I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it is gold and Matt Healy is precious.
8. "I Need A Dollar" by Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc is basically my end goal for my musical career. He rules. And this song is amazing.
9. "Suffragette City" by David Bowie
After we lost David Bowie, I spent a lot of time re-listening to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He was a total inspiration to me and my musical style, and I miss him dearly. This is one of my many favorite Bowie songs.
10. "Shambala" by Three Dog Night
11. "Then Came the Morning" by The Lone Bellow
While this song has sad lyrics, the orchestration is so intricate and harmonically rich that it makes you feel good anyway.
12. "On The Sly" by The Bamboos
13. "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne
A lot of Mr. LaMontagne's songs are pretty sad (I don't think I've ever seen a picture of him smiling, but this one has a cool hat). However, this one is brassy, hopeful, and good for putting a little jazz in your step.
14. "Unicorn" by Dizzy Gillespie
Instrumental music doesn't have to be boring! I like playing this song in the background while I make my morning coffee and get my groove on.
15. "Vehicle" by The Ides of March
This song actually shares a riff with Unicorn - but also features powerhouse lyrics that are great for yelling into the abyss of the Amazon Textbook Store.
16. "Brooklyn" by the Youngblood Brass Band
Wrapping up the list is a tune that I've played a lot with various bands as I became a "serious" jazz musician. While it's instrumental, it definitely makes you feel good - although I may be biased, as part of its importance to me is wrapped up in fantastic memories. Maybe you can make your own memories with this playing in the background.
Here's a Spotify playlist for all these songs, please feel free to comment your favorite feel-good jams below!
