Happy happy joy joy.

Angry songs, sad songs, bitter songs of loosing and loss. All low hanging fruit. Easy for me to fill the blog full of them should i so desire. But where are the happy songs?

Think about the music that makes you feel happy.

Is any of it new? I'm willing to bet it's not.

One reason could be that sad/bitter/wounded songs are easier to write, the urge to vent lends itself to the writing of these songs, all artists love to use pain as a muse. It's a cool way to validate your work. And it's harder to write when happy, no one wants to write a soppy song, and anyway, when you're happy you wanna be out doing happy things, who has time to write then?

But i got a theory. Ready?

Happy songs don't so much get written, as attach themselves to memories.

Stay with me, you'll like this.

Yeah i know there are joyful sounding songs, i mean the Vengaboys and "We Like To Party" is as happy as you like, but i can't help but feel that being ripped off your tits on pills and poppers has a lot to do with why anyone would find the VengaBus fun for more than five minutes.

I put it to you that any song can be a happy song for you, it just needs time. And place.

When i was a kid there was a song on the radio called "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks. The song is a dying man's farewell to his family and friends. It ain't happy.

But it makes me happy because it doesn't sound sad - it's got that cute Beach Boys sounding keyboard and the acoustic guitar accompaniment - plus as a kid i had no idea what it was about and i attach happy memories to it. Check it out:



Just for the record though, i think the Westlife version of the song, sucks dead dogs dicks.

Anyway, my point, and i have one, is that any song you like right now, that you wake up and play on a Saturday morning when the sun is streaming through the blinds and you've not really got anything to fret about, that could be your next happy song.

Which leads me quite neatly to Idlewild.

Scotish band Idlewild first came to my attention in 1999 when i was flat sharing in London with a dickhead who worked for a record label, he used to bring home demo singles and leave them about the place to show how cool he was. He wasn't, but Idlewild were. That single "Little Discourage" was to be the one that brought them to the attention of not just me but also everyone else in the UK. It went to number 24 in the UK charts.

But somewhere between the bands first three albums and last week i lost Idlewild, but i'm happy to say i'm glad i recently found them again.

In October last year a new album called "Post Electric Blues" was released preceded by the single "Readers & Writers".

"Readers & Writers" could be your next happy song.

It's great. A very full sounding thing, Little chimes and synth trumpets backing the bands usual guitar sound. It's a song for summer, without trying to be a celebration of summer. It's all for being out-doors, for driving with the windows down, for blaring out of your bedroom when you're way down the other end of the house putting the washing machine on before dashing back to bed just because you don't have to get up if you don't fucking want!

Try it next saturday and see what happens.

davey.