tunesday – upbeat indie tunes to get you all smiley

Happy tunesday, folks! Today, why not whack a toothy grin across that beautiful face of yours and get ready for some super-duper happy indie tracks? Sometimes we have phenomenal days, where the only way to make it even better is to find equally jocund music to match. But we also of course have bad days, and a smile seems a bit too far out of reach. These are the songs that Lacey Walker plays to either cheer herself up or to lengthen her stupendous mood – and we bet you can’t listen to them all without showing off those pearly whites.

Black Lemon – Generationals This indie pop duo is comprised of two high school best friends from New Orleans and began back way in 2008. And boy, do they know how to make a song sound like pure serotonin. The marching band style drum beat and melodic rhythm of “Black Lemon” are enough to rouse anyone from even the deepest of sour moods. It is perfect to play when everything is going wrong or even when everything is going right, and you are either indifferent or ecstatic. I’m sure not “resting my eyes” when this track is playing, no, I’m head-bopping around the living room and tapping a giant invisible xylophone.

Lay Down – DMA’s If this is a staple on your cross-country road trip playlist, then you know how to road trip right. As well as the ultimate driving song, this 2015 single is also a perfect jam to blast if you’re picking wild daisies in a hillside field or watching a montage of your youth flashing before your eyes. This three-piece indie rock group are from Sydney and were originally called the Dirty Ma’s, before shortening their name to just DMA’s. Vocalist Tommy O’Dell has the kind of oddly calming voice that makes me want to shake away any worry or fear, let my hair down and walk barefoot on the beach at sunrise. So “Lay Down” in a hammock or on top of a sandy towel, and let this joyful song soothe your soul.

Birdhouse in Your Soul – They Might Be Giants This incredibly comforting '90s jive is written entirely from the perspective of a night light, which refers to itself as “a little glowing friend”, which just melts my heart. If you’re scared of the dark (or what’s lurking in the dark) then bop your head to this track every night before bed – happy and safe dreams guaranteed! Often abbreviated as TMBG, They Might Be Giants were started back in 1982 by best friends John Flansburh and John Linnel, the two Johns. They’ve since added three more members, and released a whopping 23 albums, including five children’s albums, which in part explains the inspo behind this wistfully charming song.

Weekend – Priory “Hell yeah I just got paid!” Play this on Friday, play this on Saturday or play this on Sunday. Or just play it whenever you need a smooth indie tune to bless your ears. The music video for this is a heap of people roller skating, so whenever I hear it, I picture myself skating down a perfect sidewalk, dodging fallen leaves and all the cracks in the concrete. Maybe I’m 16 and I’m going to sleep over at my bestie’s place for the weekend. Or maybe it’s present day and I’ve finished work for the week, so I’m off to the shops for an iced coffee and a little treat. Or maybe I’m 60 and I have a grandkid in each hand, helping them balance and reiterating how much I love this song. Whenever or wherever I am if I hear “Weekend”, I’m happy.

Sons and Daughters – The Decemberists If you’re a fan of the American sitcom The Office, then you may recognise this song. Dwight and his buddies play it acoustic style in an episode of the ninth season, sitting on the front steps of good old Schrute Farms. They make it sound like a classic folk tune that’s been passed down from generation to accordion-squeezing generation, which I just love. Don’t be fooled by the folkish lyrics and instruments, The Decemberists are very much indie rock. To me, this song is reminiscent of a huge family living off the land, churning butter and handwashing lace dresses in the river; very cottagecore indeed.

Rabbit Hole – Jamie T A tad grungier than the last track, “Rabbit Hole” is a modernish retelling of Alice in Wonderland, except in this version, Alice wears Docs and has at least two nose piercings. Give this a listen if you need a reminder to heave yourself out of those monotonous ruts we tend to get stuck in, or if you just want a groovy beat to kick up dust to. Jamie Treays, known better by his stage name Jamie T, is an English musician – if you couldn’t tell by his accent – from South London. Believe it or not, he started out as a rapper, but switched up genres later in his career, and cemented his status in indie rock with the release of his 2014 album Carry on the Grudge, on which “Rabbit Hole” appears.

Busman’s Holiday – Allah-Las Twenty-first century hippies and boho babes still using orange-hued Instagram filters on all your pics: this one’s for you. The third track on this American band’s 2012 debut album, Busman’s Holiday is a groovy and cruisy tune that sounds as if it were made to be carried on sea breeze. Whether you want to twist and shake the night away in a gum tree forest illuminated by lanterns, or roll down the window in a decades old sedan and wave your hand in an ocean motion through the wind, “Busman’s Holiday” is a most fitting upbeat accompaniment. Needless to say, this '60s revival surf rock will have a grin creeping across your face in no time.

Mourning Sound – Grizzly Bear Titled as a play on words, this song is for waking up in a big city’s outer suburbs early in the morning and hearing dogs barking and trucks beeping. Then you get dressed – you wear a vintage knitted sweater as the average Grizzly Bear fan might – and walk to work or school with this pumping through earphones. Sadly, these New York-based indie rockers are on an indefinite hiatus, but here’s hoping they reunite to make some more jubilant grooves for us all. “Mourning Sound” does perhaps have a double meaning, one as simple as the noise you hear at the start of a new dawn, and the other more dejected, of grieving the previous day lost to unproductivity. However, I think there’s more positive underlying messages here; take nothing for granted, remember the past but don’t dwell on it and wake up happy to live another day.

Animals – Travis You may know Travis for their smash indie hit of the late '90s, “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?”, but in their over 30 years as a band, they’ve released nine full-length albums. And no, it’s not just one guy named Travis, they’re a four-piece band from Glasgow founded in 1990. “Animals” is a symphonic and lyrical masterpiece about longing for the freedom that wild creatures have. And oh, what a forbidden desire it is! Dreaming of such autonomy, while bittersweet, is sure to encourage the corners of your mouth to curl up. In the bridge, vocalist Fran Healy even prompts, “let me see your smile”, so go on and show him!

She Moves in Her Own Way – The Kooks When I was younger, I always used to get these guys mixed up with The Kinks even though they’re musically nothing alike. The Kooks, The Kinks…say that five times fast! This cheery tune is about a guy falling in love with a gal for her individuality and uniqueness, which is such a precious sentiment. This is the song you play when it’s springtime, when the breeze smells like flowering jasmine and you’re either repotting plants or baking pie. A final reminder, don’t forget to smile wide often, and move in your own way!