16 Songs That Always Make Me Smile

Everytime this songs play, unconsciously they just create a smile in my face. 


16. McFly - Love is Easy

This song obviously makes me happy, the music is pretty ear-catching and the lyrics just show you how exquisite your surrounding if you are in love.  

15. Devendra Banhart - Lover

" Well, I wanna be your lover". This 6 words from Venezuelan - American singer made my day.

14. Cat Steven - If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out

This song makes me feel free and remind me that i afford to do all of the things that i want in this "hideous" world.  

13. Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
  

Hey "you don't know what you've got ‘til it's gone". I feel energized while listening to this song and eager to create justice in this world. (plus Hahahaha)

12. Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy 

Since i get stress easily and sometimes overthinking, this evocative but simple lyrics "In every life we have some trouble, when you worry you make it double, don't worry, be happy" assist me to reduce my stress. 

11. The Crookes - Backstreet Lovers 

This jangly guitars and pop melodies successfully cheer me up.  

10. Karen O - Strange Love
 

Typical consolation song, "When there's beauty on the inside, the outside there's nothing to change". Bullshit but always works.


9. The Cribs - Chi-Town

This song is totally distinct from the other songs. This garage rock band song may not be as sweet as the other songs but the lyrics make you feel that you are the sweetest person they've ever met in their life and yet you will "eat cookies and cream from the store at the end of the street" with them. (Trust me, it is not over exaggerating statement).

8. MXPX - Sweet Sweet Thing

Well, i think i don't need to reveal why this song can make me smile, from the title it is obvious, right?

7. Matt Costa - Sunshine

Sunshine (literal meaning) and Matt Costa deserve to see a smile in your face.

6. Hall and Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True

Remember the scene (500 days of Summer) when this song played and tom danced in the park? That scene was pretty much describe how i felt when i listened to this song. 

5. The Kooks - She Moves In Her Own Way

  Just move in your own way and Luke Pritchard will love you.

4. Mew - Beach

It is sweet outside, where it seems magical and if nothing wokrs, we'll do nothing. Nothing to lose.

  3. Beach Boys - Wouldn't It Be Nice

This song will lead you to imagine what sort of nice things that you will do in the future with your spouse and i assume people love to plan this thing (since i did,sometimes). Thank you beach boys for helping us arrange this "future-action" before we sleep.

2. The Monkees - I'm A Believer

Try to find out the lyrics by yourself and you will figure out why this song make me (and probably you) smile. P.S: Don't blame me if you get addicted to this song (well maybe you won't).

1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Everything With You

My favorites song ever from The Pains but well it's not the main reason why this song precisely make me smile. The sound is, typical indie pop, sweet and soft plus the lyrics is so heart-warming. 
"I'm with you and there's nothing left to do
Tell me it's true
I'm with you and the stars are crashing through
Tell me it's true, I want everything with you" 
When i listen to this song, i feel the music supports the lyrics, it creates a splendid circumstance when "strange teenager, waiting for death at 19" and he/she knows that there always be someone (whether friends or lovers) who stays with he/she even if the stars crash through. That's why i put this song in the first rank. Well, i hope you can understand since it's arduous to visualize the feeling.

So, what songs that always make you smile?

My Top 5 Wes Anderson Movies

There are a lot of great movie directors for the recent decade and they have their own characters that could make us easier to distinguish their film. I didn't watch a lot movies so i only know just a few of them. Personally, i love movies that are directed by Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry, Tim Burton and Woody Allen. I can say that Michel Gondry is the most imaginative film director, all of his film will lead you to something unusual, weird, out of the box, full of illusion and dreams. While Tim Burton is the most commonly known director for " dark romance drama". If you prefer to "loveable cherish love drama" then i suggest you to watch the films by Woody Allen.


If it goes to the Wes Anderson, i could say that movies are directed by him have something remarkable and unique such as the quirky family life, unusual love, idiosyncratic friend and the dumb goals. You can find all of those things in Anderson's movie. Aside of those thing, Anderson has known to pick the same artist or actor to play in his film, you can find Bill Murray, Owen Wilson (Anderson's college mate), Luke Wilson, Jason Schwartzman and even Adrien Brody.

As a big fan, i have watched all of the films by Wes Anderson even a short films that were made by him. Perhaps you are interested to watch his movies, then i suggest you to watch this 5 movies first.  Here it is, my top 5 Wes Anderson movies.


5. The Grand Budapest Hotel


I personally think this is the most amusing film that was created by him. Telling a story about famous hotel in Europe during the World Wars and how Gustave becomes the heir of painting which is lead him to a battle with the family and yes, there is murder case ! Trust me, you won't be terrified, Anderson makes this as a funny murder case. Strange crimes happen in this incredible movie as strange as crime that has been done by 3 friends in Bottle Rocket (another Anderson movie). This is the first Anderson movie that i watched. Honestly, i never care about the director of the movies that i watched, so i didn't know Budapest was made by him. I just know it when i searched in internet regarding moonrise kingdom and surprisingly, both of them were made by the same director.

Favorite Quotes : 
Gustave : "Well, I've never been accused of that before, but i appreciate the sentiment."


4. Fantastic Mr. Fox

This is the only animated movie that was created by Anderson even if the original story comes from children book. Mr. Fox is a curious creature and he is fond of stealing even if he has already known that it would made him and his family into a danger. However, he is a cunning and clever fox, he really cares to his family and his friend. I really love the story of mr.fox vs 3 greedy men, it taught us to be wise in facing a problem.

Favorite Quotes : 
Mrs. Fox : "Why did you lie to me?"
Mr. Fox   : "Because I'm a wild animal."

 3. Moonrise Kingdom

This is the story of quirky love from unusual young couple with the strange family's background. From penpal becomes a lover, one of the story that tell us "love at first sight" exists and happens among us. I really love Sam, he is a genius, distinct, romantic and hard-worker. It's a simple story but full of quirky characters which is made it special. How could a young people know better about love than the old one? Always wanna be together, comprehend the problem of each other, accepting your love in their way, put your best effort to keep your love even if the world againts you are the major things that you will learn from the cute couple Sam and Suzy.

Favorite Quotes
Suzy  : "We're in love. We just want to be together. What's wrong with that?",
Suzy  : "I always wished i was an orphan. Most of my favorite characters are. I think your lives are 
             more special."
Sam  : "I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about."

2. Rushmore

Max is extraordinary student of Rushmore with a LOTS, trust me a LOTS extracurriculars or organizations, i barely can count how many extracurriculars he joined even if in the opening show us what kind of organizations he joined. Max is out-of-the box student, having a quirky goals with a unadorned and weird friends. I really love his friendship story with Herman who is older than him almost at the same age with his father. The reason why i really adore this movie is Max told me to find something i love to do then do it for the rest of my live, that's i call perpetual bliss. Moreover, Max is persistant, he will do anything to pursue his goal and lucky him he has Herman and Dirk who always help him. Thing gets complicated when Max and Heman fall in love with the same woman. This is the best part i thought. Herman and Max start a "battle" and revenge in unusual way and quite childish (if you're interested in unusual revenge i suggest you to watch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou). However in the end, Max and Herman back to the their friendship life.

Favorite Quotes : 
Max : "The secret, i don't know, i guess you've gotta find something you love to do and then do it for             the rest of your life. For me, it's going to Rushmore."


1. The Royal Tenenbaums

The Royal Tenenbaums is a movie that after you watched it you extremely wanna be a tenenbaum. The Royal Tenenbaums is a story of quirky family and quirky love. The tenenbaums consist of Royal (father), Etheline (mother) and 3 children (Chas, Richie and Margot). Tenenbaums is a rich family since Royal is a succesful business man but unfortunately it's not that long, royal got divorce and all of his children left home, royal stay in hotel while Etheline stay in home. The story begins when royal was diagnosed has a teribble illness and he is dying. Well, yes he is sick but he's not dying but royal thinks that those reason probably could make him get closer to his family. So, he return to home and for some of reason all of his children also return to home. Aside of story of how Royal could make himself closer to his family, i think the love story between Margot and Richie is the best one. In the movie, Royal said that Margot is a foster child, so Richie thinks he could love Margot as a woman not as a sister even if at that time Margot has already married. Richie is an introvert, Margot is a unexpecting woman, she is unique, different, while Chas is a overproctective father for his children. 3 of them have a different characters that will make you realize how great Anderson in creating a movie. (You should watch The Darjeeling Limited if you like movies about quirky parents and children).

Favorite Quotes : 
Margot : "I think we're just gonna to have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that,
               Richie."

MEW Live In Jakarta 2015

Happy graduation and welcome to holiday for me. Setelah stress akibat skripsi hal yang paling menyenangkan mungkin dengan menonton konser band favorit dan perfect timing karena the end of march tahun ini (31/03/15) MEW yang ke-3 atau ke-4 kalinya datang ke Indonesia untuk menghibur para Frengers Indonesia serta mempromosikan album baru mereka yang berjudul +- di Skeeno Hall Gandaria City, Jakarta. 

Jonas dkk membawakan sebanyak 16 lagu dan 3 di antaranya merupakan single dari album terbaru mereka (Satellites, My Complications, Water Slides). Konser dibuka dengan track ballad dari mereka "Coffee Break" dan kemudian dihentak dengan single terbaru dari album +- yang sepertinya sudah ditunggu-tunggu oleh para Frengers untuk dibawakan. Seketika "Satellites" menggema di seluruh penjuru Hall yang tak terlalu besar tapi cukup untuk menampung semua Frengers yang rindu akan performance band asal Denmark tersebut, Frengers kemudian sontak ikut bernyanyi bersama Jonas And I'd rather be a satellite than picking up the phone. Panggung yang tidak terlalu besar dan lighting yang sederhana cukup membuat saya takjub dengan performance mereka serasa nonton mv Satellites live.

Hal yang paling ditunggu-tunggu oleh seorang fans ketika nonton konser adalah lagu favorit mereka dinyanyikan sekitar 2-3 lagu setelah Satellites menghipnotis saya, MEW kemudian menyanyikan tembang favorit saya, BEACH ! 

Selang beberapa lagu, lampu di panggung kemudian dimatikan dan para personil MEW kembali ke belakang panggung "drama encore" pun dimulai, penonton menyuarakan "We Want More" sedangkan mungkin Jonas dkk dibelakang panggung cekikikan dengan drama yang mereka buat. Setelah "drama encore" yang agak panjang mereka kembali ke atas panggung dan menyanyikan single hits mereka Special, Zookeper Boy dan Comforting Sounds. MEW telah berhasil dengan sukses menghibur para fans mereka dengan total 16 lagu dan drama encore. Semoga MEW bisa datang lagi menghibur Frengers Indonesia, mungkin Makassar bisa jadi next destination?

Berikut Songlist mereka :

1. Coffee Break

2. Satellites

3. My Complications

4. Snow Brigade

5. Beach

6. Am I Wry ? No

7. 156

8. Silas The Magic Car

9. Hawaii

10. Apocalypso

11. Saviours of The Jazz Ballet

12. She Came Home for Christmas

13. Water Slides

Encore

14. Special

15. Zookeeper Boy

16. Comforting Sounds

ALVVAYS, Indie Pop Rookie Band From Canada

Well, thanks to NME for making list of the best album and tracks of 2014.  

Tiap awal tahun saya selalu menyempatkan untuk membaca list best album yang dibuat oleh beberapa majalah ataupun media online seperti NME, Rolling Stone dan Pitchfork dan kebetulan waktu itu saya melihat Alvvays yang entah harus dipronounce bagaimana, dimana NME dan Rolling Stone menempatkan debut album Alvvays masing-masing di urutan 29 dan 36 serta rating 7,6 dari Pitchfork yang menurut saya lumayanlah untuk debut album band asal Toronto, Canada ini.

Alvvays (dibaca Always) memberi judul debut albumnya dengan nama yang sama “Alvvays” hal klasik yang biasa dilakukan band-band terhadap album debutnya. Entah karena mereka kehabisan ide memberi nama terhadap albumnya atau memang sengaja untuk memperoleh popularitas supaya gampang diingat.

Jika ditelusuri genre dari Alvvays sendiri mereka cenderung ke pop-rock lo-fi dan sedikit nge-punk ala band C-86 yang meskipun katanya legend dari indie pop murni tetapi menurut saya unsur punk-nya masih ada (mereka muncul di era post-punk). Hal yang menarik adalah saat Moly Rankin di wawancarai oleh media tentang genre mereka sendiri, Moly mengklasifikasikan musik mereka berdasarkan tipe orangnya. Jika ada penggemar musik punk yang menanyai genre mereka apa, mereka akan menjawab indie pop tetapi jika penggemar musik indie pop yang bertanya mereka akan bilang genre musik mereka adalah punk dan jika ada orang tua yang bertanya mereka akan bilang musik mereka mirip dengan The Cranberries. Saat pertama kali mendengar Alvvays saya memang langsung teringat dengan The Cranberries, saya tidak tau kalo ternyata saya masuk kategori “orangtua” menurut mereka. Selain The Cranberries, musik mereka bias direfleksikan mirip dengan The Vaselines, The Shop Assistants dan Best Coast. Jika kalian mendengar salah satu dari band itu mungkin sebaiknya kalian mencoba untuk mendengarkan Alvvays.

Moly Rankin mungkin tidak mengikuti jenis musik ayahnya tapi jangan salah, Moly terhitung hebat dalam menghasilkan lirik-lirik miris sakit hati di album Alvvays. Alvvays terdiri dari 9 track song.  Album ini dibuka dengan Adult Diversion yang up-beat dan lirik yang lumayan miris “ How do I get close to you? Even if you don’t notice as I am already wandering some way… How do I go on with you? Even if you don’t notice as I pass by you wander somewhere” Poor Moly, ini liriknya si Moly betul-betul kasihan meskipun sering berkeliaran di sekitaran doi tapi tetap saja tidak di notice. Selanjutnya adalah track favorit saya Archie, Marry Me ! Let’s forget the invitations floral arrangements and bread makers ! Lagu ini yang membuat saya pertama kali jatuh cinta dengan Moly dkk. One who love you, Party Police, Dives, The Agency Group dan Red Planet adalah track sendu menyayat hati ala Moly Rankin yang siap jadi penghantar tidur kalian You don't have to leave, You could just stay here with me, Forget all the party police, We could find comfort in debauchery.

Next of kin adalah track favorit saya setelah Archie, Marry Me. Lirik Next of kin sendiri sangat sederhana, lucu tapi memang realita. Kadang kita menginginkan orang yang kita sayangi celaka dan ketika itu terjadi kita pun menyesal, hal itulah yang ingin diungkapkan oleh Moly di track nomor 4 ini. I left my love in the river, The only one who sees, I lost his hand in the current, It was the life I wanted and I'd hoped for and now I am left sifting through the leaves.

Ada yang suka kue? Atop of cake adalah lagu yang dibuat Moly mungkin dengan keadaan bingung dengan reaksi dari dirinya sendiri dengan hal-hal yang dilakukan dan dikatakan oleh sang kekasih. Antara mau percaya dengan tidak. If everything you say is true, then why would I disagree how could I lose control .

Red Planet ditempatkan di track terakhir merupakan hal yang cerdas. Lagu ini betul-betul epic. Entah apa yang telah terjadi terhadap Moly sampai menulis lirik miris seperti ini. 

I dream of the other days, of the times I held you
Left in an autumn blaze, now I idle in bubbles
Just collecting the rumble

Well I waited for you out here, but that was just delusional
And I painted all these pictures of earth but that's unusual
Unusual to you

Silahkan cek official music video Alvvays di youtube (Archie Marry Me, Next of Kin, Adult Diversion) yang mungkin akan membuat kalian memperhitungkan Alvvays masuk di list musik player kalian.