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[Thrillho]

Okay, so someone close to me has died. He was the third person from my local church to get cancer within six months, and the other two got through it... I guess the odds were against him from the outset. Medical science can't save everyone. So if I'm ratty on the forums the next few days, please forgive me.

Anyway, that's not the point. The point is... healing songs.

I'm not looking for recommendations, just... what do you listen to when you need to heal? For catharsis? I'd usually go for Weezer, but that's more of a self-flaggelating, lonely kind of healing rather than an outside source. For me, what's working at the moment is...

I've rediscovered Closer by Joy Division, probably my second favourite album ever. An amazing album for healing. I find it so uplifting, although that's clearly not its intention. The keyboards fading out at the end of 'Decades' alone would do it.

The whole of R.E.M.'s Automatic For The People is a majestic, beautiful album that washes over me like a river. It's made me feel in a better mood every time I've listened to it. Every time.

'There's Been An Accident' by Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers. If I could hear a nuclear bomb slowly falling towards my house, then hearing him sing 'but still you call that number' the second time would make me feel better, even then.

[Dimmukane]

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings

[Be My Head]

Remember, you said you weren't looking for recommendations. This is what I listen to in order to raise my happiness levels.

[Nodaisho]

My cat died yesterday, which isn't quite like what you are going through, but I just listened to Crown of Thorns by COC on repeat until I started feeling better, and then added In the Arms of God (the song that comes directly after it on the album) to the loop.

[tomselleck69]

Magnolia Electric Co. Any album, but mostly Fading Trails and the self-titled one. Could be that they are profound songs or it could be that all of my problems are structured in such a way that hearing about midwestern loneliness invariably softens them. Probably both.

[ashashash]

I like The Campfire Headphase by Boards of Canada (and "Dayvan Cowboy" in particular).  It's not in-your-face happy, but it's very soothing.

[Harun]

the slide guitar of Derek Trucks always makes me smile - listen to the song "Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni" - the rest of the Songlines album has a good uplifting feeling to it.

[negative creep]

Radiohead.

[pwhodges]

Let It Be.  Also, as an alternative to Barber's Adagio, try Finzi's Eclogue.

[Wasteroo]

I second Soft Bulletin. I don't think I can listen to that album and not be happy, for the relatively short time that it runs.

[ex_penumbrae]

Try Organum's "Sanctus"; amazing.

[Barrabas]

Eels, Henryk Gorecki's Symphony No. 2, some mellower Radiohead (Like Spinning Plates live, Motion Picture Soundtrack, Pyramid Song), Neutral Milk Hotel's Aeroplane over the Sea.

[RedLion]

As tommy mentioned, Low. Particularly Secret Name and Things We Lost in the Fire.

The first half of Ok Computer always does the trick for me too, even though it's somewhat melancholic.

This Will Destroy You, by the band of the same name, is very affecting to me, as well.

[Zingoleb]

Um, Melanie's Freedom Knows My Name or Paul Simon's Graceland are the two that come to mind, but I'm fairly sure that that may be because those are pretty much the two albums I grew up on (and recently re-discovered!).

[Lummer]

Pelican's "Autumn Into Summer"

[ex_penumbrae]

oh, & anything by Merzbow, of course.

[Thrillho]

I was going to buy a Low album today, but I've cut back on my spending, and the Low was all more than a tenner.

[WriterofAllWrongs]

Elliott Smith's XO is really helpful to me when I feel down, as well as Portishead's self-titled.  I generally listen to things that describe how I'm feeling to get over it, though.  As far as songs that are impossible to be sad through, The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" is a really big upper of a song.

[VanHorneDog]

Dave Matthews Band - Bartender, Grace is Gone.

Counting Crows - Long December, Holiday In Spain

Nickel Creek - A Lighthouse Tale, House Capenter.

[RedLion]

I was going to buy a Low album today, but I've cut back on my spending, and the Low was all more than a tenner.

Dude, where do you expect to buy albums for much less than 10 dollars?

[Thrillho]

I was going to buy a Low album today, but I've cut back on my spending, and the Low was all more than a tenner.

Dude, where do you expect to buy albums for much less than 10 dollars?

1. I'm British. Tenner means ten pounds.

2. Fopp.

3. Most of the stuff in Fopp is the equivalent of ten American dollars anyway, or less. The albums to which I refer would've set you back $22 apiece.

[BlahBlah]

Wait, you still have a Fopp? I thought they went bankrupt. Such a good shop.

Anyway, most Beatles songs make me happy. The Olivia Tremor Control work pretty well too.

[Thrillho]

They went into administration, but then got purchased by HMV, who kept a few branches open including in Nottingham. It's not quite the shop it used to be (a lot of stuff is more expensive than it would've otherwise been) gut the £3 and £5 stuff is all still there.

[gardenhead_]

If you're not averse to it, I'm putting Low's Things We Lost In The Fire in the mediafire thread. I have to echo tommy and RedLion on that album, it is perfect for this kind of mood.

[BrittanyMarie]

I tend to gravitate toward Okkervil River's Down the River of Golden Dreams when I'm upset. Lie in my room with my headphones on and listen to that... maybe it's because it's SO emotional makes me feel more validated about my own feelings, I guess. Plus I think maybe I have trained myself to it. If I'm having a panic attack, that album goes on and it works better than xanax. Got dumped? Throw that album on and somehow I don't feel so terrible. Your roommates are having a party and it's 4 am and you're pissed off because you have to be up at 8? That album goes on and lulls me to sleep.

[Thrillho]

If you're not averse to it, I'm putting Low's Things We Lost In The Fire in the mediaf!re thread. I have to echo tommy and RedLion on that album, it is perfect for this kind of mood.

I appreciate the thought, but I am aversed to it.

[MadassAlex]

Pelican's "Autumn Into Summer"

This.

[sean]

Really anything off Pelicans first two albums would probably work.

[carrotosaurus]

I think Sun Kil Moon fits nicely into this pidgeonhole.

[LittleKey]

I'm sorry for your friend, that must be tough.

Now as for healing music, Owl City. Whenever I'm sad I listen to Rainbow Veins. I cannot be sad when I hear that song.