Exercising is healthy and occasionally fun, but for those of us who gym it can feel like being a hamster running in a wheel. The only difference is that most of us have headphones in our ears while running in place. I have very peculiar music tastes when exercising and I thought I would share some of them. The main requirement for a successful hamster jam is that it be diverting, but it also helps if it is fast and loud.
Peter Gabriel - The Rhythm of the Heat / MIA - Bird Flu
These songs are all about the drums and fit together well. The Peter Gabriel song first came to my attention as a sample of it was used on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. It's a bit of a slow build but the momentum of the track is very motivating. Once the drums hit, it's pretty much a signal to go totally crazy. The MIA song is one of her best and is characterized by heavy drums and some weird kid vocals. I have no idea what the song is about and I think I like it better that way.
Bloc Party - Helicopter
The best song off of their only good album. Awesome opening line: "Note to self...empty." The Bloc Party have one of the best rhythm sections of any contemporary band (something they've forgotten in recent years) and they kill it on this track. Watching them play it live, it looks like their tiny drummer's arms are going to fall off. Unrelenting.
Purity Ring - Fineshrine
A newer duo out of Edmonton, their debut album is uniformly solid but this track stands out for me. Maybe it's because of the use of the word "sternum". The song has a persistent thick groove with a very strong melody. Reminds me of some of the better songs by The Knife. Would love to see them live.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Throw away your Television
One of the best and heaviest Chili songs. All the elements come together on this track for complete awesomeness. While the song has a funky bassline, they manage to give the track a punky feel, especially with Anthony Kiedes' random exclamation of "Oi, oi, oi!" This song also features one of John Frusciante's greatest, effects-laden guitar solos. If you don't feel excited after hearing this, you're not listening right.
M83 - Steve McQueen
Music for running up a mountain at a 90 degree angle. So much kick drum! Anthony Gonzales' unapologetically impassioned and very French delivery makes the overly earnest lyrics work. Would be perfect for an 80s training montage. The video, part of a series about a group of telekinetic children, is pretty great too. Like a less creepy version of Akira.
Delerium - Euphoria (Firefly)
This track was a minor Can Con hit in 1997 but has stuck with me for some reason. Delerium was a couple of Skinny Puppy-affiliated guys attempting middle-eastern influenced dance-pop. Many of their songs sounded like Ray of Light era Madonna knock offs but this one worked somehow. I loved this song even when all I was listening to at the time was mid 90s alternative rock. Their also-excellent track with Sarah McLachlan, Silence, was a bit of a hit as well.
Plan B - Ill Manors
I've always found that British hip-hop is angrier and more intense than its American counterpart and this track is no exception. Plan B is pretty huge in England but is virtually unknown here. As a rapper, soul singer, producer, director, writer and actor, he has a packed resume. This song and the album by the same name are an odd choice for exercising. The music is powerful and highly motivating but the lyrics about urban poverty, desperate youth and the follies of austerity make for a pretty depressing listen.
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