Hey Ya | Outkast

SONG: Hey Ya - BAND: Outkast < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 160

This song makes you want to dance around the room, so, of course, it is good for running. I tend to rotate this one in and out of my playlists. The beat is great, and you have to appreciate the acoustic guitar strumming in the background. The lyrics are fun and quirky, and will have you singing along as you move. While I know that this song Rollin' isn't by Outkast, but by Big and Rich, for some reason I associate the two songs. It must be the banjo on Rollin' reminds me of the acoustic guitars on Hey Ya. For some reason the version of Rollin' on Grooveshark seems slower than the one I run to...perhaps the one I have is a live verison...it seems to have more umph to it.

Salvador | Jamie T

SONG: Salvador - BAND: Jamie T < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 144

I came upon Jamie T's music around the same time that I first heard Lily Allen. The bass in this song really rolls, and meshes well with the drums. The hit on this, his first album, was Sheila, which is kind of a quirky song (listen to the lyrics). Both Lily Allen and Jamie T occasionally sing in a sort of cockney accent, which is also why I think of them together.

Take What You Take | Lily Allen

SONG: Take What You Take - BAND: Lily Allen < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 100

Lily Allen's first album had a lot of great upbeat songs (this is one of them)...interesting lyrics, a crackerjack band, and a top notch producer. The drummer in this particular song sounds like he is having fun, and the sound of the snare drum always makes me feel like I'm running on air. I haven't heard much from her lately...I wonder what's up.

*** Leave Song Suggestions Here ***

Please leave song suggestions in the comments of this post.

All and any type of music, as long as it moves you.

Thanks for your help, as I would like to add new songs to my ipod as well!

Also, let me know if you have any suggestions for the blog format, especially the links to Grooveshark; and perhaps any alternatives. I have found that being able to listen to a whole song is a plus, as most places you would purchase a song will only allow you to hear a snippet of the song. I have added both Amazon and iTunes links for purchasing mp3s.

Telephone Operator | Pete Shelley

SONG: Telephone Operator - BAND: Pete Shelley < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 120

An oldie but goodie. Shelley was probably better known for his song Homosapien, but I find Telephone Operator to be better produced, with a clear and heavy back beat. Electronic drums and keyboard synthesizers...maybe James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem listened to a bit of Pete?

Someone Great | LCD Soundsystem

SONG: Someone Great - BAND: LCD Soundsystem < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 112

All electronics. The xylophone doubles the vocal melody, which is one of the little things that I've always liked about this song. The beat is bubbly and happy, although the lyrics are a bit sad. It is one of those songs that are longer time-wise; but it keeps pushing/pulsing along, which is good for a running song.

Bonzo Goes to Bitburg | Ramones

SONG: Bonzo Goes to Bitburg - BAND: Ramones < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 176

"Egads, Pick up the pieces..." The song was written in reaction to a visit paid by then US President Ronald Reagan (Bonzo references Reagan's role in a film called "Bedtime for Bonzo," in which he tries to teach human morals to a chimp) to a military cemetery in Bitburg, West Germany. See the Wiki for the song for more information. A catchy lyric for sure. The guitar and drums contain the Ramone's typical raw power, with the addition of a "Ah, nah, nah, nah" chorus as well as an xylophone clanking in the background (it always reminded me of a train).

Brimful of Asha | Corner Shop

SONG: Brimful of Asha - BAND: Corner Shop < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 120

The version of this song is a remix by Norman Cook a.k.a. Fatboy Slim. The original sounds washed out by comparison. Cook clarified the vocal, upped the bass and gave the drums some kick. Funny, that the original version has the same BPM as the remix, but somehow sounds slower. The bass is much fatter in the remix, and the drums sound a lot crisper with the addition of a tambourine (never underestimate the power of a simple tambourine).

Cool | Pylon

SONG: Cool - BAND: Pylon < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 118

This is an interesting older song from the punk era that I used to listen to quite a bit. The song begins with the bass and drums with the guitar coming on with the full chords and the interesting riff. It has a quality of restrained power.

Fire | Kasabian

SONG: Fire - BAND: Kasabian < Click to Stream whole song

BPM: 118

This one starts out slow, but I usually just double my speed in the beginning until the fast part comes in, and then it rocks out with a background chorus and everything.