5 Albums That Keep Me Running
I like the way running makes me feel afterwards. Light, energetic, tranquil— the exertion is oddly relaxing.
You should try it out!
But first make a few preparations. Ensure your phone battery has at least 20% life left. If not, stick it on the charger for half an hour. That’s a good time to do the dishes or watch that new Valentine’s Day episode of Bob’s Burgers (It’s on Hulu; I checked). Next, grab some headphones and throw on athletic pants and a pair of running shoes. Stretch your arms and legs thoroughly. Finally, select an album and go. You could go on the treadmill at the gym. Or maybe down the streets by your home. You could run down a wooded trail, or even on an ovular track.
It doesn’t matter where you run, but it definitely matters what you listen to. Here are five albums that keep me running no matter what.
Deerhoof//The Magic
Satomi Matsuzaki
John Dieterich
Ed Rodriguez
Greg Saunier
Polyvinyl Records, 2016
Songs to Run Faster!
“The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Retinue”
“ Life Is Suffering”
“Debut”
Songs for Cool Down.
“Criminals of the Dream”
The Magic begins abruptly with a riff reminiscent of a late-night drive down a country road, steadily bumping along. The music becomes more involved. Matsuzaki’s soft, warm vocals add a harmonious layer to the journey. This album is 40 minutes of upbeat complexity. The lyrics are often quite simple, but in a combination of English and Japanese. The lyrical content is not quite provoking poetry by itself, but the overall sound is truly exceptional.
This Island//Le Tigre
Kathleen Hanna
Johanna Fateman
JD Samson
Universal Music, 2004
Songs to Run Faster!
“On the Verge”
“Don’t Drink Poison”
“After Dark”
“Viz”
Songs for Cool Down.
“Tell You Now”
“This Island”
This Island is Le Tigre’s final and poppiest album, and what it lacks in rawness, it makes up for with its indestructible optimism. Lyrics address experience: everything from falling in love, to queer visibility, to dancing at a club, to standing out against domestic abuse (just to name a few). Esteemed music critic, Robert Christgau rated This Island two stars, commenting “Taking leftism pop — that one’s tough to pull off.” Perhaps Christgau would disagree, but I think they pull it off indeed. While there was a mesmerizing edge to Le Tigre’s earlier work that is missing here, I just think this piece is about something different. The first two albums screamed strong and unapologetic, and that’s awesome and important for its own reasons, but This Island is a warm invitation to feminism, with catchy tunes and dance-able electronic beats.
I’ll just tell you now,
‘Cause I don’t think you know
The things you tried to kill,
I found a way to grow
— “Tell You Now”
Fear of Music// Talking Heads
David Byrne
Chris Frantz
Tina Weymouth
Jerry Harrison
Sire Records, 1979
Songs to Run Faster!
“I Zimbra”
“Cities”
“Life During Wartime”
Songs for Cool Down.
“Heaven”
What’s not to love about Talking Heads? David Byrne’s lyrics are delightfully dry and witty; the band’s instrumentation is full, fast-paced, and original. Talking Heads is a visionary group, paving the way for countless musicians after them. I selected Fear of Music for this piece, but truly, most of their albums are great for working out. The third track on Remain in Light, “The Great Curve,” is hands down my favorite running song ever. It’s so fast! It’s a wonder drummer, Chris Frantz’s arms didn’t fall off during a performance…
This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco,
This ain’t no fooling around
No time for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I ain’t got time for that now
— “Life During Wartime”
The Agent Intellect // Protomartyr
Joe Casey
Greg Ahee
Alex Leonard
Scott Davidson
Hardly Art, 2015
Songs to Run Faster!
“The Devil in his Youth”
“Cowards Starve”
“Why Does in Shake?”
Songs for Cool Down.
“Pontiac ‘87”
“Uncle Mother’s”
The Agent Intellect is an unusual pick I suppose, because it’s really heavy and dense. However, rather than being weighed down, the listener is lifted by a powerful rhythm and catchy riffs. Casey’s vocals — deep, dark, and howled— deal with the loss of his parents and a nostalgic emptiness that followed. “Why Does it Shake?” addresses the inevitable process of aging. Protomartyr can’t escape death, and neither can their fans, but we all can rock out while we’re living, and try to make our temporary lives well lived.
Welcome the stranger,
The stranger always wins
He enters the temple,
It falls
It falls, it always falls
— “Why Does it Shake?”
This is Happening// LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy, Al Doyle, Pat Mahoney, Tyler Pope, Gavin Russom, Matt Thornley, Nancy Whang
DFA Records, 2010
Songs to Run Faster!
“Dance Yrself Clean”
“One Touch”
“Pow Pow”
Songs for Cool Down.
“I Can Change”
“You Wanted a Hit”
LCD Soundsystem is known for their unique, rhythmic dance music, and This is Happening does not disappoint. Perhaps what makes this album so special, however, is its tacit frankness. Behind the dancing and breakdowns is an understanding, and a message of acceptance. People can be predictable, so can situations, but it hardly makes life dull.
Walking up to me, expecting,
Walking up to me expecting words
It happens all the time
— “Dance Yrself Clean”
Click here for the Spotify playlist.
