What’s Hot on My iPod

I’m happy to report than this week has been going very well. Eating well, and getting in my workouts: last night was Slimmons, the night before was upper body weights, and on Sunday, good ol’ cardio. I hope to take a Powerwave Battle Ropes class tonight, but I’ll be on a waiting list to get in, and it’ll depend on how many people show up (so send your good group fitness class vibes my way, por favor!)

I know I’m not alone when I say that music really helps push me through my workouts. My iPod and earbuds are at the top of my workout necessity list (along with water and heart rate monitor).

It’s been a while since I’ve shared the songs that keep me moving, and I’ve been loving my workout playlist lately, so… here are some of my favorites!

RELATED CONTENT: See more Keep It Up, David music recommendations here and here.

My absolute favorite workout track right now is called “Mercury Rising,” by Rae & Christian. I don’t know a single thing about Rae & Christian but I heard this song on public radio last month and downloaded it as soon as I got home. There aren’t any lyrics, but it has a good rhythm and a fantastic dramatic build, and I do enjoy drama. The music video features some super-cool time-lapse photography, first of New York City, then of outer space:

Since I started with an instrumental track, I might as well mention the other instrumental track that I’ve been listening to all the time. It’s a Deadmau5 track called “FML” – which, in texting/social media parlance, stands for “Fuck My Life.”  I don’t know (or care) why the track has that name, or what Deadmau5 (the stage name for a Canadian electronica performer named Joel Zimmerman) is referring to, but it’s a noisy, pounding, drum-filled affair, and I like it mucho:

I’ve been really enjoying the new Luscious Jackson album, “Magic Hour” – their first album of new music in 14 years. It’s light, bouncy and fun. The women of Luscious Jackson turned to Kickstarter to help fund this album, and I happily chipped in as a donor. I’ve been a fan, and I have a personal connection: the drummer, Kate Schellenbach, is a friend and former co-worker. One of my favorite songs to work out to is “Show Us What You Got,” which the band performed on Letterman recently:

Need a ’80s flashback? One of my favorite songs of the decade is Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted,” mainly because it was in heavy rotation right around when I first started watching MTV, and I remember seeing the video (over and over again) and thinking that it was very racy and suggestive:

I just read that David Fincher directed that video – he’s the director behind hit movies like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Seven,” and “Panic Room,” among others. There’s a fun fact for trivia night!

I wouldn’t say that I listen to tons of rap, but I enjoy a few artists and there’s always a good rap song or two on my exercise playlist. Right now, that slot is filled by “Move (If You Wanna),” a song by a rapper named Mims that came out about 4 years ago. I love it!

My last song is much different than the other songs on this list, but it still has an intensity and a drive that I use all the time while cooling down and stretching. It’s called “The Waves Have Come,” by a singer named Chelsea Wolfe. I first heard the song on the TV show “Catfish” and I bought it immediately. It’s beautiful, and long – about eight and a half minutes.

I love the whole song, but the passages that begin at the 3:44 and 5:00 marks are what initially caught my ear. I’ve been meaning to check out more of Chelsea Wolfe’s stuff, but haven’t done it yet.

Well, I’ve shared… now it’s your turn! What songs push you through your workouts? What are the latest additions to your workouts? List them below in the comments section!

And, as always…

Keep it up, David!