A SWIK Workout Mix

The past few weeks at work were so busy that I could barely breathe, let alone put some thoughts down about new music. Hence, no SWIK post last week. When I get this busy and feel like I’m just hanging on by a thread, the one thing that I try to do is get to the gym. Either take the dance class (see Trina and Madonna posts) or go for a run. Due to meetings that kept me at the office long after dance class and sunset, it was a hopeless week for working out. Dance class is the one place where I think about absolutely nothing else. I have to concentrate to learn the routine and keep up. We move fast so I get a good workout and the music motivates me to push myself. Running on the other hand, I don’t particularly like. I try to think of it as a chance to listen to new music, but it has to be music that keeps me motivated, to essentially imagine that I’m dancing. I tend to like fast and catchy pop tunes and hip-hop for running. Honestly, this is where my inner top 40 pop teenager comes out. Last week, I didn’t manage to get my sneakers on until Saturday. Here’s what was on my iPod as I attempted move my body after all the madness.

Making mixes has been a hobby of mine since I was in grade school. This is how my DJ career began, making mix tapes at home. Originally just recording songs from the radio and later putting selections from my favorite albums on to one cassette tape. I created a couple earlier this summer, SWIK Summer Dance Mix and MJ and The SWIK. Normally I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what songs go together and meld into each other, which is what being a DJ and mixing is all about. Due to the insanity of my life right now, I’ve basically just plonked all these songs down in no particular order. Feel free to rearrange when you put them on your iPod or other mobile listening device.

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“Relator” by Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn. This song is soooo catchy. I discovered it on one of Slim’s mixes (see Imelda May post) and it is stuck in my head, on my iPod and on the stereo. Yes, it’s annoying that Scarlett Johansson can sing. Isn’t being beautiful and a movie star enough? Unfortunately, the entire album, Break Up, is good and worth checking out. This song will get you going. It has an oddly sexy yet peppy sound, enhanced by what I think is low-fi fuzz. The full album deserves a post. It’s an intriguing mix of songs. Yorn says he was trying to create Serge Gainsbourg/Bridget Bardot inspired duets for a 60’s vibe. Gainsbourg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. In the'60's, he collaborated with the French actress Bridget Bardot on several popular songs and created accompanying videos, long before anyone was capturing music on video. What is it with the ugly artist guys and beautiful women? Yorn is actually kinda cute, but Gainsbourg was not.

“Obsessed” by Mariah Carey. Mariah Carey is probably one of the few women with the balls to sing about a loser guy being obsessed with her. “Boy, why you so obsessed with me?” She continues to denigrate him saying “I’m the press conference, you a conversation” and “Last man on earth still couldn’t get this. You’re delusional.” So the lyrics are rather dreadful, yet kind of funny. This is a slower song, but it has a steady beat to keep you moving at at consistent pace. What else is there to say about Mariah? She just keeps coming back with the hits. I’ve never been a huge fan, but she does put out some great pop tunes.

“Paparazzi” by Lady Gaga. A year after releasing her debut album, The Fame, she’s still with us. Lady Gaga has had at least three or four hits from this album. I actually like her. She’s outrageous and puts out some solid pop tunes. She writes her own songs and plays piano. While she may seem like a industry manufactured starlet, she does seem to control her image and own her music. She previously wrote tunes for other pop stars, so why not be front and center herself? “Paparazzi” is a slower steady groove here for running. If you want more, try “Poker Face,” “Boys, Boys, Boys” or “Money Honey.” Again all rather humorous and oozing pop catchiness. The whole album is probably worth picking up.

“Revolver” by Madonna. Speaking of controlling her image and her music, Madonna has mastered it. No workout mix would be complete with a Madonna tune. I added “Revolver” featuring rapper Lil Wayne from her new greatest hits. It’s not one of her best tunes, but it’s catchy as expected. I like the heavy bass drum. The lyrics are amusing. “You’re an accessory to murder ‘cause...My love’s a revolver, my sex is a killer. Do you wannna die happy?” Seriously? At 51, I have to say I think its great. But then you know how I feel about Madonna (see post). Her song “Celebration” from her new greatest hits is also good for a workout mix.

“3” by Britney Spears. Another staple for the workout mix of pop tunes is Britney. She seems to be the ultimate in manufactured pop star with absolutely no control over her image. Unless she’s going for train wreck, which may be the goal. She probably has little to do with the music that ends up on her albums other than to lay down some limited vocal tracks that are enhanced by technology. That said, she (or her record label) keeps coming up with hits. Her last album Circus had some great pop tunes including the title track as well as “Womanizer” and “If You Seek Amy.” She is often matched with some stellar producers and there’s no doubt that generally they can be credited for her hits. Her latest single “3” is pure bubblegum and is about exactly what you’d expect. The lyrics are so bad, it’s comical. “1,2,3, Peter, Paul, and Mary. Gettin’ down with 3P” But it’s catchy and will keep you moving.

“Imma Be” by the Black Eyed Peas. Their latest album The E.ND. is another one that keeps pumping out hits. I included “Boom Boom Pow” on the SWIK Summer Dance Mix. Although mostly men, they get a pass with Fergie on vocals. “Imma Be” is another catchy tune that starts slow and groovy and then gets faster. We did a routine to this in dance class, and we kept repeating it as the music go faster and faster. By the end of class we were all ready to pass out. If you are trying to increase your running or walking pace try to keep up with the beats in this song. Other great tunes from the album for a workout mix include “I Gotta Feeling” and “Ring-A-Ling” (another funny song about booty call text messages.) I’ve been a fan of the Black Eyed Peas for a long time and suggest checking out some of their older albums like Bridging the Gap.

“Empire State of Mind” by Jay Z featuring Alicia Keys. Next on the mix is another guy we’re giving a pass to because of the female vocals. Hip-hop, rapper, producer, executive, Jay Z has a new album that includes collaboration from numerous artists. “Empire State of Mind” features Alicia Keys on vocals and happens to be about my current home town. It’s a wonderfully catchy hip-hop tune with the chorus, “there’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you, let’s hear it for New York.” What can I say, it just gets me going. Naturally, I discovered this one in dance class as well. The routine was one of my favorites. It seemed slow, but had so much up and down movement that it was a great work out. I ended up with sore arms and legs. This another slow and steady one for running or walking. He has another song with Rihanna on album called “Run This Town,” also good for a workout mix.

“Whatever Your Want” by Christina Milian. No surprise that I discovered this in dance class as well. She’s a young R&B singer and this song is form her 2004 album It’s About Time. The song moves, but still has that steady beat. Her vocals and the chorus predominate the mix. She’s actually Cuban, but doesn’t sing in Spanish. She did guest vocals and sang back-up on several hits before she released her own album. Apparently, she co-wrote and sang back-up on “Play” by Jennifer Lopez. She has some other singles “Dip It Low” and “Say I” that are worth checking out. She’s due for a new album next year.

“All I See” by Kylie Minogue. This one is dedicated to my friend Sasha, who just went to see Kylie in concert. Sasha also recently asked me to make a new workout mix. If I lived in Oakland, I would have been at the show with her. Instead I made this mix. Minogue is a massive star everywhere in the world except the United States. Recently the New Yorker’s Sasha Frere-Jones, one of my favorite music reviewers, had a short piece titled “Minogue Nation.” He commented on the fact that for some reason, Americans, who generally love sugary pop music, haven’t caught on to Minogue. Except for gay men, of course. Minogue’s tunes can always be found in great dance clubs. Frere-Jones called on Americans to “stand up for common sense” and go see Minogue in concert. I missed her show, but included “All I See” from her last album, X, which came out in 2007. It’s a great workout tune, but she’s had many others that are even better. “Cant Get You Out of My Head” and “Love at First Sight” and “Come Into My World” all from her 2001 album Fever are great.

“Strawberry Bounce” by Janet Jackson. This song is from one of Janet’s worst album’s, Damita Jo, but it may be one of her best songs. The song was highly underrated. Possibly because it came out around the time she had wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl and everyone seemed to not like her very much. (I’ll never understand why Justin Timberlake didn't suffer repercussions from that episode. He’s the one that ripped her shirt off.) I pulled out “Strawberry Bounce” after a chat with DJ Brotherbeat in Barcelona last year. I keep bringing it back into my running mixes. So I added it here. She and Kylie also sound a lot alike. In fact, when I first heard Kylie’s “All I See” I thought it was Janet. Such is the world of pop music. Love it or leave it. They make great dance tunes. Janet has a greatest hits coming out next month that has a new track called "Make Me."

“Million Dollar Bill” by Whitney Houston. I’m rounding out the mix with Whitney Houston’s new single. I knew that she had a new album, but hadn’t really considered listening to it until I had dinner a few weeks ago with my former boss, David. He mentioned the single and I listened to it on his iPod at the restaurant. To get a sense of the music on his iPod, he took us to see Cher for a staff trip when I worked for him. We both decided part of the reason for listening to Whitney’s new album was to hear a bit of the train wreck that she has become. While you can still hear the voice that we once knew, it’s lower and raspier. As if she had smoked too many cigarettes and done too many drugs before recording the album. Oh wait, she did. We also determined the rougher vocals must be due to all those years she spent screaming at Bobby Brown on their Bravo reality show. How many times can one person yell “hell to the no!” and not ruin her voice? I’ve included “Million Dollar Bill” probably just because I wanted to make that comment about her voice. It’s not a great song, but it’s catchy and will keep you moving. As for the rest of the album, you can skip it.

So that’s it. Now get off your arse and exercise. Dance around the house. Use the mix for some housecleaning. Whatever. Let me know what you’re listening to these days when you need to get your body moving. I’ll add it to the next workout mix.

You can also create a good workout mix based on some of my past SWIK posts. Here are a few to add.
Meddle by Little Boots
Single Again by Trina
Thats Not My Name by The Ting Tings
L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold
This Wheel's On Fire by Siouxsie & The Banshees
Standing There by The Creatures
Watcha Gonna Do by Imelda May
Wild Young Hearts by The Noisettes



See Music
Just a few of the videos mentioned above.
Yorn/Johansson Relator
Mariah Carey Obsessed
Lady Gaga Paparazzi
Kylie Minogue All I See
Whitney Houtson Million Dollar Bill

Buy Music
Pick up the singles wherever you do that online. Here a few of the albums worth having from this mix.
Yorn/Johansson Break Up
Lady Gaga The Fame
Black Eyed Peas The E.N.D.
Kylie Minogue Fever