So I thought I’d offer a follow-up to my post from last week about Nike commissioning LCD Sounsystem’s James Murphy to write a piece of music for a 45-minute running work-out. I downloaded the track, called 45:33, and have been digging into it. It’s a cool mix with some solid grooves, but I think I still prefer the raw electronic power of LCD Soundsystem in the live setting. While the track definitely got my feet moving for a solid run, it really didn’t quite have the “umph” I was looking for in a mix geared towards working out.
So, what, you may ask, would I suggest as an alternative? There are all types of ways to mix it up for workouts, but if we’re gonna stick with the theme of the site and go with live music, I’d suggest a few bands that not only do the electronic rock thing, but really draw out the jams for maximum workout potential. Say what you will about these bands, but if you’re looking for some good live music to boost your running speed, you can’t go wrong with any of these guys. The following are just a few selections that have made me run just a little harder, add on a couple more weights, or just generally pumped me up.
1) The New Deal: Live at the Logan Square Auditiorium in Chicago, 3-18-05
The New Deal can get a bit cheesy at times, but man do these guys make me move! There are a ton of other great shows available on the Live Music Archive, but this is one I attended and have used for many a long workout. It’s also a great recording and includes some fun interplay with the audience.
2) Brother Past: Dance Sampler
Brother Past Dance Sampler zip
Here’s an “improv-only” compilation of jams from electronic rock band Brothers Past, which tends more towards the drum-n-bass side of electronic rock. BP is currently on tour, and LMM is hoping to catch them in Chicago at the Beat Kitchen on 11/18.
3) Disco Biscuits: Rich Steele’s Halloween Mix
This was a mix of jam-only tracks (not complete songs) that audiophile fan, Rich Steele, put together a few years back for Halloween. He compiled some of his favorite dark and spooky tDB improvisations, fixed up the audio levels, and released the mix to fans. This one is divided up into individual tracks as follows:
Run Like Hell
Helicopters
House Dog Party Favor
Astronaut
Little Shimmy in a Conga Line
Magellan
Mindless Dribble
Basis for a Day
Fitting with the Halloween theme, the Disco Biscuits will be starting their fall tour on 10/31/06 in support of their newest release, Rocket 3 (which I included in this post). They’re also releasing their entire tour via Nugs.net’s LiveDownloads.com, and have a 20% discount for fans willing to take the plunge and pre-order the entire tour. Not sure if I’m that dedicated but I do think it’s a great promotion and fits nicely with my idea of the “Live Band Business Model”–which I have touched on before (mainly in my research, available over in the right column).
