(This is a guest post from our very own Chris, cross-posted from Mindless Diversions!)
Hello everybody, Chris again. When last we spoke, I was telling you about bus ridin’ and bus readin’, and my crazy money-savin’ schemes (read War and Peace and SAVE!). Today I’m back to tell you about another thing I do when I’m not avoiding work by spamming the League’s comment sections: walkin’. What could be more exciting than a post about a guy you don’t know riding the bus? A post about a guy you don’t know going for a walk, that’s what.
It turns out that, when you get rid of your car, you have to walk a lot. I mean, a lot. I went through four pairs of shoes last year. I don’t think I bought four pairs of shoes between the ages of 20 and 30. At first my feet hurt and my calves were sore, but then I got used to it, and started to kinda enjoy it. The only problem was that I lived in a pretty densely populated area with lots of sounds of the city that my country boy ears tended to find loud and discordant. So I got an iPod (later replaced by a smart phone), and drowned out the world with music.
As I was walkin’ and listenin’, listenin’ and walkin’, I began to realize that certain songs work better with walking than others. Such songs seem to merge with my mood and my pace to create a seamless fusion of mind, movement, and music. So I created a playlist of “walkin’ songs,” and while I don’t listen to it exclusively on a walk, I do listen to it a lot, especially when I feel like having an extra jump in my step (whatever the hell that means).
So if you don’t mind, I thought I’d share a few of my walkin’ songs with ya’ll (or y’all). I hope you find something you like and haven’t heard before, maybe even something you can take for a walk with you. I also hope it will inspire you to share with me the music you listen to while you do things during your day.
Now, this blog has had some excellent music writing from Jaybird, Glyph, that Schilling character, and James Hanley (dude, when do we get more alt country?), and I can’t really compete with them, so I’m not even going to try. I’ll just give you the music, and let that be my commentary. Enjoy.
Phantogram, “Running from the Cops”
I love that video, but I don’t recommend watching it while walking.
Mexico 70, “Peace and Love”
As only 6200 people have viewed this one, I’m guessing some of you may not have heard it before.
Old Canes, “Early Morning Hymns”
I got nothin’. All I know is that if I hear this song, I’m going to pick up my pace and walk with my head high.
Destroyer, “English Music”
For the New Pornographers fans out there.
Guided By Voices, “Everywhere With Helicopter”
OK, that song might make you want to run. (You’re welcome, Glyph.)
Santigold, “I’m a Lady”
Man do I dig Santigold. I know it’s just pop, but if you don’t like this song or “Disparate Youth,” we need to have a conversation. If nothing else, all her songs are very walkable. Though I do feel a bit weird walking through the Austin streets singing, “I’m a lady! Got my mind made up, got my mind made up.”
Devotchka, “How it Ends”
That song gets embedded in my head. Maybe now it’s embedded in yours!
I don’t get the picture. Were you one of those poor kids whose overly protective mothers make them wear bike helmets when they’re walking around the block?Report
Heh… I didn’t pick it. Is it a race-walking helmet? I remember they wore something like that on the race-walking episode of Malcolm in the Middle.Report
Maybe Jay’s just trying to protect you from the inevitable stones people will throw at any music picks.Report
Yes, that’s exactly what it is.Report
Can anyone really walk fast enough that the elongated tail is really useful?Report
I imagine that if you’re drafting someone who is also walking really fast, it might help.Report
Or if they’re drafting you, you can stop short and poke them in the eye.Report
I’m buying Mike’s theory, as Google–the door to all knowledge–returns no positive results for drafting in race walking.Report
“Overly protective”? From what I understand, *NOT* making your kid wear a bike helmet these days is tantamount to child abuse.Report
As a mandated reporter, I’ve already got Hanley’s name into the Feds for allowing his daughters to swim without first putting them in a submarine.Report
Good thing my name is Aitch!Report
I’d certainly report any parent who let their child read ayn rand.Report
Because no matter what the subject is, a gratuitous and irrelevant swipe at those we dislike is always called for.Report
I hate pudding.Report
You mean like calling all East Coast liberals perverts, just a thread or three ago?
Wait, I think THAT was just teasing an online friend, not a “gratuitous and irrelevant swipe at disliked persons.”
I just can’t tell the difference anymore…
I’d like to take this opportunity to say in all sincerity, to all my fellow Americans here – the liberal pinkos, the rightwing fascists, and the overly-sensitive libertarians: y’all are, as a group, the most infuriating, annoying, intelligent, pedantic, enlightening, frustrating, and funny people I’ve ever loved online.
In short, you’re like family, and you drive me predictably crazy.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY TO ALL!
Even you poor saps who aren’t American 😉Report
I’ve never been so insulted in my life Glyph…..How dare you?? Well okay there was that one time i was more insulted. Oh and that other time and i guess just about everyday from my peers from ages 12 through 17, but other than those times i’ve never been more insulted. Of course leaving out all the insults at work and when playing hockey. Other than all those things what you’ve said is the worst ever.
Have a Festive and peaceful fourth with the optimal amount of crazy.Report
I’m sorry, I though t we were using the internet.Report
He’s not “using” the Internet. They’re making love.Report
When I did a lot more bicycling around Elgin IL, there was a PACE bus I named Christine, for the car from the Stephen King book. Every time I’d be going down Route 25, this bus would attempt to run me off the road. I put a good rear view mirror on my helmet and it saved my life, more than once.
But Christine the Bus did manage to almost get me. Off the road I went, into gravel. Broke my helmet. I’ll never ride a bicycle without a helmet again…..Report
My son was born in Elgin. His mom is from there.Report
He should attend Baylor.Report
Mine were born at Sherman Hospital.Report
So was mine. Small world.
Here in central Texas, there’s an Elgin, but they pronounce it different.Report
Yeah, with a hard g, which is the way it’s pronounced in Scotland. The Illinois city pronounces it with a j sound.Report
Good God! You cycled down 25? You’re braver than I am.Report
I had to, to get to the Fox River Trail from my house. From there, down to Wheaton, from thence to Batavia, then back up through Geneva and St. Charles back to Elgin. Then around again — 106 miles.Report
That’s a beautiful ride, but, wow, what a way to get there.Report
I love walking. All I can say for sure about it is that there is a life stage in which you have to leave behind Converse All Stars forever. Clearly, the Ramones did not do a lot of walking.Report
Ugh, I miss my All Stars. Now it’s Sketchers and sandals for me. Sandals are pretty much a necessity for summer walking here.Report
Have you tried skate shoes? (Skate board shoes, that is.)Report
I learned from the younger sprout, who would literally burn through clothing doing the stuff he did: clothes made for riding sports — snowboard or skateboard — are made tough and last. I objected to the expense, and discovered it was actually cheaper. Plus they often had some built-in protective function and very cool hidden pockets.
As he grew and went from the men’s S to M to L to XL over his teen years, I inherited the many of the outgrowns; and they still hold up.Report
Heh. I wore AllStars from all the way thru High School. Loved ’em. Then I discovered comfortable shoes.Report
So I picked up Civ IV.
The last time I played Civilization, it didn’t have a number after it.
What should I do to start with? Extra large? Extra small? Ice Age? Tropical?Report