Here's What's On My iPod; What's On Yours?

Download These Songs For Your Running Mix

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

I have about 90 songs on my iPod running mix. Fortunately, I don't get tired of hearing them because it takes me a long time to run frequently enough and far enough for me to listen to 90 songs. Like, months.

But now that nice weather has been upon us for a few weeks and some of us are getting back on the pavement, I thought I'd share some of my favorites from the shuffle:

+ Oasis, "Fuckin' In The Bushes" -- Sorry to go vulgar on you right out of the gate, but for about five or six years now, this song more than any other gets me running ahead of my pace every time.

+ Linkin Park, "Somewhere I Belong" -- I've never been a fan of the pseudo-heavy, semi-loud, corporate radio rock that has accelerated the downfall of the music industry the last 15 years, but for some reason Linkin Park finds its way onto the iPod. I actually have five of that band's songs in the rotation, but this one in particular wakes me up a little bit.

+ Snowden, "Doves" -- This is one of the best songs ever. It's the first one I'd ever heard by this band when I discovered it two years ago during a time when I was running regularly in Central Park. Just a real positive-sounding tune that takes your mind off the stiffness in your lower legs.

+ Everclear, "Summerland" -- This one is probably Everclear's most aptly titled number because the band just seems to sound like an act you'd want to see at an outdoor venue in June or July. Though its sound is hardly soft, Everclear sprinkles some beachy summer hints into a few of its lyrics and this is a good song, but maintains its energy from start to finish on this one. I love when this one pops into the shuffle when I'm running through Brooklyn. ("The Twistinside" also keeps me working with its obnoxious guitar throughout most of the number.)

+ Fuel, "Shimmer" -- Similar to Linkin Park in its FM anthem-ish qualities, this one reminds me of some of my summer runs through Louisville's sweaty streets back in the middle of this decade. I don't care about the lyrics; the instrumentation gets me hustling.

+ Puddle of Mudd, "Blurry" -- There's a hint of longing in this song that's not unlike the tone in "Shimmer" above. I recently told some male friends -- a regrettable mistake -- that I'm starting to appreciate these kinds of songs. Whatever the reason, sadness in lyrics, when coupled with loud and/or semi-speedy strings gets me moving out on the streets.

+ Letters To Cleo, "Fast Way" -- I've been into this song for at least 15 years. It opens with a heavy guitar that mostly disappears during the verses but keeps coming back in a Cheap Trick kind of way. Nothing fancy, just a high-energy number led nicely by Kay Hanley's precious vocals.

+ Oceanship, "Hot Black" -- Back on the longing tip, this was one of the first songs I downloaded after moving from Manhattan to Brooklyn last year. The animated video is actually kind of dark, but I loved the song long before the sheep got over on the wolf.

+ Florence And The Machine, "Howl" -- I picked this one up just in December. If you have Showtime, you might recognize it from one of its promos for "The Tudors." It generates -- for me, at least -- a painful but fleshy, hedonistic tone that almost rivals that of "Carmina Burana."

+ Ennio Morricone, "The Ecstasy Of Gold" -- Thanks to the fine folks at Wieden+Kennedy for pairing this song underneath Nike's great Troy Polamalu-LaDainian Tomlinson ad two years ago. It's almost a modern-day "Gonna Fly Now" in that it makes me want to keep running and maybe even bang out some push-ups and sit-ups. Later, of course.