We like Roy! We like Roy!

Sorry I’m late posting, kids — ironically, had a hard time getting motivated enough to write up the post about motivational songs. In my defense, I have been regularly hitting the gym since the dawn of ‘09, and I’ve given my lists a thorough working out while working out, so I think they’re pretty solid. And yes, that’s not a typo: there are lists. Because I’m so late (and because moods change), I’ve decided to hit you with 2 lists of songs. This first list is for when you’re feelin’ groovy:

1. Primal Scream, “Movin’ On Up”
   This opening track on Screamadelica is a sun-kissed blend of Stones-y southern blues- rock and dancefloor rhythms that never fails to perk me up. The song was produced by the legendary Jimmy Miller, adding lots of classic rock cred to the mix.
2. Cornershop, “Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim Remix)”
   When the song was originally released as a single, it landed with a thud at #60 on the British charts. Then Norman Cook got his hands on it, sped up the tempo, added some of his trademark bouncy big beat rhythms and other knob-twiddling effects, and voilà! #1 hit.
3. The Hives, “Hate To Say I Told You So”
   No real science to why this song always keeps me going, it’s just a driving slice of late 90’s Swedish garage-punk, and I’m a total sucker for Howlin’ Pete Almquist’s Jagger-esque swagger.
4. N.E.R.D, “Baby Doll”
   N.E.R.D’s debut is a gem, perfectly blending 70’s FM pop/rock and hip-hop beats, and “Baby Doll” always keeps me coming back. The combo of the surf-style guitar and that unshakeable drum beat is unforgettable stuff.
5. Junior Senior, “Shake Your Coconuts”
   Metronomic lo-fi dance beats, frenetic surf guitar, sugary pop breaks, and a loopy sense of humor make this an explosive and fun 2 and a half minutes.
6. Eels, “Last Stop This Town”
   As much as I love the Eels, I’m well aware that E’s songs are generally downers. This song is from Electro-Shock Blues, E’s darkest work which ruminates on his sister’s suicide and his mother’s death. It’s not a completely black affair, as this song attests: he finds ways to lift himself out of the darkness, and when “Last Stop” explodes into its wordless chorus it’s hard to keep still.
7. The Folk Implosion, “Free To Go”
   One Part Lullaby hit my late 90’s sonic pastiche sweet spot: compelling, quirky melodies married to eclectic rhythms and arrangements. It’s in the same groove as the Eels’ Electro-Shock Blues and Beck’s Odelay, and while Lou Barlow & John Davis often create dark, ominous sounds, “Free To Go” is pure, soaring, mid-summer joy.
8. Matthew Sweet, “Where You Get Love”
   Few make power-pop rock as compelling as Sweet did at his height, and this song is fantastic evidence: a super-catchy melody, a big & bouncy sound, and one hell of an explosive chorus.

This next list, tho, is for when you’ve just f*cking had it with work, your boss, your roomate, the a$$hole next to you on the train, or whatever else life decides to bend you over and cornhole you with that day. If I’m in a mood like that, I just can’t take the happy stuff above: I need a shot of fist-pumping anger instead:

1. Fatboy Slim, “Right Here, Right Now”
   There’s a reason you’ve heard this played over the PA system at the beginning of countless sporting events: the combo of anthemic, almost cinematic melody; filling-shaking bass and beats; and chant-like vocal sample is super-compelling stuff, and it’s sure to get you fired up.
2. The Prodigy, “Smack My Bitch Up”
   Kool Keith + hyper-aggressive techno-punk = one hell of a controversy-courting song. I think the furor over it and its accompanying music video has died out a bit in recent years, tho: the song was featured in an episode of Chuck during a fight scene between two women. Stay classy, NBC.
3. Primal Scream, “Accelerator”
   The Scream isn’t all hippie acid-house sounds: “Accelerator” is deconstructed Stooges-style punk, loaded with shredded guitars; cold, industrial synths; and layer upon layer of Kevin Shields-assisted noise that will smack you upside the eardrums.
4. The Dandy Warhols, “Horse Pills”
   A fuzz-rock explosion of noise and shouting about drugs.
5. David Holmes Presents The Free Association, “Don’t Rhyme No Mo”
   Everything is so sharp, so vibrant in the dirty hip-hop funk that Holmes spins here: the ominous drum/bass combo; the off-kilter horns; the swirling flute sample; and Sean Reverson’s energetic, gutteral rapping — it all clicks and kicks your ass.
6. Nine Inch Nails, “Heresy”
   The louder, angrier, and more abrasive Trent Reznor gets, the more he helps me work through stuff. It was a toss-up between “Heresy” and “Wish” for this list, but something about the “Your God is dead/And no one cares” line edged it ahead.
7. New Order, “Crystal”
   The lead track and single from their 2001 comeback album Get Ready cranks up the guitars and dials down the new-wave dance beats. The pulsing, driving rhythm that pushes the song forward never fails to keep me going.

Enjoy the tunes!

Positive Motivation:

Download: Primal Scream, “Movin’ On Up” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Cornershop, “Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim Remix)” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Hives, “Hate To Say I Told You So” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: N.E.R.D, “Baby Doll” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Junior Senior, “Shake Your Coconuts” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Eels, “Last Stop This Town” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Folk Implosion, “Free To Go” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Matthew Sweet, “Where You Get Love” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Aggressive Motivation:

Download: Fatboy Slim, “Right Here, Right Now” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Prodigy, “Smack My Bitch Up” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Primal Scream, “Accelerator” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: The Dandy Warhols, “Horse Pills” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: David Holmes Presents The Free Association, “Don’t Rhyme No Mo” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: Nine Inch Nails, “Heresy” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

Download: New Order, “Crystal” (mp3)
(Right-click/control-click link to download)

P.S.: There is a special kind of associative logic that explains my post title — anyone want to wager a guess?