Category Archives: Playlists

Music, Playlists, Resources

Music To Move By

Two weeks ago I started training for something I have wanted to o for a few years now- a half marathon. I am planning on running the White Rock Half Marathon this December. That means I have 282 days to get fit and ready for race day. I am using the Run 10K app right now to get back into the rhythm of running on a consistent basis. One of the cool features of this app is that a “running coach” will speak to you and tell you when to walk, jog, or run. I love this app and it has really helped me stay focused and on track for my runs 3 times a week.

While the app is great and the “running coach” is a good tool, my energy and attitude are fueled by a great running music playlist. Today, I wanted to give you a peek into what beats are helping pump my legs and increase my heart rate.

Every workout play list I have has a mixture of genres and artist. There are a few songs that get added to my playlists consistently over time (the Main Stays) and there are also new songs that rotate in and out on a pretty frequent basis (the New Additions). Enjoy this week’s playlist.

Main Stays
All These Things I’ve Done by the Killers (Hot Fuss)
Live Your Life by T.I.-feat Rihanna (Paper Trail)
Working Man by Rush (Vault Edition)
Rise Above 1 by Bono, The Edge, & Reeve Carney (Spider-Man: The Musical)
Won’t Get Fooled Again by the Who (Who’s Next)
Surrender by Cheap Trick (Heaven Tonight)

New Additions
We Take Care of Our Own by Bruce Springsteen (Wrecking Ball)*
Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn (Body Talk)*
Comeback Kid by Sleigh Bells (Reign of Terror)
Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine (Ceremonials)*
What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) by Kelly Clarkson (Stronger)*
All of the Lights by Kanye West (Fantasy)
Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) by Foster the People (Torches)

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my listening habits. Add these songs to your running mix and watch the miles add up!

*These songs have a great potential to graduate to Main Stay status very, very soon.

Music, Playlists

Music Friday: Couples Slow Dance Playlist

Looking for that perfect song to request for the Couple’s Skate? Maybe you want to sway back and forth with that girl that is your friend at the Junior High dance? You want to burn your wife a love song mix? Look no further than my Couples Slow Dance Mix for your inspiration. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

  1. End of the Road by BoyzIIMen
  2. The Dance by Garth Brooks
  3. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
  4. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith
  5. Come Away With Me by Norah Jones
  6. Wicked Game by Chris Issac
  7. Un-thinkable by Alicia Keys
  8. In My Life by The Beatles
  9. No Ordinary Love by Sade
  10. Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
  11. Drive by The Cars
  12. The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice
  13. Flame Turns Blue by David Gray
  14. When The Stars Go Blue by Ryan Adams
  15. She’s Got A Way by Billy Joel
  16. God Only Knows by The Beach Boys
  17. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Bryan Adams
General, Music, My Life, Playlists

Friday (Play)List: Top 20 Songs Pt 1

To continue with My Life in (Play)Lists series that I started last week I am revealing to you today the list of My Top 20 Favorite Songs. Remeber that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine is dating that guy that is obsessed with the song “Desperado” by the Eagles? That song would come on the radio and he would stop talking, close his eyes, and drift away completely tuning out everything but the song. Yeah, that’s what happens to me whenever these 20 songs are played. I’ll reveal 10 this Friday and 10 next Friday. Enjoy!

1) Beautiful Day / U2 (All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
Out of all the U2 songs out there, this one grabs my attention every time. I love the bass groove that opens the song. When the drums kick in at the chorus I’m gone- you’ve lost me to the music. Love this song so much! I remember listening to it a lot during the first year we were married in our little apartment off campus. The music is only enhanced message of the song’ “What you don’t have, you don’t need it now, It’s a Beautiful Day!” Maybe I can hook a speaker up to my tombstone and blast this song across the cemetery. Forget the Eternal Flame- I’ve got an Eternal Soundtrack!

Favorite Line: “You’ve been all over, And it’s been all over you, It’s a Beautiful Day!”

2) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

3) Let’s Stay Together / Al Green
I wish I was a great soul singer like the Rev. Green.

Favorite Line: “Since we’ve been together, Wooo, Loving you forever is what I NEEEEEeeeeeddd”

4) In My Place / Coldplay (A Rush Of Blood To The Head)
From the open drum beat to the first notes on the guitar, In My Place grabs my attention and holds on for 4 minutes. Whenever this song plays I dance. If it comes on in the car, the sunroof opens and the windows roll down. It is just that simple.

Favorite Line: “Singin’ please, please, please, Come back and sing to me. Come on and Sing it out!”

5) If I Can Dream / Elvis (’68 Comeback Special)
I’m a big Elvis fan and this is without a doubt the greatest Elvis song in his cannon. Since this is from the ’68 Comeback Special the energy and the passion is turned up to 11. It is so real you can almost feel the heat of the studio lights and the sweat from his brow. Elvis believes every word of this song and he makes you believe it too.

Favorite line: “While I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk, while I can dream… please let my dream… come true.”

6) Shelter From the Storm (Alt Take) / Bob Dylan (Jerry Maguire Soundtrack)
Any true Dylan fan can tell the difference between the album releases and the numerous alternative takes that have been leaked, released, and traded around for years. While I cannot give you any technical reasons this alternative take of Shelter is different the Blood on the Tracks original I can tell you that this is the superior one. This song totally envelops me whenever I listen to it.

Favorite Line: “I bargained for salvation, She gave me a lethal dose.”

7) Won’t Back Down / Johnny Cash feat. Tom Petty (American III)
We live a world that settles for mediocrity. I hate that. When things get tough or the pressure is on we wither and melt. Hearing Cash’s weather-beaten voice is a bit of motivation for this young pup to keep pushing, keeping shipping, and keep standing firm when everyone and everything else settles for less that what they deserve.

Favorite Line: “I know what’s right,I got just one life, In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around, But I’ll stand my ground, And I won’t back down.”

Eight) All These Things I’ve Done / The Killers (Hot Fuss)
Invisible Children used this track for a simple yet powerful video highlighting teens leading the charge and sounding the cry for children in Uganda who were being abducted and forced to serve in illegal armies. I don’t know if it is because of the video or because of the song but I get completely lost inside this song and I still get goosebumps every time I listen. Great song.

Favorite Line: “If you can’t hold on, Hold on.”

9) Fix You / Coldplay (X&Y)
A modern day hymn complete with organ, longing, promises, and reverence. Is there anything about this song that isn’t absolutely perfect.

Favorite Line: “Tears stream down your face, when you lose something you cannot replace.”

10) How He Loves / John Mark McMillian (The Medicine)
Another song that gives me goosebumps. It is worship in the raw and John Mark McMillian dedicates every word to Almighty God. A simple song with simple lyrics suddenly becomes complex and earth-shattering when the implications of these lyrics sink in. Our great and mighty God loves us enough to send his Son to earth to die in our place and offer us real and eternal life. Oh How He Loves!

Favorite Line: “I don’t have time to maintain these regrets when I think about… How He Loves Us!”

Life, Music, Playlists

Top 20

Music plays such a big role in my life. Recently I was in Barnes and Noble and I saw a book entitled “Music Listography: Your Life in (Play)Lists.” This book/journal is designed for you to list everything you love about music. Some the lists include “90’s Music,” “Favorite Shows You’ve Seen Live,” and “Musicians You’d Bring Back From the Dead.” When I flipped through the book I knew I just had to have this book and fill it with everything I love about music.

The first two lists in the book call for you to list your Top 20 favorites. Here is my offerings:

Your Top Twenty Favorite Bands– (In no particular order)

U2
Counting Crows
The Police
The Beatles
Coldplay
Dave Matthews Band
Matisyahu
Hillsong United
Ray Lamotagne
David Crowder Band
Bob Dylan
Pearl Jam
Elvis
Led Zeppelin
The Who
Jars of Clay
Muse
Weezer
The Killers
Jack Johnson

Top Twenty Albums You’d Bring If You Were Leaving Planet Earth In a Spaceship (Again, no particular order)

The Joshua Tree (U2)
Achtung Baby (U2)
Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)
August and Everything After (Counting Crows)
What’s Goin’ On (Marvin Gaye)
Recovering the Satellites (Counting Crows)
Live at Stubb’s (Matisyahu)
Live at Luther (Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds)
X&Y (Coldplay)
Jesus Freak (DC Talk)
Continuum (John Mayer)
In Between Dreams (Jack Johnson)
Fumbling Toward Ecstasy (Sarah McLaughlin)
Illuminate (David Crowder Band)
IV (Led Zeppelin)
Rearview Mirror (Pearl Jam) – I know it’s a Greatest Hits collection. Who cares?
Jars of Clay (Jars of Clay)
Nirvana: Unplugged (Nirvana)
O (Damien Rice)
With Hearts As One (Hillsong United)

How about you? What are your Top 20 Bands/Albums?

Music, Playlists, Resources, U2

Top O’ The Mountain To Ya

Center Lift Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone! We had a great day on the mountain although ski conditions started to get a little icy. I went back to tackle that jump again. I had a much better outcome today. I didn’t bite it. I didn’t fall. I stuck the landing and stayed on my feet. Major victory!!! We only skied for half the day because of the ice but we had fun. Today was a good day.

In celebration of St. Paddy’s I skied to an all U2 playlist today. Here is what helped me have a great day carving snow.

U2 Ski-tastic Playlist
1) Bad / 40/ Where the Streets Have No Name– “Bad” and “40” make great songs to listen to as you ride the lift. Time your ascent so that “Streets” kicks in as you reach the top of the lift.
2) Elevation– Original, I know.
3) Mofo
4) Electrical Storm
5) Magnificent
6) Fast Cars
7) Cry/Electric Co.– I credit this song for helping me stick the landing on the jump today.
8) Get On Your Boots
9) Out Of Control
10) Breathe
11) All Because of You
12) I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight

So, there you go. Maybe you weren’t as fortunate as me and you didn’t get to spend your Spring Break on the slopes. Maybe you’re thinking, “Great Micheal! How can I use this playlist since I’m stuck behind my desk and nowhere near the mountains.” No worries my friend. This is really my U2 Workout Playlist so hit the treadmill, hit the trail, or rock out behind your desk. There is no reason to think that this playlist is limited to the mountain time zone. Enjoy!

Crossroads

Music, My Life, Playlists, Resources, Taking Vacations

Ski-tastic Playlist 2

Hello from snowy Colorado. We have been hitting the slopes this week at Monarch and I have been having a great time. The weather has cooperated and it has been beautiful! Today I even attempted a jump. Reports say that I caught about 3 feet of air! I landed successfully but… unfortunately I then fell… pretty hard.

No worries though. My hip broke the fall.

It has been the one and only time that I have fallen all week. Apparently I live by the creed of “anything worth doing is worth doing big.”

I’ve been listening to my iPod on the slopes. I know to some that sounds like sacrilege but I feel that the mountain experience is enhanced by a great soundtrack. Here are a handful of the tracks that have made for a Ski-tastic playlist this week.

No Line On The Horizon by U2
Hot Fun In The Summer Time by Sly and the Family Stone
Use Somebody by Kings of Leon
Limelight by Rush
Numb by Linkin Park
Best of You by Foo Fighters
Misery Business by Paramore
Stand Up Comedy by U2
Just Like Heaven by The Cure
Hysteria by MUSE
When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin
Good Life by Kanye West

I hope everyone has a great spring break. We head for home on Wednesday and would really appreciate your prayers. Take it easy and enjoy the playlist.

peace,
Felker