In the last edition of The Melody Principle I discussed the general importance that music plays in the role of training. In this edition I am going to focus on something a little different.
5 miles from my house sits a bar so filled with smoke that a ten second stay leaves your lungs black and your clothes tarred. The jukebox is playing “Ring of Fire” because it is the only Johnny Cash tune to choose from. It bellows out past a line of slightly unclean and multi-aged folk discussing the latest release of Artic Monkeys and why “District 9″ was a complete failure. Young or old, rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. When you enter this world the only thing that matters is your favorite novel, being up on the recent Hollywood fave dark haired boy or girl, and if you are going to be buying the re-release albums of Radiohead.
What happens to the indie kid when he trades in his cigarettes for kettlebells, PBR for Gatorade, and trivia night for the gym?
It might seem like a joke but the truth is that living a healthy lifestyle is a mindset. This is not taken up easily by those who very nature is too shun meathead vanity and barbie doll lifestyle. For all of their love and devotion for Kung Fu movies and slow claps, indie kids and hipsters have a hard time embracing the lifestyle for themselves. Defying authority and taking up the art of control and deprivation even for a short time can be too much. “I want to live!” they scream through their camel cigarettes.
I think it is the sweat pants personally. Hipsters really hate sweat pants. They do however love 1983-87 gym short shorts with stripes, but if they wear that to the gym they might get their ass kicked.
I have some tips for the indie hipster that wants to dive into the world of fat loss and training while coming out nice and dirty still on the other side. I even have an obnoxiously long title for my tip list just to make them feel right at home. The real point is “cool” is whatever you want it to be and so is your identity.
!Screw you pale ugly body!Tips for surviving and embracing body recomposition!
Tip #1 -You can look stylish and workout. It just takes a little more effort.
Tip #2-There are others like you out there and they just as scared as you are.
Tip #3- Being unhealthy and self loathing wasn’t cool in youth but becomes scary and creepy into adulthood.
Tip #4-There is nothing like a good smoke after a workout anyway.
Tip #5-You can still know about things other people don’t know, this is just one more of those things.
Tip #6-Your stamina for standing at shows will increase by 15%.
Tip #7-Fitted small t-shirts will actually fit on something other than bone or flub.
Tip #8-You can carry more obscure novels and poetry books when you have da gunz.
Tip #9-The friend zone is a real thing in any social group.
Tip #10-Falling out teeth and rickets at 28, not sexy.
The Melody Principle
Volume -2 – When Indie Kids Traded PBR for Gatorade
1. Elvis Costello – Radio Radio
2. Pixies – River Euphrates
3. Peter Bjorn & John – Young Folks
4. Pavement – Cut Your Hair
5. Sunny Day Real Estate – Seven
6. Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch
7. Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl
8. The Decemberists – Engine Driver
9. Dinosaur Jr – Out There
10. That Dog – Minneapolis
11. Marvelous 3 – Freak of the Week
12. Sonic Youth – Dirty Boots
13. Meat Puppets – Backwater
14. Cat Power – Free
–
Feature song of the playlist
Meat Puppets – Backwater
Ha those tips are too funny! Great post. I am going to pass this one along to some of my friends.
With all due respect to Johnny Cash’s song, I like Def Leppard’s eponymous tune, which shares a name and nothing more with Mr. Cash’s song.
Hahahahaha on the gym shorts with stripes…nice
Leigh could it be true that you are nothing more than a reformed hipster? Sellout
PS- I spit my drink on “Tip #3- Being unhealthy and self loathing wasn’t cool in youth but becomes scary and creepy into adulthood.” because it is SOOOO true.
Yes, getting the body you want is about more than just “eating less and moving more.” It is also about how these things fit into our lives and social spheres. I love these kinds of posts because it shows how you get that!
Plus your playlist has radiohead on it, which I lovvvveeeessss. I’ve been craving me some radiohead. Dinosaur Jr….wow, blast to the past.
Hilarious post.
Some other good tunes on my ipod are the Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll and Matt and Kim – Daylight.
You can still rock out and feel cool in spandex.
Hell yes! I don’t want being in shape to be just for bimbos. Nice.
Fucking. Backwater. Holy. Yes.
Bikini Kill, Dinosaur Jr….AND Sonic Youth? I think I love you Leigh
If you haven’t got it on your current list, I’m requesting a R&B/Soul Melody Principle installment. I know you’ve got one in you.
Loving the lists.
Just re-discovered how much I like Spectacular Views by Rilo Kiley…great song to run to! Give that one a listen.
Great list!
And wow…I pictured at least 5 people I know that you described holding their PBR proudly. At what age does the ironic/too cool lifestyle end?
Sweat pants FTW.
But I love my PBR. Too bad the wife made me get rid of all my black tee shirts years ago.
Great Post Leigh!
Such a great playlist. Cat Power wouldn’t necessarially come to mind when thinking about workout music but what a great song to end on.
“This is not taken up easily by those who very nature is too shun meathead vanity and barbie doll lifestyle.” Totally hits home. Particularly in my late teens and early 20’s, I was stuck in the double edged sword of rocker and feminist idologies that told me I shouldn’t necessarially want to be thin or healthy. It is SOOOO not rock and roll to live a healthy lifestyle. And it’s not okay to spend too much time concentrating on your appearance as it’s a distraction from time better spent being creative or learning (aka, I should be okay with being fat and so should everyone else). Since then, I’ve realized how screwed up these interpretations or what it means to be a rocker and a feminist were, of course. I think it was your Queen Latifah article that won me over when I first found you, Leigh.
I totally get you on wanting to transgress meathead culture with *ahem* kulture. However…Sorry (with a capitol S) Leigh but my tendency in the gym is to revert to music that I’d never admit to listening to outside the gym. The trouble with indie music is that for the most part it doesn’t provide that steady stream of energizing tunage required to “keep things moving along”. So as shame-faced as it makes me to say so, you’ll find me listening to Tiesto and Metallica once I’m behind (or under) the iron bar. I’ve tried to pretend I’m being cool and ironic by listening to “Rock You Like a Hurricane” by the Scorpions, but the truth is, it really drive me harder than other, better music. Must it always be so? Will Trance music forever dominate the treadmill treader’s tread?
Please excuse my attempts to be clever; I’m trying to compensate for having listened to DMX at every workout I had last week. BUT…I did plug in Royksopp for my cool-down. Does that count?
You still rock no matter what!!!! Keep ‘em coming.
I found this article really refreshing because I struggle with a lot of my friends not understanding why I want to do what I want to do. I love good music and culture but not the self loathing and destruction of my body. There is a balance, thank you for showing that.
…OMG &*^#
Question: How old are you Leigh?
hehehehehe
Statement: I can’t believe you put Bikini Kill!
Question: Are you Bi? If you are, are you single?
Statement: I am so happy I found your website. Oh and down 7 pounds so far, thanks for the Fat Loss Troubleshoot books!
haha! Love that article!
Sarah - Perhaps I could turn it into a facebook chain message ;P
Jack – You make a very wise statement. The use of Def Leppard and Johnny Cash in the same sentence also awards you 10 PBR caps.
Lynda – It make me feel the need to break out Wet Hot American Summer and do some herion while in town.
Keith – Reformed? I am still recovering. I also totally sold out, but I did that when I stated publicly I liked Coldplay’s first two albums.
Anna K – Even though tongue in check it actually is an interesting topic when trying to change your mindset and lifestyle.
Cassie – All good stuff. I tried to with this mix stick to more classic indie rock staples. Since there will be 101 of these, I assure you the Yeah Yeah Yeah
will make an appearance.
Anna – Damn right. Being hot and in shape can be the the elitist snobs as well. Christ.
Nicolis - A underrated classic indeed.
Chris - And I love you.
Tracey – Tracey please, like I am not going to be throwing out the love. We have only begun.
Amy – I have had a love for Jenny Lewis since The Wizard and Foxfire. I have much rilo kiley love.
Bree - You know I truly believe there is nothing wrong with holding a PBR, however pretentious judgments of those who want to drink a smoothie is
against my beliefs as well. Subscribing to tacky cultual cliches for the sake of tribe admitence is the true crime.
CJ – If I had your mailing address I might just send you this.
http://www.noisebot.com/you_have_dysentery_t-shirt.htm
Hollie - I admire a woman who can make a blog comment and use the term Feminist ideologies while also referencing Queen Latifah. I have a strong urge to ask you to add me to facebook.
Janna – Ha Janna I assure you that there will be many of these in all areas of life covered. Many of my workouts have been completed while listening to hair bands and hate your mother angst music. I have different types of workouts. Sometimes they are high energy and other times I have to focus on
the aspects of why I am doing this stuff in the first place. I daydream and write stories in my mind about the life I have lived and want to live. Sometimes for
me nothing will help bring out an emotional passion like the screeching sound of J mascis voice through my overpriced mp3 player.
I can say that my next two installments will be:
“I’m not just a white girl from the ghetto”
“We will give into the inspirational power chords”
Brandon – There is balance. Not all intellectuals are weak and not all jocks are dumb. I believe in renaissance men (and women).
Kristen – Question: How old are you Leigh? I am in the 25-35 age bracket.
Statement: I can’t believe you put Bikini Kill! I like angry chick music of the indie rock persuasion every so often.
Question: Are you Bi? If you are, are you single?
a/s/l
Statement: I am so happy I found your website. Oh and down 7 pounds so far, thanks for the Fat Loss Troubleshoot books!
Congratulations. That is more than most people achieve in a year so keep it up.
Sinead – Why can’t all my articles just be rants about music. I can do those pretty easily and don’t have to both with all that research stuff
Already have!
Oh and uh, oddly enough, speaking of PBR (and Facebook), I just posted to my Facebook page about the fact that I have a half keg of it left from a party I threw. You’re all down to help us finish this off this weekend, right?
I guess this post might peg me as a person of the “old” persuasion, but ’round here, PBR’s are what the rednecks swill, while we’re all contemplating the merits of our craft brews…
We cut our teeth on PBR, Screamers (Genessee Cream Ale), Red Eye (Genny…again) and Black Label because that was what you could nab from Dad’s cooler. Never thought of drinking them again once I was old enough to buy my own…guess I’ll have to have a beer tasting party. After my cut.
ok im sorry but what the heck does a/s/l mean?
ok i looked it up age/sex/location?
am i right? leigh was this just your silly way of getting around her question or am i just an old lady now? :)
I think this is my favorite post ever!
Leigh: Amy – I have had a love for Jenny Lewis since The Wizard and Foxfire. I have much rilo kiley love.
I am shocked you didn’t add Troop Beverly Hills. That is her best work eva!
Hollie – Nice instrument
Amy - PBR just equals cheap around here and country boy is in, though not to be confused with redneck because it is out.
Shari - Haha Yes it was my silly way of getting around her question + inside joke because of how many times I have been asked if I was gay.
Katie - After I hit submit I actually thought about it, does that count.
Hey Leigh I just had an idea… do you have a shared Pandora station? Maybe you need a few like one for workouts, one for chilling, etc. That would rule