Robert Deeble, whose Heart Like Feathers I very much enjoyed, has just released a deluxe version of the album that comes in a gorgeous hardback packaging and includes a bunch of awesome extras. The physical extras include photo prints and a little art book; the media extras include 5 acoustic tracks and 12 videos (which he lovingly calls “films”). I’ve transitioned almost entirely to digital music, because artists on the whole put little care into physical copies. But this? This is gorgeous, carefully made, and excellently crafted. I highly recommend picking up the limited edition of Heart Like Feathers.
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While we’re on the topic of physical things that are incredibly awesome, I’d like to announce that Post-Echo (you know, the record label that I said yesterday “has my attention”?) is releasing what they call “future-proof records,” which are on-demand 10″ vinyl records made of songs from the Post-Echo catalog chosen by you, for you. This is astoundingly wonderful. Someday soon I’ll be able to get Pan songs backed by Dear Blanca songs, and all will be right in my little music-y corner of the world. If you’re into vinyl, this is something that you’ve probably never had (unless you’ve been to Third Man Records recently). Totally thumbs up over here. Pick up your own future-proof here.
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I do this thing I call circling when I’m avoiding a particular piece of writing: I’ll think about it for a bit, then purposefully think about something else; I’ll do a tiny bit, then walk away; I’ll talk about it with someone, then change the subject. I count these as part of the writing process, a sort of evidence-gathering for the work about to be done. It helps me feel less unproductive and get rid of writer guilt, being able to say honestly that I’ve already started to work on a piece even if no words are on a page anywhere. With that logic in mind, I’m here to say that checking RunHundred every month is now part of my running process. –Stephen Carradini
The Top 10 Workout Songs For June
With summer approaching, the mood–both on the radio and in the gym–has changed. While winter brought with it an eclectic bunch of workout tracks, this new batch is all about fun. As evidence, consider David Guetta’s latest (“Play Hard”), Fergie’s contribution to The Great Gatsby (“A Little Party Never Killed Nobody”), and the collaboration that J. Lo and Mr. 305 debuted on the finale of American Idol (“Live It Up”).
Here’s the full list, according to votes placed at Run Hundred–the web’s most popular workout music blog.
David Guetta, Ne-Yo & Akon – Play Hard – 130 BPM
Jason Derulo – The Other Side – 128 BPM
Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull – Live It Up – 128 BPM
Robin Thicke, T.I. & Pharrell – Blurred Lines – 121 BPM
Emeli Sande – Next to Me – 95 BPM
Porter Robinson & Mat Zo – Easy (Radio Edit) – 128 BPM
Maroon 5 – Love Somebody – 121 BPM
Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock – A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got) – 130 BPM
Carly Rae Jepsen & Nicki Minaj – Tonight I’m Getting Over You (Remix) – 126 BPM
To find more workout songs, folks can check out the free database at RunHundred.com. Visitors can browse the song selections there by genre, tempo, and era—to find the music that best fits with their particular workout routine. –Chris Lawhorn