Who the Heck were the Strawbs?

Among the many brilliant musical artists to hail from England in the 60s and 70s, the Strawbs weren’t as well known as British Invasion rockers like the Who, nor as much as space rockers Pink Floyd, nor even as much as folk-rockers Pentangle or Fairport Convention. Perhaps it was because they defied description, not fitting easily into a convenient marketable category. But make no mistake: they turned out some of most interesting music of their time, making masterful melodies with idiosyncratic instrumentals and lovely lyrics. They went beyond typical folk songs with spice, humor, and true inspiration. This week’s wog comes from a compilation of their best songs, Halcyon Days. This double-CD will give you an excellent moderate wog, and many other enjoyable listening hours as well. Do give it a try! At Podwogging.com, of course.

The Nü Trübadours

Every generation sees the emergence of new voices that challenge the stifling conformity of the pop kingdom and provide us with songs both beautiful and thought-provoking. In the 60s it was the likes of Donovan and Simon & Garfunkel; the 70s saw Joni Mitchell and Peter Gabriel; the 80s had Crowded House and Thomas Dolby; the 90s delivered Toad the Wet Sprocket and Sarah McLachlan—to mention just a few. This week’s wog features some of the most intriguing artists of the decade to date, with unique songs that capture the spirit of poetic freedom. It’s an ÜberWog, too—53 minutes of great music to walk and jog by. Check out Keane, Snow Patrol, The Shins, Fields, and others at Podwogging.com.

The Envelope, Please

No, I’m not talking about the Oscars (go, Milk!). I’m talking about the shape of your wog. In general, I like my workouts to be like a camel’s back: a brisk walk to start, followed by some jogging, a slower section to recover, and then another jogging section before a slowish walk at the end to cool down. But every playlist I have is different. Some may have a long, extended jog at the beginning and only a moderate jog near the end; others may be a one-hump camel instead of a two-humper. Wog-a-Thons are shaped like a sine wave, and some of my ÜberWogs may have three jogging sections instead of two. The most radically different are my Flatliners, which may have no jogging at all, or be nearly all jogging. As a result, the envelopes I push come in all shapes, in addition to all paces. Just more to choose from when I hit the trail. Or sidewalk. Or whatever. And the winner is...

Prime the Pump

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, why don't I give you all an early Valentine in the form of a wog? Hearts, this week's wog, is part of an ongoing series of playlists based on different parts of the body. It’s a major organ involved in ambulatory exercise in addition to being a symbol for human emotion. So plug in your pod, prime the pump, and wog to Hearts. Only on Podwogging.com.

Global Colding

Snowpatrol. Arctic Monkeys. Coldplay. Brrr.

Okay, I like Coldplay. I really do. But I still think Chris Martin is a little disconcerting. I mean, he’s got Gwyneth Paltrow, and his band is acclaimed as the greatest thing that’s not U2. But have you seen this dude perform? He’s weird. Not brilliant weird, like Tom Waits, or cool weird, like Jim Morrison. And frankly, Bono has it all over him for voice and attitude.

Nevertheless, Coldplay has built up a solid portfolio of melodic rock-like music that sometimes really hits home. Clocks, A Whisper, Talk, and Viva la Vida from their new album are all vibrant, shimmering, contemporary pop. This week’s wog, God Put a Jog Upon Your Feet, is a fast walk/slow jog; it never really rocks, but it’s great to listen to. Just so long as you don’t have the image of Chris Martin’s contorted body stuck in your head.

Podwogging.com. Try it.