Dancin’ Fool Flatliner is the Perfect Power Walk

April fool is right around the corner, and what better fool than a dancing one? This week’s wog is a power-walking flatliner, all songs between 121 and 128 BPM. From Right Said Fred’s absurdly cheeky opener, to Kylie Minogue’s slithery come-on, to Prince’s Apocalyptic ode to the new millennium, you’ll have a hard time keeping from throwing in a few dance steps as you stride. And why not? It’s Spring! Check it out at Podwogging.com.

R.E.M.: Übermatic for the People

They both hail from Georgia, but on the surface the B-52’s and R.E.M. sound like they’re from different planets. While the B-52’s are bouncy, wild, and fun, Michael Stipe’s grave, puzzling lyrics and the crashing doom of R.E.M.’s alt-wave guitars are just the opposite. Certainly songs like Welcome to the Occupation and Drive, which kick off this week’s wog, envelope the listener with an almost dirge-like plunge into Southern Angst. They’re also gorgeous, irresistible, and yes, woggable. And the rest of the songs in this 57-minute Vigorous wog, like Bittersweet Me and the classically introspective Losing My Religion, wrap themselves with the same iconic cloth. Yet the two groups share a similar off-center worldview, fueled by Athen’s alternative social scene; they delight in presenting the listener with quirky takes on a culture they both reject and embrace. It's all part of this week's wog.

Whatever, dude. Get your Pod, rev up your dream cycles, and wog. Oh, and BTW—Happy Spring! And Happy Birthday to Me!

Try It...Podwogging.com

New Millenium Flatliner

The aughts have truly delivered some of the most exciting music since...well, since the 90s. This week I slap together a bunch of songs that cruise delightfully around 140 BPM—in my book, a perfect jogging rhythm. Like the Kings of Leon? The Posies? The Strokes? Wait ‘til you jog to them. Also the Dead 60s, Snow Patrol, Rob Thomas, and even U2 will make your heart go pitter while your feet go patter. Audioslave, Arcade Fire, and Lilys provide opening, mid-wog, and closing walks, respectively.

Podwogging.com

Eye in the Stride

The Alan Parsons Project is deceptively smooth. Occupying musical territory somewhere between Progressive Rock and Adult Contemporary, their songs are refined, easy to digest, and go down like smooth claret. What keeps them from the Muzak dustbin is an edginess that creeps into their expertly-crafted melodies, usually in the lyrics that hint at darker mind states than the music itself supplies. It’s this interplay between accessible melody and interesting words that makes them fun, for there’s not much funk in their rhythms, which are all straight forward but easy to wog to. So head over to Podwogging.com, and Project yourself into this week’s wog.

Get Into the House

The weather I’ve been taking with me lately is full of rain, rain we desperately need, and when rain falls I find myself pining for music that’s slightly melancholy, but with enough beat to keep me going. Crowded House fits the bill perfectly. This week’s wog features the 80s rockers with a short, but melody-filled set. Only one jogging song in this one; it’s mostly at walking pace. But the song’s are great, so even if you’re looking for something more challenging, you should check out Crowded House on Podwogging.com.