Altering Dreams on the Path

Each day now brings a little less light, so even as we shine in summer’s glory we are reminded, day by day, of delicious darkness creeping in. Let the hunter be hunted, and rejoice while we yet gaze on the heavens! This week’s wog, Älterdream, is...different. You may not recognize many of the artists, because I deliberately sought out those willing to plunge into the psychic depths: Dead Can Dance, Conjure One, Nijole Sparkis and eight more artists...all delve into ancient joys and fears, echoing ritual and surrender to the inevitable twin victories of love and death. It makes for a truly reverent Überwog; get the complete playlist at Podwogging.com.

Hey! It’s Officially Summer!

Summertime, and the wogging is easy, even if it’s 53 minutes long and Very Vigorous. But this week’s wog is guaranteed to give you happy feet as we explore the joyous side of pop music. Who can resist Simon & Garfunkel’s Feeling Groovy, Three Dog Night’s Joy to the World, or Stevie Wonder’s You Are the Sunshine of My Life? Not me! (Okay, I confess there are a couple songs in the set that explore Happiness from the other side of the street.) Get the list at Podwogging.com.

Tweet, Tweet

This week’s wog celebrates the life aviary with 16 songs—almost one hour’s worth—about birds. The Beatles’ Blackbird kicks things off, and before Steve Miller finally flies you off like an eagle, you’ll wing your way down the path with such sweet songs as Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, Jerry Garcia’s Bird Song, Laurie Anderson’s Excellent Birds, and Simon & Garfunkel’s El Condor Pasa. When your flight is done, stick a feather in your cap! Get the playlist at Podwogging.com.

Holy Jazz, Batman!

Way back before Miami Vice (ask your mom & dad, kids), a band named Steely Dan ruled the coolness waves. Straight out of LA, they wrote the book on hip, jazz-inflected rock with clever lyrics, catchy beats, and outrageous snark. This week’s wog, Walk Lightning, is an infectious stew of some of their best tunes, from their top 40 smash Reelin’ In The Years to the fabulously slinky, in-your-face Show Biz Kids. Believe me, these guys rule! Get the holy list at Podwogging.com.

The Real Power Walk

Many slow- or medium-paced walk songs can be pumped up by skipping to them. This week’s wog features 46 minutes of songs with this endearing quality, ranging in pace from Mungo Jerry’s good-time In The Summertime, at 83 BPM, to the supercharged Bodhisattva, by Steely Dan, at 110 BPM. Of course you can always dial it down and actually walk a skipper; often I save the skipping for the chorus and walking for the verse, or vice-versa. Whichever you do it, skipping is fun, good exercise, and guaranteed to make you look like a five-year-old. So don’t skip—er, miss this opportunity, and check it out a Podwogging.com.

A Sonic Wash

There’s water showers, and there’s music showers. Don’t believe me, listen to the songs in this week’s wog, A Sonic Wash. Whether it’s Ronan Hardiman’s lush choral instrumental plunging you into a relaxed mood, Brian Eno’s dripping piano notes wrapped in mind-refreshing lyrics, or Cocteau Twins’ swooping waves of vocal strangeness cleaning out your skull, you’ll emerge from this moderate wog mentally clean, even if you’re sweaty and your clothes are dirty. And at 34 minutes, you can linger in this wash without worrying about wasting water! Get the list and more at Podwogging.com.

Jog, Where is Thy Sting?

Before he went on to a solo career, British singer Sting fronted the Police, a New Wave band that blended catchy reggae rhythms with a little progressive rock, interesting lyrics, and an edgy delivery that always kept its balance. This week’s wog features 8 songs from them, including the pop-reggae standard Don’t Stand So Close to Me and the irresistible, progressive Synchronicity II. It’s 34-minute, Very Vigorous set, the details of which can be found at Podwogging.com.