Don't Judge Me By My Workout Playlist

image source: musicisart

My workout playlist is embarrassing. Britney, Kylie, The Veronicas, more Britney, there are even some Glee covers in there. The limited number of songs I’d publicly admit to listening to in front of cool people I’d like to impress are not enough to redeem it. It is full of trashy pop music that I would otherwise pretend I didn’t know the words to.

When I’m on the treadmill it’s a totally different story. If the beat is fast and the lyrics are shallow, I’m in sweaty cardio heaven. Christina and Nicki Minaj singing about their “Woohoo”s? Britney begging you to Hold it Against Her? The Veronicas trying to find a hook up? As long as the lyrics have little meaning beyond “I’m at a club looking hot and I’m trying to get into your pants” and a beat I can run on a cross trainer at 60-70 reps per minute at, it’s qualified. Artistic merit? Pish-tosh. Might get you a bonus point, but in this playlist, it is not a prerequisite.

Aren’t there plenty of actually great songs that would fit my requirements though? Yes there are, and a few of them are scattered throughout the playlist. Perhaps it’s the subliminal messaging telling me to buy Pepsi, or the sweet memories of singing along to “(Baby) Hit Me One More Time” or “(You Drive Me) Crazy” during my childhood, (or a love of songs with part of the title in brackets?) that drive me back to the superficial pop of Britney Spears when I’m in a mindless state of exercising. Or perhaps it’s the frequency that I hear them, despite not trying to, in clubs or shopping centres etc, that make them familiar and easy to find. Fun bouncy pop songs that are “acceptably left of mainstream” are a bit harder to find than, say, Christina or Britney’s new albums, you must admit.

When discussing meditation I’ve heard from a number of my friends that they find that their workouts are the closest thing that they can get to it. They can’t sit still trying not to think for 5 minutes, but when they’re pumping iron or burning up the calories on the rowing machine, their brain switches off for at least half an hour. Could this be why the tacky music I can’t stand the rest of the time is so perfect for gym time? Do I listen to music that doesn’t need too much brain power to comprehend because my brain has momentarily turned off its thinking capacity?

Never the less, am I not entitled to some mindless lyrically lazy pop tunes every so often? And if they help me to workout regularly shouldn’t that give them a little merit despite themselves? Sure, they might not be the cleverest songs ever written, but they keep me entertained and inspire me to jog at a constant upbeat pace for around three minutes each, and isn’t that really all I need from a song on a workout playlist?

Ell-Leigh’s Workout Playlist – April 2011

Outrageous (Junkie XL's Dancehall mix) - Britney Spears

Wow - Kylie Minogue

Bring Night - Sia Furler

Let's Get It Started - Paris Wells

Parlez Vous Francais - Art vs Science

After Dark -The Count & Sinden

I Don't Want To Fall In Love - She Wants Revenge

We No Speak Americano (Original mix) - Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup

Hold it Against Me -Britney Spears

Hook Me Up - The Veronicas

Raise Your Glass - Glee Cast

Barbara Streisand (Radio Edit) - Duck Sauce

Till The World Ends - Britney Spears

Talking Like I'm Falling Down Stairs {DDS Remix} - Sparkadia (this link is to the TripleJ free music podcast, it's in there to download for free!)

Born This Way - Lady GaGa

Love and Sex and Magic - Ciara Feat. Justin Timberlake

PS - A few days after posting this blog I was at a family gathering where my Uncle told my I was out of his will because I'd downloaded Britney Spears' new album. It's a good album, but I'm not sure it's worth that.

March In Review

Source: Seriously Cute

Things Ell-Leigh Has Loved:

CRAZY SEXY LIVING

Although I’ve complained about how restricting the Crazy Sexy Diet was, and although it took a lot of effort to clean my juicer almost every day, I really liked the Crazy Sexy Diet and the way I felt when I was on it. It also lead me to discover new foods like raw chocolate – I’m totally addicted! I’ve learnt so much about my body and about food while on this diet that I’m absolutely so thankful for it.

 

The Markets

This month I’ve hit the West End Markets (http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/markets/west-end-markets-review) twice and I love it! Not only am I buying fresher produce, but I’m also directly supporting local farmers. Not to mention cutting out the middleman saves me a pretty penny! It’s also a heck of a lot more exciting than spending the morning in a supermarket, the range of food and other products available is huge and really diverse.

Opening My Eyes

This month I’ve had a lot of experiences where I’ve come into contact with someone or something that gave me a small flash of how diversely people think and wide a range of experience there is around us.  Sometimes we get stuck thinking that our friends and relatives all think the same way we do, and that we assume we know what other people are thinking because of a certain way they dress or behave. Sometimes we’re right. Sometimes our assumptions give them a lot of credit and the truth of the matter is far worse than we could even think of. Or sometimes we’re just plain wrong. I think making these assumptions is part of how we communicate and deal with being around so many people we don’t really know so frequently, but sometimes, when you learn something beyond those assumptions it just makes you marvel (or at times, sit, absolutely horrified) at the wonder of people.

Things Lauren Has Loved: 

Filling That Dance Card

When I’m busy, my levels of efficiency expand exponentially. It just so happens then, that cramming my social life full of activities allows me to work better. Not a bad perk, in my opinion. This month I’ve been crazy busy, with theatre shows, exhibition openings, comedy festivals, movie dates and night time picnics. I may have pushed it to the limit at times and rued my ever later bedtime, but March proved to be an incredibly productive month for me and I’ve had a ball throughout.  

Workin’ Hard for the Money

Talking about hard work, I set myself the challenge of proving during March that I was up for as much as could be thrown at me, and I was pretty impressed with how I handled most things. There’s not much that can beat the satisfaction of knowing that you can do your job and do it well, except maybe for the satisfaction of doing this for multiple jobs at a time. Next step, world domination.

Planning Actual Plans (Not Pretend Dream Plans!)

It’s nice to dream, and I’m a big dreamer, but it’s much nicer to plan. I’ve been planning mostly for my upcoming trip to Melbourne, buying and printing tickets, designing outfits to beat the inevitable cold (if it doesn’t hit us in Melbourne, there’ll still be no avoiding it in Ballarat, which is our first stop), putting together snazzy outfits for my aunt’s ‘Old Hollywood’ themed 40^th, booking rad accommodation and trawling the internet for ideas to fill my itinerary. I’ve also been planning for the coming months and thinking with that mixture of excitement and trepidation about the inevitable job change coming my way over the next year. I’m an embracer of change and I relish in the prospect of something new, just so long as I can carefully plan out every detail in advance!

Links We Loved and Liked To Share

• How to Steal Like and Artist

• What a Supermodel Taught Me About Comparing Myself to Others

• Crazy, creepy, completely captivating black and white photos. 

• Polaroids of Hot Guys Reading

• Out of Bounds - Anna Krien's article on sex and the AFL from The Monthly.  

March Playlist

Let’s Get It Started  - Paris Wells

Under The Cover Of Darkness  - The Strokes

Howlin’ For You  - The Black Keys

Altamont Speedway - My Own Pet Radio 

In the Summer - Loon Lake

The Truth - Pnau 

Hello - Martin Solveig & Dragonette

Things We’re Looking Forward to in April

• Holidays! - Ell is going to Hawaii with her family, and Lauren is taking a trip to Melbourne!

• Boy Girl Wall

• Easter times - chocolate hunts, family and Hot Cross Buns!

How To: Go to a Festival by Yourself

image by theorignallimey: doesn't really apply, but it's about bacon, right?

 

No real idea what I was doing, where I was going or what was supposed to be happening, I walked through the muggy gardens, vaguely following the lively group of teens in front of me. Not too close, I didn’t want them to notice, but not too far in case they took some turn and I lost them, I trotted along behind in hope that they knew where the entry gate would break what seemed like kilometres of high fencing. The map in my bag would probably have shown me the way, but I wasn’t about to destroy all my ‘cool cred’ by pulling it out. I could hear a band playing, loud with heavy drums and bass, was I missing out on something already? Wait, where was that map?

Of course when I finally came across the main gate there was what could only be described as a resolutely minute crowd waiting, being over an hour early obviously not fashionable festival goer etiquette. The demountable which was the ticket booth confused me, was I ticket pick-up or special pass pick up? Taking a leap of faith I headed to the ‘general enquiries’ hole and piped up. “I have a media pass to pick up?” I phrased it as a question, like I wasn’t really sure I did have, just in case I’d made some terrible mistake. “Oh honey,” she answered through the wire mesh, “you’ve gotta go all the way round the other side for that.”

For the past year I’ve been lucky enough to have a volunteer gig as a reviewer for online music magazine Life Music Media. In January I reviewed Brisbane music festival Sunset Sounds. For normal gigs as a reviewer you get a plus one with your ticket, meaning you suddenly become very, very popular. At festivals, however, it’s just you flying solo.

Admittedly I started off the two day event feeling much more nervous than I was comfortable with. It also happened that Sunset Sounds was to be my first ever actual music festival experience, and with my first encounter with the festival involving my becoming befuddled with the ticket collection system, I felt out of my depth. I had the vague feeling that I might not be ‘doing it right’, and that everyone else knew what to do but me.

But eventually I found it’s easy to feel at ease when you realise you’re in a crowd of thousands and not one of them is wasting their time bothering to notice you, and I ended up having a brilliant time. I now tout ‘going it alone’ to festivals as the only option for me, and feel like I’ve conquered some great rite of passage.

And so, for those who are considering perhaps hitting a festival alone, or even for those going in a group, here are my tips for “Going to a Festival Alone”:

*Firstly, there is no ‘right’ way to do a festival, so stop worrying about what it is you’re doing, not doing or meant to be doing and just enjoy the moment. (There is, though, a wrong way, or many, to do a festival. These include; wearing a giant sombrero and standing up the front so that nobody else can see, vomiting on a hill when others are standing further down, throwing hard things, for fun or for malice. )

*Secondly, wear comfortable clothing – not knowing anybody gives you the freedom to not fuss about having the perfect festival look. I mean sure, look nice, but leave your brand name gear at home. Instead get out your wellies, your rain poncho and your oldest jeans, because if the weather is anything but sun then it’s going to be a grubby day.

*Be short – Honestly I’m not sure what I would have done at Sunset Sounds if I wasn’t so damn short. Being short and alone at a festival is like being Moses at an ocean. I witnessed crowds miraculously part before me as people whispered softly to their neighbours, “Hey, move over here a bit. There’s this one really short girl standing behind you.” The important word in this sentence? One. The crowds don’t part to let through a whole gaggle of short girls, oh no, they stay tightly packed and squash them forever near the back where they can be loud and giggly together. But alone, alone you are short and you are invincible. (Obviously if you’re naturally six foot tall this directive will be hard for you to achieve, but at six foot tall you can already see everything so it matters not).

*Learn how to dance alone – News Flash to all my fellow music enthusiasts, live music is for DANCING. If you don’t move then you lose, people, and being alone is no excuse not to jig. Dancing alone is not an activity that should be limited to the bedroom; solo jiving in public does marvellous things for self-confidence. Now is the perfect opportunity to try it out.

*Take a photo of yourself – By not attending with a group of friends you are less likely to wind up with a hundred photos to slam up on facebook, showing you slightly drunk, muddy and nowhere near a band. Which is probably not a bad thing. But you should try and take at least one photo of yourself there, or get someone else to. Going to a festival by yourself is a bit of a challenge and you’ve succeeded. You’ll want to remember this day, so make sure you have the proof!

*Have fun – Remember why you’re here in the first place; awesome bands, awesome atmosphere. None of that changes when you’re by yourself unless you let it, so figure out which bands you most want to see and get in there and rock it.

(For anyone interested, you can read the reviews of Sunset Sounds here and here).

February in Review

Things Lauren Loved

Doing not Having
This year I aimed to spend my money on doing things rather than having things. So far, it's been a brilliant year. February's doing included seeing theatre shows, stand-up and films, going to picnics, parties, icecream dates and boardgames nights, reading books, eating out and wild dancing nights. There's also been planning for future doings; buying tickets for the upcoming Brisbane Comedy Festival, Shakespeare shows and a making a whole range of plans for my trip to Melbourne in April. I've also been 'doing' a little maintanence on my car...which technically involves purchasing parts, labour and time but hey, poor old Rodger is the one taking me to all the sweet events I've been attending and so it's time to give a little back.

Eating More Fillingly/Eating for Nutrition
My job involves me usually working seven hours straight without a break, beginning after lunch and finishing in time for dinner. I don't have the opportunity to snack, and so this year eating meals that keep me going has been a must. Through a combination of research (see mainly Sarah Wilson's series on quitting sugar) and trial and error I've discovered that eating meals high in protein and a few decent serves of raw vegetables a day allows me long lasting, stable energy levels. I feel constantly alert, steady and never hit that 'three-thirtyitis' mark. I love those times when you find a pattern that works exactly right for you body! If you're interested, this recent post by Rachel Hills sums up exactly my thoughts on eating and food.

Knowing That Everything Will Work Itself Out
One of the wonderful things about life is the constant state of flux we're all in. The beginning of this year invovled many of my friends taking big leaps into the unknown; beginning new jobs, new study, moving to new places and starting new relationships. After a month of reassuring them all that 'it would all work out the way it was meant to', and fervently crossing my fingers in hope that I'd be right for them, I'm glad to see they are all landing in situations better than they'd even hoped for. It's a nice reminder when your future is looking very unplanned and there are big decisions to be made. 

Things Ell-Leigh Loved

Pampering

February was a month full of facemasks, body butter and “me time”. Sure, these weekly shopping extravaganzas in Lush may have cost me a large chunk of my paycheck, but it’s hard to frown when your face looks this good – in fact, it should probably be a crime.

Veggies

Having moved out and in the first week not purchased any “snack foods” I found myself snacking on carrot sticks, green beans and capsicum. I was quickly addicted. The crunch of the green bean, the squirt of the juices! Does food get much better than this? Perhaps, in the form of the Stir Fry I just cooked up. Carrot, Bok Choi, Red Onion, Mushroom… Why didn’t I eat like this all the time?

Brisbane

I spent a lot of time this month getting my bearings (at a few points, quite literally using my iPhone to find north), figuring out where to shop, where to eat, where the heck I was, where I could get a GPS… Brisbane has been glorious, if a little hot for my taste, and allowing me freedoms that can only be found in a “big city”.

The Stories and Sites That Made Our Month

• On being distracted and creativity
  
• A thought about ethical eating
• Betsey Johnson and her girls at New York Fashion Week
• Brilliant writing by a brilliant Aussie feminist
  
• A plain old great website with ace discussion and a brilliant title - Things I Ate That I Loved
  
• A peek into the daily lives of creative people worldwide 

Our February Playlist

I Don't Want to Fall in Love - She Wants Revenge
It's Your Voodoo Working - Imelda May
Gimme Sympathy - Metric
Gone in the Morning - Newton Faulkner
Sawdust Man - Ben Kweller
(I'll Never Be the Same) If We Ever Meet Again - Timberland ft. Katy Perry
Together In Electric Dreams - Phil Oakey

Somebody to Love Me- Boy George and Mark Ronson and the Business Intl

Born This Way - Lady Gaga

 
Things We're Looking Forward to in March
Autumn beginning!
Gardening on balconies and consuming the rewards
Holiday anticipation: April is travel month here at ETEP
Brisbane Comedy Festival
Julius Caesar 





 

January in Review

Things Ell-Leigh Loved

iPhone

I’m not gonna lie, I’m an Apple addict. I adore my iMac, have stayed loyal to my 3^rd gen 30gig iPod Classic for years. So getting an iPhone when my last mobile went missing felt kinda like coming home. Now I’m App crazy, setting my sleep measuring alarm, getting my jog on with my run keeper app, inhaling with delight as instructed by my yoga app. I’m in heaven.

Hottest 100

Unlike many Triple J listeners I usually don’t enjoy about 65% of the music in the Hottest 100s. I usually spend the day huffing about in disappointment when such and such a band is playing, being bored during the metal songs, wishing Australia’s taste was more like mine. However, this year’s Hottest 100 had me cackling (yes, cackling) between songs with it’s hilarious commentary. Has the commentary always been this thigh-slappingly entertaining? I don’t remember. But this year I was tres, tres impressed my friends.

Summer

Despite La Nina taking it out on my state like a PMSing fourteen year old scene girl, I have for the most part been enjoying summer this January, with evening picnics in the park as the sun sets, going for walks in the mornings and enjoying the smell of afternoon rain. Not having to wear sweaters all the time is nice too.

Things Lauren Loved

Ikea

From what I've seen over the past month, Sweden must be the place of Gods. Well decorated, colour coordinated Gods with incredible (terrible) diets. Going to Ikea was a trip in my adult life rated akin to something like going to Disney Land as a child; I had to stop short of taking a photo of myself arms splayed in front of the I K E A yellow letters at the entrance. So far I only own a lamp (hand blown and cut glass! From Sweden!) from Ikea, and one hundred tea light candles, but I have my eye on numerous fancy chairs including something called a ‘Poang’. I've also collected three or four Ikea pencils and two tape measures (for free!) and partaken in some of that famed, heartily cheap Ikea food which I’ve then assured myself has been walked off around the Ikea track. Yay Ikea!

Resting

I wouldn’t like to describe myself as a tired person, because with tired I link the word haggard and I don’t like that, but this summer I found myself desiring ‘rest’ like never before. Perhaps it was the outcome of my first year out in the ‘real world’, working and surviving on my own, but quiet Sunday afternoons spent laying about and reading, midday naps and quiet tea breaks became a necessary part of my usually hectic schedule this summer and I plan to keep it up. Work life balance achieved? Awesome.

Living Alone

In January my two housemates were lucky enough to be away working and travelling during one of the toughest months our city and state have had for many years. Knowing I would spend most of the summer alone excited me in November and I did indeed enjoy my time of eating only my favourite foods, completely hogging the television and getting changed with the door open. When it came to flood time, however, suddenly being alone was not such a fun prospect. In the face of possible evacuation I imagined myself sleeping alone on the floor of a school hall, not knowing a soul, and suddenly wished my friends were there. In the end I just spent four days inside my house, incredibly lucky with working power, water and internet, and experiencing a little bit of cabin fever. Many people say that everybody should live alone at some point, and I agree and will probably choose to again in the future, if only for the way it makes you appreciate having other people around when they are. 

Our January Playlist

Book Song - Sally Seltman 
Bleeding Love – Mystery Jets 

iFly – Ball Park Music (free download!)

Dreaming of Another World – Mystery Jets 

Mace Spray – The Jezabels

Colours– Grouplove 

Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Summarize – Little Birdy

Bring Night – Sia 

After Dark – The Count & Siden (feat. Mystery Jets) 

Things We’re Looking Forward to in February

Seeing Wicked

Ell-Leigh is moving to Brisbane! WHOO!

Spending Valentines Day Single and Fabulous!

The Oscars