The Winter Thaw Playlist

Today was a good day to finally get out for a run. It’s the first time in what seems like months that it registered above freezing so I acted in true opportunistic Minnesotan fashion and threw on a long sleeve shirt and even a pair of shorts—in January, 41 degrees is considered shorts weather.

This was a perfect opportunity to test drive a few newer tunes that I have been gathering over the past couple months just waiting to see if they transferred well to the pavement. I hastily compiled a 30-minute collection of songs on Spotify and appropriately titled the playlist “Winter Thaw”.

I had my dog, Buckley, do his business in the backyard so he wouldn't be compelled to do so in the middle of my run. He was as glad to be escaping the house for a brisk run as I was. I snapped on my Stunt Puppy running leash and we were out the door.

Track 1: “Cannibal” by Silversun Pickups (3:45)

This is the newest song on my playlist, in fact I first heard it last night. It instantly grabbed me with the chugging guitars and I thought it would be a great opening track for a run. It has a couple moments as the pace ebbs and flows, enabling you to find your pace and see what type of run this is going to be. Apparently, I was eager to run and I started out a fairly aggressive pace, but Buckley was up for it and nothing was going to slow us down.

Track 2: “Believer” by American Authors (3:04)

Another recent find, American Authors came on to my radar from a recent commercial featuring their tune “Best Day of My Life”. With such a positive outlook, I find this band refreshing as hell. This song has become my morning, daily affirmation and I’m convinced its co-written by Stuart Smalley. It accurately captures my (self diagnosed) Seasonal Affective Disorder and makes me realize that things will actually get better. This type of optimism is perfectly fit early in the playlist. Who needs therapy when you can run, right? Take the ride and settle into a faster pace than you may have planned…it’s only 30 minutes after all!

Track 3: “We Sink” by CHVRCHES (3:35)

Let’s pick it up a bit more with the Scottish group, CHVRCHES—which is one of my favorite new bands from 2013. I already had several of their songs cycling in my playlist before their debut album came out in October. “We Sink” was the first new tune that got regular rotation from the album. I highly recommend several of their songs to get regular play throughout your workouts. Plug into the electronic pulses and allow them to propel you forward.

Track 4: “Bitter Rivals” by Sleigh Bells (3:19)

Ever since first hearing “Crown on the Ground” the Sleigh Bells have had a place in nearly 100% of my playlists. Shredding guitars soar over a cheerleader pep rally. They returned in the second half of 2013 with Bitter Rivals. They never disappoint me. This tune will help alleviate the pent up aggression from months of cabin fever. Turn it up and let your ears bleed, we’re about half way done!

Track 5: “The City” by The 1975 (3:27)

The 1975 are slowing growing on me. I was really burned out on their song “Chocolate” and didn’t want to give them much of a chance. Then I heard this song and I realized how much they remind me of Bloc Party. It’s got a great driving beat and never lets you fall off pace. I’m not one to make my mind up on first impression and I’m glad because I’ve listened to their full album and have found several songs worthy of a good run mix.

Track 6: “The Mother We Share” by CHVRCHES (3:11)

CHVRCHES return with the irresistibly catchy “The Mother We Share”. Like I said earlier, this was hastily put together. The next few songs are from earlier played artists, but I wanted to get outside and run and not worry about making a totally unique and diverse playlist. This song has been a staple on my playlists since I first heard it last summer. It works as well in the winter runs with its chilly samples behind the pixie-like vocals.

Track 7: “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors (3:14)

One thing I love in a run mix is a song that I can sing along to. I find that “Best Day of My Life” has the right amount of Whoa-oh-oh-ohs and Hoo-Hooo-Oohs to satisfy my cravings to embarrass myself to any nearby pedestrians. It again is infectiously optimistic and I love putting this near the end push of my run to get my endorphins and adrenaline up for the final leg of the run.

Track 8: “Sugarcane” by Sleigh Bells (2:48)

One thing about Sleigh Bells is they pack a lot of energy into a short song. Sugarcane hits like a hurricane and never lets up. It should work to pick you up if you find your pace is dragging. The last couple tracks are designed to push you to the limits and leave nothing in the tank. With a shorter playlist, you’ve got to motivate yourself to give it all you’ve got. “Sugarcane” should help fuel this drive with its overdrive-drenched riffs and hand claps.

Track 9: “Shark Attack” by Grouplove (3:59)

This one may fuck with your head at first, but this song works so well for interval training—in my untrained opinion. It starts out at a much slower pace than “Sugarcane” left you off, but it’s a misleading little ditty. After the break down, it goes into a coked up chorus that will have you striding faster than you though your feet could take you. They only last about 30 seconds, so I treat them as intervals and use the verses and bridge as my recovery time. I challenge myself to try to outdo each chorus and by the third and final time, I’m a good two minutes a mile faster than my previous pace. By the end of the song, both Buckley and I were gasping for breath, but so happy to be outside for a change.

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That covers the 30-minute “Winter Thaw” mix. I tried to limit it to songs that were released since the last nice months here in Minnesota, or those that I hadn't discovered before the streets froze over. I found that they all worked well and enabled me to take advantage of this little window of time and good weather to get a good interval work out completed. One thing about running in a thaw is that when snow melts it becomes slush. By the end, both Buckley and I had soaking wet feet and mud on our haunches. That's the price you pay for the pleasure of running outside and breaking away from the treadmill!

Thank you for listening.