"Blast Off, it's Party Time!" Shopping for Some New Music for the Olympic Season
(Is everyone relieved that I'm not going to talk about sports politics, for once?)
Music can be a great help to any athlete, from the average person who is trying to get motivated for a workout, to an elite athlete with a specific training goal in mind. It certainly has been very important to me. The music you listen to can put you in the right frame of mind before a race or during a particular kind of training session, or can help you wind down at the end of the day. It can give you insight into the minds of people who share your ideas on politics and life. Music can be your only friend when everything is going wrong and you're convinced that nobody understands. It can inspire. It can kill pain.
Despite my state of poverty as an amateur athlete, I'll buy a CD once in a while to support some of my favorite bands. I don't spend much on clothes - in fact, I like to say that anything I don't get for free from Nike, I'll buy at the local D.I. thrift store. (If I REALLY want to splurge, I go to Target.)
Last Wednesday, after a jump practice on the hills at Sugarhouse Park, I stopped by Media Play to find out when the Offspring's greatest hits album is coming out. I found that it will be out this week. Also, there was some surprisingly good news: After the Offspring get done with the Warped Tour, they will be working on some new material. So they're not done after all! It appears that my favorite band is not going to traumatize me by quitting right now. (Good! Now, if somebody happens to play the song, "Can't Repeat" before one of my Olympic Trials races, I won't fall on my face!)
Media Play, I have found, is the ideal place to buy an Offspring CD. The last time I went to the local, independent Gray Whale CD shop, I got the attitude of, "They're SO not cool enough!" (Meanwhile, I knew that the only reason why they're not cool enough is because of dorks like me who buy their records.)
The next time, I went to K-Mart, and got a dirty look from some uptight checkout clerk who thought I was buying some sort of devil music. Then I got into my car, ripped off the plastic wrapper, and started screaming bloody murder when I found out that they just sold me the edited version of Splinter.
Aaaaahhhhhh...but Media Play is just right. They carry the unaltered, original versions of the records, and they aren't music snobs!
Besides the Offspring, who are #1 in my world (find a band that accidentally writes the soundtrack to your life, and you'll understand!) there are others whose CD's I will buy. Usually, I like Southern California punk bands like Social Distortion, Pennywise, and the Vandals. Lately, I've also gotten into the hardcore band, System of a Down. I picked up their new album, Mezmerize, last week.
System of a Down are very creative and talented, with unexpected but tight rhythms and harmonies. They are aggressive (admitting that they've been inspired by watching hockey fights, among other things!) and have a great sense of humor. One of their new songs, "B.Y.O.B.", is jam-packed with satirical references to Bush's mishandling of the war in Iraq. (Hey, I can complain. I voted for Kerry!!)
Listening to System of a Down is like chugging about a quart of coffee, then bouncing off the walls with a feeling of angry excitement building up in your chest and leaping into your throat: "La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...OOOoooooooh!!" It is the ideal kind of music for the weight room, or for all those times when you need something to match your rage.
When I told my brother of the topic for today's blog post, he said it's great that I'm giving some credit to "the intellectual property that helped get you from Point A to Point B." It is true that I have had excellent coaching along the way in my career as a speedskater, especially within the last season. But my favorite bands have also contributed "intellectual property" in their own way. I look forward to adding some new songs to my soundtrack for this exciting upcoming season.
(Is everyone relieved that I'm not going to talk about sports politics, for once?)
Music can be a great help to any athlete, from the average person who is trying to get motivated for a workout, to an elite athlete with a specific training goal in mind. It certainly has been very important to me. The music you listen to can put you in the right frame of mind before a race or during a particular kind of training session, or can help you wind down at the end of the day. It can give you insight into the minds of people who share your ideas on politics and life. Music can be your only friend when everything is going wrong and you're convinced that nobody understands. It can inspire. It can kill pain.
Despite my state of poverty as an amateur athlete, I'll buy a CD once in a while to support some of my favorite bands. I don't spend much on clothes - in fact, I like to say that anything I don't get for free from Nike, I'll buy at the local D.I. thrift store. (If I REALLY want to splurge, I go to Target.)
Last Wednesday, after a jump practice on the hills at Sugarhouse Park, I stopped by Media Play to find out when the Offspring's greatest hits album is coming out. I found that it will be out this week. Also, there was some surprisingly good news: After the Offspring get done with the Warped Tour, they will be working on some new material. So they're not done after all! It appears that my favorite band is not going to traumatize me by quitting right now. (Good! Now, if somebody happens to play the song, "Can't Repeat" before one of my Olympic Trials races, I won't fall on my face!)
Media Play, I have found, is the ideal place to buy an Offspring CD. The last time I went to the local, independent Gray Whale CD shop, I got the attitude of, "They're SO not cool enough!" (Meanwhile, I knew that the only reason why they're not cool enough is because of dorks like me who buy their records.)
The next time, I went to K-Mart, and got a dirty look from some uptight checkout clerk who thought I was buying some sort of devil music. Then I got into my car, ripped off the plastic wrapper, and started screaming bloody murder when I found out that they just sold me the edited version of Splinter.
Aaaaahhhhhh...but Media Play is just right. They carry the unaltered, original versions of the records, and they aren't music snobs!
Besides the Offspring, who are #1 in my world (find a band that accidentally writes the soundtrack to your life, and you'll understand!) there are others whose CD's I will buy. Usually, I like Southern California punk bands like Social Distortion, Pennywise, and the Vandals. Lately, I've also gotten into the hardcore band, System of a Down. I picked up their new album, Mezmerize, last week.
System of a Down are very creative and talented, with unexpected but tight rhythms and harmonies. They are aggressive (admitting that they've been inspired by watching hockey fights, among other things!) and have a great sense of humor. One of their new songs, "B.Y.O.B.", is jam-packed with satirical references to Bush's mishandling of the war in Iraq. (Hey, I can complain. I voted for Kerry!!)
Listening to System of a Down is like chugging about a quart of coffee, then bouncing off the walls with a feeling of angry excitement building up in your chest and leaping into your throat: "La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la...OOOoooooooh!!" It is the ideal kind of music for the weight room, or for all those times when you need something to match your rage.
When I told my brother of the topic for today's blog post, he said it's great that I'm giving some credit to "the intellectual property that helped get you from Point A to Point B." It is true that I have had excellent coaching along the way in my career as a speedskater, especially within the last season. But my favorite bands have also contributed "intellectual property" in their own way. I look forward to adding some new songs to my soundtrack for this exciting upcoming season.
posted by Eva at 8:02 PM
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