A few weeks ago Dan, one of our newest Motivators mentioned that he and I should switch iPods for a day, just to see what it would be like. Here at Motivators, as content developers, our jobs focus around writing and we use our iPods to drown out the general office noise that goes on around us. If we can't write with silence encompassing us from all around, we may as well have some kick a$$ tunes right? So, when Dan originally suggested that we switch iPods for a day, I was intrigued. I was also terrified, but we'll go with intrigued first.
It would be interesting for me to see what my co-worker likes to listen to while he's typing away at product descriptions, writing an article or blogging about his embarassing obsession with the Kardashians. What gets his creative juices flowing? That's all good...but then there's that fear.
The fear of giving up my iPod for an entire day. My music being judged by someone else. I mean, if the iPod shuffles over onto the Ducktales theme song, that's totally gangster in my mind, but what will he think? Will I lose any respect he might have for me when he realizes that I actually own a Justin Bieber song? In my defense, I didn't buy it. In my defense of not buying it, I didn't steal it. I just got it, alright? But anyway, we decided on just an hour rather than a day and the hour went something like this...
1 Mouna Bowa: The String Cheese Incident
Firstly, 2 thumbs up on that band name. That's just phenomenal. The song makes me feel like I'm at a state fair in Texas and that I should be entered into a watermelon eating contest. Kinda reminds me of that song "Call Me Al." Good times, no lyrics, but still good times.
2. Can't We Be Friends: Ella and Louis
Classic. A little smooth sailing on this track and it makes me sway in my chair. I feel like I should be wearing a long ball gown and holding one of those long cigarette holders. But getting a little psychological here, why this song Dan? It's so...long lost love, so love forlorn. Were you burned by someone recently? Did that special someone slip away? We'll discuss this all later. (Note: we probably won't)
3. First Street: Soulive
I saw the name soulive and got excited for a minute, before I realized that they weren't that Canadian pop band Soul Decision that I was thinking of. This is yet another instrumental track, a little less bouncy than the String Cheese Incident, but equally as groovy. Overall feelings: meh. It kinda seems like high quality elevator music, but hey how do I know that Dan didn't spend many of his formative years riding many elavators. Maybe it's like that episode of Tiny Toons, where the baby Plucky Duck just rides the elvator all day long..."No you push the button! I push the button! Elalator go down the hoooole!" Dan, if you have no idea what I'm talking about, please Google Tiny toons and then YouTube that clip. Then bring me a stiff drink because if you need to do that, then I'm feeling old and I'm not okay with that.
4. Across the Universe: The Beatles
God help me for saying this, and God help me for being a Brit and saying this but....I don't like the Beatles. I know. I've heard it all. Don't even bother asking me what's wrong with me because I can't tell you, BUT I will say, that I enjoy this song. It's mellow and it reminds me of Jenn, therefore two thumbs up on this pick,
5. Divided Sky: Phish
It was a 17 minute song. It was really long. It was music in my ears...and in the ever immortal words of Forest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that."
6. Trouble: Ray LaMontagne
Ahh, to make up for the really long Phish song, Dan comes back with one of my favorite songs in the world. Okay, that's definitely taking it too far, but I like it. My Pandora Glee station shuffles it all the time, and if I'm not mistaken, it was used on Bones. Although, I could just be making that up. There's a high probability of that.
7. Bell Bottom Blues: Derek and the Dominoes
Kind of a hippy-esque, jazzy, bluesy concoction here and I enjoy it. "do you wanna see me crawl across the floor? do you wanna see me beg you to take me back?" Ah, yes...more evidence of that heartbreak. Dan, there's something you aren't telling me here or it's just a good song and I've overdone it on my Dr. Phil back eps on the DVR again.
8. Help On the Way: The Grateful Dead
Hey Dan, you know who's a huge dead head? Your favorite actor...David Boreanaz. You know who's not? His co-star Emily Deschanel. In this case, we are very similar to the cast of Bones. :) Sorry. I know you loathe any and all comparisons to him cause you've hated him since Buffy, but you can rest assured he does have decent taste in music...by your standards at least. Me, eh. Not all that thrilled.
9. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down: The Band
It's southern and almost country. I like it. Although The Band? Who chose that name? I feel like that just leaves them open to a whole slew of "Who's on First?" jokes.
10. Only Shallow: My Bloody Valentine
Unlike everything else on this playlist and I'm fairly certain I've heard this before, but that thought is coming out of my head upon my second listen of this song on your iPod. So technically, it's not a lie but it feels very...dark club scene on Law & Order SVU right before they find a body.
based on these songs, I'vbe chosen a few promo products that I feel best work for you:
1. Alpine Aluminum Bottle: Alot of the songs were kind of groovy, kind of hippy environmentalisty (that's a word, I promise). So you can use it when you're out enjoying nature.
2. Promotional Flash Drives: You need to back up those 17 minute Phish songs. God forbid you lose one of them. :) Seriously though, they're good things to have on hand.
3. Valentine Heart Stressball: Maybe it's the Dr. Phil talking, but I feel like you need this. :(
4. Promotional First Aid Kits: Mostly because of the song help is on the way, but again always good to have on hand.
So our first iPod experiment was a success, although I'm glad it was only an hour and not an entire day. Because in my opinion Zack & Kelly's Breakup > The Grateful Dead.
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