Taking Your iPod for a Walk

The solution is to get out the trusty iPod with it’s 5,509 tunes and do a power walk circling the park while the offspring play on emerald green grass. Bring your dog and he will love you forever.

You want to find music that gets you moving and this summer some good bets are:

American Flamewhip, Activate

You must hear the ragged, savage snarling guitar licks of this local band. Why? Because you gotta like any drummer that performs in a Mexican wrestling mask and a chick with more tattoos than all of Guns n’ Roses.

The Roots, Rising Down

Hard-core, angry and raw, The Roots lay down serious rap grooves that might have you looking over your shoulder if your route takes you into any dark alleys.

Paul Butterfield, Better Days

When I want to listen to the blues this record keeps dragging me back and never gets old. Released in 1973, the Butterfield Blues Band defines the genre for me. Sure, Mason Casey, John Hammond, John Mayall and Moreland & Arbuckle have recently released great blues albums, but Butterfield has staying power–check it out.

David Allen’s Getting Things Done & Terry O’Reilly’s O’ Reilly on Advertising

Taking your iPod for a walk does not have to be just about the tunes. Those of you who have a Type A personality might want to actually learn something on your evenings off, and there is a world of cool instructional audio tracks out there. I work in advertising and regularly listen to David Allen’s Getting Things Done or Terry O’Reilly’s O’ Reilly on Advertising.

Into current events, politics, big ideas or great interviews? Podcasting lets you grab online radio off sites like iTunes. Subscribe to your favourites and each time you sync your iPod with your computer the latest broadcast will be downloaded. I like CBC radio and subscribe to CBC Radio 3 for cutting-edge music, ideas, and The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos.

While iPods are great, the little ear buds that come with them are not. To really get the most out of your pod you need a great set of headphones. My DJ buddies swear by Sony and Sennheiser but for my money I like iGrados. They have killer bass and sweet highs. You can pick up a pair at Advance Electronics for around $100.

If you are looking to replace your old iPod with something shiny and new, check out the new iPod Touch. It has a huge screen, cool scrolling features and gives you the Internet in your pocket.

Kids’ sports, my dog Chili, a bag of Spitz and my iPod–that’s my idea of a great summer night.

Go Crescentwood Grizzlies!