Railroad buildin' music

[gement]

Usually I work to a pretty scattershot collection of music. I have a Leonard Cohen-centric collection of brooding songs that damp my anxiety but can lead to a dreamlike and unproductive calm. I have my SuperHappySuper mix, heavy on the technopop, which gives me a burst of energy but can spike anxiety.

I want something methodical, with just enough energy to hook me and drive me forward. Railroad buildin' music. Any suggestions?

Sideline: here's one of my slow playlists, Artists are Mortal, which I started out of thematic curiosity, but quite enjoy listening to. (I skip Boy and His Frog because I don't like crying at work.) http://www.songmeanings.net/mixtape/tape/2049/ "Famous creators have both public and private lives and deaths. When their fans try to describe or imagine the private reality, they build on the public myth. Here are eleven myths and memorials about the flesh and experience of fascinating people. "

Comments

[gement.livejournal.com]

Sea chanties work too. They're work songs. Hell, I just discovered the TMBG song "Self Called Nowhere" has the right pounding hook to do the job. I am subject-agnostic in my pursuit of the right rhythm.

[annissamazing]

Oooooh! "Self Called Nowhere" held the title as my favorite song for several months back in '97. I *adore* that song. If you've got the right setup, you can hear certain parts of the song shift speakers from left to right and back again near the end. It's trippy.