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6 Tracks To Make You More Productive At Work

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Sometimes you just need to shut everything out, and just concentrate on work (whether you care about it or not!).  Which is why god (aka Steve Jobs) invented ipods.  But what to listen to?  You can’t simply put it on “shuffle” and see where fate may take you.  No, sir or madam.  I propose that you take some action…”proaction”, if you will, by making yourself a playlist.

Here are a few tracks off mine:

1) “Up Against the Wall”, Peter Bjorn & John


I just realized that this song clocks in at just over 7 minutes.  Somehow it seems a lot longer because of the drum solos.  However it is precisely because of these drum solos that the song compels one to keep on keepin’ on (sorry, Gladys Knight)!

2) “Amour Du Sol”, Yelle

Something about this song makes creating and editing spreadsheets about 5 million times more tolerable.  Perhaps because that’s because I think I’ve convinced myself I’m secretly learning French, and therefore getting smarter somehow, or engaging a different part of my brain, thereby making formulas and formatting more pleasant.  There’s only one way to find out if this can happen to you!

3) “I’m Good, I’m Gone”, Lykke Li


Lykke Li, is there anything you CAN’T do? It’s practically one year later, and I’m STILL obsessed with you. Anywhoozle, this song is just the perfect tempo to not only get psyched to get to or away work at a brisk pace, but he perfect soundtrack to cross off another task on your to-do list to. 

4) “Hard Times”, Patrick Wolf



Though this video may seem like it was made in 1987 by a blacklight and Dead or Alive enthusiast, it was, in fact, made in 2009.  The first time I heard this song, my roommate was blaring it from the bathroom (he has speakers and an ipod hookup in the bathroom) at 8am on a day where I didn’t have to go to work.  I was initally annoyed.  Being too lazy to get up, I just laid there for a while, and before I knew it, I warmed up to it and became actually kind of excited to get up early and start my non-work day.  If this song did this to me on a NON-work day, imagine what it can do for you on an actual work day.  Word.

5) “Sandman, The Breakman, and Me”, Monsters of Folk


Though this is quote a low-key song, there’s still something about train references/sound mimicry that motivates me to “chug along”, if you will. Monsters of Folk, by the way, is a supergroup that consists of M. Ward, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst, and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes. Alt-Country, slide guitar, rich harmonies, and haunting melodies don’t get better than this, folks.

6) “Id Engager”, Of Montreal


I love, love, love this song. I say this will pump you up for any occasion, including work! I can’t help it if it’s true.

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Anna G - Caliburg Contributor

Anna G - Caliburg Contributor

Anna G. is a Southern California native living in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn since 2005. Anna is constantly trying to unite her love of CA sunshine and the excitement of the New York urban jungle, all the while trying to keep her unwieldy credit card debt under control, and look fabulous at brunch, no matter how un-showered and hungover.