Brad’s Music
TRON: Legacy soundtrack
“When coding, it’s nice to have a solid rythm that sounds techie, and thinking about a completely digital world gets me in the zone”
“Billionaire” by Travie McCoy ft. Bruno Mars
“When I’m in a particularly entrepreneurial mood, I sometimes enjoy a little “Billionaire” (Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars) for some inspiration. Some day… some day…”
Steve’s Music
“Code Monkey” by Jonathan Coulton
“Jonathan Coulton is a programmer-turned-musician who often lets his geeky persona leak into his songwriting. You may know him best as “the guy who covered Sir Mix-a-Lot’s Baby Got Back then had his cover totally ripped off by Glee, after which FOX told him he should be ‘happy for the exposure,’ despite never having credited him,” but Jo-Co’s catalog is a rich tapestry of songs about love, zombies, mad scientists, and IKEA. This particular track is a tale of unrequited love for the receptionist from the perspective of a low-level code monkey*. It’s up-tempo, catchy, and uses the phrase “big warm fuzzy secret heart,” what’s not to like?”
* It’s worth mentioning that “code monkey” has two meanings – some people use it as a way to identify themselves as a member of the programming community but others see it as a slur towards junior-level developers (think a thousand monkeys at typewriters).**
** In lieu of “code monkey” (proceeded by the asterisk/footnote) we could also leave it at “low-level programmer.”
Tony’s (List of) Music
“Repatriated” by Handsome Furs
“Maybe it’s the pulsing and invigorating beat this song has running through its veins throughout its duration, or maybe it’s the fact that it’s rife has catchy synth and guitar, but this song is definitely a foot-tapper and mood booster. Pump up the volume a bit on this one for some added ‘aww yeah.'”
“Flaggin A Ride” by Divine Fits
“What do you get when you mix equal parts Wolf Parade and Spoon, with a dash of New Bomb Turks? Amazingness, that’s what. Undeniably catchy, appropriately restrained, and totally worthy of finding it’s way onto your playlist, this song (and band) is perfect to jam to any day of the week, and any time of the day. And trust me, I know from experience.”
“Port of Call” by Beirut
“Not all motivational music needs to be uptempo and loud. At least not for me. I find the music of Beirut (the band, not the city in Lebanon) both beautiful and very inspirational. It has an otherworldly quality, and evokes thoughts of “the old country” in a bygone era. Beirut’s music, especially this song, puts me in a really good place. I even picked one of their songs to be the first song I danced to with my wife at our wedding. You just can’t beat a good ukulele, kids.”
“The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire
“I’ve been an enormous Arcade Fire fan ever since their 2004 album Funeral hit shelves. I knew back then I was listening to something that would have a big impact on my life. There’s a timelessness to this entire record, and it absolutely shows in this track. It’s like instant nostalgia. It uplifts me better than any coffee ever could, and warms my belly just as well.”
“Cave-o-Sapien” by Wolf Parade
“Oh Dan Boeckner, I can’t get enough of you. This is the third time Mr. Boeckner has appeared in a band on this short list (the other two times being with the Handsome Furs and Divine Fits), and this time it’s with the band that introduced me to his greatness. Wolf Parade has a very special ability to get me in the right mood for just about anything. This song in particular gets me pumped up and ready to take on whatever comes my way, so naturally when I’m at work it’s a great go-to on the old playlist if I’m feeling sluggish or unmotivated.”
Tori’s Music
When it’s time to get in the zone to write, I always set my Pandora channel to Kings of Leon. It’s a perfect mix of alternative, indie, and acoustic music.
Sarah’s Music
My guilty pleasure is electronic music, so when I need to put my head down and get motivated to write a proposal, put together an analytics reports, or anything else that requires me to focus, my go-to is Pretty Lights, specifically “Finally Moving” or “Hot Like Sauce.”
Mike’s Music
“Staralfur” by Sigur Rós’
“When I need to really focus, I like to listen to relaxing, but interesting music with vocals that I can’t understand. Sigur Ros always gets the job done!”
Josh’s Music
“Everylong” by the Foo Fighters
“I seem to find that I end up listening to Everlong by the Foo Fighters pretty regularly. It is generally an up-tempo song that builds, so I find that for me it is like an idea. You get the a spark at the beginning and new ideas start forming around it, you get a plan and then once the peak hits, you start doing the real work and getting things done.”
