Have A Juicebox!

Happy Tuesday, readers! Being that the majority of the day is over here on the East coast, I hope your day went as well as any Tuesday could. For all of you a few hours ahead (like our readers in Kuwait and Russia, for instance), happy Wednesday!

I don’t know about you, reader, but if you’re anything like me, productive exercise is simply impossible without a good soundtrack. Whether it be running, weight training, or doing yard work, I will always be found with an iPod tucked in my pocket and earphones secluding me from the rest of the world. Some call it introversion; I like to call it inspiration. We all have those songs that make us believe in ourselves just a little more than usual. Music is the fuel of all action for the ultra-lazy (that would be me).

I come to you again with an unintentionally inappropriate song to share as my pick of the week – but we’ll get to the inappropriate part later. Enter: Julian Casablancas and his world-famous band The Strokes. While not all of their music is upbeat enough for physical activity, I can’t help but throw myself into overdrive whenever shuffle plucks “Juicebox” out of my plethora of exercise tunes. This song commands listeners to bob their heads to the tune the moment the beat kicks in. When one’s ears are exposed to that mysterious bass intro reminiscent of an action movie scene, how do your limbs not respond? The beat of the song, paired with the frontman’s seductive voice, is my personal recipe for success when I’m dragging my feet on the treadmill. In fact, I think the world would be a better place if Casablancas’s voice was there to egg us on throughout our daily activities. (Is it just me? It’s probably just me…) It’s no wonder The Strokes are so world famous even Rock N’ Roll legends are willing to collaborate with the band. If you don’t believe me, take a quick detour from our page (but seriously, come back after watching!) to check out Jack White and The Strokes playing New York City Cops live back in 2006.

(On a side note, the fact that Casablancas throws himself on the floor before Jack White is a little overwhelming.)

Keeping Julian Casablancas’s magical vocal powers in mind, I listen to The Strokes at the gym consistently. “Juicebox” gets me motivated more so than any other song. It sets a great pace for a productive run and gives me just the rush I need to push myself for one more rep. The strangest aspect of this song as a work-out tune is that, unlike Muse’s “Survival” (if you have no idea why Muse has suddenly come into the conversation, check out Beet’s post below) this song has absolutely nothing to do with pushing your limits. The general fan consensus is that “Juicebox” is the band’s lament on how luxurious yet emotionally wrecking it is for both parties to have one-night-stands while on tour.

“Why won’t you come over here? We’ve got a city to love,”

Casablanca coaxes a woman, but later in the verse breaks her heart with the line

“For a while it was nice, but it’s time to say bye”.

It isn’t fair to say that The Strokes are a motley crew of heart-breaking rock stars. In fact, the music video suggests the opposite – and this is where the inappropriate content comes into play. I have chosen to put up a lyric video as opposed to the official music video simply because the real video is a bit intense. The video essentially depicts the song being played on the radio all across NYC, triggering events such as: lesbian photo shoots, promiscuous play amongst drunks in the backseat of a taxi (which, by the way, ends in a pile of vomit), a pre-determined bathroom hookup between two males, and – for some God awful reason I don’t wish to ponder myself – an old woman attempting to arouse an innocent dog by scrubbing the floor with wine. All the meanwhile, the band has a skeptical look on their face, especially when interacting with the lewd radio personality that introduces their song as “Juicy Juice”. Maybe fans are missing the point.

Regardless of the song’s intent, the beat is enough for me. While plenty of exercise songs should be lyrically oriented around the theme of “going the distance”, there’s no rule against a song that just plain provokes you! Feel free to join me in finding strength through Casablancas’s voice as he promises us a one night stand in New York City. Come on. I know you want him too.

Until next week, readers! Go pump some iron!

-Jenna “The Turnip”