Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Music For the Road Warrior

As I’ve been getting ready for the road trip of my life I’ve been planning what music I’m going play through each state... and during specific times of the day. Don’t worry I’ve also been thinking an awful lot about where I’m going to live and what I’m going to do for work when I get there. However, while there are still four weeks between my hometown and Missoula, Montana, I’m mostly thinking of road-trip soundtracks.

There is nothing like a good mix of music for long drives, or even short ones. I drive a lot for my current job. As a reporter for the local newspaper I cover seven towns in the western part of my county. These towns are all at least 30 minutes away from my house. I rack up gas mileage and have perfected the road trip CD for the work-a-day traveler.

Some of my favorites are 1979 and Zero by Smashing Pumpkins, E18 by Detektivbyran, Miseria Cantara by AFI, anything by The Mummies and Dick Dale, Third Eye Blind’s self titled album, Surfin’ by Ernest Ranglin, Incubus, Tegan and Sara, Blackalicious, LTJ Bukem, The Rocky Road to Dublin by The Dubliners (Thank you Clara Maxwell)… you get the idea. Road warrior music is vast and varied.

Road music also depends on the mood of the driver, the time of day and the weather.

Talking Heads (thanks Cramey) and Drum and Bass (thanks Dilcon) are perfect to listen to on a sunny drive. The Mars Volta is perfect for speeding (thanks Rya). Andrea Bocelli is perfect for rain drives (thanks Mot) so is And The Devil Makes Three (thanks Sharp). Sarah McLachlan is perfect for when I’m feeling nostalgic (thanks Erika for third grade and sleepovers and introducing me to this music sigh sigh sigh), so is Damien Rice and Songs: Ohia. One More Time by Daft Punk is perfect when you are driving to work at 5:30 a.m. and you are not fully awake.

There are also certain people whose mixed CDs I prize over most anything. I love listening to everything they choose. I also really enjoy getting into new music. I love being introduced to songs and bands I've never heard before by people who are especially enthusiastic about the music.

What songs, bands or singers do you listen to on road trips or while driving to work? Why do you like these specific songs?

If you would like to make a playlist of music for my (and Lucy's) road trip to Montana leave a list of songs and artists in the comments. Tell us why you chose these songs. New music is greatly appreciated. Don’t hold back. I promise I’ll like anything if you're really fired up about it.

(this is sxip shirey. he's good to listen to on a drive.)

2 comments:

  1. Oo, I have been trying to collect good road trip music for ages! I quite like anything Michelle Branch. Also, the soundtracks from "Elizabethtown" are seriously good.

    That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Whenever I need a new music fix, I usually turn to Clara. Her knowledge of awesome tunage is just craycray. (In such a good way!) :)

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  2. i stumbled into this and i have to say, it seems ALLOT of people find my music is best listened to on a drive. I got the gig composing for Neil Gaiman's "Statuesque" because he listened to my last album "Sombule" on the way to Florida "20-30" times he said!

    Cheers, and thank you so much for the mention.

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