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WYSO's 2020 Summertime Selections: Evan Miller

Evan Miller

As we pass by Labor Day this year, the sunshine and temperatures remind us that there's still a few summer days left to go. We asked our WYSO music hosts about some of their favorite songs and albums for that summer mood, and today we hear from The Outside's Evan Miller.

Over the past handful of years, summer has come to mean touring road trip time for me. That sunny stretch of June through August is prime time for hitting the highway to play my percussion and tape loops noise music wherever and with whoever I can. I’ve logged many miles and tortured a couple cars on the eastern half of the country – the western half eludes me yet – sight-seeing the many basements, art spaces, and divey bars it has to offer, and visiting as many friends and family on the way as possible. With lots of hours of (usually) solo drive time on my schedule, my car stereo gets a workout as the summer heat burns on, and I’ve come to develop a wheelhouse of beloved summer road records over time. I love using the time to check out new things I haven’t heard – and podcasts too when I just want to hear some conversation for a while – but I’ve always got my standby list of albums I can put on to keep the drive moving. Here are some of my favorite road trip albums, tested and approved for passing the time on those triple-digit mile drives – or for throwing on during your commute to fantasize for a moment.

Music to pick up the pace and press down the gas pedal:

Swervedriver - Raise

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium

Talking Heads - Remain in Light

Music for opening the sunroof and basking in the summer mood:

Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Mambo Nassau

Washed Out - Life of Leisure

Makeout Videotape - Heat Wave!

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Tame Impala - Currents

Music to embrace the expanse when the road stretches out in front of you:

Neil Young - On the Beach

75 Dollar Bill - I Was Real

Can - Tago Mago

Tigue - Strange Paradise

Mdou Moctar - Ilana: The Creator

Listen to Evan every Sunday night from 11 PM-1 AM on The Outside.

Evan Miller is a percussionist, lover of sound, and is probably buying too many cassette tapes online right now. Evan got his start in radio in 2012 at WWSU at Wright State University, where he was studying percussion performance. He followed through with both endeavors and eventually landed a lucrative dual career playing experimental music at home and abroad, and broadcasting those sounds to unsuspecting listeners Sunday nights on The Outside. Maintaining a connection to normal music, Evan also plays drums in bands around the area, and hosts WYSO's Midday Music show. When not doing something music-related, Evan is most likely listening to podcasts or watching food videos at home with his cat.