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.