My Soundtrack for Travel
songs to hear while you climb a mountain.
Every time I board a plane, or embark on a roadtrip, I have a select few songs I always play to calm my flying nerves or excite myself for where ever I’m about to visit. Today I’d like to share 5 songs that have been with me on almost every trip i’ve taken since starting this blog. If you know me personally, which is most of you, you’ve likely either heard me play this song or perhaps introduced me to it.
I don’t claim to be an expert in music, but I do know how these songs make me feel, which is a combination of awe and inspiration at the grand geography and fascinating towns across the United States.1 I’ll provide a personal anecdote for the big-hitter songs here, but if you’d rather just skip that and listen to the full 20-song playlist, here’s the link:
without further ado: my first listicle.
Highway Anxiety - William Tyler
Long time readers might remember this song was also included in my Amtrak Photo essay. That’s because I spent 12 out of my 76 hour railway journey listening to this album. I’ve been an unreasonable fan of William Tyler since I wrote a review of his Modern Country Album as a freshman in college. The track might be 9-minutes, but it puts me in such a blissful trance I can listen to it for hours on end.
Wolf - Sylvan Esso
When I listen to Wolf, I’m immediately transported to the breezy waterfalls of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In early High School, my family did a tour of Lake Michigan, driving around the Great Lake in its entirety. I was, to an extent, raised on this album from the North Carolina-based duo, and I’ve always been a bit surprised by there lack of wider recognition among Gen-Z. They’re great!
None of Us Have But A Little While - Lonnie Halley feat. Sharon Van Etton
I was a bit late to the Lonnie Holley train, but man is this guy incredible. He sings with such a powerful rasp, and his lyrics are among the most soulful you can find from a working musician of today. This song is certainly a somber one, but its rises and falls hit you as hard as a mountain. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Washing Machine and Dryer - Barreleye
This is track number one of a remarkable album from a midwest three-piece instrumental group which is near and dear to my heart. One Eye Glitters (the album) is a brilliant sculpting of soft sounds and screams that feel of another time. Another one of those songs that can easily transport you to a place in your memory.
Global Lunch - James Ferraro
This may be the most “out there” pick on this list, but it’s also perhaps the most timely. I fell down the “Vaporwave”2 rabbit hole a few years ago, intrigued by this genre’s unique place as the first artistic movement to capture the internet’s fascination with nostalgia. In a year where no one can escape repetetive if not horrendous commentary on “AI,” I find vaporwave’s satirization and somewhat zen acceptance of digital acceleration to be a breath of delicious microplasticked air. And for a release date of 2011, way ahead of the curve.
I hope you enjoyed this break from my usual urbanist-travel writing form. Don’t worry, I’ll talk about transportation policy and Cyclists next, I swear!
If you have specific songs that you listen to while traveling, I’d love to hear them. Share in a comment if you please, or just tell me if this article counts as “selling out” and if I should just apply for buzzfeed instead.
I hesitate to say “World” here, as i’ve not seen too much of it yet. Oh Beautiful For Spacious Skies!
This is a electronic music genre based in chronically online 80s nostalgia, representing an interest overlap with 0.001% of Outdoorsy-Urbanism-Traveling types.