yellowtrenchcoat

In the beginning of a road trip, conversation abounds. Even when traveling alone, the mind wanders at the beginning of a trip, but when everything clears and its you and the road, listening to music just doesn’t cut the monotany of driving like a good podcast.

Discovering podcasts have greatly improved my driving experience. Here is a list of my tried and true favorite road-trip podcasts.

Talk

The Dawn and Drew Show

Its just like the title implies: its about Dawn and Drew and their life on their farm and, more recently, their attempt at leaving the farm and going to Costa Rica. This show cracks me up.

From the website:

podcasting since september 2004, dawn miceli and drew domkus, two ex gutter punks who fall in love, buy a retired farm in southeast wisconsin and tell the world their dirty secrets… always profane, rarely profound.

PRI: Selected Shorts

The best short stories read by the best actors. Its like watching a movie with your ears.

From the website:

Spellbinding short stories by established and emerging writers take on a new life when they are performed by stars of the stage and screen. Whether we present stories around a lively theme, the favorite works of a guest author or a special collaboration with a museum or publication, each Selected Shorts event is a unique night of literature in performance. Hosted by Isaiah Sheffer.

New Yorker: Fiction

As the website says:

A monthly reading and conversation with The New Yorker’s fiction editor, Deborah Treisman.

In this podcast , The New Yorker has one of their current fiction contributors go back into their archives to find their favorite short stories, read them aloud, and discuss them. Its a great way to get away from it all even when you aren’t already getting away from it all.

This American Life

This show is an emotional roller coaster. I’ve cried by myself on many a long drive to the stories they tell. Its not just sad, though; its also funny and hopeful and gives insight into the struggles of those around all of us.

From the website:

There’s a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. It’s mostly true stories of everyday people, though not always. There’s lots more to the show, but, like we said, it’s sort of hard to describe.

Radio Lab

Radio Lab will invoke your curiosity, keep you in suspense, and give you crazy little factoids your friends won’t believe. Its an hour long solution to those flat boring parts of the country.

From the website:

Radiolab is a show about curiosity. Each episode is an investigation – a patchwork of people, sounds, stories all centered around one big idea.

BBC: One Planet

As the website puts it:

One Planet covers environmental, development and agriculture stories, dealing with the impact of humankind on the natural world.

Music

Magnatune (We are not evil) Music

Great long podcasts full of here are advertisements, but in a car its not so noticeable. Their selection is pretty incredible; it ranges from classical and jazz to high energy, choral, medieval, and space music (I don’t know… yet).

What’s with the “We are not evil” stuff? From the website:

We work directly with independent musicians world-wide to give you downloads of MP3s and perfect-quality WAV files. We never work with major labels, and our musicians always get 50%. You can listen to every album in its entirety before buying or becoming a member.

Texas Music Matters – Song of the Day

Download a bunch of these and play them on shuffle. They tend to solidly be good tracks.