Road Trip Day 2: Playlists

By Joe Klein | @JoeKleinTIME | September 14, 2011 | +

Lynsey Addario / VII for TIME

Actor and filmmaker Turk Pipkin speaks to a group of Republicans after watching the tea party debate at Hal's Landing in Laredo, Texas, Sept. 12, 2011.

Austin, Texas

We hit a hellacious and inexplicable traffic jam–no construction, no apparent accidents–halfway between San Antonio and Austin yesterday, which gave Turk Pipkin and me time to listen to some music. Turk, you should know, is a Willie Nelson pal and occasional amanuensis, the author of The Tao of Willie. He is also as much of a music hound as I am. The other night in Laredo, Turk and I sat in the bar reviewing the lineup for the Austin City Limits music festival this weekend and quickly determined that there were at least two groups we wanted to see every hour, sometime three. Eventually, we threw up our hands, gave our ACL music itinerary over to God and chance, and ordered another drink. (Texas is the home of Tito’s Vodka, which I’d match up in a taste test against any of the fancy foreign stuff.)

Anyway, here’s Turk’s best road songs ever playlist:

1. Kat Edmonson, Summertime

2. Joe Ely, Letter to Laredo

3. Bob Schneider, Piggyback

4. Willie Nelson, Marie (by Townes Van Zandt)

5. Robert Earl Keen, The Road Goes on Forever

As for me, my magical ipod shuffler had a mind of its own yesterday and kept spitting out–I swear–songs by Austin (or Texas) musicians. The very first was:

1. Red-Headed Stranger by Willie Nelson

2. Beautiful Despair by Rodney Crowell (of East Houston)

3. Finer Feelings by Spoon

4.North Dakota by Lyle Lovett

5. Got Yo S*** by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears

I don’t mind the traffic so much when I’ve got music like that…but I wonder: Does the shuffler have a gps attachment? How did it know I was heading into Austin? Is this my beautiful house? How did I get here?

Related Topics: Joe's Road Trip

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