Playlist: On Public Transportation Late at Night

Taking public transportation in the morning or the afternoon – on your way to or from work, say – you need something that will keep you hyped up and alert. Tunes that will protect you from the swaying crush of bodies, and overcome screeches and staticky howling commands from the front. You need a soundtrack that can block out smells.

This is not that soundtrack. This is one for late-night journeys, long slides you go on only once in a while, when you're moving toward or away from something unusual. The ones where you climb onto the bus or train and actually get a seat, or all the seats, and the overconditioned air wraps you in absence, and you rest your head against the milky rattling window in between you and the city, and watch the lights blur in the streets or in the tunnels, and all that lovely lonely epic stuff.

[STREAM THE PLAYLIST HERE]

All You Ever Wanted - The Black Keys
Amplifiers - Atlas Sound
Hysteric - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
I'm Not - Panda Bear
We've Been Had - The Walkmen
City of Electric Light - Chad Van Gaalen
I'm Bound to Pack it Up - The White Stripes
Major Label Debut - Broken Social Scene
Chinatown - Destroyer
Flim (LP Version) - Aphex Twin
Oslo in the Summertime - Of Montreal
Taxi Cab - Vampire Weekend
Green Guitar - RatTail
Benton Harbor Blues Again - The Fiery Furnaces
Clouds Over the Pacific - James Pants
Let Down - Radiohead
Good Song - Blur
Want It Back - Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra
City Middle - The National
Blue Light - Bloc Party
Keys Out Lights On - Jenny Owen Youngs
Feel So Good - Spacemen 3
Born Slippy Nuxx - Underworld

8 responses to “Playlist: On Public Transportation Late at Night”

CatD (member)
September 7, 2012 at 3:15 pm Permalink Reply Report user

I’ve often been critical of AS playlists in the past but this one is good. Very good.

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Liz Ehlinger (member)
September 7, 2012 at 3:28 pm Permalink Reply Report user

Aaah it’s a Boston bus! Makes me homesick.

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1. Rose (member)
  September 7, 2012 at 5:53 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  Yay Boston! I think I might jam to this on the T.
  
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  1. Chars (member)
    September 8, 2012 at 9:10 am Permalink Reply Report user
    
    Oh hayy, I take this bus sometimes – fitting playlist!
    
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Cat
September 7, 2012 at 6:48 pm Permalink Reply

This is perfect. Will this be a series? Because lord do I need the morning ‘pretend I’m not actually crushed face first into a large sweaty man’ get to work one too!!

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Sarah
September 7, 2012 at 10:43 pm Permalink Reply

The picture on the 8 tracks page is Chicago. I do late night trips so often!!!

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Ernie (member)
September 8, 2012 at 10:04 am Permalink Reply Report user

I’m just going to pretend that I live in an awesome city with public transit when I listen to this playlist. Sigh.

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Sophia (member)
September 9, 2012 at 3:37 pm Permalink Reply Report user

Always Bloc Party. First album. Sleeping overnight at the train station to get the train at 5am from Birmingham to Liverpool for university. Bee. Liss.

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