Here's a list of great new American folk songs to take with you when you head out on those summer road trips.
"Fill Me Up" - Shawn Colvin
From 2006's These Four Walls, this song is a great roll-down-the-windows-and-cruise tune. It also holds that rare distinction of fitting well for morning, afternoon or evening drives."Three County Highway" - Indigo Girls
This is a great tune to either start or end your long day on the road. It's a bit sentimental and slow for that long mid-day stretch, but the chorus is so easy and smooth, you'll be singing along in no time. From 2006's Despite Our Differences."Hat-Shaped Hat" - Ani DiFranco
Not that this song makes a whole lot of sense, but throw it on at toward the end of the day—when you're feeling a bit delirious and you just want to groove—and it feels perfect. That "five in the morning" refrain is fun to sing along with, too. From 1999's Up Up Up Up Up Up."Wagon Wheel" - Old Crow Medicine Show
Like Shawn Colvin's "Fill Me Up," this is another that can go well with any stretch of your long road trip. "Wagon Wheel" can even make the second loneliest road in America (in Eastern Nevada) a little more tolerable. Crank it and roll the windows down, sing along and enjoy the scenery. From 2004's O.C.M.S."Closer to You" - Brandi Carlile
This is a song about being on the road, so it makes perfect sense to throw it into the mix somewhere, particularly if you happen to be driving through country where there's a lot of hay. It's got a nice country groove and toe-tappable verses. From 2005's Brandi Carlile."Jezebel" - Iron and Wine
This is a nice song to start your morning out, once you've gotten your coffee. Iron and Wine's soft, calming voice and smooth guitar accompaniment hangs in the background on this tune quite nicely, making it an easy backdrop for delirious mid-day conversation, as well. From 2005's Woman King.
