Traffic Jams: José González – ‘Line of Fire’ Happy Monday! Apparently today is officially the bleakest day of the year, but I’m not sure I buy into that theory as I’m pretty sure it’s just a means of selling more holidays for the year ahead. Holidays are pretty good though, so make sure you’re taking time off when you can. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Victoria Canal – ‘June Baby’ Happy Friday, we made it through another week unscathed — just about. How was yours? Mine has been mixed, truth be told, after I found out I don’t have to move apartments next month (good), went to see Sigourney Weaver in The Tempest (bad) and got a hefty repair bill for my saxophone (ugly). Read more…

Traffic Jams: The XX – ‘Fantasy’ There have been a lot of very gloomy days over the past week, filled with freezing temperatures, gray skies and drizzle. Maybe it’s a sign of things to come, or maybe it’s a sign that we need to be listening to more gloomy music. I can’t say which it is for certain, but I’m assuming it’s the latter. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Wet Nuns – ‘No Death’ Happy Tuesday, I think I’ve decided that the second day of the week is actually the worst one, because you always expect Monday to be rough and you realize you’ve not even made it to half way through the week just yet. Increasingly, the remedy for this Tuesday slump has come with the kind of angsty, grungy music that… Read more…

Traffic Jams: Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – ‘Jimmy Mack’ Yeah, we’re cool kids at Jalopnik. We’ll post techno and indie and the coolest of all music, progressive rock. But sometimes, you want to go back to the sweet succor of your childhood. There’s nothing like a little Motown to start your day, a music allegedly inspired by the steady beat of the automotive production… Read more…

Traffic Jams: Petey – ‘Don’t Tell The Boys Yeah, I’ve got resolutions, but the New Year’s kind? Nah. That’s just a human construct of time, man. My resolutions are ongoing, like they came straight out of the United Nations. They’ll keep going forever. Read more…

Traffic Jams: The Mountain Goats – ‘Emerging’ The Mountain Goats don’t really have a Christmas album, or really any Christmas music, which is wild for a band that prides itself on being the best damn Durham-based Christian Dad rock on the planet (or at least in North Carolina.) Due to the lack of Christmas tunes, I nominate “Emerging” from the album Moon Colony… Read more…

Traffic Jams: Jon Hopkins – ‘Music For Psychedelic Therapy’ It’s the final Friday before Christmas, which means most of my time is about to be spent wrapping presents, eating mince pies and traveling around the country to see various friends and family. It’s going to be lovely, but there’s sure to be a bit of drama here and there. During all that chaos, it can sometimes get a… Read more…

Traffic Jams: Chappell Roan – ‘Red Wine Supernova’ Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean the sounds of the summer have to stop. There’s no rule saying you can’t spend the winter listening to absolute bangers, dancing around your kitchen while you make your morning coffee, and I think you should do just that. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Los Campesinos! – ‘Lonely This Christmas’ I finished my Christmas shopping this weekend with everything sorted a full two weeks before the big day.Is this what being a grown up is really like? This means I’m ready to plow head first into the holiday season with a mug of mulled wine in one hand and a mince pie in the other without a care in the world. Because… Read more…

Traffic Jams: Loose Tapestries – ‘Can’t Wait For Christmas’ Thanksgiving has been and gone, Christmas tree sellers are out in force and you’ve probably been sent out to the garage to start untangling festive lights. It’s happening, Christmas is finally here. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Kasey Chambers – ‘Silverado Girl’ There’s no rule that says Traffic Jams have to be transportation-related, but on the other hand, I’ve got a long list of songs I like that are, so why not work through some of those before heading in another direction? This is a car site, after all. Read more…

Traffic Jams: The Avalanches – ‘Because I’m Me’ Hey there. Life isn’t always going to go your way. Sometimes you’ll be down, out, or even some combination of the two, and you might start wondering what to do with this hand you’ve been dealt. Well, here’s your advice: Play it. Put on your best pair of shoes. Because you’re you. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Frank Ocean – ‘White Ferrari’ Frank Ocean’s “White Ferrari” hit the Spotify charts for the first time this week, which surely only says good things about our collective mental health. We’re all going fantastic, folks, and we will be forever. At least it wasn’t “Nikes.” Read more…

Traffic Jams: Rosie Tucker – ‘For Sale: Ford Pinto’ “For Sale: Ford Pinto” is not, in any meaningful way, about the act of selling a Ford Pinto. It’s entirely possible that Rosie Tucker has one in a garage somewhere, and they’re wondering why this song hasn’t led to an influx of offers, but I’d be surprised. Still, automotive focus or not, it’s a great track from a… Read more…

Traffic Jams: The Maccabees – ‘Grew Up At Midnight’ Happy Tuesday, how is your day looking today? Not too bad, I hope. Mine should be alright, I’ve got a roast red pepper soup to look forward to for lunch and band practice this evening, so not a bad weekday truth be told. Read more…

Traffic Jams: Colter Wall – ‘Motorcycle’ The fools in charge left the keys to Traffic Jams on the counter, so I stole them while they weren’t looking and am using this opportunity to spread pro-motorcycle and pro-Colter Wall propaganda. Two wheels good and so are artists who actually write their own songs. Read more…

Traffic Jams: The Mountain Goats – ‘Spent Gladiator 2’ You might’ve been expecting “This Year” here, with its promise to make it through this year if it kills you. Well, today, we’re not making that promise. Today you get a call to action: Stay alive. Read more…