Whether you’re heading up north, cruising along the lakeshore, or just exploring forgotten corners of West Michigan, every great trip needs a great playlist.
So we’ve got it covered. Featuring some longtime favorites and rising newcomers, consider this a sampler of the many tastes and flavors making up our extended local music scene. Jazz, pop, rock, country, folk, punk, rap, it’s all in here, so get ready to open your mind as you venture out on the open road.
Listen to the playlist on Spotify here: https://bit.ly/RevueRoadTrip2025.
Billy Strings – “Leaning On a Traveling Song” / Riding high after his sold-out homecoming shows at Van Andel this spring, bluegrass superstar Billy Strings is the perfect artist to start any adventure. The opening track off his latest album, Highway Prayers, blends beautiful harmonies and his signature guitar skills into something fresh yet familiar.
Y-Not – “Carpe Diem” / Boldly empowering, this rising anthem is filled to the brim with soulful vocals and dynamic instrumentation from GR six-piece Y-Not. Uplifting in its message and rising melody, this song reminds you not to waste a moment, and is perfect for when you want the open road to reflect your inner drive.
Desmond Jones – “Park It” / Get lost in the jazz-funk groove with Grand Rapids mainstays Desmond Jones. The longtime jam favorites have mastered their craft, and logged countless miles behind the wheel on tour themselves, taking audiences around the country on an adventure into the uncharted reaches of interstellar spontaneity.
Money Soup – “Night and Day” / One of the hottest new bands on the scene, Money Soup mixes jazz, soul, funk and pop for a new generation. Their latest single showcases each of the five members’ raw talents, and their love for playing together. With dozens on gigs booked all over this summer, from Grand Rapids to Grand Haven and more, your trip just might cross paths with the band’s own.
Candid Antics – “Follow The Sun” / The only instrumental on this playlist, Candid Antics’ take on jazz simply speaks for itself. Winners of this year’s Jammie Award for Best Jazz Album, the band formerly known as Pocket Watch has wasted no time creating their own sound, which they call “party fusion,” so join in, and be ready for something you’ve never heard before.
Dreuwski, TOOT – “Night Drive” / Dreuwski’s brand new album, LVRS BLVD, dropped back in May, and it really is a definitive soundtrack for cool summer night drives. This song captures that low ride, chill vibe perfectly, but with 26 more tracks on his album to discover, it’s really just an intro to a new school master of an old school sound.
Adrian Wright, LILEL, Andre Millering – “All Gas No Brakes” / Born and raised in Flint, but now calling Grand Rapids home, Adrian Wright has become an integral part of the hip-hop scene, collaborating with countless artists, and creating his own live ensemble. A high-octane propulsive powerhouse, this funk fusion track accelerates fast, rolling with a steady bounce that never looks back.
Sonny Ski, Derek Shorter – “US-131” / The MC chronicler of West Michigan, Sonny Ski’s 2024 album States of Mind literally put our half of the state on the lyrical map, with the rapper explicitly shouting out many familiar spots. This single, released separately last year, rides along with you from dawn to dusk, escaping into the music from the daily grind.
Crystal Trench – “Drive” / Know that eerie moment in the dead of night when you’ve already been driving and driving and you almost slip into a trance like state? That’s the dark-wave beauty, and terror, that Crystal Trench (the electronic project from vocalist/producer Vanessa DeCouto) captures here.
Feeding Grizzlies – “Rush” / Every road trip playlist needs a song that just rips right out of the gate. This new release from Grand Rapids alt-rock band Feeding Grizzlies tears it up, with an opening guitar riff that hooks right in, and a propulsive catch and release rhythm that will keep you and your car moving from start to finish.
Common Molly – “Cargo Transit” / There’s something about a bouncy, buoyant bass line that just mirrors mile-markers passing by one after another. The hypnotic pull, and simmering rising tension take this one to 11, with the Grand Rapids pop-punk band going full pedal to the metal on the song’s final, closing burst.
Boob Sweat – “Good Luck, Babe!” / A cover of Chappell Roan’s undisputable song of last summer, amped up to pop-punk perfection. It’s the sort of high-energy sing-along made for late nights, and those final miles before returning home after a great time out with friends. It’s also a great introduction to this GR riot grrl punk band’s power and personality.
Pretoria – “Emerson, Everywhere” / A pure shot of summer sparkle, this song off the brand new EP from Grand Rapids indie outfit Pretoria just sounds like those lazy sunny days you never want to let go. Gorgeous guitar lines guide the song to a pristine finish, and set up our playlist for an epic, emotional close.
Low Phase – “Float” / Beautifully bittersweet, you can hear the looming orange glow of a fading sunset (or relationship) in late August lurking in between Low Phase’s lead vocalist Caleb Waldvogel’s anguish and Marley Ferguson’s guitar. Adrift but never lost, the song finds that moment where bliss breaks, and reality reluctantly returns, just like the end of any road trip.
Major Murphy, Mark Lavengood – “Touch Grass” / Almost starting where we began, but returning changed, Grand Rapids group Major Murphy, along with local virtuoso Mark Lavengood, find that spot where indie rock and bluegrass share a delightful picnic. It’s an important reminder, just like any road trip, that everything is fleeting, and we’re only on this Earth once, so just go outside.
