3 for the Car: Driving Albums

I only recently passed my driving test, so when I was in sixth form and everyone was speeding about in their snazzy little cars that they knew how to operate, I was doomed - like Iggy Pop - to forever be the passenger. Okay, so it was nice to get so many lifts, but this arrangement afforded me a frustrating lack of control over the music we listened to. At best, the driver would throw on some Meat Loaf and everyone in the car would sing along to that; at worst, I'd get stuck listening to Lovin' You by Minnie Riperton.

But I've got my own pink license now, which means that I'm finally master of the car stereo! Here's a trio of albums that, in my limited experience, work well behind the wheel...

The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me

Okay, so it starts a little too quietly, but if you can time it right, the effect is perfect. Use the first part of Positive Jam to reverse out of your drive or wiggle out of your parking space, and try to hit the road just as the drums kick in. After that, it's all triumphant, crunchy rock - it's hard to keep both hands on the wheel, such is the air-punching awesomeness of songs like The Swish and Knuckles, which you can hear in this video:

Titus Andronicus - Local Business

This album isn't even out in the UK yet, but one of my wonderful family members managed to sneak an import under the Christmas tree last year. And I'm glad they did it, because it meant that by the time I passed my test, I was familiar enough with this CD to shove it in the stereo and sing along to (most of) the words as I drove. Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape with the Flood of Detritus is about a road accident, which might not be ideal, but aside from that it's all gold. Take the snappily-named Still Life with Hot Deuce on Silver Platter, for example:

CAKE - Comfort Eagle

And just before I tattoo the words 'I LIKE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND ANYTHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE HIM' across my forehead, here's something a little different. Comfort Eagle isn't quite as frantic as the other two albums, and the steady, almost hip-hopppy beats that underpin everything make for pretty good listening when you're driving around the city (although, again, there's a song about traffic trouble - Long Line of Cars might grate a little if you're stuck in a queue). Drumming along on the wheel is pretty much a dead cert. Here's my personal favourite, Pretty Pink Ribbon:

So there are three good driving albums that you can take for a spin this weekend. What do you tend to fill your car stereo with? Recommend me something in the comments!