I've been out of town the last two weekends visiting family, and this coming one is the (always slow) weekend before Bumbershoot. So, I've compiled this random road-trip mix—not random as in "weird" or "unexpected," but literally: Heading home from a family wedding in Eugene, Oregon, I set my iPod on shuffle for the five-hour drive. The following is kind of a best of (with sincere apologies to Status Ain't Hood):

The Shins, "New Slang"—Back home in the small town visiting family, how could this not be the Shins song that comes up, right? Quirky! Also, in a fine example of shuffle's creepy 2001-style intelligence, it kicks off with a pair of Bumbershoot acts. (The Shins play Sept 1 at Bumbershoot.)

Lupe Fiasco, "Hurt Me Soul"—There's probably some joke to be made about Lupe Fiasco's "conscious" critique of rap being the only hiphop to come up in five hours of random listening—something about tokenism, dilettantism, backpacks, or the sad state of my iPod—but I'll leave it alone. (Lupe Fiasco plays Sept 3 at Bumbershoot.)

Cap'n Jazz, "Forget Who We Are"—More weird shuffle-induced synchronicity: Like Lupe, Cap'n Jazz are from Chicago. This song, recorded live at one of the band's last shows, sums up everything that was great about the then-adolescent act—Tim Kinsella's genuinely voice-cracked rambling, the nascent pop rush of the Promise Ring, even some awkward live banter about their growing up as boys and growing apart as a band.

Arcade Fire, "No Cars Go"—The vastly superior version from the band's old tour EP rather than from Neon Bible, it's a fine anthem for a rental-car road trip. (Arcade Fire play Sept 24 at the Bank of America Arena with LCD Soundsystem.)

Supermayer, "Us and Them"—From the Kompakt superduo's upcoming full length, Save the World, this isn't the best song on the disc (that honor goes to "The Art of Letting Go"), and it's not as good as LCD Soundsystem's "Us vs Them," but as far as German-accented elevator electro funk with spoken-word lyrics goes, it's okay. (Supermayer's Save the World comes out Sept 25 on Kompakt.)

Jawbreaker, "Oyster"—A lot of people think this is Jawbreaker's worst song, but it's not (that would be "Eye-5"). "Oyster" is poppy as hell (like most of the divisive but ultimately awesome Dear You) and fun to sing along to. It's a great Jawbreaker song.

Surkin, "J-Hood"—Surkin records for that other gnarly French electro label, Institubes. This track, from his debut, Action Replay, mixes sirens, vocal snippets, new-jack keys, and drum-machine rave ups. It's typical of the label's aggressive but fun techno. (Surkin plays the Institubes showcase Sept 13 at Chop Suey with Para One, Curses!, and Orgasmic.)

Elastica, "Nothing Stays the Same"—People kind of slept on the second Elastica album, but I have no idea why. This track is a phenomenal narcotic lull, like some kind of second-generation "Crimson and Clover."

Sleepy Eyes of Death, "Tired Channels"—One of many melancholic washes from the Seattle dystopian synth futurist's excellent debut, Streetlights for a Ribcage.

Chromeo, "100%"—This is the only song I remember hearing at what my friends described to me as Eugene's "hipster bar."

Daft Punk, "Prime Time of Your Life"—This song made for such an overwhelming climax at Daft Punk's recent mind-blowing live show. You'd be jumping up and down and screaming, and suddenly think, "Hell yeah, this is the 'Prime Time of [My] Life!'" and really mean it.

Art Brut, "Post Soothing Out"—Clearly, my iPod is stoked for Bumbershoot. That's cool. Art Brut are the reason I'm excited about the festival—they're fantastic live—and "Post Soothing Out" is a good example of why people should give their sophomore CD more of a chance. It's a sweet, simple song about mundane worries, it's terrifically catchy, and, like all of It's a Bit Complicated, it shows that Art Brut don't have to be meta to rock. (Art Brut play Sept 2 at Bumbershoot.)

Simian Mobile Disco, "Sleep Deprivation"—The intro to the duo's sleeper hit Attack Decay Sustain Release, this track percolates with the kind of stomping beats, moody chord progressions, and ricocheting synth blips that make the whole album outstanding. (Simian Mobile Disco play the Decibel Festival opening party Sept 20 at Neumo's with Diplo, Switch, Fourcolorzack, and Pretty Titty.) recommended

egrandy@thestranger.com