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Summer road trips are a time for both celebration and meditation. There's an urgent need to be free and explore, while also blocking out the rest of the world and getting lost in wistful daydreams. For Carrie Brownstein, former guitarist for Sleater-Kinney and host of NPR's Monitor Mix blog, nothing captures those moments better than these five songs.

Pianist Arturo O'Farrill, son of the Latin jazz pioneer Chico O'Farrill, now conducts the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra in New York. He picks five jazz albums which he says changed his life.

Ellington was the most prolific jazz composer of all time, writing and performing tirelessly for more than 50 years. Many of his compositions also bear the name of composer Billy Strayhorn, his longtime collaborator and friend. Ellington's mark can be found everywhere on jazz, both past and present.

As August ends, so do the carefree days of summer. School begins, recent vacations are a fond memory and the temperature begins its slow and steady descent. Don't be sad, though: As Labor Day Weekend approaches, these songs are here to bring summer to a close on a positive note.

Mornings are hard enough to face when you're not trudging off to a world of cubicles and fluorescent lights. Just waking up presents a challenge. Try this playlist for those days when you need more than two cups of coffee just to summon the strength to walk out the door in the morning.

The summer sun is frying the concrete kingdom. Sweltering heat is parboiling millions of psyches around you. It's probably time to flee the city, but like many urbanites, you don't own a car. Book a rental and bring these five songs and crank the factory-installed stereo in your getaway car.

August is a month for moving at a relaxed pace, so it's a perfect time to seek out a tall cool one and some music to go with it. Here are five tunes to help you find the happily you're ever after.

The magic hour with Wynton Marsalis; A bit of blues from The Mountain Goats; The lo-fi world of John Vanderslice; New music from Chicago's Tortoise and more.

Inventive fingerstyle guitarist, Kaki King; The remarkable dexterity of Adrian Legg; The return of keyboardist Alice Coltrane; Weather Report saxophonist Wayne Shorter and more.

New artists like Iron and Wine; a self-professed has-been with little music ability (William Shatner); old-school artists like Brian Wilson and favorites like Wilco and Interpol ... you picked quite a list. Thanks to all participants and to all the musicians that made 2004 a great year for new music.