Joystick Jams: 10 Deep Cuts for Long Days and Clean Grades

You hope there’s a point in each shift where everything clicks. The bucket hits grade. The truck pulls in at the right time. The joysticks move because of your psychic connection. That’s rhythm. I used to chase it in music. I spent 10 years writing about music for publications under the Village Voice and New Times umbrella, interviewing folks like Built to Spill, Jimmy Eat World, John Oates, and The Church. That life taught me how songs can lock you in and carry you forward. Turns out, operators and machines work in the same way. The right music can propel almost anyone at work.

I have found that this particular playlist below can help machine heads find their groove faster. These are high-velocity tracks fueled by machine gun beats, guitar static, and anthemic choruses. It’s a mix of deep cuts that I hope you’ve never heard before — funk, punk, indie rock, hip hop, and a little darkness. This setlist should help keep your focus sharp and your pace steady. Find the full playlist on our YouTube page and groove to it in the cab. 

How to use this playlist in the cab

• Music can help you focus, but don’t let it mess with safety. 
• Keep volume moderate, not max
• Never let loud music block your situational awareness
• Don’t wear earbuds or headphones
• Follow company rules on jobsite audio

Kick things off with serious funk

1. Masterpiece — Clarence Reid

This is one of the funkiest tracks ever recorded. It’s the perfect opener when you’re about to build something from scratch. Great for easing into the day while you line up the first passes to your project masterpiece. Also, check out Reid’s hilarious alter ego Blowfly.

Face-melting riff for trenching

2. Every 1’s a Winner — Ty Segall

This is an insane cover of the 1978 Hot Chocolate track. That guitar riff hits like a trencher chain biting dirt. It’s loud, fast, and chaotic in the best way. Perfect when you’re cutting ground and everyone on site needs to keep up.

Indie grind for long focus

3. Not This Time, Devil — mr. Gnome

This is Cleveland noise rock that refuses to let you drift. This track always locks my brain into the task at hand. I figure this cut should be good for long, detail-heavy work where mistakes cost time. Think grade jobs, tiltrotator work, or operating that 14-level motor grader.  

Diesel punk energy

4. Tight Pants — Iggy and the Stooges

That guitar chugs like a six-cylinder under load. Throw this on when you need attitude and steady throttle through repetitive cycles. It’s raw, loud, and perfect for keeping your foot down and your pace consistent.

Adrenaline for tough days

5. Gift Horse — Idles

Idles produce pure energy. You could plug this band directly into your diesel power plant. Use it to power through tough material and tight deadlines. That line: “Cause he moves like a generator. He puts the foot down and see you later.”

Groove for, well, backing up

6. Easy Back It Up — Styles of Beyond

I love this underground hip hop group from the San Fernando Valley. This single is perfect for backing up loaders, backhoes, or skid steers with control. Keep your timing sharp and, yeah, easy back it up.

The ultimate shape-making anthem

7. Shapes — The Long Winters

This is my son’s favorite song right now. It hits a sweet spot between fun and focus. It’s great for grading, shaping, and dialing in the final look of a site. I guarantee you will be singing along by the second chorus. 

Reset and return

8. Comeback Kid — Sharon Van Etten

This track feels like showing up the next day ready to finish the job. Good for morning starts when you need clarity and momentum. Those otherworldly laser sounds make it feel like you’re operating some Weyland-Yutani power loader. 

All-day energy driver

9. Use It — The New Pornographers

Pure forward motion. This song is one of my favorite pump-up songs of all time (along with NIN’s “Wish”). Flip this on repeat and you can run for hours without burnout. Ideal for long production days and consistent wins. 

Dark edge for digging deep

10. Digsaw — The Wytches

I like to get weird with it on the last song. Creepy guitars and strange vocals give this Wytches rip a gritty edge. It feels like working a rough site with unpredictable material. Great for staying sharp when conditions get unusual.