Posted By Amanda Lee on October 13, 2009

I’m in complete agreement with Ben, Hilly, and Andrea—autumn is my favorite season. I’m not a huge fan of extreme temperatures, so summer and winter don’t sit well with me, and spring is too wishy-washy to really have an identity of its own—too much focus on the warmth to come, even though everything’s still covered in slush and you can’t go outside without a coat if you want to avoid freezing.

Fall, though, inspires me. It’s always been the time when I try new things and aim for new goals in anticipation of working away while the rest of the world is frozen around me all winter. So even though I routinely spend my summers in hardcore work-avoidance mode, I get back down to brass tacks every year around this time. For me, then, an autumn playlist is about Getting Shit Done, but simultaneously enjoying the sensory awesomeness of blazing sun, chilly wind, crunchy leaves, sweet-and-spicy teas and ciders, soft fuzzy coats, and warm kisses. Hello, autumn; it’s been far too long.

Yo La Tengo,” Little Eyes”. My very favorite track from one of my very favorite summer albums—in fact, one of the first rock and roll albums I ever discovered on my own. Listening to this is like looking at a photograph from your dad’s fifth birthday party; the colors are faded and fuzzy, but the initial joy is still palpable. This is how I’m desperately grasping at the last stitches of warm weather before I’m freezing all the time—by keeping some of my best summer music on rotation. And while it’s just barely windy and the sky hasn’t yet gone permanently grey, this sounds just about right to me.

Badly Drawn Boy, “Cause a Rockslide.” Upbeat and rhythmic through the haze of muted percussion and falsetto in unison with a barely-tuned piano, the melody echoing after the song itself ends in a somberer rendition on what might actually be a calliope [if anyone can do it, Badly Drawn Boy can]. This song soundtracked an entire rainy weekend’s worth of CTA rides when I visited Chicago a few autumns ago.

The Album Leaf, “Broken Arrow.” Blips and beeps over a piano/synth/string melody that seems to have been written specifically to soundtrack the kind of makeouts that only happen when all your friends have left the bar except for her, you’ve both forgotten your coats, and she’s too drunk to drive, but your place is right around the corner.

Guillemots, “Made-up Lovesong #43.” Epic, densely orchestral, but melancholic, filled with self-doubt, just like you are when you crush out on someone. And for me, crushing out happens all the time [I make no apologies for that, damn it], but it’s best in the fall—all the sensory experiences just enhance the sensory experience of falling for a person. Drinking cider together. Flinging fallen leaves at one another, and then posing for pictures. Cuddling in shared blankets. Upon seeing that it’s a rainy, grey day, hitting snooze and then drinking coffee in bed. For me, this song mimics it all.

Four Tet, “She Moves She.” This is what it sounds like to Get Shit Done, for me. Rhythmic samples and glitches laid over a pizzicato string melody provide the perfect background for buckling down and making plans for what you know you need to do to have a decent winter.

The Wrens, “Everyone Chooses Sides.” What I dislike most about fall is the family holidays that come along with it. I haven’t had a good one at home since around 2002, and I don’t deal well with the pressure of spending holidays with friends’ [or boyfriends' or girlfriends'] families. Thankfully, the Wrens have me covered with some energetic, guitar-driven pop music that, should I choose to go home for Thanksgiving holidays, could undoubtedly soundtrack my all-too-brief and all-too-frequent trips outside, my means of escape.

Related posts:

1. Autumn Mixtapes

Categories: Mixtape
Tags: Badly Drawn Boy, Yo La Tengo