By Mia Cestra
Photo: Natalie Yan
October is officially ending, but autumn is not! With how short of a season it is, it’s important we all stay in the fall spirit for a few more weeks. Or… the fall SPIRITS. Haha, ghost jokes. To keep yourself in the autumnal mood, I’d love to introduce you to some of my absolute favorite music for this time of year! This is mainly for my fellow indie fans, but I personally believe these picks should be in everyone’s fall rotation. Lots of these are classic choices, so if you don’t already know them, it’s that time of year to become familiar! I couldn’t pick just one… or five… or 10… so here are 20 of my top October songs! Guaranteed to make you feel like you’re a mysterious traveler wandering through a forest, leaves crunching underfoot, and the crisp air wrapping around you like a cozy blanket. Here’s my list:
“Insomniac” – Memo Boy, Chakra Efendi
“Insomniac” is a hauntingly atmospheric track that captures the restless emotions of sleepless nights and craving affection. Its ethereal melodies and echoey lyrics make it the perfect song to throw on while doing homework.
“1980s Horror Film II” – Wallows
“1980s Horror Film II” combines catchy hooks with a nostalgic 80s-sounding track, evoking the perfect essence of a classic horror movie night with a crush. After outlining the events of what the singer believes to be a romantic interaction, the song ends with a twist: “I tried to make her mine / But then she said / ‘I’m really not that into guys.’”
“1979 - Remastered 2012” – The Smashing Pumpkins
The lyrics in “1979 - Remastered 2012” really scratch my brain. The imagery of “We don’t know just / Where our bones will rest, “Hung down with the freaks and ghouls” and “Headlights pointed at the dawn” is beautiful and eerie all at once, although this is another track that I typically put on solely for the background ambiance.
“Linger” – The Cranberries
“Linger” is the perfect warm autumn “Gilmore Girls” vibe. The vocals and instrumentals are soft and calming – great for a stroll through College Green with all of the fall leaves coating the ground. The band sings about being in love and all of its ups and downs.
“These Days” – Nico
“These Days” always reminds me of the way watching Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox makes me feel. This is another song with warm vocals and instrumentals, though the lyrics reflect the feeling of living a painfully average life with little ambition or motivation: “I had a lover / I don’t think I’ll risk another these days,” “I’ve stopped my dreaming / I won’t do too much scheming these days.”
“There She Goes” – The La’s
Now THIS is THE “Gilmore Girls” song, or so I’ve been told. There is something so inherently autumn about this song and I can’t quite put my finger on why. Something about the melody and instruments gives a sense of fleeting beauty and the beginning of change.
“Apple Cider” – beabadoobee
Alright, this one’s a little on the nose. I mean, the song is called “Apple Cider.” But there is something so similar about all of the instrumentals in these tracks. There has to be some kind of research into how playing the guitar just right undeniably gives fall energy… right??
“Steeeam” – Shelly
I think another common theme in some of these for me is that a lot of the lyrics are totally indecipherable unless you’re following along reading them. After actually looking at these lyrics, it’s even more of a beautiful song: “I’m staring at walls / I swear on my life that paint dries quicker than this / I’ve waited my whole life for someone like you to come by.”
“warm glow” – Hippo Campus
While we’re on the subject of beautiful lyrics, this song is FULL of them. Check out this imagery: “Leaky churches/Honey-burned tobacco leaves,” “Some wave-swept gold drips from your mouth / The hazel hounds move south to meet you here,” “Warm glow morning soaked in pastel tea/Soulful, soulful kids stamped to the concrete.” WOW, am I right?? If you’re looking for a song that will put your imagination directly into an autumnal landscape, this is it.
“Meet Me in the Woods” – Lord Huron
“Meet Me in the Woods” is quite folky, in a wandering-through-the-trees-with-ghosts-tailing-you kind of way. In the same breath, it’s energetic and upbeat, even with lyrics like: “I have seen what the darkness does” and “I can bring your fears to life.” Spoooooky.
“Cigarettes out the Window” – TV Girl
Right off the bat, this song is eerie. Those instrumentals and echoes at the beginning really do the trick of setting the mood for this song. My favorite part is the exchange at the end as a woman repeats: “We’ll find moonlit nights strangely empty / Because when you call my name through them / There will be no answer.”
“we fell in love in october” – girl in red
Ahh, the subject of the next concert I’m going to! This song has been popular for a while but it’s a goodie. I love the imagery of sitting on a roof looking at the stars. I can practically feel the cold air when this song plays, despite its heartwarming subject.
“Halloween” – Novo Amor
By now I’m sure you’ve also picked up a pattern between a lot of these picks. I hope I’m curating a great fall vibe for you. After all, that is the goal of this blog. I think we can all relate to this lyric right now: “I made a bet that I’d forget my name by the age of 28 / I can barely stay awake.” It’s a very sleepy time of year, and I love when the music I’m listening to reflects that coziness (except when I’m trying to be productive!).
“The Perfect Girl” – Mareux
“The Perfect Girl” has such a haunting allure. Like other songs on this list, the vocals are quite echoey and dreary. It’s definitely more of a dark autumn song versus the “warmness” of earlier tracks.
“Duvet” – bôa
Speaking of warmer instrumentals and vocals, “Duvet”! The lyrics are pretty depressing if you decide to pay attention, as the song talks a lot about losing everything and starting over. Sad, but a great sentiment for the fall season. The warm melody balances out the vibe of the song nicely.
“Big Black Car” – Gregory Alan Isakov
I absolutely love this pick. Once again, beautiful imagery. I would’ve never thought to compare someone I love to a phonograph before listening to this song for the first time, but here we are. This is on the calming folky side, with enchanting lyrics – similar to my analysis of “warm glow.”
“About You” - The 1975
I’ve debated with a friend over whether this is an autumn song or a winter song, but this is my blog so I’ve declared “About You” to be a fall song. Something about that background music just gives falling leaves and a period of transition and longing. I could see the argument for winter though! Let’s meet in the middle and call this an end of fall song.
“Head Over Heels” - Tears For Fears
Classic, I know. But come on. The thought of this coming on in a little thrift store in a small town during autumn just totally makes sense. Super profound lyrics too, including, “La-la-la-la-la-la, la la la la la, la la la la" x 5. That was a joke, I hope you laughed.
“Mary On A Cross” – Ghost
I was a freshman at this school in the fall of 2022, which I know is the fall everyone associates this song with. That couldn’t be more accurate. You know those songs that completely transport you back in time? Yeah. This song makes me feel like I’m living in Ryors again and eating dinner in the Boyd dining hall every night. Not the most charming memories, but an amazing song that carried me through those first few months nonetheless.
“Rosyln” – Bon Iver, St. Vincent
Had to end this list off with the iconic “Twilight” song! Who doesn’t want to feel like they’re in dreary, rainy, blue-tinted Forks, Washington, at this time of year??? Even though I’m being sarcastic, that place really is on my bucket list. The echoey vocals never seem to cease on this list!
If you’ve made it this far, I’ll do you one better than telling you about the songs! This is my favorite time of year and I’m in a good mood. So enjoy both a Spotify playlist and an Apple Music playlist (because I don’t discriminate… even though I do have an opinion on this subject) of this list! Yes, I’m that confident. Now you have seasonally appropriate music to walk to class with!
I hope you enjoy these picks (and maybe my commentary too)! If you already know all of these songs, you’re on a roll and I love your taste. You’ve got it all down. If I introduced you to something new that you really like, let me know. It’ll boost my ego >:)
コメント