Awesome Autumn Songs To Share
Think back to those halcyon days when a pile of raked leaves was as good as a pile of gold to you. Recall the nip of cooler temperatures as you pulled down a wooly sweater over your head. Savor a pumpkin-spiced latte, the scent of cinnamon wafting. Sounds like autumn is in the air. So we made a music mix to get you in the mood for the season, featuring classics from Radiohead, Yo La Tengo and others who capture the essence of fall.
Those keyboards sound like an organ singing an ode to the approaching cold. With Ira Kaplan’s plaintive vocals and the shifting percussion of his wife, Georgia Hubley, “Autumn Sweater” soothes the burn of summer. The song is a centerpiece of 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, which is considered by many to be the New Jersey trio’s crowning achievement. Buy from Amazon »
Out of the “Jungle” and into the gilded music hall, these hair metal maestros went big for this 1991 ballad. It’s said to have been incubating in singer Axl Rose’s mind as early as 1983, when he plunked out the piano intro for fellow L.A. Guns member Tracii Guns. Years later, Rose and GNR drummer Matt Sorum found inspiration in another autumnal showstopper Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” Slash threw in some mind-blowing guitar solos and the epic gelled on Use Your Illusion I.Buy from Amazon »
Tanya Donelly and her glum chums take a turn for the gothic in this deep track off 1993’s Star. An eerie alternative to the chipper single “Feed the Tree,” this celestial number seems a song for werewolves. The forceful organ and macabre guitar – which sounds like a harpsichord – gives the slow burner a Phantom of the Opera feel. The vocalist asks listeners to “Sleep like a baby,” but we’re too creeped out to slumber soundly.Buy from Amazon »
The ivory siren is particularly alluring in this lush number. Apple plays the hearth and cocoon for her year-round lover, who is “as a water lily, gentle on the surface of his thoughts.” The lake on which he floats might be pristine on the surface, but like the chanteuse, its depths can be treacherous. Apple's honey-dripping voice welcomes the snowfall, for summer is too bright. Buy from Amazon »
A metaphor for the vulnerability of front man Rivers Cuomo, “Undone” leaves the singer naked after an antagonist tugs too hard. He can hardly collect his thoughts as he’s put on display: “I’m me, me be / God damn, I am / I can sing and / Hear me, know me.” He later feels so emotionally cold, he thinks he might die. The whoo-oohs spouted at song’s end taunt as Cuomo lies there “in Superman skivvies.” How embarrassing.Buy from Amazon »
This Glasgow collective is autumn, as far as we’re concerned. Their signature overlay of piano, glassy strings, fey vocals and bookish lyrics embodies that back-to-school spirit. In fact, Stuart Murdoch recorded Belle & Sebastian’s 1996 debut album, Tigermilk, for college credit. “We Rule the School” appeared on that release, foreshadowing a 20-year career of celebrating shyness and studiousness. Buy from Amazon »
Another selection with origins before its official release date, this quintessential mope fest evolved from a post-punk fracas created by Thom Yorke’s previous band, Headless Chickens. Radiohead members have claimed the morose lyrics aren’t about anything particular, but the solemnity of guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s bends makes “High & Dry” a fall favorite. Buy from Amazon »
Forlorn and puffing on a cigarette with “the ghost in the back of my head,”the usually whimsical Lisa Loeb gets her angst out on this Tails track. She reveres the moon as a friend and protector, rescuing her from the memories of a long-gone lad. It’s the gnarled reflection of the confectionary “Stay (I Missed You).” The light rim shots and acoustic jangle sound like a fairy procession in a dark wood.Buy from Amazon »
If the Byrds had formed in London instead of Los Angeles, they might have had the rainy-day coziness of the Field Mice. In “September’s Not So Far Away,” boy-girl vocals chime over folksy guitars, luscious cello and backward effects, repeating the song title in a hopeful chorus. The romance is heartfelt— singers Robert Wratten and Annemari Davies had dated before this 1991 number was released.Buy from Amazon »
You have to hand it to these punk-pop rascals— when they put aside their perversion, they come up with relatable, sweet anthems. This Enema of the State diamond in the rough sees Mark Hoppus drying the tears of his girlfriend as they part for university. The last days of a glorious summer fling are coming to an end, and though he might not be perfect, Hoppus vows to try to keep in touch. Young loves might separate come fall, but the memories live on through gems like this.Buy from Amazon »
Yo La Tengo - "Autumn Sweater"
Those keyboards sound like an organ singing an ode to the approaching cold. With Ira Kaplan’s plaintive vocals and the shifting percussion of his wife, Georgia Hubley, “Autumn Sweater” soothes the burn of summer. The song is a centerpiece of 1997’s I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, which is considered by many to be the New Jersey trio’s crowning achievement. Buy from Amazon »
Guns N' Roses - "November Rain"
Out of the “Jungle” and into the gilded music hall, these hair metal maestros went big for this 1991 ballad. It’s said to have been incubating in singer Axl Rose’s mind as early as 1983, when he plunked out the piano intro for fellow L.A. Guns member Tracii Guns. Years later, Rose and GNR drummer Matt Sorum found inspiration in another autumnal showstopper Elton John’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” Slash threw in some mind-blowing guitar solos and the epic gelled on Use Your Illusion I.Buy from Amazon »
Belly - "Low Red Moon"
Tanya Donelly and her glum chums take a turn for the gothic in this deep track off 1993’s Star. An eerie alternative to the chipper single “Feed the Tree,” this celestial number seems a song for werewolves. The forceful organ and macabre guitar – which sounds like a harpsichord – gives the slow burner a Phantom of the Opera feel. The vocalist asks listeners to “Sleep like a baby,” but we’re too creeped out to slumber soundly.Buy from Amazon »
Fiona Apple - "Pale September"
The ivory siren is particularly alluring in this lush number. Apple plays the hearth and cocoon for her year-round lover, who is “as a water lily, gentle on the surface of his thoughts.” The lake on which he floats might be pristine on the surface, but like the chanteuse, its depths can be treacherous. Apple's honey-dripping voice welcomes the snowfall, for summer is too bright. Buy from Amazon »
Weezer - "Undone - The Sweater Song"
A metaphor for the vulnerability of front man Rivers Cuomo, “Undone” leaves the singer naked after an antagonist tugs too hard. He can hardly collect his thoughts as he’s put on display: “I’m me, me be / God damn, I am / I can sing and / Hear me, know me.” He later feels so emotionally cold, he thinks he might die. The whoo-oohs spouted at song’s end taunt as Cuomo lies there “in Superman skivvies.” How embarrassing.Buy from Amazon »
Belle & Sebastian - "We Rule the School"
This Glasgow collective is autumn, as far as we’re concerned. Their signature overlay of piano, glassy strings, fey vocals and bookish lyrics embodies that back-to-school spirit. In fact, Stuart Murdoch recorded Belle & Sebastian’s 1996 debut album, Tigermilk, for college credit. “We Rule the School” appeared on that release, foreshadowing a 20-year career of celebrating shyness and studiousness. Buy from Amazon »
Radiohead - "High & Dry"
Another selection with origins before its official release date, this quintessential mope fest evolved from a post-punk fracas created by Thom Yorke’s previous band, Headless Chickens. Radiohead members have claimed the morose lyrics aren’t about anything particular, but the solemnity of guitarist Jonny Greenwood’s bends makes “High & Dry” a fall favorite. Buy from Amazon »
Lisa Loeb - "Do You Sleep?"
Forlorn and puffing on a cigarette with “the ghost in the back of my head,”the usually whimsical Lisa Loeb gets her angst out on this Tails track. She reveres the moon as a friend and protector, rescuing her from the memories of a long-gone lad. It’s the gnarled reflection of the confectionary “Stay (I Missed You).” The light rim shots and acoustic jangle sound like a fairy procession in a dark wood.Buy from Amazon »
The Field Mice - "September's Not So Far Away"
If the Byrds had formed in London instead of Los Angeles, they might have had the rainy-day coziness of the Field Mice. In “September’s Not So Far Away,” boy-girl vocals chime over folksy guitars, luscious cello and backward effects, repeating the song title in a hopeful chorus. The romance is heartfelt— singers Robert Wratten and Annemari Davies had dated before this 1991 number was released.Buy from Amazon »
Blink-182 - "Going Away to College"
You have to hand it to these punk-pop rascals— when they put aside their perversion, they come up with relatable, sweet anthems. This Enema of the State diamond in the rough sees Mark Hoppus drying the tears of his girlfriend as they part for university. The last days of a glorious summer fling are coming to an end, and though he might not be perfect, Hoppus vows to try to keep in touch. Young loves might separate come fall, but the memories live on through gems like this.Buy from Amazon »
Aural Autumn Delights
We made a Spotify mix of the above list. Click on the link to listen to Autumn Is Nigh.
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