As someone who was raised by a cellist, music is an important part of my life. I spend countless walks and hours listening to some of my favorite bands, or falling in love with classical pieces that have stood the test of time. When I think of fall (which is obviously the best season of the year), there are distinct songs and bands that come to mind, mainly because of what I associate with this time of year.
Back in middle school, I discovered a small alt-rock radio station back home, 95.5 WBRU. It’s recently gone off the air and has switched to wireless streaming, but I still have clear memories of high school and all the songs and bands I fell in love with. I remember days full of Pearl Jam, The Strokes, and Mumford & Sons (who were just making their big break with “Little Lion Man”). Tie this in with crisp New England fall air and the soothing sounds of mellow semi-folk music, and my love of fall is heightened even more.
So here it is, the ultimate fall playlist!
Making the playlist started by simply listening to Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters & Men, and relaxing into my girlfriend’s arms as we snuggled to keep warm from the chilly air outside. I felt like it was the quintessential fall day, right down to the mellow sounds coming from Spotify. This inspired me to make my own autumn-inspired playlist for whenever I wanted that extra fallish-feeling day, or just to be brought back to good memories of sweater weather. As I clicked on related artists, I found myself being thrown back to listening to WBRU on my clock radio (with the iPod charging port, back in the days before the lightning port). Bands I hadn’t heard in years or never appreciated until now, like Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Strokes, and more, filled my head and inspired me further. I found more songs I loved by bands that I never knew the names to, like “Young Blood” by The Naked and The Fierce or “Lampshades on Fire” by Modest Mouse.
I usually create playlists with a bunch of songs by the same band and just leave it on shuffle whenever I listen to it (especially when listening on the Spotify app), but I wanted to push myself for this, and make it feel like a “real” playlist. So I put a song I felt really fit the mellow feel of sweater weather at the top (“Stay Young, Go Dancing” by Death Cab for Cutie), then mixed songs to keep the same bands spaced out, and blended the mellow and more energetic songs together (like “The Cave” by Mumford & Sons playing right before “Caring is Creepy” by The Shins) to create variety.
Here’s to fall, the best season of all, and to enjoying the music that comes with it.