Soundtrack For My Falls

We just got some chilly weather out of nowhere, like yoga pants, tees, and hoodies kind of weather.  The kind of chilly, I don’t want to do anything but lay under the covers and maybe read with some tea weather, or more likely, the forget everything-let’s just cuddle kind of weather.  I really like snuggle weather, lazy rainy days that give me an excuse to stay in bed and bum around all day, but I hate the cold and I’m not looking forward to it being around the corner.  However, this random fall-feeling day was a nice break from the so hot all you can do is lay there and sweat while eating ice and fading in and out of consciousness due to heat exhaustion type days we’ve been having.  For a second when I walked outside I almost thought I was excited for fall, like maybe fall coming up won’t be so bad.  It is ironically my favorite season, because I love the colors and I love sweaters and layering, and most of all I love Thanksgiving.  But I always get a little sad as summer ends and the cold days approach because… I just hate it, I just hate being cold. That’s really it.

Anyway, since it felt so autumn-y, my brain went into harvest mode, which means I got nostalgic for some songs that have made up basically a soundtrack for the fall for me over the years. Pretty much anything by Neil Young and Tom Petty is a given, so I won't even get into them. I’ve talked to friends about this before, and pretty much every one of them has said I’m weird for it, but for some reason there’s just this specific music that I only really listen to in the fall.  It started back a LONG time ago with the Ataris’ album So Long Astoria.  Literally if there were a soundtrack to my fall, it would be that entire album, but also with some other tunes mixed in.    

Sticking with the Ataris, this is one song that always pops back to visit my ears when the leaves turn yellow.

I think what sticks out to me the most from this song, and the reason I associate it with fall, is the line "I've saved the tickets from the shows that we've been to, and a thousand other memories of you." It just complements those nostalgic feelings I get around that time of year. Another song to check out would be their cover of "I Remember You," by Skid Row. (And definitely the original along with it).  

Dashboard has also provided a lot of listening pleasure for me in the fall. I know we all grew apart from Dashboard Confessional in middle school, but I still come back to this music because it's so dreamy and uncomplicated. I think this song is beautiful and it is the kind of thing I could listen to on repeat when I'm trying to take a nap without going insane, which makes it perfect for fall.

So if there were a runner-up album that could entirely make up my fall soundtrack, it would be Howie Day's Stop All The World Now.  Seriously every song on that album is so chilly/cuddly to me.  Yes, he's the guy who sang "Collide," and I know you're all questioning whether you want to risk being caught listening to his entire album... But until you give him a chance, you have no idea. His sound on this album is haunting and feels packed with memories and experiences.  Although I love all of them, my favorites are probably "She Says," "You & A Promise," and "I'll Take You On." I love his previous albums as well, but I haven't listened to anything after Stop All The World Now.  Give "Perfect Time of Day" a listen; for me, this one speaks fall.

This next song is one I listened to just after getting back from Guatemala the first time. The words in the song don't apply to my experience in Guate at all, but I listened to this all throughout that fall and remembered all the things I loved about being there. So this song always brings back a lot of memories for me.

I can't explain it, but Weezer is typically another fall-exclusive band for me. I mean, I love Weezer anytime of year, but especially in the fall. I love this song for singing along to and it just reminds me of late, angsty, chilly nights. This is the kind of thing I listened to on crisp nights after a football game, still sitting around in the stuff I wore under my marching band uniform or when I'd just stay up all night listening to the same things over and over. "Somebody Told Me," by the Killers is another one of those types of songs, but I won't list a video because if you're reading this, you're probably a friend of mine and should probably love the Killers already. 

I never got into TBS as much as I'd hoped to or as much as everyone I knew seemed to, but this song was on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack, which I listened to constantly and associate a lot with fall for whatever reason. This song in particular sticks out for me in the fall season.  

Old school Switchfoot is very fall sounding and always seems to fit in with my music mood at that time. 

The next few I am going to lump together because they are all similar in my mind, but I won't post the videos for all of these because this is getting ridiculous and I know it. First off, we all know Augustana for "Boston," which was great while it lasted but got old fast. I came across "Sweet and Low" by them later on, and I think it's just a sweet tune that is reminiscent of my feelings for fall because it is very acoustic and very emotional. Likewise, I would add "Look After You," by the Fray, which is the only song by them that has not grown old for me, simply because I will not allow it and only listen to it during one time of year.  It always reminds me of my old crush on that guy from Little People, Big World... Yeah, that one. And last for this lump, Yellowcard's "Empty Apartment."  I know you thought I would pick "October Nights," but that is too perfect. (Okay, I do also pick that one for this soundtrack list...) 

To finish this thing off, I've gotta say, my fall season would be nothing without the White Stripes. An internet chat friend from so long ago that I feel like I might have only dreamed that this happened, first introduced me to the White Stripes in fall of like... 2003 maybe. And this would be homage to him since he completely changed my taste in music before I lost touch with him. The song that has always stuck with me most is actually a Dolly Parton cover, White Stripes', "Jolene." Thanks, "Dylon K" from Arizona/Colorado?..