Dead Leaves
When the weather doesn't cooperate with what I think it should be doing, I make a seasonal mix to make up for the lack of temperature change. This is why I'll likely post a summer mix in April. Considering that it is now October, this mix is actually a bit late for me.
1. "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" by the White Stripes
Starting off with an obvious choice here. This song, even without the title, has an autumnal vibe that sets the tone for all to follow.
2. "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" by the Ramones
This is another one from the Discover Weekly playlist on Spotify. This follows the High Fidelity rule of a strong open and kicking it up a notch for track two, so naturally...
3. "Let's Do It Again" by the Staple Singers
...we take it down a notch. One very groovy notch. I can't get enough of this song right now.
4. "Back Pocket" by Vulfpeck
Obviously I enjoy the one-two punch of this and the previous track as they've been on both mixes so far. It just works.
5. "Back It Up" by Caro Emerald
This song radiates cool. The vibes, the horns, her voice, they all come together so well. This is what I want when I sit down with a drink at a jazz club.
6. "The Jackal" by Ronny Jordan
Another jazzy tune, but of course with this one you picture Allison Janney lip-synching in a dimly lit office. If this isn't the picture in your head, stop everything and go watch The West Wing.
7. "I'm On Fire" by AWOLNATION
Such a good cover! Definitely keeps with the slowed down vibe and leads perfectly into the next song.
8. "Ends of the Earth" by Lord Huron
Lord Huron has been growing on me since I saw them at XPoNential last year. With the way this song starts, it felt like the best follow up to the outro of the last track.
9. "From Eden" by Hozier
This guy's voice is like buttah. I have yet to hear a Hozier song that I did not enjoy, but this one stands above the rest as my favorite. It picks the tempo up a bit from the last several tracks, but not so much that it's jarring.
10. "Caravan" by Van Morrison
While my favorite version of this song comes from The Last Waltz, I first discovered it thanks to The West Wing. It has since become one of my favorite songs, and you can always count on Van the Man for a good autumnal tune. The guy's voice sounds like leaves turning orange.
11. "Fiya Wata" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
After a slight upping of the tempo, we start to cool off again here. Check out Big Easy Express for the best version of this song. Check it out for the best versions of many songs. Just check it out, it's amazing.
12. "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
I forget how I stumbled upon Blitzen Trapper a few years back, but I'm sure glad I did. I originally had planned on including "Wild Mountain Nation," but then I heard this gorgeous song that fits the vibe much better.
13. "Ophelia" by the Lumineers
This is a fairly folksy fall mix, isn't it? I originally didn't have this song on the mix, but it serves as the perfect bridge between tracks 12 and 14.
14. "Go Outside" by Cults
This song steers away from the folksy vibe of the last several songs and picks the tempo back up as we move along to the live tracks at the end of the mix.
15. "Good Souls" by Starsailor
I first heard this song on a Y100 Sonic Sessions CD when I was in high school. I have never heard Starsailor on the radio or anywhere else since, but this song stuck with me.
16. "My Neck, My Back" by Elle King
"If you don't want to hear a filthy song, get the fuck out, please!" Elle King was fantastic live, I only wish she covered this when I saw her this summer.
17. "The Old Apartment" by Barenaked Ladies
The vibe in this song always makes me think of fall. It gives you the sense that something is ending, and that there is an adjustment to change to work through.
18. "I Shall Be Released" by Grace Potter
I love cover songs. I particularly enjoy when an artist takes a well-known song and makes it their own. This cover is simply fantastic.
19. "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen
The closing credits of my life will be accompanied musically by the sax solo at the end of this song.