As the leaves turn to warmer colors and the air gets crisp and cool, the WAMH DJs present to you our favorite fall tunes! Listen to these walking around campus, drinking tea, and watching the Western, MA leaves change. Keep reading to see what the DJs have to say and find an extended Spotify playlist of all their picks.
Matthew Ezersky, The EZ Hour(s): “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas and the Papas
All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey! One of the most iconic opening lines of any song. The change of seasons sometimes makes me long to be in a hot, sunny place like LA. Give this song a listen and it’ll stay in your rotation.
Olive Amdur, Ladies of the Canon: “Autumn Sweater” by Yo La Tengo
I saw Yo La Tengo a few weeks ago in Holyoke, when the weather had just cooled enough for me to wear an autumn sweater to and from the venue. They didn’t play the song, but I’ve listened to it enough over the past few months it didn’t matter. It’s a romantic song, a sad song, a song that makes me think of gray skies, cool air, and the movement of time. Fall fills me with nostalgia, always and in strange ways; this song is what I listen to to hold it.
Chris Tun, Sound Salvation: “Mansard Roof” by Vampire Weekend
I love this song with all my heart. The debut album for Vampire Weekend has remained a constant throughout my life since I was a child. I think it’s the perfect album to walk around campus to, and this song is one of the best from it
Lucas Bernstein, Sound Salvation: “The Village Green Preservation Society” by The Kinks
The Kinks were known for “inventing” hard rock, but some of their best work is pretty, piano-driven pop. This song may have come out over 50 years ago, but the feeling it evokes is timeless. It’s quaint, crisp, and bright — everything fall should be.
Nii-Ayi Aryeetey, The Car Wash: “Never Meant” by American Football
I associate Midwest emo with fall–especially the twinkly, soft, dream pop-like songs–and “Never Meant” is arguably the most famous. Despite its ubiquity, it remains one of my favorite songs of all time, and it hits especially hard during the fall.
Langston Price, The Broken Tongue: “Honey” by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
It’s a lower-key and calming song with some nice microtones. It sounds like how I feel when the leaves change colors. It’s got a nice beat and very descriptive lyrics that make me think of fall.
Helen Feibes, And She Was: “Sleeping Lessons” by The Shins
The feeling of cold air building in your chest…
Sam Spratford, Foley Sounds: “Ghost” by Neutral Milk Hotel & “We Are Nowhere and It’s Now” by Bright Eyes
These songs are both melancholy and hopeful, a strangely comforting mix of emotions characteristic of fall. Both based around the acoustic guitar and raw vocals, they’re perfect for a solipsistic walk under a hypnotizingly grey sky.
Milo Leahy-Miller, Foley Sounds: “November has Come” by Gorillaz & “Peacebone” by Animal Collective
It’s all in the title for Gorillaz. For Animal Collective, I find the melody to be very cool, while the accompaniment is very warm, making for a great fall afternoon of crisp walks and warm blankets.
Abner and Maggie, Dreaming Histories: “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift, “Space Song” by Beach House, & “Amoeba” by Clairo
“All Too Well” is very red and orange, like the leaves
“Space Song” is crisp, cold, and empty like an autumn evening
“Amoeba” is the change of foliage’s color
Maya, Chew On This!: “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift
Aside from the obvious references to autumn weather in the lyrics, this song perfectly captures the feelings of longing and nostalgia that I associate with fall time!
Sara, The Peanut Gallery: “The Fight is Over” from Over the Garden Wall & “Guinnevere” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
Over the Garden Wall is my favorite piece of fall media, with a wonderful sense of what makes Halloween so fun: spooky but silly, and this song has a nice teenage feel to it. “Guinnevere” is slow and pining, and I love Arthuriana so I can’t help but love it. I’ve liked it since I was young, and it always finds its way back into my playlists come fall.
Robert Bischoff, Route 9 Revisited: “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin & “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by The Vince Guaraldi Trio
“Ramble On” just feels like the best part of autumn to me. The instrumental and lyrics make me feel like anything can happen, plus the bass line is fantastic. “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” is such a nostalgic song, it really reminds me of trick or treating and watching Charlie Brown on Halloween when I was a kid.
Talia Bode Ward, It Bodes Well: “Troy” by Sinead O’Connor
This song is just such a beautiful story! I listen to it everyday when I walk to class.
Holden Orias, Southpaw Soundbites: “Year of the Cat” by Al Stewart
When a track can successfully integrate solos by violin, saxophone, electric guitar, and acoustic guitar, it tends to catch my attention. The eclectic mix of instruments, along with Stewart’s folksy and plaintive vocals, induces the proper mixture of nostalgia and regret that defines autumn.
Quinn Nelson, Of Note: “Something on Your Mind” by Karen Dalton, “Our Way to Fall” by Yo La Tengo, & “I Must Be in a Good Place Now” by Bobby Charles
Sarah Weiner, Eye Funk: “New Auburn” by Big Red Machine (feat. Anaïs Mitchell) & “Chapstick” by Coin
Kamille Smith, Triple G: “I’d Like To Walk Around In Your Mind” by Vashti Bunyan
Listen to the full playlist on Spotify!