4 albums perfect for the fall weather

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With the temperature dropping and the wind starting to blow, we know fall is here. For those looking to get into the fall mood, here are some music recommendations to fulfill your daily dose of fall vibes.

“Woodland” – The Paper Kites 

The Paper Kites, an Australian indie-folk band, released their first EP, “Woodland,” in 2011. 

The twinkling and soft sounds of guitars and banjo in the EP float through the air.  Whispery vocals flow toward a listener’s ear like the leaves floating in the wind are trying to tell you stories. 

The second song on the EP, “Featherstone,” starts off with a guitar strumming that is so clipped, short and precise that it sounds mechanical. 

As other instruments begin to meld into the picture, the song lifts the listener to the clouds, showing them the world of darkening leaves, flannel shirts and long walks. 

“Woodland” is perfect for fall because of its ability to pull the listener into its meditative aura, leaving them to look out at the world and marvel at the changes occurring outside.  

“Ascenseur pour l’échafaud” – Miles Davis

For something with more of a jazz influence that still feels like fall, “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud,” which translates to “Elevator to the Gallows,” by Miles Davis is a good choice.

Over the course of a night long improvisation session, this album was created to be used as the soundtrack for the movie of the same name. Davis, the famed trumpet player, played along with the movie while recording to perfectly match the mood and scenes of the movie.

This album is different from others on this list. Rather than feeling like a nice fall day, it feels like a chilled, rainy fall night. 

Clear from the opening trumpet line, Davis’ signature mild and brooding sound shines on this album. The album is perfectly set up for late-night fall listening, the cool tone matching the feeling of the fall air and Davis’ melodies lighting the path for the oncoming winter. 

For a great pairing with this album, try curling up in your warmest chair, dim the lights and read a book while sipping your favorite tea or coffee. 

“The Low End Theory” – A Tribe Called Quest

For the hip-hop inclined, I would recommend “The Low End Theory” by A Tribe Called Quest, a New York City jazz-rap quartet. The record is full of warm and upbeat tracks that make a walk in the fall sun feel like home. 

The bass line on the song “Excursions” creates a calming yet danceable beat that only amplifies when the drums kick in and Q-Tip’s, the group’s main rapper, iconic spoken-word-inspired voice jumps into the track. 

As the album goes on, all the slightly weird but cool tracks hit a high with the song “Jazz (We Got).” 

Q-Tip’s beat-making is a bright spot all throughout the album, but it truly shines on this song. Echoing snare hits and backing saxophone lines offer a minimal, yet new, idea of what hip-hop is. 

As Q-Tip said in “Excursions,” the album is “so low-key that you probably missed it.” 

“PHOX” – PHOX

On their self-titled album, PHOX, a band formerly based out of Baraboo, Wisconsin, captures the feeling of fall in a small town.

The song “1936” tells the story of Edith Ringling, the daughter of Al Ringling of Ringling Circus fame. 

PHOX is particularly apt at singing about any of the Ringlings because the band’s hometown houses the Ringling Museum. 

The band’s hometown pride is clear through the refrain, “her blood is our blood too,” referring to how much they feel the Ringlings’ influence surges through Baraboo.

This rural feeling combines with their instrumentation – a clanging banjo and 12-string guitar, an acoustic guitar and vocals by Monica Martin, the lead singer and songwriter, accompanied by backing vocals – to build the perfect small-town fall mood.