Mixtape Madness: First Day of Fall Mix

September 23 is the first day of fall, and as we move to a new season, we change our wardrobe to more earth tones, and our stereos to more earthy songs.

The Cure – “The Last Day of Summer”

The Cure often get a bad wrap for being a bunch of mopey bastards. They aren’t: they’ve penned some of the most blissfully upbeat pop songs of all time. That being said, this song definitely falls into the stereotype. But who cares? When the band released “Bloodflowers” in 2000 as the third part of their never aforementioned Trilogy, critics were quick to slam it for the mere audacity of comparing it to “Disintegration.” While the album as a whole doesn’t come close to that record’s monolithic brilliance, “The Last Day of Summer” fits the bill perfectly, sounding as if it could have been “Homesick”‘s understudy.

Radiohead – “Scatterbrain”

Upon “Hail to the Thief”‘s 2003 release, all of the tracks were given silly subtitles. Leaked three months early, at a time when this was a much bigger deal than it is now, most fans heard “Scatterbrain” before the alternate title, “As Dead as Leaves” was known, but the song’s slow, autumnal walk through the woods sound was clearly audible without any scripted direction.

The Kinks – “Autumn Almanac”

Picking up the pace a little is the Kinks’ classic 1967 single, “Autumn Almanac.” An upbeat tune that well complemented their recent album, “Something Else by The Kinks,” it further showcased their shift away from blues based garage rock, to their well known English custom style.

Big Star – “September Gurls”

Possibly Big Star’s finest moment, “September Gurls” jumps off “Radio City,” and into every 90′s alternative pop rocker’s handbook for how to write a song. Covered famously by the Bangles in 1986, the song was recently given a fantastic run through by the Dum Dum Girls on the AV Club’s Undercover series.

Polaris – “Waiting For October”

Here at Death and Taxes, we have a soft spot for Mark Mulcahy, as songs by him have made it onto Mixtape Madness and other playlist features we’ve done in the past. The guy kind of needs it; his work remains mostly unknown, yet his songs have been widely influential to so many musicians that have made us happy over the years such as Thom Yorke, Michael Stipe, and Dinosaur Jr, all of whom have covered his songs on “Ciao My Shining Star,” a recent tribute album to the songwriter. “Waiting for October” is from the soundtrack to the show “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” which featured an altered version of Mulcahy’s band Miracle Legion, named Polaris, that contributed several songs to the show’s three seasons.

Yo La Tengo – “Autumn Sweater”

“Autumn Sweater” may be the only song to make it onto “Mixtape Madness” two weeks in a row. Regardless of the replay, the excellence of the song can’t be denied, and its fuzzy organ groove can’t help but pop into our heads when pulling the sweater over our ears for the first time of the season.

Chad & Jeremy – “A Summer Song”

Don’t let the title fool you, “A Summer Song” is fall through and through. The verses reflect on summer’s glory, but the mood and lyrical direction are dead set in the recess of the autumn, with the sweeping strings evoking the briskness of the season, while the lyrics move to accepting the change from summer to fall.

The White Stripes – “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground”

When the White Stripes blew up in 2002 with the “Fell In Love with a Girl” video, it wasn’t immediately apparent that they had much more than the novelty of the Art Lego video. About ten seconds after pressing play on my newly bought copy of “White Blood Cells,” my concerns were quelled as “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” smashed through my speakers. Little did I know at the time that these two had already proved themselves twice over with a pair of solid preceding albums.

Modest Mouse – “Autumn Beds”

One should always enter a new season with a caliber of optimism, which this song captures beautifully. “Autumn Beds” was one of a handful of 7″ singles Modest Mouse released in 2009 that were later compiled on the EP, “No One’s First and You’re Next.” “Autumn Beds” will hopefully not be Johnny Marr’s swan song with the band (he plays bass on the track), as his work with the Cribs may have unofficially indicated a departure from Modest Mouse.

U2 – “October”

A solemn song from U2′s second album, the song is carried completely by a melancholic piano part played by the Edge, with Bono only coming in during the last quarter for a short verse. An underrated album for sure, “October” was a transitional record for the band as they moved on to a harder, arena-ready sound on “War.”

The Flaming Lips – “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion”

Getting back to optimism in the fall, this Flaming Lips track from “At War With the Mystics,” acts as a metaphor for those who don’t run away from their problems, describing the story of one bird who didn’t fly south for the winter, and subsequently gave hope to those feeling trapped by the shorter days and colder weather. It’s a little hamfisted, and kind of what you come to expect from Wayne Coyne in the band’s later days, but it’s a sweat song, with a pulverizing bass guitar solo in its climax.

Hope this has gotten you well prepared for the changing of the guard. Now zip up the hoodie and grab a pumpkin spice latte.