Fall 2020 Playlist: Annotated
It’s finally cooled down in Chicago, which means that it’s time, once again, for a Fall Playlist. It was hard to corral this one into an effective order; the songs range from sprawling electronic melodies to quiet folk tunes.
1) “Turntables,” Janelle Monáe - Well, for one thing, I can never resist new Janelle Monáe. But it’s also a very hopeful song, and I think we could all use a bit of that right now, especially before the election.
2) “Year of the Tiger,” St. Vincent - Who doesn’t have nostalgia for 2011 from time to time? It was a good year for me—fresh out of college, learning how to put together a life of my own. I’ve always liked this song—it’s soft and driving at the same time.
3) “umbrellar,” Dua Saleh - I stumbled across Dua Saleh in a Spotify playlist, can’t remember which one. This song is so strange. It sounds like an 80s song while also sounding infinitely more modern.
4) “Lamentations,” Sufjan Stevens - I saw a Tweet recently that said something like “New Sufjan Stevens? English majors assemble!” and I felt very attacked. His new album The Ascension reminds me a lot of his 2010 album The Age of Adz. This song felt the most autumnal to me.
5) “Jason,” Perfume Genius - What if 60s songs were super queer? Perfume Genius answers that question for us with “Jason.”
6) “The Wounded Wheel,” Nire Nah - A song from a local Chicago artist that truly captures the spirit of our times. I mean, come on: “I wonder if one day we'll have any money / We laugh 'cause we have to, but one day / We'll laugh 'cause it's funny.” Too real. Also, I went to the release show for this album right before lockdown started, so it makes me pine for the before times.
7) “Featherweight,” Fleet Foxes - I’m not going to lie: I don’t like Fleet Foxes’ new album as much as I wanted to. Just make albums that sound indistinguishable from 1960s folk albums! None of these modern, clean production levels! At any rate, this song sounded the most like a 60s folk song.
8) “mad woman,” Taylor Swift - Normally I am not at all a T-Swift fan. But people kept raving about her newest album, so I gave it a chance. I still wasn’t a huge fan, but this song has a beautiful melody. Some of the lyrics are way too heavy-handed, but I’ll choose to ignore that for the sake of a good playlist.
9) “The Garden,” Papooz - I was listening to a Spotify playlist of French bands, and I liked this one because it sounded like it should be on the soundtrack of an old James Bond film.
10) “Cola,” Arlo Parks - I found this song in Florence Pugh’s Instagram stories? Which is apparently a place I find songs now? She seems to have excellent taste. Anyway, this song is fantastic. Keeping an eye on Arlo Parks now for sure.
11) “Que la nuit,” Juniore - Another French band with vintage flair. It’s an aesthetic I enjoy. Just dress me up like Catherine Deneuve and get me a cigarette even though I don’t smoke.
12) “I Shall Know Him,” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Marie Knight & the Jimmy Roots Trio - This song sounds like you found a little run-down church in the middle of the woods somewhere in the middle of the night and also it’s the 1940s—perfect for fall.
13) “Odio,” iLe - I was listening to a Spotify playlist of Latinx bands, and I liked this one because it sounded like I was watching a bonfire go out of control.
14) “Oops…!,” Sad13 - A late addition to the playlist, I saw this artist mentioned somewhere on Twitter—turns out it’s the solo project of Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz. I like it! Sounds a little bit like it could be on the soundtrack of a 90s teen movie, which is very much my jam.
15) “Cosmonauts,” Fiona Apple - Is Fetch the Bolt Cutters the defining album of 2020? Probably. This song is simultaneously ethereal and totally grounded.
16) “Paper Thin,” Lianne La Havas - I genuinely don’t remember how I found this song. It’s wonderfully peaceful, though. Put it on and imagine you’re at your favorite coffee shop, sweater sleeves pulled down over your hands, sipping from a mug of tea.
17) “Hotcha Girls,” Ugly Casanova - Shoutout to my sister Molly for reminding me that this 18-year-old song (!!) exists. Taking it all the way back to high school.
18) “The Archer,” Alexandra Savior - This was on one of my Spotify Discover Weekly playlists—their algorithm never fails. A good song for a rainy day.
19) “Hot Car in the Sun,” Bright Eyes - Speaking of high school—Bright Eyes put out a new album! I picked this song because it’s the most like a classic Bright Eyes song. Seasonal depression chic. (I don’t say that lightly—my seasonal depression has been terrible the past few years. Sometimes it helps to have music that matches.)
20) “You Don’t Know What’s Going On,” Exuma - Spotify’s algorithm really won with this one. Why yes, Corporate Musical Overlord, I would like to know more about the semi-obscure Bahamian artist who came to the United States in the 1960s, played in Greenwich Village with Dylan, and then later changed his name and recorded an album with music deemed “almost unclassifiable” because it pulls from so many different traditions. Seriously—I love finding artists like this, and I’m glad that Spotify helps me, even if it knows me a little too well for comfort.
Need some more Fall music?