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I don’t know about you, but every year when the leaves turn a little brown and the temperatures finally start to drop, I get a little excited. I have always been a great fan of autumn, and every year to this date I return to my roots: 90s alternative rock. Every year, without exception, I find myself listening to “Better Man” by Pearl Jam and “Blurry” by Puddle of Mudd, along with so many other autumnal greats.

This article, however, focuses more on lesser-known songs, artists, and albums to soundtrack your autumn. After all, my autumn grunge playlist alongside Alice In Chains’ Jar of Flies is only enough to sustain me through about a week of fall without me feeling the need to switch things up. 

My first recommendation for a spectacular autumn would be the 90s alternative rock band Eve’s Plum. Unlike Alice In Chains or Pearl Jam, however, it has a bit less of a grungy feel and leans more towards indie punk. The songs “Lipstuck” and “Blue,” for example, lean into what is known today as a “riot grrrl” vibe.

My favorite song, however, is “Venus Meets Pluto.” Something about Colleen Fitzgerald’s majestic vocals over a dirty guitar sound and cymbals is just so dreamy. It is the type of song I want to close my eyes to and let myself get lost in while I slowly sway like a weeping willow in the wind.  

Belly is another great female-fronted 90s alt-rock band I love to listen to. To me, Belly sounds like it lives in a sonic middle ground between Eve’s Plum and Hole —a great 90s grunge band fronted by Courtney Love. If I had a car—which I unfortunately do not because I am a first year—I would spend my September driving in the rain while singing along to “Feed the Tree.” 

That is enough of the 20^th century for now. Let’s look at some more modern bands! If you don’t mind being a little melancholic once in a while, I would recommend the band Porridge Radio. About this time last year, I did a bit of a dive into their music, and the song “Back to the Radio” brought me to tears.

Musically, it is a very simple song, the chord progression consists of two rather similar chords, and the vocal melody is largely repetitive; but the production is simply incredible. Although just barely 3 minutes long, the buildup on this track is beautiful and so devastating. Now, “7 Seconds,” their most popular song at the moment is not as melancholic, or devastating, but I do find it very beautiful. It reminds me of when the leaves begin to shift from green to shades of yellow, orange, red, or brown. 

Now, I am a firm believer that there is no right way to enjoy autumn, and although I unfortunately could not fit all my favorite genres in this article to listen to during the “-ber” months, I do love some good Midwest emo. I have to start with Born Without Bones because I cannot stop listening to “Cheap Fun” and “Rough Terrain” on repeat. I first discovered this band in middle school, when I listened to Baby—another absolutely devastating track—but I did not listen to the whole album until senior year of high school. And let me tell you, there is some great songs on there.

I also really enjoy listening to “Dull” by Microwave during fall and “If I Sit Still, Maybe I’ll Get Out Of Here” by TTNG—another song I keep coming back to from middle school. TTNG is a bit more math-rock than Microwave and Born Without Bones, which makes it a better fit for a rainy day with tea. It leans more American Football—another fantastic Midwest emo band— less emo, so if you are not a big fan of heavy music, TTNG will be more up your alley! 

The next band I would like to highlight is well-known, but I want to focus on some of their newer music. This band is more indie folk, a bit more Lord Huron—a great indie folk artist. The band I’m referring to is The Crane Wives. I am sure that if you were on the internet in 2023, you heard their hit song “The Moon Will Sing.”

Some of their newer tracks from their album Beyond Beyond Beyond are ones I can picture myself listening to while walking down a path surrounded by fallen leaves and gray skies. These tracks are “Bitter Medicine,” “Black Hole Fantasy,” and “Mad Dog.” Each of these three tracks has a unique sound, but each is wonderful, catchy, and artistic in its own way. 

Finally, in a kind of full-circle moment, I would like to finish off with some more 90s, female-fronted alt rock but this time from France. When I first discovered the band Dolly, I could not stop listening to “Partir seule” on repeat for days on end. The band’s sound is iconic and whimsical. I would recommend listening to the tracks Partir seule (of course), “Au Paradis”, “Je n’veux pas rester sage”, and “Comment Faire. “After the death of a band member, Dolly disbanded but then regrouped as Manú. I would recommend listening to “Rendez-vous” and “Tes cicatrices” from them. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to include one of my favorite genres, jazz, but one of my favorite instrumental jazz tracks this fall has been “Josie and Truman” from the Twin Peaks season 2 soundtrack, so if you like cool jazz, you should definitely listen to that. 

That is all I have today, hope you enjoy the music! Have a fantastic autumn, and I will be back next month with an article on horror-influenced music. 

Gundega Davidsone (she/her) is a first-year student from Latvia. She intends to major in neuroscience and loves writing, listening to, and playing music in her free time!