While I was hoping for spooky music fit to cover a man’s screams whilst I tortured him in the basement, this month I ended up with more of an eclectic mix fit for year-round sounds. A large part of this is thanks to the few playlists I have in my constant rotation right now as well as the random discoveries that pop up here and there. Many of these songs tie into non-spooky events of the past month, and I’m sure I’ll associate many of the songs as a bit of a soundtrack to this period of my life, as I’ve done with so many other tracks before.

            Now that we’re officially in fall, we are leaning into an indie vibe with more acoustic tracks and slightly less dance hits. This is the season for cozying up under blankets with hot cocoa after all; my midnight dance parties have taken on a more chill rhythm. I jam while cooking soups and chilis. I put on a mix while I work. Basically, there’s always something playing in my vicinity—and the world feels all the better for it.

            So, let’s plug in the aux, turn up the volume, and press play.

• “IDK You Yet” by Alexander 23 ~ How can you miss someone you’ve never met?
• “Moral of the Story” by Ashe ~ You can think that you’re in love / When you’re really just engaged
• “Halloweenie III: Seven Days” by Ashnikko ~ I don’t feel like myself anymore
• “First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes ~ Besides, maybe this time is different / I mean, I really think you like me
• “E-GIRLS ARE RUINING MY LIFE!” by CORPSE and Savage Ga$p ~ They used to hate me, now they want me / Bitch, I feel like I’m Gaara
• “If You Love Her” by Forest Blakk ~ She’s the best thing that you’ll ever have
• “Organs and Airports” by The Hard Aches ~ Brag about our heart beats and how we drum so well together
• “Johnny & June” by Heidi Newfield ~ Build a world around a country song
• “Favorite T-Shirt (Acoustic)” by Jake Scott ~ No, it doesn’t really fit, but you don’t really care
• “A Walk in the Skies” by Joe Hisaishi from Howl’s Moving Castle
• “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves ~ Keep me in your glow
• “Wine, Beer, Whiskey” by Little Big Town ~ My friend the Captain / We call him Morgan
• “Pancakes for Dinner” by Lizzy McAlpine ~ I wanna dress up just to get undressed
• “Toothpaste Kisses” by The Maccabees ~ Put the stars in our eyes
• “Therapist” by Mae Muller ~ Taking care of you who’s gonna take care of me
• “Heart of Glass” by Miley Cyrus ~ Love is so confusing, there’s no peace of mind
• “Oh Ana” by Mother Mother ~ You are the angel that I couldn’t kill
• “Hello My Old Heart” by The Oh Hellos ~ And it’s true, you’ll never beat / But you’ll never break
• “NOW” by Olivia O’Brien ~ ‘Cause I need somebody who could be somebody
• “Make You Mine – Acoustic” by PUBLIC ~ Well, I will call you darlin’ and everything will be okay
• “Jump” by Rihanna ~ You can play the game, I’mma still do my thang
• “Matter to You” by Sasha Sloan ~ The world’s so big and I’m so small
• “Betty” by Taylor Swift ~ I don’t know anything but I know I miss you
• “Crush” by Tessa Violet ~ And I’m pretending you ain’t been on my mind

Yes, I’m still listening to folklore every time I’m in the car, and I still find new songs to love. I discovered a few other albums this month, but it’s really been playlist-central over here. It’s hard to say what, exactly, November will bring in terms of genre, tone, or theme. I’m sure my apps will have a certain kind of influence and some new releases will probably find their way on the list, but I can’t say I’m ready to make the switch to Christmas songs quite yet. We’ll just have to wait and see what I’ll have to be thankful for musically in the month ahead.