September may have been spent traveling, sneaking scraps of time to find and listen to new music, but October has been a blessing. Not only have many of my favorite artists released new albums, but we also had some long-awaited singles and discoveries too. I’ve been driving with the windows down, cooking in the kitchen, and dancing to so many beats this month. They’ve inspired me. Moved me. Entranced me. I’m sure many of these songs and albums will be in stiff competition for my end of year list—drawing closer every day—and I don’t know how I’ll even begin to choose. October is one of my favorite months and the music I’ve encountered has made me feel spoiled. How do I even begin to narrow down for this list?

               Good thing we have some rules: no more than 20 songs per month, no more than 1 song per artist (not counting features), and no more than 3 songs per compilation album. That helps me narrow down from 38 ‘Liked’ songs on Spotify and pick from numerous albums. At the end of the year, only songs from each of these monthly lists will be eligible for the Best Of list. Songs marked with an asterisk* are old favorites and won’t qualify for my annual list.

               So, get cozy with a warm blanket, fall-scented candle, your headphones, and vibe.

1. “All My Exes’ Moms” by Brooke Alexx ~ There’s somebody close to you and she’ll say that you’ve blown it
2. “The Loneliest Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen feat. Rufus Wainwright ~ I’m coming back for you
3. “Girl of Your Dreams” by Dylan ~ And I’ve been getting under / In the hope of getting over
4. “engravings” by Ethan Bortnick ~ Took off everything except these sleeves
5. “Cassandra – Live at Madison Square Garden” by Florence + The Machine ~ To pace around the kitchen for scraps of inspiration
6. “I Hope You’re Happy” by Games We Play ~ And you love someone who said he’d never leave
7. “October Passed Me By” by girl in red ~ Lost our grip while tryna go steady
8. “Swan Upon Leda” by Hozier ~ What never belonged to angels / Had never belonged to men
9. “complex” by Katie Gregson-MacLeod ~ I’m not feeling human / I think he’s a good guy
10. “Chanson d’une rouspéteuse” by Lisa LeBlanc ~ J’aime pas mes voisins, ils font trop d’bruit
11. “Last Night (Beer Fear)” by Lucy Spraggen ~ Do one last shot and know when to stop
12. “She Calls Me Back” by Noah Kahan ~ I still dial 822-993-167
13. “This is Why” by Paramore ~ You’re either with us or you can keep it
14. “Don’t Tell My Mom” Reneé Rapp ~ At least in her mind, hеr daughter is fine
15. “Frankenstein” by Rina Sawayama ~ I’m trying to be normal, but trauma is immortal
16. “Unholy” by Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras ~ She’d kick you out if she ever, ever knew
17. “Moments In The Woods” performed by Sara Bareilles from Into the Woods ~ Is it always “or?” / Is it never “and?”
18. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” by Taylor Swift ~ Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first
19. “I Love You Like An Alcoholic” by The Taxpayers ~ Walked about twenty blocks talking about good bars and better towns than this one
20. “Grapefruit” by Tove Lo ~ Three, four, lose more, kill my obsession, please die

As for albums, I can’t post this without mentioning Taylor Swift’s Midnights. I once again had the great experience of simultaneously listening to it for the first time with my friends, and that always makes for a happy memory. I’m sure you’ll see plenty of tracks from it in the future months. Noah Kahan’s Stick Season feels perfectly autumnal. Florence + The Machine’s Dance Fever (Live at Madison Square Garden) is one of the few live albums I can listen to all the way through, and it embraces you into the moment of the recording. Carly Rae Jepsen’s The Loneliest Time is an updated disco pop sound, and I love it. Dirt Femme by Tove Lo brings new essence to this artist’s work. I’m sure more than a few of these will end up on my favorites for the year.

What will November bring? Well, I’m working on a few writing projects which always affects my playlists, so I’m going to predict the return of blues and perhaps a few film scores. I’m listening to more Midwest emo music these days. Otherwise, it’s an adventure of discovering new sounds.

If you’re interested, you can find the ongoing What I Listened To 2022 playlist here.

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