Fall '08: Mixed

Fall is my favorite season, hands down. I like the leaves, smells, temperatures, and the memories I have from seasons past. I like pulling out my sweaters and jackets after a hot summer and driving around with the windows halfway down. Of all the seasons, I think fall weather enhances my everyday experiences the most: Things seem more vivid and crisp. Everyone moves a little slower and savors the final weeks of warm sunshine. Fall feels reassuring and hopeful.

This fall, on the other hand, has largely sucked ass. It came and is now going too quickly. It brought with it too much work for me to enjoy it. There have been too many losses and transitions. Everyone I know is either struggling or knows someone who is. While there have certainly been some exceptions, this fall has left me feeling melancholy and unsure.

It's not fall's fault. It's Sarah Palin's fault. It's the economy's fault. It's Logan's fault.

I've made a mix CD every fall for the past three years that I've listened to as I walk and drive around in the perfect weather. Fall mixes '06 and '07 were largely upbeat and celebratory, but certainly included hints of the winters fast approaching. Fall mix '08 reflects my feelings about this fall and is decidedly less jovial. It's about where we are and where we're going. I've been listening to it on a loop for a few weeks (which may give you a sense for how I've been feeling lately). If you're having the kind of fall I usually do, you may not like it. But if you're having a fall that's anything like mine, it may be just what the Dr. ordered.

Track list:

1. Things I Don't Remember / Ugly Casanova
2. You Were Right / Built To Spill
3. A Fond Farewell / Elliott Smith
4. Monsters / Band of Horses
5. The Times They Are A-Changin' / Bob Dylan
6. Reason To Believe / Bruce Springsteen
7. Cape Canaveral / Conor Oberst
8. Cath... / Death Cab For Cutie
9. House Of Cards / Radiohead
10. A Voice At The End Of The Line / M. Ward
11. Tables And Chairs / Andrew Bird
12. Be Good or Be Gone / Fionn Regan
13. Can't Leave Her Behind / Lee Ranaldo & Stephen Malkmus
14. Seeing Other People / Belle & Sebastian
15. Millbrook / Rufus Wainwright
16. Going, Going, Gone / Stars
17. After The Bombs / The Decemberists
18. The Last Last One / The Weakerthans
19. Eyes on the Prize / M. Ward

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