IT’S OFFICIALLY FALL IN TEXAS! get out yr sweaters, y’all, and act like you’re going to wear them for longer than a week! yeehaw!!

my friend leslie, who recently moved here from georgia, asked if the leaves change color in austin. yes, leslie, they do! they turn brown and fugly! and then they drop off trees and make the ground look nasty! yay!

the fact that we rarely get real autumn weather just makes texans overcompensate in other ways, like wearing scarves even though it’s only 75 degrees and pretending like apple cider isn’t available year-round. OBVS i’m totally on board with this illusion, esp. cos it gives me an excuse to eat fall-themed baked goods (well HELLO pumpkin scones!) and indulge in any and all cozy behavior, like wrapping myself in a blanket and reading some good YA. I LOVE BEING COZY PANTS!!!!

the other key to convincing yrself that it’s really “fall” is a good soundtrack. i don’t know about you guys, but i like my autumn music to be thoughtful and beautiful and a mix of quiet and soaring. i’ll definitely throw in a few raucous numbers here and there, but overall i need music for contemplating things… you know, like how pumpkin bread got so delicious.

over the years, i’ve compiled quite a few fall mixes, and i always find myself drifting back to them once october begins. i listen to a lot of nada surf, joseph arthur and death cab, but in order to avoid drowning in nostalgia, i’m always on the lookout for new music. ok is it possible to write that without sounding cheesy?

anyway, i wanted to share with you a few of my new fall favorites, and i’m hoping that you guys have got a few new albums up yr sleeves as well.

first up, the big pink! i just got “a brief history of love,” and i’ve been listening to the entire album on repeat over the past two weeks. the music is a pretty amazing balance of softness and power, sweetness and darkness. it’s definitely the kind of record that makes the biggest impact via the overall sound rather than picking and choosing songs– although there are definitely a few that have gotten stuck in my head, like this one:

plus, the band is in good company on 4AD records, which features other Autumn Greats like camera obscura, blond redhead and the mountain goats.

next up is my old favorite, zoot woman. ok so i kind of take back the whole “quiet” thing i said earlier about fall music, cos zoot woman isn’t really quiet, it’s more uh… synthy. but their music’s got a great industrial kind of darkness, and it reminds me of late nights on chilly city streets. their latest album, “things are what they used to be,” is, in my opinion, on par with the awesomeness of “living in a magazine” (which featured one of my favorite songs of all time and, not coincidentally, track #10 on my fall 05 mix, “jessie.”) i can tell you right now that i’m DEFINITELY putting “more than ever” on my fall 2009 mix, but since there’s no video for it (yet), check out “we won’t break” from the same album.

and since i just listed two bands that aren’t necessarily “gentle” and i don’t want you to think i was making up all of that stuff about wanting reflective music for the fall (i DO ponder things! deeply!), i have to mention the band other lives. i’ve had their self-titled album for a while now, but it’s PERFECT for starting out the window at rainy weather, writing angsty poetry in yr journal or, you know, eating spiced muffins and drinking lattes. actually any music is good for enjoying baked goods but anyway just listen to this song– it’s so pretty!!!

don’t you just wanna slip on a comfy sweater and sit in a rocking chair while being all melancholy?

i’m also pretty excited about julian casablancas’ upcoming album, “11th dimension,” cos his songs are just SO DANG CATCHY. plus this album is supposed to be kind of “classical” which seems more fall-ish to me.

ok, so that’s what i’ve got so far. now it’s yr turn! autumnize me!