Yooo!

Autumn’s my favorite season, and I always find myself listening to acoustic and string-laden music and twee pop. I went through a heavy Death Cab for Cutie phase during the fall of ’07, where I listened to the quintessential autumn-esque album Transatlanticism virtually everyday because, well, 15-year-old me did not know any better. My fall-music taste has not matured much since then, just broadened.

Plus, it is October now, and it is already nearly half way through the month (when did that happen?) If time is slipping by for y’all as fast as it is for me, then you are in need of some nice tunes to soundtrack a break. These mellow, fall-inspired tracks should be just what you need to get through midterms and kinda-sorta planning your half-assed Halloween costumes.

In this week’s Beats n’ Stuff: “the season of pumpkin spice lattes,” I am spotlighting a variety of mellow-y and some acoustic laden songs to tap your pen to.

1.) “시간과 낙엽 (Time and Fallen Leaves)” by 악동뮤지션 (Akdong Musician)

Korean sister-brother pop duo, Akdong Musician (or AKMU), have taken the K-Pop scene by storm. In a music genre saturated with pop girl and boy groups (and, this guy), AKMU emerged with a light, indie-pop sound that is truly unique among other YG signed artists. Their latest track, “Time and Fallen Leaves,” was held off of their debut album for the purpose of releasing it in the fall, and I believe that this was the best decision for them to make: it’s so autumn-y that it nearly hurts.

Recommended if you like: Sipping on lattes in miscellaneous cafes

2.) “Come Monday Night” by God Help The Girl

Belle & Sebastian frontman, Stuart Murdoch, released his first film this year, entitled God Help the Girl. The charming pop musical, starring Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, and Hannah Murray, is semi-based on the album Murdoch wrote a few years ago with a girl band he curated. The music from said album is translated into the film, only sung by Browning rather than the original musicians. The film is simple and sweet, if not a little plain, but its endearingly catchy soundtrack is what sticks most. It is charming twee pop at its finest.

Recommended if you like: Adorable indie pop

3.) “学級崩壊 (Classroom Collapse)” by 相対性理論 (Sotaisei Riron)

Etsuko Yakushimaru, one of my favorite female vocalists, has a unique voice among J-Rock and J-Pop denizens of the industry. Her songs are often used in anime ending themes for some reason, but her talent stretches much farther than that. In addition to her solo tunes, she fronts the J-Rock band Sotaisei Riron (or the Theory of Evolution). Her music is never too heavy, but never too mellow either. Her music is the perfect inbetween, which translates to being perfect autumn music.

Recommended if you like: Anime ending theme songs

4.) “hanna (feat. Hanna Berglind)” by Yoko Kanno

This summer was blessed with not only one Shinichiro Watanabe anime, but TWO. The superior of the two, Zankyou no Terror, was directed in its entirety by Watanabe (of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Kids on the Slope, and now Space Dandy fame). But this is not an anime blog! So I will not talk about how incredible Zankyou no Terror is (and believe me, it is incredible), I will talk about its equally amazing soundtrack, scored by the wonderful Yoko Kanno. Kanno has worked with Watanabe before, on Cowboy Bebop and Kids on the Slope, so when I learned that they were collaborating once more, my heart swelled with joy (more homework music!). While I wholeheartedly recommend this entire score, this track in particular fits the autumn atmosphere.

Recommended if you like: Faux-Sigur Ros music

5.) “pepsi/coke suicide” by Elvis Depressedly

Elvis Depressedly’s name is really what the music produced suggests: chill tunes to listen to when you are in a funk. As someone who has her own burden of mental problems, sometimes locking myself up in my room and listening to sad music really loud helps (just as sometimes it does not!) Elvis Depressedly’s holo pleasures is the perfect album for those sad times.

Recommended if you like: Being sad I guess