Sunday, October 4, 2009

Autumn leaves - FP's change of wardrobe.

Today's the day I officially say "goodbye" to summer. We have a small flat and, due to my pathological loathing of throwing clothes away ("I WILL be wearing that ra ra skirt some time soon..") I have an ungodly amount of things to wear. So some time towards the end of September, beginning of October, all the wee dresses, sandles, T-shirts etc etc get bundled into sundry suitcases and carted off to the loft. And out come the pullovers, kilts, cardigans, boots and all the other warmer items of apparel for the months to come. Today's the day. So I'm whizzing between the Mac and the bedroom... and the study... and the bedroom... and the Mac. In fact doing this post is very clearly a displacement activity to avoid getting down to the serious business in hand. This change of wardrobe also applies to the music I listen to. About this time every year I start digging out songs  which are the 'autumn wardrobe' of my audio existence. These songs have absolutely nothing to do with falling leaves, laughter in the rain or any other autumnal themes à la RR. I just think I must have bought them in autumn or fallen in love with them in autumn and so the turning hues of the trees make me need to hear them again. That simple. Having listened to Ejay's stunning 'rain' playlist, I 'm now listening to my autumn selection which I humbly offer for your delectation.

And what we really want to know is: Are your musical tastes as cyclical as mine? Do you have summer songs or indeed autumn/winter songs which you wouldn't dream of listening to when the mercury's rising? Let me know if you do and I'll do my best, deezer willing, to stick them in this playlist. 



Discover the playlist AUTUMN by FP with Merz

10 comments:

ejaydee said...

There definitely are some artists or songs that just don't make sense if it's not the right weather, like Burial for example, I even struggle to listen to it during the day. Other cold weather favourites that don't get an outing at the same time as the sun are Massive Attack's Angel, Mercury Rev's Holes, White Stripes' In The Cold Cold Night, Bjork's Joga, Scout Niblett's Kiss, Magazine's Permafrost, etc

nilpferd said...

I won't inflict our autumn songs onto your Deezer list but we do tend to play more harder edged things the darker it gets, I'll no doubt be getting Bitches Brew, Live-Evil and Pangaea out soon.. though I also tend to play more introspective music as well, ECM releases, piano trios, classical/jazz crossovers, as well as more abstract jazz.
Summer is more funky and straight-ahead, Acid Jazz, Blue Note, Soul Jazz, hip hop, Nu-Jazz, especially Compost Bossa Nova compilations.

ToffeeBoy said...

@ fp - I'd never really thought of it before, but I guess I have a tendency to listen to old familiar friends in the autumn/winter (the prog rock tends to rear its ugly head more as the nights draw in). It's all part of the Cosby Jumper syndrome. I'm much more adventurous when it comes to new music in the summer.

FP said...

Ejay - do I hear it for Stina Nordenstam as well? Chilly lady I wouldn't really listen to on the beach.. Unless I wanted my Grolsch freezing over.
Nilpferd - like the changing seasons of jazz there...
Toffee - Yesss!!! These are Cosby sweater songs!! Familiarity!! Chicken soup!! Bring them on....

bethnoir said...

An interesting thought, FP. I definitely want to listen to folkier stuff when it's warm and sunny, particularly Devendra Banhart and Six Organs of Admittance, but as the nights draw in I find my tastes veer towards more complex, darker things.

gordonimmel said...

I was just putting away my short sleeved shirts myself last night. I also took out the long sleeved shirts which I very neatly folded and stacked away in the spring. And guess what? They're all very creased and crumpled and I've got a big night of ironing coming up before I can wear them (and before you ask, Yes it is ME who'll be doing the ironing. frauimmel doesn't believe in ironing, I find it very therapeutic.)

And at this time of year I inevitably find myself singing 'Summers Almost Gone' by The Doors.

TracyK said...

Been mulling this over and I think I prefer my folk in the autumn, espeically Sandy denny's Who Knows Where The Time Goes? and Steeleye Span's Ca the Yowes. I have no idea why, maybe I want something less cerebral/doom-laden in the summertime?

Shoegazer said...

As seasons don't really exist here, I'm free to play my gloomy stuff all year round. Only play Krimble stuff in the season though - that's a rool.

Really like that Aaron song btw - is his other stuff any good.

steenbeck said...

I admire your energy, FP. I'm trying to goodwill all the clothes I don't wear, well, ever, but all have is a big pile on my bedroom floor. For some reason people give me clothes all the time -- I must look like a ragamuffin -- but they never fit very well, and I'm sick of it!! So I'm trying to get rid of everything, so I can close my drawers again.

I think I may listen to gentler sleepier music when the days get dark early. Certain albums remind me of summer--from all different phases of my life. Driving around with the windows open and playing your music really loud. Is that an American thing?

FP said...

Hello moy luvvlies. Just catching up on your messages after a long and busy week at the TeeVee market down here in Cannes (people come to buy and sell programmes. Jerry Seinfeld was down with a new concept apparently. Fought back the urge to stick my head round the conference room and yell "NO SOUP FOR YOU!!". Or indeed to sit in the front row with a Pez dispenser on my knee. No doubt all been done before). Anyway I'm back to summer apparel. Clinging on to the last days of summer for grim death here. Bikini weather although it freshens up at night. I'm with Beth on the complex and darker stuff in the autumn. I would never, for example, listen to Japan's Gentlemen Take Polaroids in summer. Erasure is summer, Depeche Mode is winter....
Gordon : I believe in ironing as much as Frau Immel does. I try to buy non iron stuff but for a bloke the shirts have to be done. Bon courage with that. Do you manage to iron in front of fillums or would you singe your armpits... so to speak? Tracy - yes we want our summer music less cerebral and less demanding. Strawberries and cream music. In winter you're generally inside anyway and so can give more concentration to the more 'difficult' stuff. Shoey - very chuffed that you liked the Aaron. There's a great kind of ABBA Chiquita plinky plonky pub piano vibe going on and yet it's a very sombre song. They are French but sing in english. Their first album 'Artificial animals riding on Neverland made the critics rave over here. Not very good at posting links but the whole album is available for your delectation on deezer here: http://www.deezer.com/listen-3765244
enjoy!!!
Hello dear Steenbeck - I'm obviously American then. I'm trying to convert the whole of Strasbourg to Prefab Sprout using the car method.