KSLU Fall Album Picks: 2020

Now that October, the internet’s and music nerds’ favorite month, is here, fall is finally starting to look and feel like fall. While most people have their go to playlists, albums and artists for the chilly season, these are album suggestions from KSLU students to add to your autumn rotation.

ChElsea Wolfe - Apokalypsis

Chelsea Wolfe is potentially in my top 10 favorite artists. Not only is she an amazing songwriter, but her dark, goth inspired music is consistently shape shifting into different takes on the sound. Whether it's on her foray into doom metal on "Hiss Spun," her acoustic album "Birth of Violence," or her electronic art pop brilliance on "Pain Is Beauty," she is always exploring sounds without compromising her identity or impenetrable darkness. While her 2015 album "Abyss" is arguably her best, and darkest, "Apokalypsis" is maybe the perfect Halloween album. The creative mix of influences makes for an album uniquely her own. Her ghostly vocals sit elegantly on top of songs that borrow ideas from doom metal, art pop, post-punk and several other genres for an album that is the perfect match for orange leaves and black coffee, and the slightly lo-fi recording only adds to the aesthetic. 

- Daniel Bernas, Sophomore, Already Bored manager

​Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver

Listening to this album is waking up on a fall morning with overcast skies but the sun peeks through. It's putting on your favorite sweater and going for a walk with someone you care deeply about but you rarely ever say it to them. It's watching the leaves fall. It's seeing the colors of nature change and missing your childhood home because you feel that life is too complicated now and you are weighed down with responsibilities. It's embracing the simple bliss of fall and the beautiful heaviness this season holds.

- Sophie Mueller, Senior, KSLU general manager

Pup - Morbid Stuff

“Morbid Stuff,” while not an initially obvious answer, really holds the fall spirit in my heart. With the weather changing and the season depression mood shift kicking in, it’s easy to feel like trash all the time and be down on yourself. And sometimes, the best solution is to own it! Revel in that fact. Songs like “See You At Your Funeral,” “Sibling Rivalry” and “Bare Hands” really take that experience to heart, owning that feeling and making it fun in the meantime. Do some self care and give this album a listen. 💁

- Matthew Chambers, Junior

Le'Ponds - Heat

As a St. Louis native, Le’Ponds epitomizes the slow-motion feeling of a midwest fall perfectly. Her angelic, gliding vocals pair well with her extremely stripped back instrumentation to create the ultimate laidback fall album to listen to while reading a novel on West Pine on a foggy Thursday morning like the main character you are.

- Ryan Lawless, Senior

Turnover - Peripheral Vision

It makes me feel so cozy! Although it makes me very sad it is so good for fall and the feeling I get listening to it is heavily associated with colder weather! 

- Kylie Hull, Sophomore

Modest Mouse - good News For People Who Love Bad News

Although I believe this album could fit any occasion (catch me blasting it at my funeral), Modest Mouse perfectly encapsulates the feeling that something is ending and all you can do is dance hall erryday. More so than ever, fall 2020 calls for some casual existential dread with KILLER lyricism and damn good beats.

- Meghan Burke, Sophomore, Already Bored co-manager

Yo La Tengo - I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One

I associate it with Fall because of the song "Autumn Sweater." Reminds me of fall football games for some reason.

- Annie Kotowski, Sophomore

Lucky Daye - Painted

There are some songs on this album that remind me of summer, like “Extra,” just enough to miss driving around in 90 degree heat with the windows down because they are upbeat and immediately make me want to dance around. But this album also has a lot of horns in the background and as a former marching band geek, this totally reminds me of marching on field in the cold weather. There are also a lot of songs that are slow and exactly the types of songs I like to listen to when I'm studying in the fall, walking around campus while drinking something hot, or just playing in the background when I'm in my apartment.

- Kruti Kadiwala, Junior

Gucci Mane - WOPTOBER

“Woptober” is the perfect album to sip some pumpkin spiced latte to.

- Sean Fahey, Sophomore

Lana Del Rey - Normal Fucking Rockwell

The voice! The lyrics! The tune! The notes!

- Julia Ouellette, Junior

LAdy Gaga - Joanne

Best Gaga album ever and a relaxed and down to earth vibe.

- Mary Kate Boland, Senior