Steff in Scotland

via GIPHY

(Bryan Ferry dancing gives me life...)

Hello! Do you all use Spotify? I am very new to it, somewhat surprisingly for a lifelong mix tape addict (ok so I haven't made a mix tape or c.d. in years). Yes I clung on even into c.d. days! Which....just never felt as personal as the cassette format somehow. Mix tapes were such a 90's teen way of communicating - we made them for our friends, for people we were romantical about, and even sometimes just for ourselves (well I did anyway!).

Having a friend genuinely appreciate your mix tape and get into something new because you shared it with them or having it in heavy rotation became a sort of friendship sealant. You had "your songs" that were unique to each friendship. If a boy made you a good mix tape it was as good an indication of your romantic compatability as any. But there was an art - too much heavy duty romance in the tape at the start could cause a freak out. One or two mushy songs, fine, any more and you might seem desperate!

So the public mixology of Spotify is a new thing to me. Who am I trying to impress? If no one follows me am I no longer a mixologist extraordinaire? Do I still care? I am treating it as my own private music/dance party at this point, which is actually a lot of fun (hm note to self must do a dance mix! ;-).

ANYWAY for my first playlist I thought it might be fun to do an "Autumn" themed playlist. I don't know about you, but my musical tastes definitely alter according to the weather/season. In the summer I tend to wear out one record that makes me happy/want to bop around - this summer it was Ryan Adam's cover of the Taylor Swift 1989 album (don't judge me it's v. good!).

But as nights draw in and rain becomes a daily occurence the shimmering guitars and poppy joy just aren't cutting it. I am craving heart heavy swoon, Roxy Music, Billie Holiday, etc. I want a little more edge in my sonic experience. I want familiarity (although one new band to me Tele Novella was so immediately autumnal feeling they had to make it on!).

I attempted to make a playlist that personified that feeling. I resisted the urge to just put Nick Drake and the Mamas and the Papas on it ("All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey" am I right?!). Believe me, I love a cliched music moment as much as the next person. I tried to keep it light (ish - keep in mind I like a lot of what some people might find depressing music!). Because while it's nice to embrace the good gloom, if I start listening to too much Elliott Smith before winter hits I am probably in trouble!

I would really love if anyone was interested in doing their own Autumn Playlist to link up, I think it would be fun to see what other bloggers are listening to this time of year! It doesn't have to be Spotify, it can be itunes or Youtube or whatever newfangled way people are making playlists these days! Do your musical tastes change with the seasons like mine? Anyway here is my playlist, hope we can still be friends! ;-)