Here in Baltimore, it’s that time of year when the weather becomes brisk and the sky is an otherworldly bluish-gray. The leaves turn brilliant shades of orange, burgundy, and yellow, as if they are performing some kind of pyrotechnics grand finale right before they fall off and die. My car and driveway is covered in rank-smelling ginkgo berries (shit berries), which I have to step around to avoid getting on my shoes, or else I’ll leave a putrefying aroma on the carpet.
Image of shit berries found via Creative Commons:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/3094926693/sizes/s/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brownpau/3094926693/sizes/s/in/photostream/
Although I reach for a sweater just about every day, I long for the times when I didn’t have to dress business casual, and I dream of my trusty ‘ole red flannel. I have flashbacks of watching MTV’s “The State,” and taping band pictures from 1992-1996’s editions of Circus magazine on my bedroom walls.
Image of flannels found via Creative Commons:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beche/2400500463/sizes/s/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beche/2400500463/sizes/s/in/photostream/
In the spirit of autumn and flannel, I made a Flannel Mix on my MP3 Player. There are some songs that were quite popular and emblematic of grungier times, and other songs that still have the same spirit, but never got much recognition. Here is the list:
Guided by Voices “Alright”
Sonic Youth “Becuz”
Pixies “Break My Body”
The Breeders “Cannonball”
Filter “Consider This”
Radiohead “Creep”
7 Year Bitch “Disillusion”
The Mekons “Empire of the Senseless”
Jawbox “FF=66”
The 6ths “Falling Out of Love (With You)”
Dinosaur Jr. “Feel the Pain”
Rage Against the Machine “Freedom”
For Love Not Lisa “Had a Lover”
Stone Roses “Here it Comes”
Unwound “Hexenzsene”
Hum “I’d Like Your Hair Long”
Sponge “Molly (Sixteen Candles)”
Minutemen “No Exchange”
Nirvana “On a Plain”
Daisy Chainsaw “Pink Flower”
Nada Surf “Popular”
L7 “Shitlist”
R.E.M. “Sitting Still”
Unrest “Six Layer Cake”
Yo La Tengo “Sugarcube”
P.J. Harvey “To Bring You My Love”
Mudhoney “Touch Me I’m Sick”
Placebo “Every You, Every Me”
Superchunk “Seed Toss”
Belly “Feed the Tree”
Deconstruction “Wait for History”
Helmet “Wilma’s Rainbow”
Shudder to Think “X-French Tee Shirt”
Videos by some of the lesser-known artists:
So button up your flannel with pride, tie up/slide on those Doc Martens, and hop into a mound of leaves. Just make sure there aren’t any glass bottles, concrete curbs, or shit berries lurking under the pile (Believe me—a curb to the spine can still be felt under leaves). Happy flannel time!
We have the same fall associations, Ricki! The first day that feels really crisp and that the leaves start to change, I always need to listen to "Slanted and Enchanted" by Pavement. It's become a ritual.
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