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Fall is definitely here!
I'm saving most of the more Halloween/horror-themed for October, but that doesn't mean I can't also have some good vibes for the autumn.
If you're looking for even more fall-like music, May's Songs list is full of good options as well. If you want to go back and check any of them out, May's Songs were Atmosphere, by Beseech; The Lodge, by Agalloch; Dark in New Orleans, by Port Sulphur Band; A Forest, by SKALD; and World of Glass, by Tristania.
As a reminder of the format, I'm writing one of these columns and filling it with songs from a variety of genres of music. I don't expect anyone to listen to all of these songs! Some months, you may even not be interested in any of them, and that's fine!
However, it is my sincere hope that some of you might find some new songs and artists that you like. All of these songs are widely available on streaming services and by doing some quick searching on Youtube and such, and if I want to highlight something harder to find, I'll include detailed instructions on how to do so.
Here are my picks for this month:
Witch's Rune -- S. J. Tucker
S. J. Tucker is an artist that I discovered I liked before I realized that I liked her -- her songs kept coming up on autoplay and getting added to various playlists of mine before I parsed that they were all by the same person. Now, I've got a lot of her music somewhere or another.
Her music is largely based around various folk styles, and a lot of it feels very cozy and fall-like to me. Perhaps the best descriptor I can provide is that if you like going to the Renaissance Fair, you'll probably like S. J. Tucker.
Antvmnos -- Eluveitie
Very few songs are as relaxing as this song is for me. It's an arrangement of Scarborough Fair by a Swiss folk metal band, but this song is just…peace. The subtle breezes and sounds of rustling leaves in the background while the strumming guitar and flute work do most of the heavy lifting is perfection.
Almost all of Eluveitie's music is great for fall vibes, honestly. Just note that they are, in fact, a metal band and be prepared for that if you go exploring. If you want to avoid that genre, I'd recommend the album that Antvumnos is from -- Evocation II -- which is pretty much straight folk. A fun note about Eluveitie: one of their main artistic gimmicks is that a lot of their music is in Gaulish, which is a dead proto-Celtic language from modern-day France. You might know of them from Roman history. In short -- just enjoy it, don't try to speak it.
The Moon Will Sing --
The Crane Wives
The Crane Wives are an American indie rock band that emphasizes three-piece melody in their works. I'll be honest: I haven't heard much else from them, as this was an algorithm suggestion. One of these days I should fix that and listen to more of their stuff, because, judging from this song, they're really good!
This song's placid atmosphere and harmonic foreground fits right in on any fall playlist, and as an indie band, they need all the recommendations they can get. Check them out!
Deadstick -- King Gizzard
& The Lizard Wizard
I have tried to get into this band several times, but I never really had any success until their 2025 album, Phantom Island. The upbeat, jazzy notes in this album synergize really well with Gizzard's unique blend of rock and roll genres. That fusion really carries this album for me personally -- although I know a lot of people who love Gizzard and vouch very highly for their music.
Despite it being a summer release (and my listening to it basically since), something about it feels very fall-coded to me. I'm not entirely sure why that is or if anyone else would agree with me, but regardless, it's a pick of the month for me!
Gallows Bird -- Trees
of Eternity
Let's take a darker turn after that jammy tune, shall we? After all, fall is the season of descent -- of clouds and chills and dying. Trees of Eternity is a gothic doom metal group which only ever produced this album -- Hour of the Nightengale -- as its sole body of work.
It's something of a miracle that we even got this album. The singer, Aleah Stanbridge -- whose voice is absolutely gorgeous, by the way -- died of cancer at 39, shortly before the album was to be released. Eventually, though, the album was finished and released, and I am very glad it was. The whole album is incredible. Most of the album's themes involve love and death; sorrow and memory -- which is only strengthened by the singer's tragic passing. I really wish we could've gotten to hear more from her, but I think that celebrating the album that we did get is one of the best ways to remember her.
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Arianna McKee is design editor for The Express.