your weekly youtube installment

It is officially autumn in Chicago now, calendar wise - but the days have been heating up into the 80's which leaves me pretty unsatisfied. I am aching for cool days, candles, pumpkins, sweaters, jeans, fuzzy slippers, and apple crisp.

So, in order to get into the mood, I have been sitting here trying to think of my favorite autumnal song.....most of my favorites hearken back to high school, when fall really signified a change in the year.....the new wave favorites of my high school years stand out: The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, The Pixies, The Smiths....however, the Morrissey album Viva Hate really stands out. It was my favorite album in the fall of 1988. I can smell those days in my mind, and it only take the opening bass line of this song to whisk me to that time and reminds me of the shorter, colder days that I always long for.

The Smiths are my all time favorite band, though I have been lukewarm to Morrissey's solo stuff post Bona Drag. But Viva Hate? It's likely as good as any Smiths album.

I think I am going to have to add a second video here......one of my other favorite bands...... *sigh* I can never hear this song too many times. While this was a band I liked a lot in high school, I rediscovered them in grad school and this song really resonated with me as I watched a dear friend of mine suffer greatly and struggle with cancer. This song really spoke to me about the fragility of life. I remember a cold late night driving from my friend's house after he had a new round of chemo.... through the country, full moon in the sky, windows down, this song blaring.....beautifully cathartic.