1) Summer's Kiss - Afghan Whigs
"... is over baby", laments Greg Dulli in his trademark strangled-cat wail, as what can only be described as "epic guitars, dude" churn and clang around him. But he isn't just going to sit there and take it, opting instead to rage against the dying of the light, or against daylight saving time at least, and go down swinging. Seguing into "Faded" on "Black Love" (which, if anything, ramps the angst up even further), "Summer's Kiss" accounts for what may be the most vitriolic, cathartic harangue against the inevitable changing of the seasons ever committed to tape. Which is why it's on the list, obvs.
2) This is the Thing - Fink
Fink, on the other hand, is one the most delightfully low-key mofos around, not that it makes this ode to the "nights getting long" any less arresting. "This Is the Thing" is a song for curling up with a cup of tea to, possibly under a large blanket. The song after next on the album is called "Blueberry Pancakes", for crying out loud. You couldn't really imagine him rocking a festival main stage in the blazing sunshine, which is appropriate for this list, since I'm afraid most of our rocking is going to have to take place indoors until next summer.
3) I'll Follow the Sun - The Beatles
A lovely little ditty about how it'll probably rain tomorrow (a theme that no doubt resonates among most Liverpudlians), which was apparently left off the first couple of Beatles' albums for being a little too wet behind the ears. The irony is that Paul McCartney probably does follow the sun around these days, as the poor chap doesn't seem in great health.
4) Autumn Leaves - Chet Baker
I put it to you that no one captures the nonchalant ennui of summer slipping away quite like '50-style crooner type Chet Baker. As Exhibit A, the appropriately-titled "Autumn Leaves" will not only destroy any counter-arguments you may have, but will also leave you sighing wistfully by a bay window you didn't even know you owned, inspecting vast, grey vistas of burning leaf-piles and drizzle, pining for the fjords. That's what this man's trumpet can do to you.
5) Indian Summer - Manic Street Preachers
This track and its title are more wishful thinking on my part than anything else, although it has been raining for as long as I can remember, so maybe we're due some late-summer sun to make up for all the damp. In any case, this is a stirring late-period offering from the Manics which sounds a bit like "A Design For Life" only not as good - may it offer you hope in these darkest and drizzliest of times. And be thankful I didn't bring up "Autumnsong" from the same album...
6) Autumn Sweater - Yo La Tengo
More sepia hues, lyrical wistfulness and warm, fleecy synths from Hoboken's prodigal sons/daughters - and verily, it has come to pass that I've actually had to break out my sweater in recent weeks; the big green knitted-wool one that makes me look like I'm going whaling. Haven't had to turn the heating on yet, but that's a whole other war of attrition with the elements that I've got to look forward to.
7) The Last Day of Summer - The Cure
You may have noticed that this mix is a little more low-key than usual, given the rather folorn subject matter, and right on cue here's everyone's favourite doom-mongers with a particularly mopey song from the "Bloodflowers" album. An interminable intro, funereal tempo, the word "nothing" used five times in the first five lines, and a rousing chorus of "The last day of summer never felt so cold". That should cheer all you miserable gits up a bit. See also: "Cold".
8) Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - George Michael & Elton John
I was led to seek out and consciously listen to this song for the first time ever when compiling this mix, since I assumed it had an autumnal slant, or could at least be used for the purposes of this list even if it didn't. I was aware of it previously only as the gold standard of surprise celebrity guest appearances - case in point, when I went to see the Guillemots a few years ago they brought on Martha Wainwright and prefaced it by saying "This is our 'Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Elton John' moment", which I thought was rather sweet. Anyway, it's not a bad little tune, and Elton waddling onto a reconstructed soundstage is quite an iconic moment, even if he doesn't contribute much of note for the rest of the video.
9) 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
Truth be told, this is less of a "summer drawing to a close" song and more of a "lamenting summers gone by" and "eulogising misspent youth" kind of a song (themes returned to by the Corgmeister on Zwan's "Endless Summer", with diminishing returns). But it's a hit, so I'm going to cave to the pressure and include it here so as to rack up the pageviews, improve my SEO and secure lucrative commercial tie-ins for the Fred Zeppelin brand. Plus it has a certain nostalgic feel to it not dissimilar to other, less crowd-pleasing tracks here. And I like the fact that the thumbnail for the song's famous, generation-defining video is an action-cam shot of a guy throwing a roll of toilet paper.
10) Summer's Gone - Beach Boys
The last track to a Beach Boys album I didn't even know existed until the other day, "Summer's Gone" is much better than it has any right to be - I just assumed all latter-day Beach Boys releases were horribly anachronistic ditties about surfing and being true to your school, but this is some pretty deep stuff, with world-weary harmonies and everything. When Feeder and Placebo say "Summer's Gone", you may simply dismiss it as the work of two bands that you spent a regrettable amount of time listening to in your teens; but when the Beach Boys of all people start chiming in as well, then that's basically the death knell for Summer 2014. It was fun while it lasted.
