The Brewers just snagged the World Series, but it still stings, man. It hits different when you remember our Seattle Mariners, just a year ago, were *one win away* from their first World Series appearance ever. One. Stinking. Win. It’s enough to make you wonder if there’s some cosmic joke being played on Emerald City baseball.
Our Near Miss and the Phantom Pilots
That near-miss still haunts me, but maybe, just maybe, it was a sign. The source of our Seattle baseball woes, the true cosmic curse, has long been rumored to be tied to those original Seattle Pilots getting stolen away from us. Think about it: a team here in 1969, and then boom, gone. Even Tommy Davis, who played for the Pilots back in 1969 and posed for a portrait that year, feels like a ghost from a past we barely got to experience. But with the M’s getting so incredibly close last year, there’s this wild hope bubbling up. Could that curse, born from the Pilots’ disappearance, actually be lifted? Here’s to hoping, seriously.
Off-Season Vibes and Fall Music Jams
With baseball officially over and the leaves dropping faster than I can rake ’em, it’s that time of year where the focus shifts. For me, it’s all about the fall music. October’s wrapped up, but you can’t talk fall music without giving some serious love to Glenn Danzig, the Misfits, and Samhain. That dude is a legend. My off-the-dome power ranking of his best records goes like this: Danzig II – Lucifuge at the top, then Samhain – November Coming Fire, Misfits – Static Age, Danzig – self-titled, and finally Misfits – Earth AD. Oh, and if you haven’t seen it yet, his full set from Pinkpop 1995 just got posted to YouTube. It’s unreal, pure vintage rock n’ roller stuff.
Deeper Fall Cuts and What We’re Spinning
Alright, moving past the spooky stuff, once November rolls in, I’ve got my top three all-time fall records locked in. First up, American Football’s self-titled. Yeah, yeah, it’s a cliché, I know. But it literally created an entire subgenre known as Midwestern emo, and it’s still an absolute banger. Seriously, it hits different. Then there’s The Weakerthans – Reconstruction Site. For whatever reason, this album just screams fall to me, especially my college days up in Bellingham when it came out. I probably went ten years without listening to it at one point, but started putting it on again a couple years back and it aged like fine wine. Unbelievably catchy stuff, and the lyrics have been living rent-free in my head for over twenty years. Finally, Songs: Ohia – The Lioness. Honestly, throw a rock at Jason Molina’s massive discography and you’ll hit a record perfect for a melancholy fall day, but this one just has its teeth in me and has for decades. You won’t find a better sad-yet-hopeful song about love anywhere.
For some bonus picks, I’ve been loving Fontaines D.C. – Dopamine Chamber and Dummy – Do You Love the Color of the Sky? lately. Oh, and PISS – you made me / skin on linen. Fair warning on that one, though, if you’re not into abrasive music, it will absolutely kick your teeth in. As for playlists, share yours in the comments! I’ve been jamming to “Good songs from bad years,” a mix of great tunes even when life’s been rough. Also got “Death in Winter” for when I’m ready for some black metal, even if it’s a little early in the fall/winter. And a “Covers” playlist, because who doesn’t love a good cover?
So, baseball might be done for now, but the hope for the Mariners to truly lift that curse still burns. We’ll be back, Emerald City, and until then, we’ve got some killer tunes to get us through the off-season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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