The beautiful foliage and cooling weather...there’s no better time than fall in Boston. But what does this time of year sound like? This month, our Mass Mix contributors answer that question with songs that celebrate local music, Hispanic Heritage Month, and the spirit of the season. Here's what songs local luminaries have been playing on repeat.

Cliff Notez, "Losing Crowns II"


"Losing Crowns II" makes me think of Shrek. Or onions. They're synonymous, according to DreamWorks' ogre, because they both have layers. You'll need more than a dozen listens to peel apart the soft harmonies and separate the sparkling piano from the bright horns of this track. With each minute, there's more. The drum kicks in with new rhythms, more vocalists join in, and effects are added to create a sense of echo-y grandness that is accentuated by the muffled words of someone speaking in the background. Then again, the grandiosity of this track should come as no surprise; Cliff Notez brought on some of Boston's finest musicians to build this song—Anjimile, Photocomfort, Will Dailey and many more. -Knar Bedian, Editor in Chief, Sound of Boston

clipping., "Nothing Is Safe"


I've had my eye (and ears) on genre-mixing L.A. hip hop trio clipping. since their Sub Pop debut five years ago. They'll release There Existed An Addiction To Blood on the label in October, and our first taste comes courtesy of new single "Nothing Is Safe." The staccato piano line that opens the track brings to mind John Carpenter's soundtrack work for his film Halloween. That homage is clearly by design, as the video is a send-up to the opening credits of the movie. Here's hoping the rest of the album is just as disquieting. -Adam XII, Midday Host, ROCK 92.9

Clairo, “North”


20-year-old Carlisle native and lo-fi bedroom pop singer turned global “chill-pop” sensation Clairo channels warmth through her up-tempo feel-good vibes and restrained, haunting vocals in her new song, “North.” Clairo’s writing talent is on full display throughout the song as she uses laser-etched detail to describe her personal longing and unrequited love, allowing the listener to actually feel the “fingertips on my back.” With its head-nodding beat, and reverb-ed keyboards, “North” hearkens back to the 90s grunge pop heroics of The Cranberries and The Cardigans. Clairo is now up for four Boston Music Awards including Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop Artist of the Year. -Jared Steinberg, Staff Writer, Sound of Boston

Brittany Howard, “13th Century Metal”


Brittany Howard says she had to make Jaime away from the group effort of Alabama Shakes, so she could speak directly and air some pathos she didn't want filtered through other writers. This is unfiltered, for sure. You'd think that a song called “Goat's Head,” also on the record, would be the scariest moment (it tells a very real story about such a thing being left in her father’s car), but it's tame compared to the BASSOON! I almost passed out on the T listening to this. Beneath a mission statement for her own humanity, bellowed through some truly magnificent production, a big honking bassoon blows through the madness like a double reed devil. It's brilliant. Classical music turned upside down and dragged through the south is the sound of a new icon of American music arriving. Go Brittany, go! -Phil Jones, Afternoon Host, 88.9 WERS

Cam Knopp, “Deep Water Diving”


Cam Knopp has taken a winding path through a variety of contemporary genres over his short career. But his most recent release, “Deep Water Diving,” promises to appeal to the masses of Boston pop fans through his tight pop identity as a marriage of catchy acoustic riffs with a heavily affected drum machine percussion section. Knopp has dropped nine soft-rock songs, starting in 2017 through his collaboration with brother and drummer Corey Knopp under the Knopp Brothers banner. Immediately after the last Knopp Brothers release earlier this year, however, Cam signaled a shift in style with a flurry of short instrumental tracks posted under static images on his Instagram account. In a local and national music market gobbling up this new brand of pop music, Knopp seems to have crafted a promising hit. -Dakota Antelman, Contributing Writer to The Lowell Spin

Allen Stone, “Sunny Days”


I love everything that Allen Stone has released, so it’s no surprise that “Sunny Days” is another catchy track that I can’t stop playing. He continues to deliver smooth songs that blend funk, R&B, and soul, and it seems that his forthcoming album (finally!) will be no different. A recent press release states that Allen says the track “is a feel good, throwback song about being confident in the love you have for another. Like a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day the melody cools and comforts. There is no feeling more beautiful than trusting in love." -Alyssa Spector, Lysten Agency

Merci D, "617”


Merci D has exploded into the Boston rap scene with bombastic rhymes and beats and bravado, the likes of which aren’t often seen in these parts. On this ultra-catchy track from an EP released a couple of month’s back, your new local rap hero reps Dorchester hard. And she’s been doing so all summer long on sweet live shows, all across the spectrum of what constitutes the Boston music scene. Queer hip hop is LIVE in Boston and Merci D is another electric example of this. This town deserves its own hip hop venue — how about its own queer-centric music venue? The triumphs of artists like Merci D only make the cultural deficiencies of this town more overt. -Dan Shea, Editor-In-Chief, bostonhassle.com

Sweetcreem, “hawkholm”


Sweetcreem is an experimental synth-pop project based out of Arlington, Massachusetts. Their new single, “hawkolm” is a fuzzy ballad laced with warm synth tones and atmospheric harmonies. While the music drips with nostalgia, this artist’s social stance is immediate and stark. Their double album Bely/Hed came out in August and is a surrealistic odyssey drenched in unique and washed out synthesizers. Since then, they have been performing around Boston and Cambridge with other equally eclectic artists. With a track like this, I cannot wait for what sweetcreem has in store for use next. -Chris Hues, Music Editor, bostonhassle.com

Celia Cruz, “Pasaporte Latino Americano”


For Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m giving a shout-out to Celia Cruz, the Queen of Latin Music. One of my earliest music-based memories is of listening to Celia’s Azucar Negra while studying her bright, gleeful portrait on the cover. The album itself is lush and large, horns and conga drums backing lively songs about love and life and a longing for home. But hidden between standards and Celia’s own classics is a song called “Pasaporte Latino Americano,” a song growing ever more relevant today. In the song, Celia sings of fleeing her homeland of Cuba for America, and her struggle to fit in and succeed, before entreating the listener to give her a chance in this new land. And while the song reminisces of the beauty of Latin culture—from its food to its arts—it also speaks of a new future, where “thousands of faces and souls are looking for peace and progress.” -Andrea Wolanin, Digital Producer, WGBH

Shakira and Carlos Vives, "La Bicicleta"


The recent announcement that Shakira and Jennifer Lopez would be co-headlining the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime show motivated me re-discover Shakira's large catalog of hits. She has covered a lot of ground since her first album was released in 1991, breaking all kinds of records in both the Spanish and English music markets. 2016's "La Bicicleta" is one of my favorites. It's a breezy and nostalgic duet with fellow Colombian singer Carlos Vives that pays homage to their home country's various musical styles. It's a great example of what has made Shakira such a global phenomenon — her ability to mix genres into something universally catchy. -Meghan Smith, Digital Producer, WGBH, @meghansmith55

Coral Moons, "Fall in Love"


A wistful, lone woman standing on the shores of a breezy, deserted beach with rolling indigo blue waves on a blindingly sunny day is the imagery that springs into mind while listening to Boston band Coral Moons' first EP, Quarter Life Crisis. Specifically, the track "Fall in Love" is what really stands out on the record: it's a nostalgic retro rock song rooted in soul with a catchy hook, funk-influenced bass grooves and lead vocalist Carly Kraft's raw vocals. Kraft sings achingly about a past love, while electric riffs play on behind her. Throughout the track you can hear hints of blues, with influence from bands like The Allman Brothers and Fleetwood Mac. The song has brilliant, unpretentiously poetic lyricism that conjures up poignancy with every listen. -Alexis den Boggende, Staff Writer at Sound of Boston