I am in the lucky minority of Americans who walk to work everyday, and the commute is one of my favorite parts of the day. The exercise is nice, as is using my weathergear. (Back when I drove everywhere, I resented spending $150 on a winter coat, since I was only in the elements for the short walk from the car to my house.)

As the New York weather has gotten chillier, I’ve been listening to several new songs that feel like the perfect complement to the season. They put a kick in my step as I start my day, but instead of a throbbing summer groove, they deliver a laid-back pep that feels just right for pumpkin doughnut season.

Whether you’re driving or walking, won’t you dip into these sweet tunes? I’d love to hear what you think of them. Also: Which of your favorite songs fits the October mood?

(1) “The Walk” by Mayer Hawthorne

Why do I want to throw on a powder blue suit and dance in lockstep formation with four of my best male friends? Because Mayer Hawthorne is in town, y’all, and he’s carrying a giant bag of soul. His latest album How Do You Do pays homage to the R&B sounds of the 60s and 70s, from the Four Tops to Earth Wind & Fire, and most of the time, the results are a  joy. I don’t love all of his music, since some of it is more “boring retread” than homage, but by and large, Mayer and I are cool.

I can’t find an online version of Hawthorne’s song “You Called Me,” a Motown-proud finger-snapper, and that one’s my favorite. But in a pinch, I’m happy to strut around to “The Call.” There’s a snazzy beat, and I love the swaggering attitude he takes toward a woman who has done him wrong. She might be beautiful, but she can walk her long legs right out of his life.

This video gets bonus points because it features Taylor Cole essentially reprising her kick-ass spy character from The Event, a show that nobody loved except me.

If you like what you hear, then I also recommend “You Called Me” and “You’re Not Ready,”  a sexy slow jam just waiting for a remake of Love Jones.

(2) “How Come You Never Go There” by Feist

As with Mayer Hawthorne, I don’t love all of Feist’s new album Metals, but the good songs are so good they justify the download. “How Come You Never Go There” is classic Feist material, a little bit funky and a whole lot melancholy. The song is cool (as in awesome) and cool (as in controlled), and it makes me want to wear a trenchcoat and fedora as I stroll down the street, thinking about those bad-luck dames as a I dip into my pocket for a flask.

(3) “Paradise” by Coldplay

This song didn’t make an impression the first time I heard it, but I’ll be damned if the video didn’t make me fall in love. It’s just so charming! With the elephants! And Chris Martin on a unicycle! Now that I associate “Paradise” with a cute pachyderm in the London Underground, I enjoy strolling with it through Times Square. (Rihanna’s “We Found Love” is similarly improved by its video. I’ve always liked the song, but the video’s desperate heartbreak adds substance to the frothy dance beats.)