It's getting to be that time of year, and with the first official day of winter starting soon, I felt it appropriate to share some of my favorite releases to listen to during the season. Keep in mind that these are in no particular order whatsoever. Another note of significance is that each and every artist on this list are some of my favorites of all time. With that being said, allow me to share my top ten albums and EPs to listen to during winter! Feel free to click any of the images to open a new tab that will play music from that release.

1. LIGHTS - "Siberia"

LIGHTS is one of my favorite artists of all-time. Her music has a ton of significance in my personal life, and her first full-length album, "Siberia," is no exception. With the opening song and title track instantly giving a cold vibe (in the best way possible), this release always gets me excited for the winter season. Her vocals can easily bring the best out of anyone. As a personal anecdote, I started listening to LIGHTS as a freshman in high school and she has been one of my favorite artists since. However, I was never truly affected by her music until I had surgery earlier on this year and listened to this album frequently in order to stay positive.

Genre: Electronic

2. Owl City - "Ocean Eyes"

Keeping with the electronic vibe, Adam Young's sophomore full-length as Owl City, "Ocean Eyes," maintains the cold, yet comforting vibe that "Siberia" brings to the table. I first heard this album when I was in seventh grade and the impact it had on the music I listened to thereafter has been extremely significant. Adam Young's music opened my eyes to artists like LIGHTS, his side projects such as Sky Sailing, Port Blue, and Swimming With Dolphins, and other artists that I still listen to avidly. Furthermore, some of the lyrics on this release reference the season: "Welcome back, winter, once again..."

Genre: Electronic / Pop

3. Death Cab For Cutie - "Narrow Stairs"

The moment I heard this album in its entirety, I fell in love with Death Cab For Cutie. This album is riddled with winter vibes, with sleigh bells sprinkled in throughout some of the tracks like "You Can Do Better Than Me." While winter is the season to be cheerful, it can be a bit depressing due to the cold and cloudy weather. With that being said, this release is definitely there for you during those times. It just gets you, you know?

Genre: Indie / Emo

4. Lydia - "This December; It's One More And I'm Free"

Lydia is my favorite band of all time, and I've made that known throughout my time being on staff here. Their first album (and my favorite release from them), appropriately titled, "This December; It's One More And I'm Free," has very cold tones that give me goosebumps every time I listen to it. Songs like "A Camera Lens And Careful Days," "December," and "It's In Your Blood" are strangely perfect to listen to when you're driving during a snow storm.

Genre: Indie

5. Tyler, the Creator - "Goblin"

If you personally know me, you know how huge of a fan of Tyler, the Creator I am. Each of his releases is tied together perfectly. "Goblin," in my opinion, has some of the best beats he has ever produced. I don't know what it is about this album, but I go to it the most during winter.

Genre: Rap

6. Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago"

Bon Iver, now a full band, was originally comprised entirely of one man, Justin Vernon. This album features a lot of fans' favorite songs. It's a bit of a bitter message to a woman that Vernon broke up with, and I think that's why it resonates with people so well. Recorded in the winter of '06-'07 in his father's cabin, this album is about as "winter" as it gets. If, for some reason, you've never heard this album in its entirety, I recommend you listen to "Flume," "The Wolves (Act I and II)," "Creature Fear," "Re: Stacks," and, of course, "For Emma."

Genre: Indie / Acoustic

7. Brand New - "Deja Entendu"

The early 2000s were the peak of angsty, spiteful alternative music, and Brand New was certainly no stranger to this style. With their first release, "Your Favorite Weapon," almost entirely being an album in which they threw as much shade as possible, "Deja Entendu" has a sort of grown-up vibe to it. However, songs like "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades," "Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't," and "Good To Know If I Ever Need Attention All I Have To Do Is Die" show that they still weren't afraid to toot their own horn when recording this release. This album takes the listener to many different places emotionally, from being energetic and hyped from songs like "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" to missing people they never even dated with songs like "The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot," this album gets the most listening time from me during the winter months.

Genre: Alternative

8. La Dispute - "Rooms Of The House"

I was weary on sharing bands that featured "harsh" vocals in my last Top 10 Albums list, but La Dispute is a hardcore band that anyone can fall in love with. For the most part, vocalist Jordan Dreyer's vocals aren't ever too harsh for someone who doesn't listen to this style of music to not enjoy, and this release specifically features some spoken word pieces. Again, this album has always given me a winter vibe, and that's probably due in part to the line "I scraped off my windshield with the edge of a credit card" from the song, "Extraordinary Dinner Party."

Genre: Hardcore

9. Tides of Man - "Young And Courageous"

Tides of Man is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their music ages so well and I never really find myself listening to them more in one season than another, but their most recent and first instrumental album, "Young And Courageous," is one that I pay special attention to during the winter. After their vocalist, Tilian Pearson, departed from the band, they decided to continue as an instrumental group and they're still just as amazing. This is the perfect album for winter mornings and evenings by the fire.

Genre: Instrumental

10. Swimming With Dolphins - "Ambient Blue" EP

Finally on the list, is Swimming With Dolphins' first release, the "Ambient Blue" EP. Don't get me wrong, this EP is entirely meant for summer vibes, but I find myself listening to it the most during winter. The female vocals on "Silhouettes" remind me of driving through a snowstorm, and that's particularly because the first time I heard this song was during the winter of my eighth grade year. I don't know what it is, but any time I'm a little too antsy for spring to come around, I drive around and listen to this EP to get back a sense of security.

Genre: Electronic