Do They Know It's Hallowe'en

Do They Know It's Hallowe'en is a year old now. It didn't get much publicty when it was first released and I don't think to many people have heard of it despite it's huge cast of thousands or hundreds, ok so Beck and like 40 other people. Among them, Elvira, the Fiery Furnaces, David Cross, Karen O, and Thurston Moore among others. It's a satire of the song Do they Know It's Christmas released 20 years earlier. It's a pretty funny song and has some great effects and should be a new theme for Halloween amongst the piles and piles of other great Halloween songs. Proceeds from this song go to Unicef and it get be bought as well as remixes here. Hopefully I'll do this again next year with even more. Hopefully anyone visiting enjoyed all of these. Happy Halloween everybody.

The North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative - Do They Know It's Hallowe'en

Night of the Living Skull

Zombina and the Skeletones are a horror punk band from Out of England. They've had offers to sign with a major label but they'v remained putting out their own horror theme music that sounds alot like a girl leading a Ramones sounding bander with quirky keyboard effects here and there. Night of the Living Skull is off of their Halloween Hollerin' EP.

Zombina and the Skeletones - Night of the Living Skull

Rockin' in the Cemetary

I don't really know how appropriate it would be to rock out in a cemetery. It might be ridiculously cool, but you might also risk pissing off the dead which isn't something I really want to do anytime soon. Overall I think you'd be better Rockin' out other places. But this is Halloween, and I gotta admit cemetery's can be pretty cool places, odd looking sculptures and creeping looking treees. Don't ask me why, but a tree just is inherently creepy by Being in a Cemetery. Anyways Ronnie Dawson probably has plenty of other creepy habits, but here's Dawson singing a song about one of them

Ronnie Dawson - Rockin' in the Cemetery

Smells Like Monster Mash

Overall I think most mashups are rather uninspired and they gradually become less and less interesting the more you hear them. They're great listening for parties or for that one time quirk factor but for me the more I hear a mashup the less I care. If the 50's had novelty hits we have mashups. But every once in a while one does strike a chord between the music and or vocals that are mixed that seems oddly apppropriate. This version of the Monster Mash was hybridized with Smells Like Teen Spirit. And while I would at one point think maybe Cobain would think this was terrible. But it's trashy, no ones making money off it it, and it seems like a big fuck you to both songs. I wish I knew who to attribute the mashup to, but the bands are Nirvana and Bobby Boris Prickett.

Edit found it, it's by Ded Wood.

Ded Wood - Smells Like Monster Mash

I Saw the Wolfman

The Wolfman is back. I havn't posted a song about werewolves or the wolfman specifically in a little while. Trying not to make the blog completely werewolf centric, but I had to bring back the Wolve's because this song is a good rockabilly romp. The best part is like the early rock and roll of the 50s it features a prominant Saxophone honking along with the piano line and shuffling drumss. If you can't dance to this song, well, I guess you need to keep drinking. Anyways, check out Hifi and the Roadrunners. They play like their namesake, fast and fun.

Hifi and the Roadrunners - I Saw the Wolfman

Feed My Frankenstein

I had to hit up one of the most demoic rockers ever in Alice Cooper before the month was over. He's got more than a few songs, and one that starts off with an introduction by Vincent Price, and this was way before Thriller, but I chose to go with Feed My Frankenstein as it's a good rockin' track for any type of occasion. Not to mention it was good enough for Wayne's World (May Mike Meyers desire to actually make good movies rest in peace). Anyways, between Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne they both battled for Dark Metal Rock Lord Supreme...and then Ozzy Got a TV show and Alice Cooper opened a sports bar...sigh. Not quite the dramatic rock flameout it seems they should've gone out on, but hey, I've been to Alice Cooper's place. It's got lots of tvs and hot wings so I'm happy.

Alice Cooper - Feed my Frankenstein

The Mask

MF Doom and Ghostface is a killer teampup for any song and The Mask off of DangerDooms debut cd (supposedly their is supposed to be a followup) was nothing short of one of the best tracks on the disc. The Mask has more in common with Superheroes then Halloween but it's still got a great beat and a little haunting sample halfway through. Just make sure to cut the song out before Zorak and Brak cut in, it's really only funny and entertaining hearing that part the first time throuhg.

DangerDoom - The Mask

Burn the Witch

Ahh ye olde Queens of the Stone Age. They sell enough cds but they don't end up on the radio all that much, not to mention I don't personally know that many people into them. After their last 2 cds, Lullabies to Paralyze and Songs For the Deaf I was diggin' em alot. Burn the Witch is off of their most recent cd Lullabies witch came out in spring 2005. It features some guitar work by Billy Gibbons in addition to the members of Queens. It's got some great howling or moaning I guess you might call it, but in a screeching stoner rock vocalist kind of way, whatever the hell that means.

Queens of the Stone Age - Burn the Witch

Organ Doner

DJ Shadow's Organ Doner is one of the many phenomenal tracks featured on his debut full Length Entroducing. It's short but sweet. This is the 2 minute version, there's a longer version that was put on his compilation cd Pre-emptive Strike but since I don't have unlimited space I just went with the old 2 minute version. It's short but sweet. The full length of Shadow's Endtroducing is relatively dark itself. While many of the tracks are necessarily spooky it's an album that just feels different when listened to after Dark as opposed to the day.

DJ Shadow - Organ Doner

Fearless Vampire Killers

This one is by Bad Brains the famous DC hardcore band. They formed in 1979 and continued to release albums throughout the 80s and into the 90s. Alot of their earlier material was originally released on tapes that are now hard to find. I think I first heard about Bad Brains after getting into the Beastie Boys and hearing that Bad Brains were an inspiration for them. The Beastie Boys were originally a hardcore band before they ended up on Def Jam and some of their earlier stuff sounds like a clear Bad Brains imitation. The picture is from Van Helsing, one of the most entertainingly aweful movies I have ever seen. It basically consists of random special effects shots and a terrible plot that gets worse by the minute. It's really the perfect bad movie to watch and enjoy.

Bad Brains - Fearless Vampire Killers

Zombie Jamboree

This song by Harry Belafonte is phenomenally catchy not to mention absolutely ridiculous. I think my favorite thing is how upbeat is, it's almost as good as Day-O. I originally heard this song over at Dr. Mysterian's blog. He stopped updating it around last December and even though I have a ton of songs I got from his blog I've tried to post new songs and different stuff that wasn't on his, but this song was too good and I wanted people who hadn't seen his blog to check it out.

Harry Belafonte - Zombie Jamboree

Friend of the Devil

If theres any time for friendship with the most evil man alive, October and Halloween is it. Friend of the Devil is such a charming song, Jerry Garcia really doesn't make it sound all to bad. Truly the PRMC and Tipper Gore shoud've gone after Bluegrass, not rock and roll.

The Grateful Dead - Friend of the Devil

Freddy's Return

Ahh an ode to one of the 80s most popular villains of Horror flicks, Freddy Krueger. I was scared of Freddy as a kid and I hadn't even seen the commercials. I remember just seeing the adverstisements of the movies on TV and having those be enough for me to be scared of having the lights out. It wasn't enough that he had a disfigured face and long hands made out of pointy metal, but he had that sweater and the creeepy evil Indiana Jones hat. The Song Freddy's Return is done by the Phantom Rockers another Gothabilly band. This is off their cd kissed by a Werewolf.

Phantom Rockers - Freddy's Return

The Horror

RJD2's first proper album Deadringer features a song called the Horror. Filled with samples that sound like a zombie invasion full force and filled with interspersed quotes of old horror movies this is truly a great song for a Halloween Soundscape. It's what to blare outside your door if you want to be a horrific hipster.

RJD2 - The Horror

Undead Chubby Checker

Apparently a few years back Chubby Checker recorded the novelty single Doin the Zombie. While I assume the Purple Rain imitation guitar riff is all Checker's doing, what puzzles me is whether or not the rapping is pure Checker. If it isn't this single is pure Halloween Comedy gold. If it is, well then it's gone platinum.

Chubby Checker - Doin the Zombie

I Vampire

Told you I had a few more songs about Vampires and this one is a blazing metal song by the Creeping Cruds who sound kind've ACDC if they played the Misfits. Check out the badass 1 and a half minute guitar solo. They put out their 1st full length in 2004 and hail from Nashville so if you live in Tennesee and that area of the country, check out their website as they might be playing local dates.

The Creeping Cruds - I Vampire

Who Ya Gonna Call?

I won't lie, part of the reason I've always loved October is that my birthday lies on the 14th. Halfway through, theres still 2 weeks left till Halloween and plenty of time to get that costume and carve a pumpkin. Since it's my birthday I'm gonna be self indulgent. Today I post one of my favorite songs from my favorite movie ever...Ghostbusters. But not the Ray parker jr. version, I have a metal version by the band Xentrix as well as an Acapella version by the Loyola College Chimes and they perform it complete with sound effects.

Xentrix - Ghostbusters

Loyola College Chimes - Ghostbusters

Number of the Beast

While it isn't 6/6/06 it is Friday the 13th and with that I have Iron Maiden's number of the Beast of the album of the same name. Iron Maiden is one of those bands where virtually every title can be supernatural or spooky in some way or another, and since this is rather epic this is the way to head bang through All Hallows Eve. Plus posting some Iron Maiden gave me an excuse to put up the Album Cover of Number of the Beast. This is one of their most popular albums. At the radio station I used to dj at it was a favorite to toss on. Well that and any Iron Maiden album becaus at the heart of the music it's all about crazy Norwegian Viking conquest stuff and the fact that the music is so metal and the badass vocals by Bruce Dickinson just make you feel like a viking...in the 80s....wearing neon.
I also have Shawn Lee's Friday the 13 to satisfy actually putting up a song about the 13th.

Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast

Shawn Lee - Friday the 13

Monsters on the Loose

For those of you who happened to be kids/teens in the 90s, you might remember catching a show called the Adventures of Pete and Pete on Nickelodeon. Running for 3 seasons and around 40 episodes, it was an incredibly creative surreal tv show on growing up in a suburban neighborhood and the way kids perceive things rather then adults. The Adventures of Pete and Pete had some amazing music as Stephen Merrit contributed both as the Magnetic Fields, the Gothic Archies, and the 6ths, not to mention the Apples in Stereo, Luscious Jackson and last but not least Polaris who wrote the theme and also produced an entire album worth of material entirely for the show. Among these songs was The Monster's Loose which can be found on Polaris, Music From the Adventures of Pete and Pete. Also check out the Halloween episode from the 2nd season entitled, Halloweenie.

Polaris - The Monster's Loose

Ghosts

Ghosts is by Dag Nasty, a punk and hardcore band formed in 1985 by Brian Baker of Minor Threat. This song was featured on a Warped Tour Compilation. It's one of the rare non emo tracks on the cds. They stopped making music in the early 90s but still went on a warped tour a few years back.

Dag Nasty - Ghosts

Vampire Roadtrip

It's been 9 days and still no vampire or dracula song. What's the deal? Finally I got one to add, well I have more then one but this is the start. I don't know much about the Hammerdowns, but I do know their song Vampire Roadtrip features 2 dueling vocalists and this tale of 2 Vampires on a Roadtrip together.

Hammerdowns - The Vampire Roadtrip

Haunted House

Haunted House is a great song about a haunted house that sounds alot like Yakkety Yak with it's sax and boogie rhythm. This is a great song by Jumpin' Gene Simmons. Not the one from Kiss, this is Gene Simmons, he played with Elvis and was on Sun Records in it's heyday. He recently died on the 29th of August. RIP Jumpin' Gene.

Jumpin' Gene Simmons - Haunted House

Wolfman Jack pt. 2

The 2nd, and not last song named after Wolfman Jack is by Todd Rundgren. An upbeat classic rock song, it's hard to feel evil listening to this song. The backup singers are amazing as well, just listen to the high pitched chorus.

Todd Rundgren - Wolfman Jack

Witch

The sonics only put out about 50 or so songs before they pretty much dispanded. During there time they were one of the loudest wildest garage bands alive. Witch like all there songs is a testament to the noise and rock they could produce. Seems kind've strange the pacific northwest has such a long string of crazy rock from Hendrix and the Kingsmen to Nirvana and Modest Mouse. Something must be mutating in the water.

The Sonics - Witch

Self Titlted

I figured I should probably cover this blog's namesake. Ghost Town is one of the Specials biggest hits. Featured in plenty of movies from Snatch to Shaun of the Dead, it was basically made for a haunting background. Plus it's got that ska groove and creepy but soothing vocals make it a perfect Halloween hit.

The Specials - Ghost Town

Funk with your Frankenstein?

George Clinton and Parliament=funk and Funks alot like Jello, there's always room for a little funk. Of the many crazy warped, funky, and just out there titles of George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic songs, Dr. Funkensteins gotta be one of my favorites. A meandering chill song, full of goofy talk, what sounds like a gremlin in the background, a few short flute loops, some synth and funky backup singers. As he says this'll "make your atoms move so fast expanding your molecules causing a friction fire burning you on your neutron causing you to scream hit me on the proton."

George Clinton - Dr. Funkenstein

They Have Come Back From the Dead

You may have already heard of this one, but it's here for those that havnt and also just for Halloween. Anyways, it's Sufjan Steven's They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!, one of the longest titles of songs ever, but then again it's almost normal for his 2005 cd Illinois. It has a rather haunting group of backup singers and a great piano hook.

Sufjan Stevens - They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!

Wolfman Jack

Binary Star teamed up for one album. One great album, then they disbanded and have been pursuing their own solo projects and respective record labels. For their album they had over 20 cuts, one of which was the haunting and superb Wolfman Jack. Titled after the famous radio Dj it features a narrator, howling, and a dark piano. Perfect beats for a full moon night.

Binary Star - Wolfman Jack

Dark Night

Onto day 2, I'm ready to start getting into rockabilly. Not sure what it is about the sound that drives so many rockabilly bands to write songs about vampries, werewolves, and the night, but the sound fits perfect for driving on a country road with no lgihts. The perfect theme for that situation is Dark Night by the Flat Duo Jets. And just to give you a little more flavor from the band I also have Creepin' Invention featuring some devilish laughter from the lead singer of the two person garage rockabilly band.

Flat Duo Jets - Dark Night

Flat Duo Jets - Creepin' Invention

Skelatons and Skulls

First up for Ghost Town is skulls and Skelatons. Figuring this is a blog all about halloween themed music, it seems right to kick it off with the Misfits and Skulls. One of their most catchy songs, this is a great song along with everything on their 1982 Walk Among Us. In Addition to the Misfits I also have Skelaton Man by Frank Black. One of his catchier songs from his many solo efforts, it won't exactly put fright into you, but it might make you wanna dance.

The Misfits - Skulls

Frank Black - Skelaton Man