HALLOWEEN FRIGHT NIGHT PLAYLIST
Twisted Nerve, Madeline Goldstein, Taqbir, Cochoinne, Anika, Dramarama, Bauhaus
I love Halloween! I don’t particularly like scary movies, or dressing up in Halloween costumes (I do enough of that year-round), or most candy or decorating for Halloween, or believing in ghosts, or lots of other stuff—but I love the whole idea of it. One month a year, we embrace SATAN and everybody gets real stupid.
I’ve really tried to lean into the Halloween season this year. I just returned home from a bar called BLACK LAGOON (seasonally) after a screening of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (some of it is scary). I also found a way to sneak into Halloween Horror Nights after work one day, and I went to SHAQTOBERFEST—which sadly has nothing to do with Shaq or Octoberfest. Instead, it’s haunted houses (or haunted “Shaqs”—though some of them were called “shacks,” which I found even more confusing), a spooky EDM DJ and a cool haunt aboard the supposedly haunted Queen Mary. And I have more to come this weekend!
But most importantly Halloween is our best musical holiday. Sure Christmas has more of it—but it also makes us listen to some awful genres we have otherwise moved on from. Imagine listening to a song like this if it were about anything other than Santa. It fucking sucks.
But the Halloween sounds? GOTH! DEATHROCK! DARKWAVE! SPOOKY SURF ROCK! PEOPLE RAPPING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT FREDDY KREUGER! It rules and I’ve made a mix specifically for it.
Here are some highlights:
Twisted Nerve “When I’m Alone”
This is one of a few songs pulled from the great Killed By Deathrock compilations. I also love this spin on the song from Theophilous London:
Cochonne “Trop”
From the sadly defunct Durham band with a naughty name (I forget this when I google them). This is one with no specific ghoulish theming (besides a sick monster hand on the cover), but the vibe is right for a Halloween party.
Dramarama “Anything Anything”
Another one light on the Halloween theming but it’s either this or the same two Souxie and the Banshees songs on everyone else’s list. This one makes the cut because I like the song, firstly.
Secondly, I watched the whole Nightmare on Elm Street franchise for the first time this month (despite sometimes performing as Aleksi Krugar, the Polish version of Freddy whose face was burned by acid when he was a junta spy). I wouldn’t recommend most of it. I did like the first one I guess, and I was into DREAM WARRIORS (which someone pointed out is basically an X-Men movie).
The 4th one was bad but it did have this song in it—which I guess is why it’s famous—while some kid does a bunch of karate. SPOILER: not a useful form of self-defense against claw hands and reality manipulation.
Bauhaus “Dark Entries”
Everybody immediately goes for “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” but this is better and doesn’t have this cover art on Spotify:
Anika “No One’s There (Dub)”
I saw Anika last year at the Lodge Room and it was great. Again, not necessarily spooky, but quite moody!
Madeline Goldstein “Seed of Doubt”
Previously featured this song on here, but a lot of people were converted to fellow Madeline Goldstein fans with her killer performance on this week’s Best Show which you need to see!
Taqbir “Aisha Quandisha”
Killer post-punk from Morocco. This one is surprisingly spooky—I’ll admit I didn’t know who or what Aisha Quandisha was before I heard this song, but it’s actually a frightening, seductive djinn from North African folklore. They even made “A SHUDDER Original” about her! What is the 2nd way to stop the demon!? I gotta know!
The Crypt Keeper “The Crypt Jam”
Fuck you, this slaps. I also love when his bony little fingers wiggle.
Also, last year, I went as John Kassir for Halloween:
“HEHEHEHHEHEHE! HELLLLOOOO BOILS AND GHOULS! THIS IS THE CRYPT KEEEEPAAAHH and this message is for…Mark! Happy birthday, I hope you have a great day.”