Two DAMN Good Mixes! And Hot Extras!

It took me a while to get on the trolley.

On top of homework and sheer laziness, I had roughly 150 songs to choose from. For someone who's frightened of absolutely everything, I've collected a surprising amount of scary/spooky songs.

So, I made two mixes...


"DAMN good Halloween songs" -- Dale Cooper approved!
(I've been watching a lot of Twin Peaks lately.)

Tracklist:

1. Planet Claire - The B-52s
Slowly creeps up on you, then blasts off with a sci-fi dance party.
2. Treeless Island Peopled by Birds - Bird Names
3. Wicked Annabella - The Kinks
4. I Ain't Superstitious - Howlin' Wolf
I was going to include a spooky Doors songs or two (and they have a handful, let me tell you) -- but why not just include the guy that they cribbed from? Good dirty blues, with a smack of Robert Johnson.
5. Gouge Away - The Pixies
6. Teenage Witch - Eels
7. Third Uncle - Brian Eno
8. 4 Better or 4 Worse - The Pharcyde
Fatlip gets really freaky in the bridge. Watch out for it.
9. I Only Have Eyes For You - The Flamingos
My friend Donovan and I were recently discussing how eerie 50s songs can be. This one is particularly ghostlike, even menacing; from the echoey "shoo bop shoo wop" to the creepy harmonies in the chorus.
10. E. Knievel Interlude (The Perils of Keeping it Real) - Grandaddy
The ticking clock reminds us that the scariest thing is our finite mortality...!
11. The Ghost and the Eyes - Thanksgiving
12. Appel Direct - Django Reinhardt & Stephane Grappelli
Django's charging strumming/plucking here is meant to sound like a train. To me, it sounds like a ghost train.
13. Superstition - Blanche
Lilting Louisiana voodoo country.
14. Graveyard Orbit - Crystal Stilts
15. I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edwards
Ooooh...who's knocking at the door? Don't let them in...oooOOOooOOoo.
16. The Oogum Boogum Song - Brenton Wood
Sweet spooky soul.
17. You'll Pay For Your Day at Pleasure Island - Michael Leviton
A little ukelele song; half-sorrow, half-menace. Always reminds me of that disturbing scene in Pinocchio, when all those little boys started turning into donkeys.
18. The Sinking Ship Song - Matt Elliot
Appropriately, sounds like a ship full of sinking souls.
19. The Ballad of No-Face - Final Fantasy
As creepy as the title sounds.
20. Full Moon - Eden Ahbez
Quiet, calm, almost spoken word from the 60s, with a nighttime backdrop.
21. The Ghost Sonata - Tuxedomoon
And the album almost ends with a hush. Until:
22. Laisse Tombeur Les Filles - France Gall
This once-cheery song now always reminds me of the credits to "Deathproof." Oh, Quentin Tarantino.

Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UJJWQ6YC

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AND:


Halloween Surf 'n' Turf! Featuring a lot of surf songs, and a few songs that were too cute for the other mix, and yet, too cute to leave out altogether. When I say "cute," I mean like, 60s camp, and pop-punk satirical songs.

Tracklist:
1. Phantasma Del Mar - The Aquabats
2. Take Off Or Die! - The Tormentos
3. Out of Limits - The Ventures
4. The Cruel Sea - The Beat Tornados
5. Nite Prowler - The Deuce Coupes
6. Night Scene - The Rumblers
7. Flesh Hammer - Hillbilly Frankenstein
8. Shadow Land - The Falcons
9. Jack the Ripper (Parts 1 & 2) - Southern Culture on the Skids
10. Horror Beach - Horrorpops
11. Surfin' Bird - The Cramps
12. Cat With Two Heads - The Aquabats
13. Spider Cider - Man Man
14. Slaughter on 10th Ave - The Ventures
15. Letter From Jeepers - Mr. Guy
16. Fashion Zombies - The Aquabats
17. Boo! - Supernova
18. Straight to Hell - Chum
19. The Gonk (Theme from Dawn of the Dead)
20. Coolest Little Monster - Zacherley

Link: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GIMXX23O


AND, as far as actual albums go, there are two supremely underappreciated albums which you should purchase if you're looking for overall spooky bands:


"A-Haunting We Will Go-Go" The Ghastly Ones
Supreme 60s-style camp. Like the Haunted Mansion music...but way cooler.


"Wreckin' Crew" The Meteors
The kings of psychobilly. This album includes such Halloween treats as "Zombie Noise," "Mutant Rock" and "Fear of the Dark."



PS: Honorable mention goes to this 10 minute string quintet, because I feel like it could be played at a ghost ball, and it would be the best ghost ball ever.

Astor Piazzola - Concierto Para Quinteto