Halloween Playlist for Everday Listening

Every holiday seems to have it's list of if-I-never-hear-this-song-again-it-will-be-too-soon musical "favourites" and Halloween is no exception. "The Monster Mash" makes me cringe, but not in a good way, and I really don't want to listen to "Thriller" again. That said, I thought I'd put together a playlist of songs I currently enjoy listening to that fit the Halloween theme. I also included a few creepy oldies that I expect won't be in any danger of being overplayed by your local classic rock radio station.

Vampire, Pink Mountaintops
Outside Love, 2009

On first listen, Pink Mountaintops' music comes across as light and fun, but don't be fooled. The more familiar you get with their brand of dreamy psychedelia, the more you might start to perceive a discreet twisted quality lurking beneath the surface. Sweet but sinister lyrics drive the point home, "So kiss me, please kiss me...I'm done turning blue."

Additional Halloween bonus: the person who made this video synched the music with clips from the awesome Swedish horror flick, "Let the Right One In".



Mother Mother, Ghosting
O My Heart, 2008

This might be the one song on this list that doesn't quite belong. Yes, it's about a ghost in love with a living person, but he's just too well-adjusted. He's finished with the poltergeist parlor tricks most other ghosts play in order to get noticed. He's getting rid of his sheet and demanding that his love interest recognize him for what he is! Lack of creepiness aside, "Ghosting" is my favourite song from "O My Heart" and always worth a listen.



Bloodflow, Smog
Dongs of Sevotion, 2000

When it comes to being wryly disturbing, Bill Callahan takes the cake. I've noticed many reviews describe his music as vulnerable and melancholy. Really? I mean, I get the warm and intimate quality of his unadorned vocal stylings but doesn't that closeness come across as seeming a little too hot under the collar and bordering on claustrophobic when he starts singing things like, "No time for a tete-a-tete/Can I borrow your machete?"



Ma Meeshka Mow Skwoz, Mr. Bungle
Disco Valonte, 1995

There are some creepy doozies on this list, but this is the creepiest of them all. It starts out on a tame enough note with a retro, Ed Wood-inspired prelude that quickly spirals into madness. We're treated to a Tom and Jerry pandemonium-tinged hook, a manic wild west showdown theme, weird scatting in a made-up language that sounds kinda German and kinda demonic, and a freaky 'gotcha!' fade-out that makes you wonder if the nightmare will ever end. It's fun to listen to, but whatever state of mind Mike Patton was in when he wrote this song, I don't ever want to go there.



Bela Lugosi's Dead, Bauhaus
1979

This is the one song that often makes an appearance on cheesy Halloween playlists that I will make an exception for. After all, this list could use a good dance song. It may not have a catchy beat but I really did enjoy dancing to it back in the day. Going by the release date that was 30 years ago. Now that's scary!



What Halloween themed faves are you listening to these days?

2012 New Music Finds

My Cynic's New Year test press by Horse Feathers. Signed!

I've always been a bit of a music addict. Lately I've been buying a couple of albums a month...okay maybe more than a couple of albums. What can I say? 2012 has been a great year for music.

Of the albums I've purchased so far this year, these are the ones that have made it into heavy rotation in my playlists.

"Lonesome Dreams" by Lord Huron
Released October 9, 2012

"Lonesome Dreams" is the first full-length release by this L.A. based band and I LOVE it. Like many of the new bands I've become interested in over the past couple of years, Lord Huron's music is lush and layered with dreamy harmonies and infectious rhythms.

Note: If you're going to look into this one, I'd also highly recommend their previous two EPs, especially "Mighty".



"Cynic's New Year" by Horse Feathers
Released April 17, 2012

This is the album I most looked forward to at the beginning of 2012. Horse Feathers' previous release, "Thistled Spring" was my favourite album of 2010 and I anxiously awaited more. In fact, if there's anything that I could possibly criticize about this album, it's that it might have fulfilled my desires a little too perfectly. "Cynic's New Year" is filled with the same beautiful and melancholy, richly orchestrated music found on "Thistled Spring". Well, I'm not tired of it yet.

By the way, I finally had the chance to catch these guys in concert this year at the Rifflandia Festival. It was one of the richest and tightest sounding live performances I've ever experienced. Really now, how easy can it be to make a bowed saw sound fabulous in a live setting?



"Adventures in Your Own Back Yard" by Patrick Watson
Released April 16, 2012

It recently came as a shock to me to learn that not everyone loves Patrick Watson. I mean, what's not to like? His soul-piercing falsetto, or the fact that he doesn't write the kind of music you can 'rock out' to, or that he smokes on stage during performances? Whether or not he is an acquired taste, I have to say this, anyone who likes Patrick Watson is a friend of mine.

"Adventures in Your Own Back Yard" is a wonderful album. Every song is stamped with that characteristic gorgeous and graceful je ne sais quoi and yet every song is uniquely its own. It's the current front-runner for my favourite album of 2012.



"The End of That" by Plants and Animals
Released February 28, 2012

The first time I heard of Plants and Animals, I was watching them open for Grizzly Bear. It was one of those great experiences where I ended up liking the opening act more than the band I'd come to see. Plants and Animals are a solid indie rock outfit that puts on the some of the best live performances to be found these days. Though I expect some would not agree, I think "The End of That" is Plants and Animals' most pop-infused, accessible LP to date.



"Vision" by Grimes
Released January 31, 2012

My boyfriend laughs every time I say, "Montreal is on fire these days", but I don't think anyone would argue with the idea that it really is a hotbed of fantastic music as of late. In case you haven't noticed, of the five bands included in this list, three of them are from Montreal: Patrick Watson, Plants and Animals, and Grimes. Even when it comes to genres of music I don't usually like, I end up enjoying what Montreal has to offer.

Grimes' "Vision" is a perfect example. It's electronic, which isn't a genre I'm usually into, but it's also way more. Grimes' music is creative and fresh in a way that you'll just have to listen to to get an idea of.



If you have any suggestions for other new music I should look into, I'd love to hear them!