Saturday, September 30, 2006

Mixtape of the Dead: the IBNH Halloween Mix, Vol. 1

So Kozma and I were toying with different ideas for a mixtape when I told him that I wanted to do a Halloween themed one, for well, Halloween. I told him that I wanted to stray away from corny or well known Halloween staples (Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London comes to mind) and concentrate on including some really creepy tunes that would genuinely make your skin crawl. Needless to say, Kozma was immediately intrigued and we set about coming up with some really creep-tastic songs. I got so excited about the prospect of posting some of these songs that I told Kozma I didn't care if we had the songlist completed or not, I had to start posting them. So, here is the first installment of the Insert Brand Name Here Halloween Mega-Mix.

1. M83 - Car Chase Terror - the inclusion of this song on this mix is a no-brainer, if you've never heard this song before do yourself a favor and download it, then shut off all the lights, and listen to it at an obnoxiously high volume. I guarantee you'll be running for the light switch in no time.
2. The Knife - Silent Shout - The Knife is just bizarrely creepy no matter what, and this title track from their newest album is no exception. The distorted vocals and ominous rythmic beats and jarring electronic pulses make this tune not only scary, but instantly enjoyable as well. Here's the very strange video as well.
3. Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - I was debating as to whether or not I should include this song on the mix, partly because I don't know if it strays too far from the theme, partly because Kozma thinks he's a no talent hack. Needless to say, I decided to include it because this song is about John Wayne Gacy, the guy who entertained kids as a clown by day and chopped them up by night. This is one of those songs where your mom hears it in passing and says "Oh, I like that song", having no idea as to how utterly disturbing it is.
4. Talkdemonic - Manhattan 81 - this song has a instantly catchy hook, but beyond the playfullness of the song, there is an inherently unsettling quality to it that just begged to be put on this mix.
5. Q. Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses - anyone who has seen Silence of the Lambs will recognize this little ditty as the one that Buffalo Bill does his little penis-tucking I-wish-I-was-a-woman demento gay dance to. As if that wasn't enough to creep you out, the song is actually pretty chilling all by itself.
6. Radiohead - Kid A - this song features a very strange music box type thing leading the intro, as well as some seriously distorted vocals, and the unforgettable line "We've go heads on sticks", all of which culminates into one incredibly creepy song.
7. Tool - Schism - I can remember the first time I heard this song, I can remember being a little put off by it, generally because of the video that accompanied it. And those little claymation things that are buried deep inside the pale flesh of those other equally disturbing looking creatures sure are freaky.

That's all for this installment of the first annual Insert Brand Name Here Halloween Mega-Mix, make sure you check back in the coming weeks to snag all of the other creepy songs we'll be posting. As a bonus for today, I wanted to post two songs that easily could've been included on the mix, however I felt that they were either too obvious or sort of hokey in the sense that it didn't really fit in with the theme of the mix. Anyway, enjoy these parting tracks.

Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper (pretty much your standard Halloween song, but I still feel that more cowbell would've been plus)
The Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died (for a song that's as morbid as this one, it's still catchy and a lot of fun)

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