Feed Your Head

October is one of the best months of the year, in my opinion. Leaves changing, sleeping under a blanket with the windows open, watching creepy movies, preparing for Halloween. There's just this dark mood in the air as we get closer and closer to October 31st. Time for a Halloween playlist on Droolycat!

This playlist is mostly classic rock songs that I love, which are sort of dark. The goal was to create a creepy mood, and I think these songs definitely accomplish that, even though they aren't necessarily Halloween songs. Do you really want me to post The Monster Mash? I didn't think so. Two of the songs I admit, I snagged them from the American Horror Story soundtrack, a song by Mirah and a song by Carina Round. If you watch the show you'll definitely recognize the Mirah track, I think it was in like two episodes. The Carina Round song was in episode two, I believe.

 

Tracks:

1. White Rabbit - Jefferson Airplane

This sets the mood for the rest of the list, a classic dark song with psychological themes
2. I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Love this song, almost as much as I love the CCR version. This is on many a Halloween playlist, but it is one of my favorites so I can't pass it up
3. Black Magic Woman - Santana

Gotta love the spooky intro to this song, it reminds me of going on a rollercoaster in the dark. Also take a look at the Jefferson Airplane version

4. People Are Strange - The Doors

Lost Boys, anyone? The Doors are a staple for those seeking moody, psychadelic tunes like this for Halloween

 5. Green Grass - Tom Waits

Wonderful atmospheric song

 6. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You - Led Zeppelin

Possibly my favorite Led Zep song, it's hard to make generalizations like that. It just makes me think of someone speeding down a dark highway alone

7. Special Death - Mirah

One of my selections from the American Horror Story soundtrack, love this song

8. Where Is My Mind (Pixies cover) - Maxence Cyrin

This is a nice cover, although the original by the Pixies is obviously awesome and of course I was inspired by the darkness of Fight Club

9. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover) - Ray Lamontange

Ok, ok, so Ray sings a lot of wistful non-spooky songs, but his voice is meant for more intense subjects than old girlfriends. He's going crazy!

10. Do You - Carina Round

My other pick from American Horror Story, this was in episode 2, I believe. This song is just beautiful and girly

11. The Killing Moon (Echo & the Bunnymen cover) - Nouvelle Vague

I was thinking of the Killing Moon as it is in Donnie Darko, but then I came across this cover and thought it a better fit for this list

12. All We Ask - Grizzly Bear

 I am so creeped out by this song, it is very possessive. There's sort of a feeling of being trapped in it

13. Helter Skelter - Siouxie and the Banshees

A punky version of the classic. I wanted to use the Beatles version but this cover definitely does them justice

14. Murder Mystery - The Velvet Underground

 One of my favorite songs ever, one of my favorite bands ever. It's hard to process at first but it is truly meditative and creepy

15. Bloom - Radiohead

I just feel like the beginning piano bit of this song belongs in a horror movie. It does sound familiar, maybe it is a rip-off, I don't know

16. Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker) - The Who (Tommy)

 Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. Yes. If you don't think this is creepy, you should watch the movie

17. God's Away on Business - Tom Waits

Can't have a Halloween playlist without this gem. Watch the Cookie Monster version afterwards, haha.

things heather likes, oct edition

You guys I have finally finished my thesis! I even turned it in A WHOLE DAY before its deadline. It is 159 pages long, and there were lots of things that should have gotten in the way of this happening - including a conference I was presenting at in Norway the week before the deadline and the 30 pages I had to write the week before I left for Norway - I DID IT. I am now starting my PhD this month because I am clearly delusional.

Since we have established that I have questionable taste while writing - at one point I actually downloaded a Ke$ha song to listen to while editing - I decided it might be safe to take a quick break before returning to Droolycat. But I'm back, bitches! & with a new set of Things Heather Likes.

1. Marina and the Diamonds - Radioactive (How To Dress Well Rework)
How To Dress Well is a minimalist hip-hop musician (for lack of a better phrase). I know, I know... Basically, he takes familiar aspects of r&b and piles on shit tons of reverb and backchannels to make really ethereal music. But god damn does this man have an ear for pop music. I really like Marina and the Diamonds but her original version of this is just ... boring in comparsion to HTDW's cover. Take a listen and try to get it out of your head.


2. Bibio - K is for Kelson
I don't really know where to begin with Bibio. He does some sort of experimental instrumental-electro-producing thing. If you listened to me ages ago and downloaded Summer Babes (which, PS, you totally should - this was one of my favorite 'albums' all year) you will probably be familiar with Lover's Carvings (make yourself familiar). Like Lover's Carvings this is catchy and summery and fun... even if it is fall.


3. Holy Ghost! vs. Black Van - Holy Mashopolis (I Will Come Back vs. Yearning)
The only thing I know about Holy Ghost! is that I was supposed to see him DJ once, but because I had no idea who he was I didn't go. In hindsight I am disappointed in myself. (Sidenote: I am skipping 2 symposiums, one in Lancaster and one in Belfast this coming weekend to catch a Peaches DJ set with a pretty girl. This is probably the correct prioritization.) His 2011 album Holy Ghost! was pretty great. Here's an earlier track, remixed with something else.


4. Girls - Hunny Bunny
Girls is a band I like but they are nigh impossible to Google, as you might imagine. Here is their attempt at 60s surf rock.


5. The New Feist Album, Metals
It's fall! And there's a new Feist album! This is about love falling apart but I still want to spend all day reading in bed while this plays in quietly in the background.


6. St Vincent, Strange Mercy
Ashley and I saw St Vincent open for Andrew Bird a few years ago. It was - as an understatement - a very strange opening set, especially because we had never heard of St Vincent. There was a tiny woman on stage who was prone to careen between very beautiful, melodic sections and a violent, stompy, discordant noise parade. It was truly an exercise in Pixiesesque loud/soft dynamic, and we didn't like it very much - especially because we were here to hear a violin looping virtuouso! what was happening! Boy, were we ever wrong. Admittedly St Vincent has sort of toned down the extremism here; this album's much more controlled than her other two albums, but Ashley- this one's for you. Give her a second chance (if you haven't already!)