Each week, Arts & Entertainment staff members compile a list of their current favorite tracks hoping to help readers find their new go-to jam. Look out for occasional themed playlists and solid tracks from a wide range of genres every week. This week has a spooky Halloween theme.
1. “Psycho Killer” by Talking Heads
If the name of the song doesn't give you chills, maybe the lyrics will. The Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer" is a new wave jam that you could easily groove to for a few moments before noticing the freaky, psychotic lyrics. But even when you do hear lead singer David Byrne’s warning to run away from this psycho killer, chances are you’ll just keep dancing.
— Julia Stembridge
2. “Climbing Up the Walls” by Radiohead
Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls” is the perfect embodiment of abstract, neurotic terror. Sung from the perspective of the thing that goes bump in the night, it’s driven by a low envelope filter and creepy lyrics such as: “And either way you turn / I’ll be there / open up your skull / I’ll be there / climbing up the walls.” After the second chorus, the song is taken over by distorted guitar and closes with a terrifying final scream.
— Christian Hecht
3. “The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel
This classic Simon & Garfunkel tune may seem harmless with its basic chord progression coupled with the iconic duo’s raspy vocals, but this whirlwind of a classic folk song is anything but. Whether the song conjures up images of your next-door neighbor and future girlfriend’s hot mother, or the end of individual thought via mass media — like it did for Simon, whose nightmare inspired the lyrics — it’s sure to be a spooky treat at the end of a long Halloween night.
— Helen Edwards
4. “Cannons” by Youth Lagoon
Like clothes, certain bands are meant to be listened to during certain seasons. For Youth Lagoon, the music project of the young musician Trevor Powers, fall is that season. “Cannons” off Youth Lagoon’s 2011 debut album will always be the perfect ode to fall with its subtle, and immediately familiar, reverb and harmonies that bring with them a never-ending flow of nostalgia. “Cannons” builds to an anthemic end that will never fail to make you want to sit outside on a crisp fall night and forget about everything else, if only for three minutes and 45 seconds.
— Emma Graig
5. “What’s He Building?” by Tom Waits
Warning: don’t listen to this song if you’re home alone. Tom Waits plays the role of concerned neighbor in the truly scary “What’s He Building?” Not a typical Tom Waits song, this spoken-word piece would fit well in a horror movie trailer.
— Virginia Blount
6. “Spooky Scary Skeletons” by Andrew Gold
A rumbling baritone voice and clever alliterative lyricism characterize Andrew Gold’s Halloween-themed classic. On the surface, “Spooky Scary Skeletons” is just a light little ditty, but under its skin, it’s a haunting rumination on self-control, loss and alienation. “We’re so sorry, skeletons / you’re so misunderstood,” sings Gold. The song is not necessarily a critical darling, but a listen or two will put anyone in the seasonal mood.
— Ben Hitchcock
7. “Wolves” by Old Gray
The scariest part about life isn't the horrors creeping into ridiculous movie plots and abandoned houses, it's loss. Old Gray (and Cam Boucher's subsequent project, Sorority Noise) have dealt with the ghosts of departed friends and simpler times with post-rock and languid post-hardcore flair. It's as genuine as it is grating, and it spooks up an adequate heart-wrenching portrait.
— James Cassar
8. “Ecstatic Transformation” by Sigh
Metal you can dance to — it sounds like a paradox. Sigh borrows the raspy screams that make black metal terrifying and overlaps them with groovy riffs, handclaps and Deep Purple style organ music. It's the musical manifestation of Halloween parties: the scary aesthetic is there for convention, but Sigh knows you got past the bouncer to dance, not to get spooked. Don't bother taking any of this seriously. Just dance.
— Michael Crawford
9. “Dearly Departed (feat. Esmé Patterson)” by Shakey Graves
Halloween songs are almost always zany and ridiculous, never quite able to be both playfully spooky and actually listenable. Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia of Austin, Texas) and Esmé Patterson decided to fix this gross oversight in Halloween-themed music on tour late one night. While the theme might not be recognizable after one listen, the two singer-songwriters consciously inserted every kitschy Halloween motif that came to mind, resulting in an irresistibly charming song that is equally as enjoyable in April as it is in October.
— John Mattingly
Listen to the full playlist below or on the Arts & Entertainment section’s Spotify page at CavalierDailyAE. Tune in next Friday for our next installment.
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