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Vice Blog

NEW YORK - HEY SPOOKY US, GIVE US SOME HALLOWEEN JAMS


OK, today was going to be the ultimate Halloween playlist showdown, but sadly Kenneth Anger, Dominick Fernow, and Richard Ramirez all turned down our request for tunes. So instead we're going to tap into our Halloweenian expertise and make you our own holiday mix.

We sez - "The one thing everybody else we got playlists from seemed to forget is that Halloween is essentially a partier's holiday. Current 93 may be perfect mood music for riding a chalet through a dusky Romanian vale, but the average person is going to be at a crowded bar or apartment trying to balance different drugs against each other in such a way that they can still achieve an erection if need be. Songs that talk about creepy things versus trying to actually sound creepy are your best bet. If you put on anything that sounds like it was recorded by someone wearing a cowl, people are going to look at you like you just put your hand down your pants, pulled out a handful of pubes, and put them into your mouth."

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It Came In the Night - A Raincoat

Axis - Blut Aus Nord

As said, it's stupid to think that just because it's Halloween people will put up with an entire hour of black metal, but you might as well have a little. This is ours. The first time somebody played this song, it literally scared me (although I told him "it didn't scare me, it just surprised me").

I Walked With A Zombie - Roky Erikson and the Aliens

Dominion/Mother Russia - Sisters of Mercy

I doubt anybody's going to go to the trouble of tracking all these records down and playing them at a party, but if for whatever reason you do, now would be a good time to go for a piss.

Pajama Party in a Haunted House - Beat Happening

Motorhead - Hawkwind

Rockin Bones - The Cramps

Really any Cramps song could go here. I picked "Rockin Bones" simply because it contains the word "Bones" and Psychedelic Jungle had the coolest cover.

Stigmata Martyr - Angel Hair

Russian Roulette - Lords of the New Church

This is the only night of the year when these guys don't sound like total cornballs, so take advantage of it. We had to limit it to one LotNC song for the sake of expediency, but if you're making your own list feel free to load it up. "Open Your Eyes" is another good one.

In a Cave - The Gothic Archies

Violent World - 45 Grave

DWSOB - Electric Hellfire Club

Second bathroom break. Make it quick though.

To Walk the Night - Samhain

Anti-Pope - The Damned

Doesn't this song sound like the Damned are a bunch of rowdy cartoon ghosts tearing through town in a ramshackle old ghost car like they're Casper's cousins or whatever? Maybe I'm just thinking of that whooooooo sound that Dave makes at the very end.

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Enchanted Forest - Mohawk and the Rednecks

Love Will Tear Us Apart - Swans

Note: It's got to be the version with Michael Gira singing. The Jarboe one isn't nearly goofy enough.

Witches, Witches, Witches - Andrew Gold

I don't know why children's singers think it's a good idea to have kids sing along at the chorus. It always struck me as kind of patronizing. Anyways, this full number might be a little taxing but god knows if anyone's still listening at this point. We could have read off the entire office's social security numbers for all the difference it would make.

Helter Skelter at 16 RPM - The Beatles

Fact: All Beatles songs sound like they're being sung by the devil when you play them at half speed. "Helter Skelter" is not surprisingly the most satanic, but "Got to Get You Into My Life" gives it a good run for its money.

And, for all the purists out there, here's the Vice Halloween mastermix.

Halloween - King Diamond
Halloween, It's - The Shaggs
Halloween - Dead Kennedys
Halloween - Ministry
Halloween - The Dream Syndicate
Halloween II - Samhain
Halloween - Sonic Youth
Halloween - Misfits
Halloween - Japan
Halloween - Helloween