Wednesday 12 October 2016

Mix CD #16: Children Of The Night - A Halloween Mix


Hello! 
It's been a while since the last mix but I've finally finished this, the sixteenth mix and the first with a proper actual themed theme, with the theme being, obviously Halloween. There's a veritable cornucopia of songs that are creepy, spooky and downright supernatural in nature on here. BUHWAHAHAHAHAAAA and all that. 

To be honest, it just looks like the playlist from Alternative club night in the 90's. Still, can't rain all the time...

You can download the mix HERE

Tracklisting
Schoolyard Heroes - Children Of The Night
Therapy? - Evil Elvis
Eels - My Beloved Monster
Soup Or Villainz - I'm A Zombie
Type O Negative - Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)
The Gaslight Anthem - Halloween
Stabbing Westward - Haunting Me
Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
Dunsmuir - The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight)
Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave
Marilyn Manson - Unkillable Monster
The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Drunk On The Blood
Danko Jones - Body Bags
Machines Of Loving Grace - Lillith/Eve
Neko Case - Things That Scare Me
MC Chris - Where The Ghosts At?
Strung Out - Skeletondanse
Harry & The Potters - My Teacher Is A Werewolf
The Birthday Massacre - Shallow Grave
Devin Townsend - Vampira
Mark Owen - Ghost
Zombina & The Skeletones - Can't Break A Dead Girl's Heart
Judas Priest - A Touch Of Evil

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Schoolyard Heroes - Children Of The Night
Taken from the 2007 album Abominations
Schoolyard Heroes were from Seattle and combined elements of Math Rock and Horror Punk to create their own individual style. They split in 2009 after releasing three pretty good albums, with this being their last. This song is a fair representation of their sound so if you like this then have a further nosey.

Therapy? - Evil Elvis
Taken from the 1994 single Die Laughing
This is a short quirky little B-side from these Irish veterans. I guess the song title comes from the fact that the songs sounds a little bit like a Misfits song and that was Glenn Danzig's nickname? I dunno. Anyway, it's another of their many bitter songs of unrequited love and it's great.

Eels - My Beloved Monster
Taken from the 1996 album Beautiful Freak
Beautiful Freak was Eels first album and I think it's also been their most successful. I might be wrong. Also I think this song was a single off it. Wasn't it? I think so. It's a pretty song about loving someone for who they are, how the heart wants what it wants and all that.

Soup Or Villainz - I'm A Zombie
Taken from the 2012 EP Please Stand By
This Nerdcore rap duo are from South Bend, Indiana and are attempting to take over the world, just for something to do. Like most Nerdcore bands their songs are about geeky stuff, for example they once did an entire mini album themed around Fallout 3. This particular song is of The Walking Dead variety. There's some nice creepy piano and more than a few chuckleworthy lines.

Type O Negative - Black No.1 (Little Miss Scare-All)
Taken from the 1993 album Bloody Kisses
This song was never off the rock shows back in the day and is probably their most well known song. I didn't really like it at the time partly because of the daft way Pete Steele over-enunciated for dramatic effect and also because he had weird teeth. Not that I'm overly judgemental or anything.
It's a catchy little song though and about as Halloweeny as you can get,

The Gaslight Anthem - Halloween
Taken from the 2014 album Get Hurt
This song, despite the title, doesn't seem to be overtly themed around the Witching Hour but it's about being at a Halloween party all miserable and alone. The closing line is about someone dressing up as his lost love. Whether that's implying she was a monster or that he's just very sad and sees around all the time I dunno. 

Stabbing Westward - Haunting Me
Taken from the 1998 album Darkest Days
It's getting very 90's Gothic Action/Horror OST now. Stabbing Westward were a staple of that sort of crap. Their Emo take on Industrial Metal was effective and they were understandably successful. Then they splunked it all with their final, self titled album that was safe, light and radio friendy. Sell outs! came the cry! In hindsight it's not actually that bad an album but Darkest Days and Wither, Blister Burn & Peel, even the debut, Ungod are way better.

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
Taken from the 1990 album Bloodletting
Concrete Blonde were a Gothic Alternative Rock band that began in the mid eighties and have split and then reformed several times. Vocalist Johnette Napolinato is also decently successful as a solo artist. This song is based on Interview With A Vampire and perfectly evokes the feeling of newly becoming a vampire in New Orleans and trying to deal with that. The Vampire bit not being in New Orleans. I'm not mad keen on the guitar tone but the gang vocals in the chorus are fantastic.

Dunsmuir - The Bats (Are Hungry Tonight)
Taken from the 2016 album Dunsmuir
This band are a supergroup featuring members of Clutch, Black Sabbath and Fu Manchu. Being a Stoner band and having Neil Fallon on vocals means they sound a very lot like Clutch but they're a little bit more pure Heavy Metal in tone. A lot of the lyrics are more fantasy based than his usual subject matter too.

Johnny Cash - Ain't No Grave
Taken from the 2010 album Ain't No Grave
There's not a whole lot I can write about Johnny Cash that folk don't already know. He's quite famous is Johnny.
I would quite like to have this  played at my funeral. "Ain't no grave can hold my body down". 

Marilyn Manson - Unkillable Monster
Taken from the 2009 album The High End Of Low
Poor old Marilyn doesn't have half the influence and shock factor he used to have 15 years or so ago but he is still turning out high quality albums from time to time. This song is actually quite introspective and thoughtful despite the title. Full of swearies though because I guess he just can't help himself.

The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster - Drunk On The Blood
Taken from the 2004 album The Royal Society
This British band were a chaotic mix of Art Rock and Horror Punk and released three great albums. I think The Royal Society was probably their biggest. This is an odd, slow dirge of a song that's perhaps not that indicative of their usual sound but shows off their more peculiar side.

Danko Jones - Body Bags
Taken from the 2015 album Fire Music
Danko is a Canadian Singer/Guiarist who plays a bolshy, Punk flavoured brand of Hard Rock. Most of his songs involve recreational procreation. This one, thankfully, does not. It's angry song about revenge and retribution.

Machines Of Loving Grace - Lillith/Eve
Taken from the 1993 album Concentration
More 90's Industrial for you. This time it's Machines Of Loving Grace from Arizona. I still listen to this album quite a lot even though it's dated quite badly. The songs still shine through though. Lillith was an ancient Mesopotamian demon and also rumoured to be Adam's first woman before Eve. Adam & Lillith doesn't really have the same ring to it does it?

Neko Case - Things That Scare Me
Taken from the 2002 album Blacklisted
This is a fairly short song that seems to be more about bitterness at a commercially driven world rather than a list of ghosts, spiders or crowds of people like you might expect. Still, it's a haunting, beautiful country song and one of favourites of hers.

MC Chris - Where The Ghosts At?
Taken from the 2014 album Foreverrr
I was gonna include the theme from Ghostbusters originally but then this song is all about Ghostbusters anyway. Seen from the viewpoint of Peter Venkman, it's filled with quotes from the movie and some sick rhymes. At the very least some quite poorly ones.

Strung Out - Skeletondanse
Taken from the 2004 album Exile In Oblivion
Exile In Oblivion was the album where this technical Punk band experimented with a bit of AFI style, Goth Punk feel. They still sounded pretty much the same but just a little darker and spookier in tone. It only lasted for this one album and the next, Blackhawks Over Los Angeles, was more politically motivated. They're an excellent band and a cut above most bands of their ilk.

Harry & The Potters - My Teacher Is A Werewolf
Taken from the 2003 album Harry & The Potters
There's not a whole lot to say abut Harry & The Potters that you can't work out for yourself really. Don't expect lengthy, impenetrable soundscapes and hard hitting lyrics about the Syrian Crisis, Do expect songs about muggles. 

The Birthday Massacre - Shallow Grave
Taken from the 2010 album Pins & Needles
This Canadian Electronic Rock band are perfect for a Halloween soundtrack, parpy synths and big, morbid choruses; it's pretty much Pop music for vampires. Which is definitely what they should call their new album.

Devin Townsend - Vampira
Taken from the 2005 album Synchestra
Devin is generally considered a musical genius and a leading figure in Progressive Metal. His music ranges from atmospheric and thoughtful pieces to pummeling walls of aggression but every now and then he unleashes some tongue-in-cheek Pop Metal. Vampira is theatrical, pompous and as catchy as they come. It also has a ridiculous Halloween themed video that you may watch at your leisure HERE

Mark Owen - Ghost
Taken from the 2013 album The Art Of Doing Nothing
I'm mainly including this song to appease my lovely wife who's besotted with 'Her Markie'. He's come a long way since he was the baby faced one that couldn't sing in Take That. Over the years he's developed into a fairly competent songwriter and while he'll never be the greatest singer he does have a distinctive and recognisable voice. 

Zombina & The Skeletones - Can't Break A Dead Girl's Heart
Taken from the 2002 album Taste The Blood Of Zombina & The Skeletones
I always thought this song was a daft cutesy little thing about zombie girls being empowered and so forth. Reading more into the lyrics however, it seems to be about a boy contemplating necrophilia after witnessing a girl get hit by a train, which is pretty awful. Let's just stick with the cute little zombie girl thing shall we?

Judas Priest - A Touch Of Evil
Taken from the 1990 album Painkiller
Painkiller was the last album to feature the iconic Rob Halford on vocals before he rejoined in 2005. This was one of the singles from it and probably my favourite Judas Priest song. There's a great little guitar line in it and a big dramatic chorus too. It's not quite a ballad but slower and more restrained than other songs on the album and a good way to end this one.

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