MIXTAPE: Halloween

By Jim Shearer on 10/31/2008

Like I like to do for most holidays, I've created a Halloween mix for you today. Feel free to gather up the following songs, throw 'em on a CD, iPod, Zune, computer hard drive, or whatever you listen to music on these days, put your music listening device next to the jack o' lantern, and crank the volume as you handout candy to all the neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

Note: You'll notice that "Monster Mash" and "Thriller" did not make the list. If I have to see one more group of young teenagers break into a choreographed Michael Jackson dance routine, I'm gonna--

1. "Night Of The Living Baseheads," Public Enemy
Get it--a play on Night Of The Living Dead? This is a fun one, cause Chuck D says "BASS!" about a hundred times during the song. Even if you've never heard it before, you'll be singing "BASS!" by the end.

2. "Chocolate," Snow Patrol
Mmm.

3. "Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground," The White Stripes
I should get extra points for this one, since both the song and band conjure images of autumn and Halloween. When you find a starlight mint in your goodie bag, who's the first band you think of?

4. "Sweet Sweet," Smashing Pumpkins
I'll take extra points for this selection as well, although, sometimes the smashing of pumpkins doesn't happen until after midnight, which technically is no longer Halloween.

5. "Iron Man," Black Sabbath
C'mon, if it wasn't for Sabbath, there wouldn't be a slew of Halloween-inspired metal bands. That, and I'm guessing there will be a good amount of youngsters dressed up like Iron Man this year.

6. "The Kids Don't Stand A Chance," Vampire Weekend
What is a vampire's favorite weekend? Probably one that begins with Halloween.

7. "The New Style," Beastie Boys
Not only is today Adrock's birthday, but he also shouts out October 31st on this track. If you want to be a little more mischievous, you can also include with The Beasties Boys' "Egg Raid On Mojo" on this mix (the greatest song ever about pelting a person with eggs).

8. "88," Cool Kids
If the Cool Kids could bring '88 back, like this song suggests, I'd be 13 years old and it would be totally acceptable (and not creepy) for me to go out trick-or-treating tonight.

9. "The Joker," The Steve Miller Band
Like The Office so brilliantly pointed out last night, I'm sure there's going to be a lot of people dressed up like The Joker this year. Why so serious!?

10. "Candy Shop," Madonna
Why go door-to-door all night long when Madonna promises to be your "one stop candy shop"?

11. "I Will Follow You Into The Dark," Death Cab For Cutie
Though the song title and band name suggest darkness and death, this is actually a pretty sweet tune to end my Halloween mix.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!