ACRN Editorial: Rockoween
By ACRN Staff
Halloween in Athens; the phrase alone can strike fear in the hearts of some but joy in the hearts of others. Maintaining Ohio University’s Halloween status year after year comes easy, as evidenced by the sea of motley creatures flooding Court Street all weekend long.
So, with all great celebrations there must also be great music, right? The ACRN Editorial crew came up with a killer (pun intended) playlist of rockin’ Halloween favorites to get your ghoul on all weekend long. Let’s face it: Halloween is the only time of the year when it is socially acceptable to dress like a freak so why not go all out? So throw on your freakiest outfit, grab a bowl of candy and immerse yourself in the spirit of All Hallows Eve
."On the Brightside, She Could Choke" - Fear Before the March of Flames
Odd How People Shake is a cult classic as far as mathcore albums go. Full of screeches, screams, yelling, yelping--it's a horror flick with a twist of broken-hearted bitterness. "On the Brightside She Could Choke" is the calm before the climax; the bad dream that results in the realization that the rest of the plot is falling action. It's a sick description of a failed romance complete with blood on the walls and human intestines on display for all to see. The final line is a beckoning for the ex to get some sleep and rest her eyes of the brutal scene that she has created. That's a tough request for even the listener to do after this haunting three-minute lyrical scene.
-Matthew Bemer, Staff Writer“
Nightmare On My Street” - The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff
The best Halloween song of all time is "Nightmare on my Street" by The Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff. It's a funky fresh tale of terror! Will Smith needs to knock off this acting nonsense and make a comeback, ASAP. A personal favorite excerpt: "Fred got mad and his head started steamin', but I thought what the hell I'm only dreamin' / I said Fred please leave so I can get some sleep, but give me a call maybe we'll hang out next week." How can you beat that?
-Ross Lockhart, Contributor
“Monster” - Kanye West f/ Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver
As if the prospect of Kanye West sampling Bon Iver wasn’t frightening enough, the lion roars, muffled screams, distorted vocals and jungle-drum beat in “Monster” will definitely keep you up at night. Jay-Z and Rick Ross do their best to turn up the scare tactics by rhyming about goblins, ghouls and zombies, but the rap moguls can’t even hold a candle to Nicki Minaj, who steals the show and sends chills down your spine with this haunting verse: “First things first, I’ll eat your brains / Then I’ll start rocking gold teeth and fangs.” Prepare to have the image of a pink-haired vampire prowling your nightmares forever.
-Haylee Pearl, Contributor
Mondo Boys Transylvanian Sublet Mixtape
My favorite Halloween music has got to be the Mondo Boys' Transylvanian Sublet mixtape (which anyone can download for freehere). It's a fantastic combination of good music and the spooky sounds that get you in the mood for Halloween! My favorites have to be Angelo Badalamenti's "Twin Peaks Theme" and Beck's "The Information."
-Allie Levin, Contributor
“This is Halloween” - Marilyn Manson
Who else could’ve covered this song better than the only mortal Jack Skellington could ever fear? Manson’s creepy voice near ruins my childhood, and the use of industrial metal instrumentals closely rivals Danny Elfman’s symphony. The whole Nightmare Revisited album has great takes on songs from the film, but Manson’s cover is by far the creepiest. Just picturing him singing this song makes it an even more perfect song for the band to play.
-Kyle Rutherford, Contributor
"Witches' Brew" - Hap Palmer"
To me, Halloween is synonymous with childhood. Costume parades through my elementary school halls, running while trick-or-treating after figuring out the most candy-filled path and, of course, painting pumpkins and drawing skeletons in art class. While doing the latter activity in the second grade, my art teacher would play an old Halloween record. With kid-friendly songs about Frankenstein and witches, these tracks have stuck with me my whole life. Most notably is Hap Palmer's "Witches' Brew," which joyfully details all the "icky" things a magical lady might put in her stew. Rotten eggs? Mucky mud? Fingernails? EWW! Also, this song gave us the phrase "Ala-kazam-aka-zoo," and that's just fun, which is what Halloween is really all about.
-Carolyn Menyes, Interviews & Live Reviews Editor
“Halloween” - Misfits
Step away from the tricks, kids; this band is all about sadistic Halloween treats. Do not be misled by the simplicity of this classic track’s title; nothing screams out creepy and menacing like the unstoppable Misfits. Horror punk at its finest, “Halloween” touches on everything that is delightfully sick and twisted about the holiday of All Hallows Eve, including razor blades in candy apples, burning bodies hanging from poles and the dead in their graves. You get into the spirit of the haunting season by hardcore dancing to this high voltage tune in your spookiest Halloween garb. But consider this a fair warning: if played loud enough the song has the capability to melt your face off into a zombie skull. (Be sure check out AFI’s cover of this classic jam. It’s sure to rock your orange and black striped socks off).
-Capri Ciulla, Staff Writer
"Heads Will Roll" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
If the creepy synth chords that start this song don't say Halloween, then I don't know what does. Karen O's wailing is flawless, but it's her haunting whispers half way through that remind me of a modern indie take on Vincent's Prince's voice over in "Thriller." On top of that, the glitter and decapitation she describes is seamlessly echoed through the flurry of electronic dance beats and the classic heavy rock sounds from the guitar. Basically, it's the perfect song to play when you're putting on your costume because I guarantee it will put you in the holiday spirit.
-Katie Pinter, Contributor
"Lucifer Sam" by Pink Floyd
A guitar riff that sounds like it could've came straight out of a creepy, psychedelic spy movie. Eerie, spacey organ courtesy of Richard Wright and the unhinged vocals by Syd Barrett. This is why the edgy "Lucifer Sam" never fails to remind of Halloween. It's a good-natured spooky song about a hip cat that just cannot be explained.
-Josh Motilall, Contributor"Death
Death (Devil, Devil, Evil, Evil Song)" - Voltaire
When I think of Halloween, I think of Voltaire, a dark cabaret/folk artist based in New York. Said to be a leading authority on the goth movement of the United States, Voltaire also crafts entertaining folk-esque tunes which fuse imagery of death with accordion, fiddle and more. This song is his best, finding the narrator confronted with multiple opportunities to sing his "death death, devil devil, evil evil songs." "The world is full of tragedies / So how can it be wrong?" he says of the songs. Fair point, Voltaire. Fair.
-Kevin Rutherford, Editorial Director
