Monster Mix!

Oct. 26, 2014

The Best Tracks for Your Halloween Bash

You’ve played all of your Sound FX tracks on CD, streamed Pandora’s Spooky Symphonies channel for three hours and danced to the "Monster Mash." Now you’re in dire need of some more modern music to entertain your Halloween guests. Never fear! Express is here with a monstrous mix of two dozen essential cuts for Halloween 2014.

Wilco - "Spiders" 

Jeff Tweedy and crew sing about spiders and Michigan beaches on this one. What better track for an Up North Halloween?

Lady Gaga - "Monster"

If you like your Halloween tracks dance floor ready and chock-full of Diva, then Gaga’s zombies-meet-bass number is perfect for your playlist.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll"

Singer Karen goes all indie-rock Queen of Hearts on her fans, demanding that they dance, dance, dance, or else"¦ you guessed it.

The White Stripes - "Little Ghost"

"Can you scare me up a little bit of love?" asks Jack White. Instead of falling in love with a girl, sounds like he fell in love with a ghost on this one.

The Whigs - "In the Dark"

Someone should probably tell singer Parker Gispert that waiting in an unlit alley for his potential girlfriend might not be the best idea.

Ray Parker Jr. - "Ghostbusters"

He ain’t afraid of no ghost. And he’s probably even less afraid of the royalty checks that roll in from this Halloween-ready movie theme every year.

Cut Copy - "So Haunted"

Aussie electronica band Cut Copy takes Halloween into outer space with this noisy, Joy Division-ish track and its rocket engine intro.

The Specials - "Ghost Town"

If a space Halloween isn’t cool enough for you, then try this ska-meets-the-Old West tune, perfect for two-tone skanking all night (that’s dancing, to you).

Dave Matthews Band - "Halloween"

Matthews was so scared by his thengirlfriend’s rejection of his marriage proposal–three times in a row–that he wrote this roots-rock song.

Pet Shop Boys - "Vampires"

Want entry to the secret club of the synth-pop vampires? We hear that Pet Shop Boys have an in, so you’ll probably want to check with them.

Warren Zevon - "Werewolves of London"

Only three guitar chords churn through this classic tune, but the image of a werewolf galloping through Soho in the rain sticks with everyone.

Michael Jackson - "Thriller"

Six perfect minutes of vintage disco-funk spookiness from the ominous bass line to the foreboding spoken-word tones of Vincent Price.

Tricky - "Pumpkin" 

Have you ever thought about what goes through that jack-o-lantern’s head while it’s being carved? Well, Tricky and Alison Goldfrapp have.

Bright Eyes - "Devil Town"

Conor Oberst’s cover of this classic lofi folk track by troubled singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston adds a little emo to the already haunting tune.

The Kills - "Superstition"

Punk and poetry mix it up on Hince and Mosshart’s itchy, grungy lead track from their dark, garage-rock Keep on Your Mean Side album.

Ryan Adams - "Cobwebs"

Digging around in the attic of his emotions, only Adams could compare love to cobwebs and make it (kind of) actually make sense.

R.E.M. - "I Walked with a Zombie"

The strummy guitars and witches-brew beat make this a good anthem for trick or treating even though the lyrics are pretty much limited to the five-word title.

Alkaline Trio - "Calling All Skeletons"

Crunchy guitars team up with handclaps for this "party in my closet/calling all skeletons." Can skeletons really clap or do they just rattle their hand bones?

Stephen Malkmus - "Witch Mountain Bridge"

Slouchy, spare garage rock and whining guitars underscore this Malkmus narrative about dark times and threatening landscapes.

Jarvis Cocker - "Black Magic"

Pulp’s devil-may-care front man channels himself into a punky Marshall Crenshaw/Tommy James hybrid for this indierock chill out number.

The Black Keys - "Howlin’ For You"

Has singer Patrick Carney learned how to communicate with werewolves? Nah– he’s just found a groovy new topic for his band’s unique black and blues.

Bon Iver - "Creature Fear"

An appropriately weird mix of folk, chill and outright howling, Justin Vernon’s Halloween contribution is best saved for latenight spookiness.

Ra Ra Riot - "Ghosts Under Rocks"

Interlochen live favorites Ra Ra utilize a military drumbeat and a look into the past to unearth this bubbling-under ode to wasted time.

Ministry - "Everyday is Halloween"

And finally, who says costumes have to be limited to one holiday a year? If you hang out with Ministry, you can dress on the edge every single day.