Staff Pix 10/13: Halloween Pregame
The Milk Crate staff is feeling a little spooky! Below are their picks for what they’re playing while they prep for Halloween, presented with blurbs worthy of a promotional sticker on a jewel case. Tune in Fridays from 3-4PM EST to the Staff Pix radio show.
Nel Blinman
“Haunted” by Laura Les
THE theme for your creepy bimbo Halloween. A hyperpop version of the vampiric experience. I like to think that if Draculaura were alive today, she might be tearing up an NYC basement with a track that sounds something like this. When I pregame for Halloween, I either want to listen to this song, or Blood-curdling Screams (5 hour loop) (with graveyard ambience). I’d rave to this song with the Hat Man. I’d mosh to this song with all those fuckers from Hotel Transylvania. It’s the ideal track for creepy brain-dead stoners on hormones with bellies full of Swedish fish and vape juice, and more importantly, I LOVE IT. Happy damn Halloween.
Bennett Himmel
“Final Girl” by Graveyard Guy & Slayyyter
Pure Halloween camp! On “Final Girl,” Graveyardguy conjures the atmosphere of a scenecore ‘80s slasher flick. His part is insanely catchy, but let’s be real here– Slayyyter steals the show. Despite the title, Slayyyter embodies the role of the first girl in the movie to die. “Hot blonde, big tits / Schoolgirl, lipstick / Virgin whore, innocent / The cheerleader who babysits,” she coos, eyelashes batting. The song is the perfect mix of classic bimbocore vibes and insanely spooky synths. It’s perfect for your Halloween pregame.
Izzy Desmarais
“Ed Is Dead” by Pixies
There is an uncredited quote in the Pixies’ bio on Genius that says, “In 1988, the Pixies sounded like no other band. By 1991, every band sounded like the Pixies.” Despite their obvious influence on the classic ‘90s grunge sound, I think the Pixies are criminally underrated. Frontman Black Francis (real name Charles Thompson IV) has a distinctly eerie voice, making any of their songs a great addition to a Halloween Pregame playlist. After consulting my dad (the man who got me into the Pixies), I decided to go with “Ed Is Dead” off their debut EP, Come on Pilgrim. Instrumentally, this is definitely one of the more mellow tracks in their discography, but the whiny guitars paired with the lyrics’ vivid imagery, I can easily weave a creepy little science fiction story. Inspired by a girl Francis knew who believed she could pick up radio frequencies with her headgear, “Ed Is Dead” is the epitome of weird and the perfect spooky tune for your Halloween tricks.
Julia Norkus
“pulp” by Lime garden
There are a lot of sinister and disquieting elements in “Pulp” by Lime Garden. What was described as something out of a dream, Lime Garden wrote the song “Pulp” about an orange man—yes, the fruit. But this nursery rhyme/dream/acid trip is not as light as it sounds on paper. The musical elements feel like something out of The Matrix, eerie and a little unsettling, with lyrics to match. Lyrics like, “Watch your back, you never know where he'll locate / If he's using you as bait / Just try to sit back and wait,” really just make you want to look over your shoulder for the giant pulp man planning and plotting your demise. Spooky ooky and oh so kooky, “Pulp” is a chilling Halloween tune, perfect for your pregame…if you dare >:)
Madison Smithwick
“Spellbound” by siouxsie and the banshees
Within just the first couple seconds of the opening riff, “Spellbound” makes anyone listening to it completely immersed in a spooky season. On the first day of the month, my friends and I spent the night in the dorm planning our Halloween activities with this song playing on repeat. With lyrics like “From the cradle bars / Comes a beckoning voice / It sends you spinning” and You hear laughter / Cracking through the walls,” you can’t help but feel creeped out (in the best way possible). You can hear the song in many horror shows and movies, including Stranger Things. Do yourself a favor and add this song to your halloween playlist.
Karenna Umscheid
“Season of the witch” by Lana Del Rey
Lana’s cover of the Donovan song is the best part of the movie “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” which is a terrible movie I don’t encourage anyone to see, because the song doesn’t even play until the end credits! Regardless, Lana has always had an aura of spookiness about her, from the dark tonal aesthetic of Ultraviolence, to her witchy nature and beautiful, haunting voice. When Lana sings that it is the season of the witch, it’s not a warning of some strange happenings around her, but an announcement of herself and her power, entrance music for a depressed mistress or a hopeful girl still yearning. She gives new, smoky life to a classic Halloween track, making it ever more ghastly and mysterious.
Ellie Abbey
“Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates
Halloween is the season for feeling insane nostalgia, looking hot, and breaking hearts, and nothing captures that essence quite like Maneater. The funky little beat that starts it off immediately gets your head bobbing, and his sassy little lyrics draw you right in. “Oh, here she comes, watch out boy, she’ll chew you up” like damn straight she will! I remember the first time I processed the words to this song I was in the backseat of my dad’s truck, with a backwards hat and a flannel, and for the first time, my middle school self fully processed the idea of men being undeserving of women (if only she knew how many times its happened since then). Aside from that, it has just the right amount of energy to get you excited for the evening’s activities, while also not being too overwhelming. She’s fun! She’s fresh! She’s a maneater! Watch out!
Malia Welham
“Spookie Coochie” by Doechii
Overflowing with spooky energy, the song begins with kids saying “trick or treat.” Doechii, then, responds by calling one of the children a “tampon.” Hearing this dialogue, always sets the mood to do some ghoulish dancing. Immediately the track is filled by a hypnotizing beat, to which your body will have no choice but to dance. Doechii floats over the beat like a ghost but makes her presence known with her enthralling and playful lyricism. I mean she says herself in the second verse, “When I'm in the studio, I go Jason, I go Freddy,” absolutely murdering this beat, which is to be expected. When this song is played on Halloween, I look forward to the chorus, “You know we be wildin', wildin', wildin',” to be haunting the temporal lobe as a roam the streets dressed as Harold, from Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Stephanie Weber
“The Great Pumpkin Waltz” by Vince Guaraldi
Watching Charlie Brown has always been a tradition for me. Autumnal and Halloween music is filled with moody shoegaze indie tracks sung by artists that should be in Elliott Smith cover bands. But the jazz soundtrack in the Charlie Brown specials are almost the opposite of this; they make listeners happy and fill them with nostalgia. For that half hour, viewers get sucked into a silly world of simple problems, accompanied with the smooth sounds of Vince Guaraldi. Although the album (remastered in 2022) is full of different reprises and mixes of classic songs, “The Great Pumpkin Waltz” is at the top of the album. Guaraldi draws on foundations of Brazilian Bossa Nova and French jazz, using brushes on drums, simple guitar, strings, and piano. The song also features a calming flute and is solely instrumental. It’s ideal for putting on in the background, serving as the perfect soundtrack for all fall related activities.
Sage Liebowitz
“Magic Dance” by David Bowie from Labyrinth (1986)
When I was younger, I was absolutely terrified of Jim Henson movies—like, “sob on the living room floor before bed” terrified. It wasn’t until last year that I decided to watch Labyrinth after all those years. It was time to put on my “big girl” pants and revisit a darker part of my childhood, with the intention of shedding some light on the “not so fond” memories. It took absolutely no time to become a comfort movie, with its whimsical sets, bangin’ ‘80s ballads, and, of course, the majestic David Bowie in his tight, tight pants. The song “Magic Dance” holds a special place in my heart because it’s been with me through so many ups and downs. Off the top of my head, I remember dancing around my dorm to it with my roommates, and also bawling my eyes out in the car with it on after feeling out-of-place at a party. It never fails to transport me to a glittery, gorgeous new world where I can become lost in a maze of puzzles and fantastical creatures. “Magic Dance” is the perfect spooky song to start the spookiest season of them all. David Bowie has changed my life.
Lia Klug
“I’d Rather Be Burned As A Witch” by Eartha Kitt
This song makes me envision myself as a beautiful young witch discovering my powers and using them around the house. Think the scene in Matilda (1996) where she has a dance party by herself using her new powers, or midnight margaritas from Practical Magic (1998). The vibe is very Sabrina the Teenage Witch. There is something about this song that is so quintessentially halloween, from the creepy spoken part at the beginning with a witchy laugh to the jazzy tune throughout. This song could be played at an elementary school halloween parade which is the main qualification for keeping the halloween magic alive into young adulthood. To be best enjoyed while drawing on eyeliner whiskers, dressing up as a sexy black cat and pretending you can turn on your lights with a flick of your wrist.
Lily Suckow Ziemer
“Vampires” by Hot Flash Heat Wave
I don’t listen to a lot of Halloween music in my day-to-day life, but while scrolling through my liked songs on Spotify, the title of Hot Flash Heat Wave’s song “Vampires” struck me as fitting. Although it was released in 2022, “Vampires” is reminiscent of ‘80s new wave music. The song is relatively upbeat, but the lyrics tell more of a cautionary tale. Hot Flash Heat Wave warns,”beware, baby / You better watch your neck / Thе world is a vampire.” The second verse also utilizes a classic, Halloween-esque singing style. Lyrics like “You got nowhere to run” are sung in a tone reminiscent of parts of The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s “Time Warp.” “Vampires” is a fun listen in both its lyrics and instrumentals, and is definitely a song to put on your Halloween playlist.
Payton Cavanaugh
“Halloween” by Novo Amor
This song is the most New England Fall anthem, and being a New Hampshire girly it’s been on repeat for me since the leaves began to fall. Artists like Novo Amor, Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers, and Noah Kahan are almost exclusively Fall in my brain, and as soon as I felt the air turn crisp it was time to dive through Novo Amor’s discography. Their songs are the equivalent of a hot latte, a warm hug, a fresh baked apple pie, or an oversized knit sweater. Honestly, I’d say Halloween is definitely a hard time of year for me, and this song encapsulates that so perfectly. :-)
Gabriella Collin
“Judas” by Lady Gaga
As a former (church) choir singer, and Roman Catholic, “Judas” is catharsis for not only me, but other ex-religious queers. This song is an explosion of sex, drama, and a perfect example of Lady Gaga’s ability to take tradition and turn it into art. I associate this song with the clubs, the dolls, lesbain vampires, and the goths. Nothing is spookier than wearing choir vestments with braces.
Serenity Holland
“Dollhouse” by Melanie Martinez
In 2016, I definitely spent hours painting my face in cheap makeup to make a musical.ly to this song, using the back flash in my bathroom with the door closed. It was multiple takes, lip syncing to a song that blatantly calls out a mothers faux naivety to her husband’s infidelity and son’s addiction, all from the daughter’s perspective. It seems at 11 years old, I only perceived how trendy this song was, and never the covert family business it outed. Now, the echoing mallets and ominous clock-ticking creep up my spine while I react to the arguably disturbing content of the song, all whilst shocking myself as I sing along to every lyric. This is more like a pregame to a foggy night in April while looking back at pictures from every past October, but it’s still effective.