Audio

Halloween

TRACK #40:

Halloween by Kay Lande and Wade Denning

Divisible by 20? That must mean it’s time for another Halloween song.

When it comes to straight up Halloween music, few songs pack as much adolescent cheer and Halloweeniness than this track from spookster Wade Denning and children’s performer Kay Lande.

It’s catchier than all get out and set to the tune of Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, which itself used to be on the Shindig, until I came across this little ditty some years back.

Go ahead, try not humming this song to yourself for the next 72 hours.

H-A-DOUBLE L – O – W – DOUBLE E – N spells Halloween!

 

Monster Makers: Mikey Rotella

Monster Makers: Mikey Rotella

Jubojitsu Expert Strikesman and sculptor extraordinaire Mikey Rotella is one monster makin’ sonofabitch. Hell, there’s 7 different monsters right behind him, in this photo from last year’s Monsterpalooza.

He’s such a monster makering scumbag that you can even see him on a TV show called “Making Monsters.”

He’s also a damn good friend and a huge fan of the Shindig. A musical prick and horror goofball himself, Mikey’s been instrumental in helping me inflate the playlist from its adequate 5 hour run time to the almost unnecessary 10 hour juggernaut it is today.

Currently, he’s probably singing the Cannibal Holocaust theme as loud as he possibly can while waiting impatiently for the doors to open up at this year’s Monsterpalooza, April 12th, 13th, 14th @ the Burbank Marriott.

SoCal followers, head on down and check out Mikey’s masks and all kinds of art from tons of other incredibly talented horror industry professionals all weekend long. They serve booze!

Tell ‘em Halloween Shindig sent ya and he’ll sing you Dream Warriors absolutely FREE!

I’ll be posting some more photos of Mikey’s work, but you can check out his portfolio here and see even more monsters.

Audio

Rock Until You Drop

TRACK #39:

Rock Until You Drop by Michael Sembello

If you’re a bunch of kids that have to do battle with a gang of famous monsters and you need to resort to smelting down your mom’s fine silverware, jacking the school’s archery equipment, and belt sanding stakes in shop class, then you could probably use a montage.

That oughta free up valuable screen time to cut some business cards, write a letter to the Army Guys, grab a soda and maybe do a spit take when seeing naked pictures Frankenstein accidentally took of your buddy’s hot sister.

And if you do need a montage, then this song oughta fit the bill just fine; a song which instructs you, with gleeful irresponsibility, to be completely reckless in your rocking. Suggested amongst the dangerous activities are “dancing until your feet fall off” and “partying until your brains fall out.” Both of which, I might add, are terrible things to encourage of children. Ah, the 80’s, that wonderful place where no one gave a shit about children or their safety.

From 1987’s horror answer to The Goonies, it’s Michael Sembello’s Rock Until You Drop. Go forth weeners and try this at home.

 

Audio

Evil Dead

TRACK #38:

Evil Dead by Death

In honor of the trailer that’s mysteriously making everyone forget how mediocre and soulless the last 10 plus years in Remakewood have been, I’m bumpin’ up this track from gore-sicians Death.

In a fitting coincidence, this song is titled Evil Dead, rather than The Evil Dead, which could assist in one’s argument that the song isn’t actually about The Evil Dead, but rather just some run-o-the-mill dead of a generically evil nature.

Lyrically, I think it could go either way. While indeed Chuck Schuldiner doesn’t say anything wholly specific to Sam Raimi’s 1981 trailblazing gorefest, there’s enough material here to make an argument that it is referential. Lines like “Spirits within causing terror,” “All will die tonight” or even quite simply “Covered in blood,” certainly evoke images of The Evil Dead.

But if you told me Chuck wasn’t referring to the film at all, that wouldn’t surprise me either.
Cut in with tons of clips from The Evil Dead (as I am now forced to specify), here’s the ultimate experience in grueling metal.

Listen to this….this is the tape i found downstairs….

 

Audio

Highway To Hell

TRACK #37:

Highway To Hell by AC/DC

It’s time for another Devilish Track, however this particular tune tows a fine line.

It’s featured in the trailer of, so is sort of a de facto title track for 1991’s Highway To Hell. However, simply naming your movie after a song and blasting it exclusively in your trailer doesn’t make that song a title track. I may love My Boyfriend’s Back, but you won’t find that song by The Angel’s on the Shindig.

No, Highway To Hell is Shindigging for a few reasons; namely – I like AC/DC, it’s a good party tune, and there was a horror film named after it. Plus, this bogus Devilish category I concocted to justify Number of The Beast (and Raining Blood, and See You In Hell...and…) And well, that’s good enough for me.

If you’re tuning into this strange, Steve Johnson FX’d horror comedy, look for a young Ben Stiller in a small role as the cook at Pluto’s, Lita Ford as a hitchhiker, and Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler! Yeah, it’s a weird movie.

 

Audio

Riboflavin Flavored Non-Carbonated Polyunsaturated Blood

TRACK #36:

Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood by Don Hinson & The Rigarmorticians

It may sound like Boris Pickett (hell everything did for a while, following the success of The Monster Mash) but this particular novelty installment comes from Vegas DJ Don Hinson and his Rigarmorticians.

I like this novelty track more than most because it’s well written, funny and has an interesting premise. A premise so interesting in fact, I’m fairly sure Charlaine Harris hijacked the whole concept for her Sooki Stackhouse Novels.

An honorable mention goes out to fan-favorites 45 Grave for their cover simply titled “Riboflavin” which does not appear on the Shindig.

 

Audio

Red Right Hand

TRACK #35:

Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

When I was 12 my brother bought me Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ Murder Ballads for Christmas, and ever since I’ve been a huge fan.

So it’s always given me great joy to have been able to include them legitimately, without forcing some song or another into one of my categories.

Thanks to Scream, Wes Craven’s self-aware response to 80’s slash, Nick and his Bad Seeds have an undisputed seat at the Shindig Table.

A creepy and atmospheric tune perfectly suited to a horror film, Red Right Hand (a nod itself to Milton’s Paradise Lost) looms over the speakers while Woodsboro closes early for its newly enacted curfew.

In a non-horror related aside, this song can also be heard as Jim Carey stumbles around with a large foam cowboy hat in Dumb and Dumber. And while I love me some Dumb and Dumber, I think the tune is a bit more at home in Scream.

Big gulps, huh? Alright……welp, see ya later.

 

Audio

Witchfinder General

TRACK #34:

Witchfinder General by Witchfinder General

Sometimes bands name songs after horror movies.

Some bands even name whole albums after horror movies.

And sometimes they go full-bore and just name the whole goddamn band after a horror movie.

Such is the case with British doom-smiths Witchfinder General.

What’s more, they even have a band anthem. That’s a triple threat.

Led in and peppered with samples from the band’s 1968 namesake starring Vincent Price.

If you’ve never heard of the film, perhaps you’re familiar with The Conqueror Worm (which has this bad news poster right here) as it was billed in America. Huhwhaa?

The unnecessary title change was in an effort to sell the movie as another in the line of Corman/Price/Poe hits, which it most certainly was not.

It is however an interesting (albeit a little slow) abuse of power tale with a pretty creepy and understated performance from Price and lots of great shots of the English countryside.

If you’re down with movies like Mark of the Devil, The Blood on Satan’s Claw (considered by Tigon Productions to be Witchfinder’s successor) or even The Devils, then Witchfinder General might just have exactly what you’re looking for.