Happy Halloween!

Like the past couple years, this has been another sad one for losses in the musical world. None leaves larger shoes to fill than Aretha Franklin. Her powerful voice, piano skills, and willingness to stand up for civil rights are unmatched. Thanks to her gospel-fueled upbringing, every song she sang was like a trip to church (in a good way), whether its subject matter was religious or not. And while she didn't record many songs that could be considered Halloween-worthy, today's is an exception. It not only fits the bill of this blog, but also covers one of Aretha's favorite subjects--female empowerment. In "Evil Gal Blues," she wants her fella to provide caviar for breakfast, champagne every night, and a midnight snack for any other man she might invite. And if her guy doesn't like it? Well, he can't say he wasn't warned.

Check out Aretha performing "Evil Gal Blues" in 1964, a couple years before her signature song and first smash hit "Respect" was recorded. She's evil and proud of it!

It's the greatest day of the year, so let's join Aretha in singing its evil praises! Here's hoping I see at least one Ms. Murphy out there tonight tearing up the trick or treat trail. Until next year, Happy Halloween!

Turn on the pumpkins!

The highest highlight of 2018 for me was seeing the original Misfits play on their homeground of New Jersey. I have loved them for almost thirty years and never thought they'd reunite, let alone in a place that's only a short train ride away. The show was everything I'd hoped for--they played all my favorites, the stage looked like a Halloween explosion, and even the crappy sound hearkened back to the lo-fi recordings all Misfits fans have loved and subsisted on since the original line-up broke up in 1983.

The band makes all concert goers put their cell phones in a locked bag at the door, so precious few photos or videos exist from that wicked night. However, the original line-up has already scheduled another show in Chicago for next April, so maybe there is hope this will become a regular occurrence? Since the reunion itself already proves that hell has frozen over, perhaps it's not too much to hope that a live album/video could materialize in the near future. Or even new songs?!? We will probably have to join forces in doing quite a few extra deeds for the devil in order to make that happen, but I'm willing.

Since there isn't any new Misfits music on the horizon yet, today's song is the newest one available, which came out in 1997. "In the Doorway" appeared nineteen years after it was first recorded, on a reissue of Static Age. The lyrics are a bit inscrutable (no B-horror films get name-checked like in many other Misfits songs), but I think it's about the ancient problem of vampires needing an invitation before they can go through a door. Remember: if you're cold, they're cold. Let them inside.

If you like, Jack the Knife.

Saturday's post was the first time Judas Priest has appeared on this blog, which is embarrassing, unjust, and probably criminal. To remedy the situation, today we're going to span the Judas Priest spectrum. Saturday's song was from their most recent album, so today's will come from a much earlier time: 1976's Sad Wings of Destiny. 

Judas Priest had only released one album prior to Sad Wings of Destiny, and they hadn't yet found any commercial or critical success. Nor had they solidified their sound--the chunky, singalong hooks of "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight" were still a few years away. The slower and sludgier influences of Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple were still coming through loud and clear, as were the more operatic leanings of Queen. Rob Halford has called Freddie Mercury his ultimate hero, which makes sense considering their similar vocal talents. Today's song is one of Judas Priest's most Queen-like. "The Ripper" chugs along with heavy guitar riffs and layered vocals, but the fact that it's told from Jack the Ripper's point of view gives it Judas Priest's definitive stamp.

"The Ripper" became a fan favorite, so he still rears his evil head at many of Judas Priest's concerts. Check them out performing it just last year! Forty years may have passed since they first recorded it, but clearly Judas Priest's metal superpowers have only increased with time.

(Still) living after midnight!

None more metal!

A few months ago, Judas Priest released their 18th album of bludgeoning new songs, Firepower. Although they've been hammering out slabs of pure metal since 1974 (!!!), their chops and talent haven't aged a bit. Firepower is not only a great Judas Priest album, it's a great metal album. It combines the hard-hitting power of classic Judas Priest with modern production, plus Rob Halford's Metal God voice still reaching those low growls and high howls. Considering the beating this guy has given his voice for years on end, how does it still sound so freaking fantastic??

The most Halloween-worthy song on Firepower doesn't yet have an official video, but I highly recommend checking out the videos for "Lightning Strike," "Spectre," and "No Surrender" to get the full aural and visual assault of Judas Priest. But first infect your ears with the unholy metal majesty of the Necromancer!

Master of Menace

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the passing of Vincent Price. It's hard to imagine what Halloween and horror films would be like without his sinister contributions--just his "Thriller" monologue would have been enough to make him an icon, yet he left his indelible stamp on dozens of fun and terrifying films as well. 

I was lucky enough to see his daughter Victoria Price speak twice this week about her father's legacy and the role of horror films in people's lives. On Monday she gave a talk at the United Palace of the Cultural Arts, which was prefaced by an adorably amazing "Thriller" dance routine performed by zombie children. Tonight she hosted a triple feature of her father's films at the Quad Cinema: The Oblong Box, Madhouse, and one of my favorites, Witchfinder General. The thing that struck me most about her take on the enduring appeal of her dad's characters and films was the innate kindness that is so detectable even in his nastiest portrayals (which definitely includes Witchfinder). She believes that is what draws people to her father and his films, and I would have to agree. We can feel safe in the clutches of a Vincent Price movie because we know that whatever scary things happen, there is a wellspring of kindness behind that maniacal cackle.

Today's song is Deep Purple's 2013 homage to the Master of Menace, simply called "Vincent Price." The video conjures scenes from several of Vincent Price's classic films, as well as classic monsters in general. It does such a good job of capturing the look, sounds, and atmosphere of those films that it left me hoping for a sequel. Dr. Phibes rose again, so can't Deep Purple's Vincent Price homage do the same?

Vincent Price was a friend to Deep Purple and even appeared in a concert performance of bassist Roger Glover's album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Here he is narrating "Magician Moth" in 1975:

Since "Thriller" is almost as ubiquitous (or maybe even more so these days) around Halloween than "The Monster Mash," I've been reluctant to include it on this blog, but check out Vincent Price performing his "Thriller" monologue live on The Tonight Show!

Mind of Metal

Last year we heard quite a bit from various Wicker Men, but not directly from the OG Wicker Man firestarter, Christopher Lee. With his rich operatic voice, he did what any such gifted person should do when they are approaching their 90s: begin a career as a heavy metal singer. He started out providing vocals for Rhapsody of Fire and Manowar, but moved on to fronting his own project with the release of 2010's Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross. The album delivers Christopher Lee's own brand of symphonic metal that tells the story of Charlemagne, from whom he was (of course) descended. 

Hail Dracula! May you shred in peace.

Proving himself a legend in any art form he attempted, Christopher Lee's first metal album won high praise, including a Spirit of Metal award from Metal Hammer. It also engendered an even metal-er follow-up album: 2013's Charlemagne: The Omens of Death, with arrangements by Richie Faulkner of Judas Priest. An EP of metal Don Quixote songs came after that, as well as annual metal Christmas singles. If you seethe at the encroachment of Christmas decorations onto the Halloween aisle earlier and earlier every year (get out of our month, Santa!!!), then do yourself a favor and download Christopher Lee's "Jingle Hell" and "Darkest Carols, Faithful Sing" to blast from your home, car, and clip-on blue tooth speaker each Christmas season.

It seems Christopher Lee only made one video for any of his metal albums, so that's what we're going to see/hear today. "The Bloody Verdict of Verden" is from his first Charlemagne album, and features an old and young Charlemagne dueting from across the ages. The production is fairly lo-fi, but who cares, Christopher Lee is in it! And after a minute or so of symphonic build-up, this song truly rocks. Raise those devil horns and hail the king!

 

Before Christopher Lee found metal, he experienced a short but fun disco phase. Check out his back-up work on Kathy Joe Daylor's "Little Witch"!

Barfly #2

This gem is streaming on
Prime, check it out!

Yesterday the world lost one of its most special inhabitants when poet/DJ/punster/environmental activist/concert promoter/campground proprietor/wild-haired mountain man Jim Webb (a.k.a. Wiley Quixote) passed into the next realm. I met Jim in 2007 at a meeting of the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative, and looked forward to every interaction I had with him thereafter. He was funny, kind, strange in the best way, and always unforgettable. Among his many claims to fame (or infamy?) was a small speaking part in a Troma film called Invasion of the Space Preachers. Upon request, he would proudly recite his one line from the film: "Not getting enough sleep lately, Charlie?"

His voice was probably best known as the long-time host of "Ridin' Around Listening to the Radio" on eastern Kentucky's excellent radio station WMMT. His eclectic tastes favored folk, Americana, and classic country and rock, with the occasional oddball track thrown in. Today's song comes from one of the oddball groups he liked to play--a rock 'n roll accordion band called Those Darn Accordions. To keep things in the Halloween spirit, check out their love letter to Japan's loveliest monster, Mothra. Mothra has a loving heart and always fights fiercely for her land and people, just like Jim did. Rest well, friend. 

Creepy Crawlers

Last year we heard a couple versions of the theme song to the movie Spider Baby, which at that time I said was criminally under-seen. That's probably still true, but in the months after that post there were screenings of it at three different theaters in my immediate vicinity! Hopefully that means Spider Baby is finally getting the love and devotion it deserves. It was certainly a treat to see it on the big screen, and hear Lon Chaney, Jr.'s demented delivery of the theme song pumped through theater speakers.

In last year's post I mentioned a Spider Baby musical that came about in the early 2000s. Although it seems to have been a small production comprised of a few runs at small California theaters, the cast recorded an album which is available in its entirety on Spotify. There are also a few YouTube clips of various parts of the show, so we can get a visual reference of what songs such as "It's Not Nice to Hate" and "Good to See the Family Carry On" look like on stage. With those titles, and considering the murderous yet fun-loving nature of the Merrye children, I imagine this play was a rollicking good time. Check out the opening song below, which is to the tune of the Spider Baby movie theme but with lyrics a little more specific to the characters and storyline.

Forgive the fuzzy audio--the visuals are cool, and you can hear a pristine version on the Spotify playlist. Here's hoping the Spider Baby road show comes crawling out of dormancy one day soon...

The night HE came home.

Although we heard the Halloween theme last year when Trent Reznor released his version of it, it's worth revisiting because the master himself, John Carpenter, has reimagined it for the new Halloween movie that debuts tonight! In fact he did the whole score, so we know that at least that part of it (as well as any scene Jamie Lee Curtis is in) will live up to the original. This track is appropriately called "Halloween Triumphant." It incorporates the simplicity of the beloved 1978 version with synth-y elements that echo many of Carpenter's 80s scores. I can't wait to hear this and the rest of Carpenter's work blasting out of theater speakers!

 

Also check out the lo-fi version that John Carpenter (sort of) plays on a Nintendo Labo:

Dance, or else!

Cha cha cha!

As we eagerly await tomorrow's return of Michael Myers in the new Halloween movie, another beloved horror icon wants to take a fresh stab at our eardrums. Back in 1987, Freddy Krueger was at the height of his fame--he'd starred in three successful Nightmare on Elm Street films, and a fourth was in the works. With such a delectable speaking voice, it seems only natural that Freddy would want to try his knife hand at a recording career. The result was Freddy's Greatest Hits. If you've ever thought 60s classics like "Wooly Bully," "In the Midnight Hour," or "All I Have to Do Is Dream" could be improved by adding some Freddy Krueger voice-over, then you are in luck! Earlier this year, Strange Disc re-released Freddy's Greatest Hits on vinyl, so this gem is once again readily available.

Today's song is a cover of the 1965 hit that inspired a dance craze, "Do the Freddy." Even Gomez Addams dug the Freddy enough to do it in an episode of The Addams Family! Freddy's version is basically an 80s pop song with a few Freddy cackles and screams thrown in. He's like his own hype man--who needs Lil Jon when you've got Freddy Krueger?!?

In the spirit of Freddy's Greatest Hits, check out the Glove and Boots puppet version of Freddy singing "Dream A Little Dream of Me." Take it easy on the ice cream, pizza, and burritos tonight if you don't want all your worst nightmares to come knocking!

Ballad In Bruges

The pinnacle of horror movie viewing for me this year was finally getting to see my favorite horror film, 1971's Daughters of Darkness, on the big screen. And hosted by Joe Bob Briggs, no less! His show MonsterVision was a formative part of my B-movie education in the 90s, so hearing how much he also loves this film was a very special treat for my inner 15-year-old. 

Although the film print I saw that night was faded and scratched, its High Goth glamour still shone through. How could it not, with Delphine Seyrig vamping around in a gown that looks like she just killed a disco ball and is wearing its skin? The story is somewhat in line with other lesbian vampire films from the time period, in which a mysterious woman and her lovely companion stalk the countryside for prey. This one is artier than most, however, and has a slightly different sensibility. Delphine Seyrig was an ardent feminist, so the exploitative vibe that pervaded many other lesbian vampire movies of the 60s and 70s isn't present. Not to say that her love for her vampire companion is wholesome, or even really love, but whatever it is, it isn't there to turn men on.

DoD booty!

This year was extra-exciting for Daughters of Darkness fans because the soundtrack was not only released for the very first time, but in fancy packaging and on blood red vinyl! I already got my copy (of course) and can promise it's worth the money for anyone who loves this movie. Today's song is the opening to the film, and its languid, mournful tune also serves as the leitmotif throughout. This version has lyrics, which are missing on the soundtrack and on many DVD copies. The vocals are credited to Lainie Cooke, but sound so much like Delphine Seyrig it's hard to believe it's not her. I choose to think it is her, and she's still out there running somewhere, not letting the day catch her.

Who do you think I am, some kind of ghoul? A vampire?

He would like to take you on a strange journey...

This year in New York City has been excellent for catching horror films as they were meant to be seen: in a movie theater with an appreciative audience. Just since June, there have been three Hammer retrospectives and a Vincent Price retrospective, and before October is over there will be another 3-film Vincent Price series hosted by his daughter, as well as a series of lesbian vampire films. Plus the new John Carpenter-approved Halloween comes out later this week! So much goodness... but when will I sleep? Or shower?? Or eat anything other than popcorn?!?

I hadn't seen nearly enough Hammer films before this year began, but I am now well on the road to rectifying that shortcoming. Aside from the requisite Draculas and Frankensteins, I happily got acquainted with some of the non-series and usually lesser-known Hammer productions, like Taste of Fear, These Are the Damned, and Never Take Candy from a Stranger. Today's song comes from one of Hammer's stand alone horror films that wasn't part of series: 1968's The Devil Rides Out. It's based on a Dennis Wheatley novel about the occult, which was adapted for the screen by the great Richard "I Am Legend" Matheson. And although it stars Christopher Lee with very evil-looking facial hair, he actually gets to be the hero in this one. Charles Gray, of Rocky Horror and James Bond fame, is the nefarious leader of a Satanic cult who lures gullible youth into his evil ceremonies. 

"The Devil Rides Out" song is by a British prog rock band called Icarus. It came out at the same time as the movie, but nevertheless isn't actually in it. The group was inspired to write the song by publicity for the film, and got themselves invited to the film's premiere for their effort. Wonder if they got invited to one of those neat ceremonies with a guy wearing a goat head, too?

Check out the swinging, but oh so evil trailer! (The movie is also known as The Devil's Bride, by the way.)

The devil's doo-wop!

Although the heyday of doo-wop has passed (sadly taking with it the subgenre of Halloween doo-wop songs), one group is still keeping the spirit alive with their dulcet (yet evil) harmonies. Twin Temple formed on Halloween in 2016 and have been singing the dark lord's praises in the form of golden-age rock 'n roll ever since. Alexandra and Zachary James call themselves the high priests of Twin Temple, and although they are practicing Satanists, they say their religion has more to do with celebrating free will and nonconformity than sacrificing virgins. Still, I wouldn't piss them off if I were you. They know how to hex you, after all.

Da doo run-run away!!!

Art by Ben Newman

While one might be tempted to think that yesterday's song, "I Walked with a Zombie," is the only Halloween-worthy doo-wop song ever written, one would find themselves gravely mistaken. In fact, there's a two-disc set called Doo Wop Halloween is a Scream that collects 27 Halloween songs from doo-wop's golden age. On it you'll find the obligatory "Monster Mash," but also lesser-known tunes like "Frankenstein's Den," "I'm in the Ground for Good," and today's song, "My Baby Likes Scary Movies" by Pete and the Bloodsuckers.

Pete (or perhaps one of the Bloodsuckers) likes to take his lady to the movies to get snuggly in the dark, but will his girl settle for a sweet romantic story? Hell no! It takes the Wolfman, Frankenstein, Dracula, or the Creature from the Black Lagoon to get her in the mood. Man, can I relate to a frightening degree! This song is enough to make me believe in reincarnation. I don't think I was born when it was written, but clearly it's about me. I hope I knew how good I had it back when I could turn on the radio and hear songs like this!

Who says the dead don't walk?

One Roky Erickson song is not enough, so today's song comes from a 1990 Roky Erickson tribute album called Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye. It contains a diverse array of artists covering Roky's songs, like ZZ Top, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Butthole Surfers, and today's performer, R.E.M. 

Although R.E.M isn't a band typically known for embracing horror themes, they picked one of Roky's most overtly horror songs to cover: "I Walked With a Zombie." The title might bring to mind chunky, distorted riffs and growling vocals a la Rob Zombie, but don't be fooled. This is a melodic, heartfelt doo-wop number about a nighttime stroll with a zombie friend. If you listen closely, I bet you can learn all the lyrics in one go. 

Roky's version is still sweet and languorous, but slightly harsher than the R.E.M. version thanks to his throaty vocals. To me it's what Van Morrison would sound like if Van Morrison, y'know, walked with zombies.

The video features images from Jacques Tourneur's gorgeous 1943 film I Walked With A Zombie. If you've never seen it, and can't imagine a zombie film being beautiful, please check it out and be amazed. The trailer offers a sampling:

All I know is you will feel his bite.

Today's song comes from another tortured soul who has wrestled schizophrenia, but unlike Jackson Frank, Roky Erickson is still with us to tell the tale. At 71, he's still bringing his catchy brand of psychedelic horror rock to lucky audiences all over the country. 

He started out in the mid-60s in a group called The 13th Floor Elevators, but after spending a few years in a state mental hospital, he formed a new group with a harder sound and a fixation on horror/sci-fi themes. His 1981 album The Evil One is a start-to-finish classic. Songs like "Stand for the Fire Demon," "Don't Shake Me Lucifer," and "Bloody Hammer" will have you singing along to their sweetly poisoned choruses before you can say earworm. Imagine if the Misfits grew up in Texas and you might get something like...

Halloween Is Black as Night

It's been a gloomy day here in New York City, following a gloomy weekend (in more ways than the weather). Autumn has really begun to sink its teeth into our necks. Feels like the right day for a pensive Halloween song that captures the spirit of the season and of our uncertain times. 

Jackson C. Frank was a folk musician at the beginning of a promising career in 1966 when he began a slide into mental illness that he would never quite recover from. Paul Simon had produced his self-titled debut album a year earlier, and although it was well-received, Jackson fell into a life-long battle with depression shortly after it was released. At one point he was diagnosed as schizophrenic, but he rejected that and maintained his troubles stemmed from a grade school furnace explosion that killed many of his friends and left him with lingering injuries. He ended up homeless in his later years, but was searched out by a fan who helped him record some demos of new songs.

Today's song, "Halloween Is Black as Night," is one of those demos. It and a few other new songs were released along with his 1965 self-titled album when it was finally put out on CD in 1996. Sadly Jackson Frank's life was cut short just three years later at age 56, but his legacy lives on in the many people who have uncovered his work and recorded his songs. Hardship and misfortune drip from his rough voice and plaintive guitar, and provide the best company misery can offer on a dark October night such as this.

 

How's your head?

As noted last year, Elvira is sadly no longer doing her fabulous Halloween show at Knott's Scary Farm. However, this year marks the 30th anniversary of her classic film, Elivra: Mistress of the Dark, so there is still much Elvira excitement to be had this Halloween season! Arrow Films recently announced their forthcoming remastered bluray of the film, top-loaded (heh heh) with tons of extras. Have I already pre-ordered my copy, you ask? Well, does a chicken have a pecker??

Yesterday, Cassandra Peterson hosted a screening of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark at the Salem Horror Fest in Salem, Massachusetts. I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and earlobes in hopes that she will host more screenings in other cities as the release of the bluray draws near. Her movie didn't get a proper release when it first came out in 1988--the film company went bankrupt on the very day the movie came out, so it only made it to a handful of theaters. Such a classic film deserves much better treatment, and hopefully will get it this time around!

While we wait for the sparkly new 4K Elvira to grace our TV screens, let's enjoy some of what the movie has to offer. First up is the opening credit sequence, featuring the song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" by Lori Chacko. It's not the 80s song of the same name you might remember by Great White. This one rocks harder, is less sleazy, and is sung by a woman (although her voice is so deep, for many years I thought she was a man). When I was a kid, this sequence made me want to learn to drive, and to one day own a Thunderbird. I achieved the first goal, but I'm still saving up my magic beans for that dream car...

  

During last year's Knott's Scary Farm show, Elvira recreated her movie for the stage, including a cameo by the baddest car of all, the Macabre Mobile! Below is a clip of the segment replicating the opening of the movie. Not much has changed between then and now--clearly the gal's still got it 30 years later.

And if you're curious about the actual singer of "Once Bitten, Twice Shy," here is the original video in all its 80s teased-hair glory. Poison wishes they could get their hair this high!

Doom buggy race!

For several years now, Disney has been promising an animated TV special, or perhaps even series, of their classic ride The Haunted Mansion. In 2014, amazing horror illustrator Gris Grimly announced that he had been hired as Art Director and Executive Producer. Yet nothing ever materialized of that partnership. Early this year, however, Disney finally released a trailer for the series, now animated by Shannon Tindle, creator of last year's excellent animated film Kubo and the Two Strings:

As cool as that looks, Disney is still dragging its feet on making the dream of a Haunted Mansion cartoon a reality. Hard to understand why, considering how many people love the Haunted Mansion ride, and how rich it is in storytelling opportunities. Who wouldn't want to follow the adventures of Madame Leota, a ghostly head trapped inside a crystal ball? Or take a trip with some hitchhiking ghosts? 

My theory on the delay is that Disney is haunted by an entirely different kind of ghost--the one of that awful Eddie Murphy Haunted Mansion movie from a few years ago. But c'mon, Disney, you know you can only go up from there! Until you come to your senses, us happy haunts will have to satisfy ourselves with the beloved Haunted Mansion music of yore. Here's a cover Los Lobos did of the Haunted Mansion theme, "Grim Grinning Ghosts":

And of course the original!

Queen of the Galaxy

After visiting with those friendly Martians yesterday, I've developed some galactic wanderlust of my own. What lies beyond the stars? Do lifeforms reside there? If so, do they know about Halloween? I have a feeling the universe needs a few good Halloween missionaries, and I can think of no one better to lead us on this journey than the sexiest interplanetary traveler in the galaxy, Barbarella. 

Barbarella came to life in an early 60s comic strip, but she was brought to icon status by Jane Fonda in the 1968 film adaptation. If you haven't seen this film, you really owe it to yourself to do so. It's sexy, campy, silly, and furnished with some of the trashiest retro-future set pieces you'll ever see. As Gilbert Gottfried once said when he was hosting the film on USA Up All Night: "Good thing the garage sale wasn't rained out or we wouldn't have a movie!"

Sure the plot doesn't make a whole lot of sense, and Barbarella doesn't really do much except have sex and get rescued (often combining the two activities). But still, this movie is all about the journey, not the destination. Witness killer dolls devouring Barbarella's leggings! A space ship wallpapered from floor to ceiling in brown shag carpet! Jane Fonda nude! (Or not? Hard to tell...) But Barbarella DEFINITELY breaks the evil doctor's orgasm machine from enjoying its function too much.

This year marks fifty years since Barbarella was released, but you know what? She hasn't aged a bit. Must be all those sessions in the Excessive Machine. Here is the opening song and super-sexy credit sequence, feature zero-gravity disrobing with strategically-placed letters.

Martian Rhyme Time!

Welcome, benevolent overlords!

Ever wonder if that stranger you saw on the street with the peculiarly-spaced eyes and odd ammonia smell was perhaps not of this world? Or if that store clerk who always stares daggers like you're going to steal something is in fact scanning your face in order to shapeshift and commit evil in your name? I've seen It Came from Outer Space, dude! I know what you're up to.

But perhaps if extraterrestrials do indeed walk among us, they are benign or even helpful, like E.T. or Gort. That is the theory behind today's song, "Here Come the Martian Martians" by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers. Maybe Martians would just like to ride bikes with us, eat ice cream, and take notes about our strange Earth ways. It's possible.

The very first song featured on this blog in 2011 was a maniacally infectious number called "The Martian Hop," about Martians throwing a dance party for the whole human race. "Here Come the Martian Martians" is a worthy companion to that, with its confectionery melody and fun-loving Martians. After a massive Earth-wide dance party, wouldn't you and your new Martian pals want to chill out with some cake and ice cream? I sure would.

Veni, vidi, voodoo!

VOODOOS AND DON'TS FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER:

DO:

Eat candy
Watch horror movies
Carve pumpkins
Deck your house in black and orange
Stick candy corn on your teeth for tasty fangs
Wear costumes
Make your dog wear costumes
Read horror stories
Write horror stories
Prank your neighbors
Drink pumpkin beer
Visit a haunted house
Attend a Halloween parade
Make voodoo dolls of  your enemies

DON'T:

Stick a pin in the butt of my voodoo doll (or any other body part, for that matter). My revenge is swift, pointy, and unrelenting.

DEFINITELY DO:

Listen to the Cramps! It's October first, for crying out loud. Crank the volume and lose your mind under the spell of their voodoo idol!

P.S. Check out this wicked 1980 Cramps photo shoot, narrated with lyrics from "Voodoo Idol"!