By Welcome to the week before Halloween, which means there is still time to stock up on the giant bags of small candy to give to everyone else and get your stash of big candy in smaller available quantities that is only for you. The sugar high will give you fuel to read up more on Mikhail Bakhtin’s theories on Carnival and Carnivalesque, preparing your more evolved mind to cope with your primordial instincts to confront death in controlled situations, which you can read more about thanks to scholars such as Karen Armstrong and Julian Jaynes.
In the meantime, enjoy the music!
October 23
Anonymous Skulls—Medeski, Martin & Wood. For when you want to get your groove on, but you also like skulls.
Axolotl—The Veils. Not just a great story by Julio Cortázar and a cute little endangered Mexican salamander. A shoutout to the impeccable musical curation of David Lynch, by the way.
October 24
Laura Palmer’s Theme—Angelo Badalamenti. Without this song, there would be no series.
Hell—Squirrel Nut Zippers
October 25
Haunted—Beyoncé. The Queen has her own “Thriller.”
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes—Piss Ant
October 26
Angel—Massive Attack. A song called “Angel” sounding anything but angelic. There’s a whole essay in that alone.
Elvira—Oak Ridge Boys. Remember how big Elvira was? (The performer and this song.) Having grown up with the name Elvira applied only to the Mistress of the Dark, I experienced much shock and confusion the first time I saw Scarface and realized Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is also named Elvira.
October 27
Halloween—The Misfits
Dead Souls—Nine Inch Nails. The original by Joy Division also works.
October 28
I Was a Teenage Werewolf—The Cramps
Dragula—Rob Zombie. This one rates as definitely not-safe-for-my-mom.
The Carr Port 