Halloween Mix VII: People Are Strange

As promised, it’s the seventh and final Halloween mix!  Ella Fitzgerald, the Doors, Talking Heads, Snob Scrilla, Flogging Molly, the National, and many others.  Hope you’ve enjoyed these mixes.  Happy Halloween!

1. Bewitched theme (1964)      1:02

The theme to the television sitcom (1964-1972) about a witch named Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery), her husband Darrin (Dick York, initially, and later Dick Sargent), and her mother Endora (Agnes Moorehead).

2. Witchcraft Ella Fitzgerald (1961)      3:05

From the recently released (well, in late 2009) Twelve Nights in Hollywood, a 4-CD set that’s a must for any serious Ella Fitzgerald fan.

3. I Wish You’d Be My Witch The Mudbloods (2008)      3:52

Led by Adam Dubberly, the Mudbloods were easily one of the most musically talented of the wizard rock groups.  Though they’ve disbanded, their music lives on – in this track, from the EP A War Amidst Pop Songs.

4. Witch’s Wand Sloan (2008)      2:50

Canadian power-poppers Sloan are not very well known down here in the States.  That should change.  If you’re looking for an introduction to the band (and you should be), try A-Sides Win: 1992-2005.  The track featured here is from Parallel Play. Below, the video for the song.

5. Jitters & Creeps Jill Sobule (2008)      2:28

Sobule is best known for her hit “I Kissed a Girl” – not the Katy Perry song, and indeed a song that’s much more interesting than the Katy Perry song.  If you’d like to hear some more strong examples of her work, I recommend “Claire” (off of Pink Pearl, 2000) and “Underdog Victorious” (off of the album of the same name, 2004).

6. Zombie Outbreak Elliott the Letter Ostrich (2007)      3:31

Oklahoma’s Elliott the Letter Ostrich tell of an outbreak of… zombies!

7. Dracula Marbles (2007)      2:28

Marbles is in fact Apples in Stereo frontman Robert Schneider.

8. Bring the Murder on the Dance Floor Public Enemy vs. Sophie Ellis Bextor (2002)      3:21

Not sure who did this mash-up of Sophie Ellis Bextor‘s “Murder on the Dance Floor” and Public Enemy‘s “Bring the Noise.”

9. Devil’s Dance Floor Flogging Molly (2000)      4:00

From Flogging Molly‘s debut album, Swagger.  Below, a live performance from 2008.

10.  The Devil Went Down to Georgia Those Darn Accordions! (1994)      3:40

Those Darn Accordions‘ cover of the Charlie Daniels Band’s big 1979 hit.  From Squeeze This. Below, TDA perform the song live in October 2008.

11.  Swamp Talking Heads (1984)      4:29

From the fantastic live album (and concert film) Stop Making Sense.  The song originally appears on the Heads‘ Speaking in Tongues (1983).  Below, the trailer for Stop Making Sense, followed by David Byrne interviewing himself.

12.  Careful What You Pack They Might Be Giants (2007)      2:40

Written for Henry Selick’s film adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s Coraline, “Careful What You Pack” and other TMBG songs were ultimately rejected.  Only TMBG’s “Other Father Song” (below) remains on the soundtrack.  This particular song (“Careful What You Pack”) can be found on TMBG’s The Else.

13.  Fear Itself Rogue Wave      2010      4:24

Appears on the band‘s latest album, Permalight.

14.  Afraid of Everyone The National      2010      4:19

From the band‘s latest, High Violet. Below, the National perform the song on The Late Show with David Letterman in May 2010.

15.  Trouble with Dreams Eels      2005      4:33

From Eels‘ Blinking Lights and Other Revelations.

16.  Pearl’s Dream Bat for Lashes      2009      4:45

Appears on Bat for Lashes‘ Two Suns.

17.  Walkin’ After Midnight Girl in a Coma (2010)      2:49

Rockin’ cover of Patsy Cline, from Girl in a Coma‘s Adventures in Coverland.

18.  Sometimes in the Darkest Hour Deborah Walley (1966)      2:13

I presume this is the same Deborah Walley who had the title role in Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961).

19.  Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en (Album Version) North American Halloween Prevention Initiative (2005)      5:58

Benefit record (which has the added benefit of mocking the “Do they Know It’s Christmas?” benefit record) starring … in alphabetical order … Arcade Fire’s Win & Regine, Beck, Buck 65, David Cross, Devendra Banhart, Dessert’s Liane Balaban, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Feist, Gino Washington, Les Savy Fav’s Syd Butler, Islands’ J’aime, Malcolm Mclaren, Nardwuar The Human Serviette, Peaches, Postal Service’s Jimmy Tamborello, Redd Kross’ Steve Mcdonald, Rilo Kiley’s Jenny & Blake, Roky Erickson, Sloan’s Chris Murphy, Smoosh’s Asya & Chloe, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Sparks’ Russell Mael, Subtitle, Sum 41’s Stevo, Tagaq, That Dog’s Anna Waronker, Joey Waronker, Wolf Parade’s Dan & Spencer, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Karen O.  All proceeds go to UNICEF.

20.  Chasing Ghosts Snob Scrilla (2008)      4:05

Snob Scrilla (a.k.a. Sean Ray), from his EP The Day Before….

21.  Mad World Tears for Fears (1983)      3:35

Appears on Tears for Fears‘ album The Hurting, a record that (in my recollection at least) was overshadowed by the even greater success of the band’s next album, Songs from the Big Chair (“Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”).  Below, Tears for Fears perform “Mad World” on Top of the Pops in 1982.

22.  Darkness Is So Deep Hurricane Bells (2009)      3:01

From Hurricane Bells‘ Tonight Is the Ghost.

23.  People Are Strange The Doors (1967)      2:12

From the Doors‘ Strange Days.

And that’s the end of the Halloween mixes… for now.