As the season of Halloween is creeping up on us, I think it’s only fair to pump ourselves up for the scariest night of the year. When you hear “Halloween,” you think of Ghostbusters, Monster Mash, and of course, Thriller. But to spice things up, I created a playlist that’s a bit less conventional. That being said, here are thirteen songs that’ll keep you on the edge of your seats!
-
“Bad Ritual” by Timber Timbre: Opening the playlist is the Ontario-based band Timber Timbre giving you a sweet and eerie blend of psychedelic rock while sending chills down your spine. It was difficult to choose just one song from this album as they all do a terrifyingly good job of giving you the creeps.
-
“Mon Autre” by Juniore: Juniore provides a more upbeat feel for the French listeners out there, and the stingy electric chorus screams campy Halloween.
-
“Red Right Hand” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: You can’t go wrong with Nick Cave. This song was even featured in the Scream soundtrack—a classic 90’s cliché slasher movie. It can’t get any more fitting than this!
-
“Nurse Ratched” by Cherry Glazerr: The female lead indie rock band Cherry Glazerr sets the scene for a Halloween-themed B movie. The song is also written in honour of the heartless character Nurse Ratched from the novel and film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
-
“Halloween” by Dead Kennedys: A punk Halloween anthem. What more can be said?
-
“Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” by David Bowie: We all know and love David Bowie. This guitar heavy track unlocks the rock n’ roll side of Halloween that we all secretly love.
-
“Colossus” by IDLES: IDLES is one of the heavier bands featured on the playlist. The English punk rock band has some of my favourite songs on their album Joy as an Act of Resistance and perfectly adds to the spooky tracklist.
-
“Army of Me” by Björk: Björk does an incredible job at being Björk. Her odd taste and character blend gracefully in this threatening synth-rock track.
-
“Potion Approaching” by Arctic Monkeys: Arctic Monkeys circa 2009 had some of the best indie punk rock songs of that era. I had the same struggle as I did with Timber Timbre; their album Humbug had multiple contestants for being featured on this creepy playlist.
-
“Sweet Dreams” by Angel Olsen: Angel Olsen is angelic and her voice is mesmerizing. This track will make your head feel heavy and the clouds grow darker.
-
“Mars For The Rich” by King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard: King Gizzard is known for their whacky psychedelic rock and this track is no different. The beefy chords and deep vocals excite the dark and creepy mood.
-
“Paranoid Android” by Radiohead: Thom Yorke is the king of creating certain atmospheres. This track builds tension, breaks it, and keeps you on edge the whole time. But honestly, this still doesn’t do Radiohead justice, so go have a listen to the album yourself (and the rest of their discography too).
-
“Run From Me” by Timber Timbre: As we come to the end of the playlist, it was only right to include another Timber Timbre song. Taylor Kirk’s voice is incredible on this track and leaves you wanting more with his eerie repetition of “run” throughout the song. Check out the rest of the album, Hot Dreams, if you’re looking for more spooky songs!
Hopefully, this playlist will successfully creep you out, but also gets you super excited for what’s to come next month! The full link is here!