an evil twin

(Photo cred goes to Curtis. This is his favorite Van Gogh. I guess cred goes to Van Gogh, too.)

As you know, months ago my friend Brad proposed the oh-so-clever idea of a CD mix club--kind of like a hipper, boy/girl book club with more junk food, and duh, music. Basic idea: Whoever is hosting chooses a theme, then everyone has a month to create a masterful compilation for the next meeting. We each give a quick "preview"/debut of our mixes and provide a brief explaination of song choice. It's one of my favorite nights each month, not only because I get to see my friends but also because I get a free month's worth of music--and usually a bellyful of something like gummy Cherry Bombers.

Last month, Brad appropriately chose the "Spooky Mix" theme. I couldn't believe some of the stuff the crew came up with. I can't take credit for their genius, but I can share the mix Curtis and I concocted. If any of you are trying to get in the spooked-out, Halloween mood, perhaps our mix will help. I wish I knew how to download all the mp3s and send them to each of y'alls, or make downloading available directly from my blog, but I don't, so all I can offer is this list. Some songs were chosen for their lyrical content, some simply for their creepy musical landscape, still others for their general unsettling quality. Here it is:

1. Useful Idiot: The Tool Tribute String Quartet
2. The Wind: PJ Harvey
3. 2+2=5 (The Lukewarm): Radiohead
4. The Bachelor and The Bride: The Decemberists
5. Your Ghost: Kristen Hirsch
6. Boo: Pinback
7. Ice: The Microphones
8. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes: Modest Mouse
9. Guilty: (Yann Tiersen of Amelie)
10. The Conductor: The Faint
11. I Wish I Had an Evil Twin: The Magnetic Fields
12. The Garden: PJ Harvey
13. Caring is Creepy: The Shins
14. Heaven: Maquiladora
15. Winners Never Quit: Pedro the Lion
16. You Belong to No One: Bettie Serveert
17. Humming: Portishead
18. Gloomy Sunday: Sinead O’Connor

For those of you who did get my mix, I hope you enjoy it. If it doesn't tickle your fancy, or funny bone or scary bone, if there is such a thing, my friend Clint--who knows so much good music--sent me some of his favorites (I was gmail-chatting with him as I compiled my list) and I think it's worth sharing. Just looking up the lyrics to some of these gave me instantaneous goosebumps, like the R.L. Stine hit.

1. Under Ice: Kate Bush
2. We Suck Young Blood: Radiohead
3. Witches’ Rave: Jeff Buckley
4. New Year’s Prayer: Jeff Buckley (He also says “Nightmare by the Sea” is a good choice given Buckley’s drowning.)
5. Red Flags and Long Nights: She Wants Revenge (Says Clint: “Other good choices include ‘Sister’ and ‘Tear You Apart.’ SWR has a general ghoulish sort of ambiance.”)
6. Slippage: Goldfrapp
7. Everybody’s Stalking: Badly Drawn Boy
8. As he says, “Basically the whole of Poe’s 'Haunted' album, though it’s obvious. 'Terrified Heart' would make a fun interlude."
9. Rodeo Clown: The Kills
10. Cactus: Pixies

Kudos to Clint. And Kudos to whoever invented Halloween. And to Brad for inventing Mix Club.