My Halloween soundtrack

Halloween is kinda my favorite holiday. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. But in a way Halloween lasts 365 days a year at my house between my love of horror, vampires, sci-fi, and fashion and music that lends itself to the darker side. When I worked at a coffee shop I played the Halloween Muzak channel all month long, which was mysteriously on another channel every time I started my shift.

So before I, my Yeti and my Monster put on our Halloween costumes and hit the trick or treat trail, I thought I’d post a Halloween-ready soundtrack of some of my favorite creepy not quite holiday songs.

Siouxsie and the Banshees “Halloween”

Rob Zombie "House of 1000 Corpses”

Alkaline Trio "Calling All Skeletons" 

Michael Jackson “Thriller”

David Bowie “Scary Monsters (& Super Creeps)”

Rasputina “Transylvanian Concubine”

Theme to “The Munsters”

Southern Culture on the Skids “Zombified”

Misfits “Skulls”

Switchblade Symphony “Witches”

Rolling Stones "Paint It Black" 

Schoolyard Heroes “Cemetery Girls”

Motorhead “Killed By Death”

Ladytron “Ghosts”

Murderdolls “197666”

Danzig “Twist of Cain”

My Chemical Romance “Vampires Will Never Hurt You”

Metric “Monster Hospital”

Wednesday 13 "Haddonfield" 

Free bluegrass instruction in Gastonia Saturday

Gaston School of the Arts will present the Second Annual Bluegrass Project Saturday, November 3 in Gastonia (825 Union Rd). The free all-day event features workshops with Blue Highway's Jason Burleson (pictured above), HeartTown's Greg Luck, New Plowed Ground's Al and Karen Dunkelman, Jaret Carter of the Difference, and Darin Aldrige and Dwayne Anderson of the Darin & Brooke Aldridge Band. In addition to instruction on banjo, fiddle, bass, guitar, and mandolin, those musicians will also be on hand for panel discussions.

Check-in is between 8 and 8:30 a.m. The event is open to all ages and younger students are encouraged to attend. Teachers can also receive continuing education credit. 

A performance featuring participants will take place Saturday evening. It's free and open to the public.

Bluegrass has really come a long way. When I was little my dad's friends played every weekend. But it seemed like this fringe niche. Unlike many other styles, its legends were accessible (maybe that's why my dad threw such a fit when Juice Newton wouldn't give us her autograph).

Maybe how accessible they were made bluegrass seem more fringe to me. Dad partied with banjo picker extraordinaire Don Reno's kids (I didn't have the heart to tell them he and most of their old friends had all died when I interviewed their band, Hayseed Dixie, a few years back). I got to tour Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver's bus when I was maybe eight-years-old. My bass teacher (who was also the brother-in-law of one of dad's best friends) was in Charlie McCoy's house band on "Hee-Haw."

Bluegrass blew up with "`O Brother Where Art Thou" and crossover artists like Alison Krauss and new acoustic acts like Nickel Creek blurring the stylistic lines. But at its heart the most traditionally-rooted in the game remain accessible. Hence many instructors at the kind of workshops being offered in Gastonia this weekend. Darin Aldrige, who will lead the musical jams, was recently nominated for an International Bluegrass Music Award and veteran group Blue Highway was a Grammy nominee. Yet here they are right in your backyard. 

Another unique aspect of this event is that it's free. I've been to similar week-long workshops as both a student and speaker (I was there for poetry) and they can be really expensive. If you're wondering where National Endowment for the Arts' dollars go this pre-election week, this is one of the places. The Bluegrass Project is made possible by funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Carrie E. and Lena V. Glen Foundation. Lunch is even included. 

It's also an experience that's continued to impact last year's participants, who gather at the School of the Arts on the second Thursday of each month to jam. 

Columbia band unveils debut video

When Israeli-bred, NYC-based dance duo Hank and Cupcakes played Amos' Southend in May 2011, the  venue was nearly cavernous - meaning empty. This didn't reflect negatively on the band, who put on a pumping, jumping, fun set for the ten of us or so gathered in front of the stage. Columbia-based electro-pop act Death of Paris was added to the bill last minute. And despite the near-empty room, they showed a lot of promise that night.

I believe they also played with H&C elsewhere. The couple from Tel Aviv (who were some of the nicest people I've ever seen on tour, especially considering the circumstances) made a connection with the young band from the deep South. This week the South Carolina female-front four-piece joins Hank & Cupcakes again in Charleston and Myrtle Beach. I wish you could see both here. 

Death of Paris admittedly haven't had the easiest time breaking into the Charlotte market,, which confounds me because they're a good band with potential draw. They've played here a handful of times. The group's first video (above) shows how far they've come in a year and half. Certainly an act to keep an eye on. I'd recommend catching both DoP and H&C live. For more on Death of Paris click here. 

This week's hot concerts

Sam Bush

7 p.m. Friday, October 26, Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36^th St. $22-$32. 704-358-9298.

With charm and chops, one of newgrass’ founders still astounds with his award winning mandolin-picking and fiddling skills and song selection as the 60-year-old enters into the fifth decade of his career.

Jim Lauderdale

8 p.m. Friday, October 26, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $15-$17. 704-376-3737.

The native son, who was born in Troutman and spent some of his youth here, returns having just released a solo bluegrass record (“Carolina Moonrise”) and a duets album with fellow Nashville secret weapon Buddy Miller.

Hip-Hop Rises

9 p.m. Friday, October 26, Chop Shop, 399 E. 35^th St. $7-$10. www.chopshopnoda.com

Curious about Charlotte hip-hop? This showcase features Kooley High, Elenora Fagan, Nicole Shari, Big Treal, Amanda Pollard, Naj Music, God City, Moe Crayne Mischef, Big Jillz, Quill, 1Lyph Music Group, Caliba, and Pistol Pete.

The Wheeler Brothers

10:30 p.m. Friday, October 26, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $8-$10. 704-376-3737.

Being named Best New Band in the musical hub of Austin is quite a feat. With Band of Horses and My Morning Jacket-style grandeur, R.E.M.’s intelligent pop-rock chops, the country-rock longing of Sons of Bill and its own close-to-the-border Texas roots, this act has big-sounding aspirations. 

B.O.B.

6 p.m. Saturday, October 27, Dixie’s Tavern, 301 E. 7^th St. $15-$20/$60-$80 VIP. www.ticketstoday.com

The Winston-Salem-born, Atlanta-based rapper/singer-songwriter who is a fearless collaborator regardless of genre, headlines Kiss 95.1’s annual Gravedigger’s Ball concert.

Halloween 2012

8 p.m. Saturday, Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. $10-$12. www.etix.com

This annual bill casts local bands as classic acts. Hectagons and Thought Criminals team up as Cypress Hill, Your Fuzzy Friends takes on Devo, Secret Hospital! is Jawbreaker, Blossoms is the Clash, and Ma’am is Ma’amdrew WK, plus others.

Shake Your Ghoul Thing

8 p.m. Saturday, October 27, McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. $10-$15. 704-372-1000.

Impromptu - Carolina Voices’ jazz and pop ensemble - delights Halloween junkies with a night of rollicking yet creepy tunes from “Thriller” to “Little Shop of Horrors.” Costumes encouraged.

Kathleen Edwards

7 p.m. Sunday, October 28, McGlohon Theatre, 345 N. College St. $22.50-$27.50. 704-372-1000.

The Canadian roots-rock songstress - whose delivery could cause her to be mistaken for Neil Young’s daughter - returns this time with a trio that includes Gord Tough and Jim Bryson. With Mandolin Orange.

Chappo

10:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 30, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $5-$7. 704-376-3737.

This quirky theatrical rock quartet, whose songs have been used in an iPod commercial and on TV series, wowed as an opener for Of Montreal this summer. Its pop is infectious. 

MXPX Allstars/Unwritten Law/Versus the World

6 p.m. Wednesday, October 31, Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. $20-$22. www.etix.com

It’s a pop punk Halloween with MXPX’s Mike Herrera leading a guest lineup. Fellow Warped Tour vets Unwritten Law (who scored hits like 2002’s “Seein’ Red” after 1998’s breakout “Teenage Suicide”) rounds out the bill with former members of the Ataris and Lagwagon making up VtW. 

Bonnaroo 365

8 p.m. Wednesday, October 31, Visulite, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. $12-$15. www.visulite.com

In its quest for year round domination, the folks behind Bonnaroo (who also launched a college comedy tour), give audiences a taste of the taste making festival with White Denim, Maps and Atlases and Tiny Victories. 

"Better Days" for local rockers Another Lost Year?

When Charlotte-based hard rock band Another Lost Year opened for Days of the New at Amos’ Southend in June, the headliner’s set was nothing short of a disaster. After what by all accounts was a long, but impressive 12-minute opening jam, Days of the New frontman Travis Meeks sat down and took off his guitar. After minutes of support (woo!), confusion, and heckling from the crowd, he announced his wife had left him. He then left the stage, the venue, and his equipment. Yep. There’s a YouTube clip of it.  

Admission was refunded, but the show wasn’t a loss for Another Lost Year. My friend Stephen Herbster and his wife Rose were there and he took that refunded ticket money and bought whatever Another Lost Year was selling. Herbster, the senior avid editor for The Carolina Panthers, was so blown away by the group that he used its single “War on the Inside” (with permission) to score a Panthers’ video that played before both preseason games on the Panther Vision Screen and in turn exposed the band to tens of thousands.

That kind of interaction between local sports and arts is exciting to me. One locally-based business supporting another? Utilizing our regional talent like we did when John Brown, Anthony Hamilton, and Squirrel Nut Zippers played during the Democratic National Convention is something we should do more of. The talent is here. 

Aside from that, the Amos’ incident proves that artists should play their hearts out no matter who is in the crowd. I’ve seen absolutely fantastic shows when no one expected anyone from the press to show up and then I’ve anonymously watched drunken messes fill time on stage to horrified audiences. Both leave an impression.  

Another Lost Year seems to be making an impression lots of places. It spends much of November and December playing the Midwest. Thursday, October 25, the five-piece plays its album release show at The Saloon at NC Music Factory. 

ALY makes mainstream rock that’s both heavy, melodic, and radio ready. It actually sounds perfect for those highlight montages promoting sporting events like WWE pay-per-views and NASCAR races. Hear that Mr McMahon? The riffs are thick, yet crisp and hooky. The drums are punchy, flowery, and showy without being distracting. There’s also a subtle Southern layer to the emotive vocals especially on songs like “Your Last Goodbye.” It’s similar in vibe to what you get with Three Doors Down or the heartland hard rock of Hinder (from Oklahoma). It’s the kind of universality that sells records. The track “Angels,” featuring female guest vocalist Lish who the group imported from New Zealand, sounds like it could be a hit duet a la Evanescence’s Amy Lee and Seether or Lacuna Coil.

The album “Better Days” is being released by Greenville, SC's Thermal Entertainment in conjunction with Megaforce Records, the company that released Metallica’s first recordings. Anthrax and Bad Brains’ latest albums also bear the Megaforce logo. Justin Rimer from 12 Stones produced the record and it sounds tailor-made for new rock stations like WEND 106.5.

You can hear much of it Thursday at The Saloon. Anything Once and Dying Alone open. 9 p.m. 

To be or not to be? Sharing a band name

Sunday night my husband and his band of twelve years will reveal its new name during a show at The Milestone celebrating its drummer’s 40^th birthday. It’s a bittersweet occasion because for the band, Husky, it marks the end of an era. You see, the instrumental three-piece that has been embraced by the small but supportive stoner rock community and have sold albums overseas (Europeans especially seem to dig it), weren’t looking to change its name.

When they took the name over a decade ago there was only one active Husky in existence - a Polish electronic duo. No confusion there. The last time we checked online recently there were eight Huskys - enough to drive a sled carrying my 400 pound father through an Arctic blizzard. In February Phil (that’s my husband) was contacted by a band from Australia with the same name. We didn’t think much of it as an Australian, American, and Mexican Husky co-existed at the time, but the name issue became obvious once I started receiving press releases about Australian Husky’s appearance at South by Southwest and US tours from its new label - Sub Pop. 

This seemed more of a problem than a band playing The Milestone adding an (AUS) to the end of their name - a solution Phil and Australian Husky’s lead singer (who is actually named Husky - so you can see why he’d want to keep it) had loosely agreed on at first. And as months passed it became apparent that Australian Husky (who never applied the AUS) wasn’t going back to the Outback any time soon.

Our Husky spent months discussing options - pursuing the name legally, taking a new one, adopting a song or album title as the name, or adding the obvious “US?” But really who remembers who sued the Charlatans UK or the London Suede? My husband and his bandmates spoke to a lawyer (as they have released two albums under the name and have records dating back a decade). The problem is they failed to file for a trademark. I spoke to a few trusted publicists that have worked in the industry for years. All advised that the fight wasn’t worth the cost if my husband and his band weren’t planning to take over the world.

Our Husky is a home grown outfit. They record and practice in our back room between jobs and kids. So they begrudgingly are changing the name. I spoke to another musician earlier this week whose experimental jazz and avant garde bands have shared names with other acts from completely different genres. His argument was is there really any confusion? In our Husky’s case Phil was already getting texts from friends who “saw” his new album at a store or whose wife heard a song on the radio.

Change isn’t necessarily bad. I've listened to the band and my husband’s writing and arranging evolve from moderately heavy blues-based stoner rock to something more experimental and unusual over the past nine years (it gets pegged kraut rock in reviews). The upcoming album, “Garnet,” is a departure from their first two. So separating or differentiating themselves from the old name and old sound probably more aptly represents where they are now as a band anyhow. Of course this doesn’t soften the blow of watching your band name go places you likely never would (like to SXSW, on WNCW’s playlist or on tour with the Head and the Heart).

But given that there is now this Aussie folk-rock Husky, Mexican Husky, old Polish Husky, and a new solo hip-hop producer also going by the name, the need to separate from the name is even greater. Hence a new play on the name, which isn’t a dig on those other bands but a stake in the old name itself. I’ll leave that reveal to them though.

The lesson here, which I’ve been preaching to anyone that’s serious about its band’s name since February, is to pursue the trademark (which can actually get quite pricey for a grassroots, independent band given the different things that need to be trademarked - for performance, merchandise, etc). But if you’re making a big, long-term commitment, it’s worth considering.  

Husky plays its final show at The Milestone Sunday, October 21, with Hectorina, Secret Hospital!, and Musket King, which also features birthday boy Nate Wilkinson on drums. 8 p.m. $5. www.themilestoneclub.com

   

This week's hot concerts

Chris Knight

9:30 p.m. Friday, October 19, Double Door, 1218 Charlottetown Ave. $15. 704-376-1446.

The commercially underrated, but critically adored songwriter’s new album “Little Victories” is a timely rugged roots-rock effort that echoes lonesome, modern outlaw country and the writing of John Prine and Steve Earle.

Chatham County Line

7 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36^th St. $15/VIP $25. 704-358-9298.

The venerable triangle area new grass four-piece seamlessly weaves traditional and contemporary roots music (and includes Charlotte natives in its membership). Its live show was recently captured on a double CD/DVD release, but you can witness it here.

John Jorgenson Trio

8 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Stage Door Theater, 5^th and College Streets. $22.50. 704-372-1000.

Like a musical train conductor the ambassador of gypsy jazz and one-time guitarist for Elton John (who fittingly portrayed Django Reinhardt in the film “Head in the Clouds”) takes audiences on a guided, time traveling tour of Europe, South America, and pockets of the US.

Erykah Badu

8 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. $58.85-$81.45. www.ticketmaster.com

The reigning queen of neo-soul (and chameleon-like fashion maven) makes her Charlotte return lightening up the seriousness of her own songs with a set from comedian Rickey Smiley. She’ll also host an after party at Republic.

Swans

8 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Tremont, 400 W. Tremont Ave. $16-$19. www.etix.com

After a 14-year hiatus (following its 15 year run), the ever evolving recent returnee is back with a second album, “The Seer,” and tour led by founder Michael Gira and original member Norman Westberg with an impressive list of musicians from Swans/Angels of Light and other acts.

Southern Culture on the Skids

8 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Visulite, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. $17-$20. www.visulite.com

The NC institution is back for a pre-Halloween romp to revisit the high camp horror send-up that was last year’s “Zombified” tribute record to leader Rick Miller’s favorite holiday.

Ben Taylor

8 p.m. Saturday, October 20, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $15-$18. www.eveningmuse.com

The second generation singer-songwriter whose parents are James Taylor and Carly Simon, makes the kind of folk-tinged pop and rock you’d expect from that lineage with a voice and delivery akin to his dad.

Kevin Seconds/Kepi Ghoulie

8 p.m. Monday, October 22, Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. $8-$10. www.etix.com

Two veteran punk rock band leaders - of 7 Seconds and the Groovie Ghoulies, respectively. The former continues with his long running acoustic solo work, while the latter retains the campy pop-punk of his former band. 

Alejandro Escovedo

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 23, Visulite, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. $22-$25. www.visulite.com

Although considered a countrified Americana artists since alt-country magazine “No Depression” declared him “artist of the decade,” the former punk band leader actually grows more rocking and edgier in his sixties.

Papadosio

9 p.m. Wednesday, October 24, Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36^th St. $8-$10. 704-358-9298.

Blurring the definition of “jam band,” this growing festival fixture creates moods and scenes with electronica, old school soul and R&B, hypnotic rock, and blues that can be as accessible as Lake Trout or as trippy as STS9.