Halloween in Summer: A Spooky Seasonal Playlist (Brittany Menjivar)
Missing Halloween, but ready to welcome summer? Don’t feel conflicted. The fall months don’t have an exclusive claim to creepiness, as summer horror flicks like Us and Friday the 13th have shown. Here are a few tracks that’ll spook you even on the brightest beach days.
“Uma Thurman” by Fall Out Boy
In summer 2015, “Uma Thurman,” a single from Fall Out Boy’s American Beauty/American Psycho, was all over the radio. Four years later, and it’s still a banger. Although listeners might primarily associate it with Pulp Fiction (the chorus alludes to the dance moves Thurman performs as Mia Wallace in the film)it has another pop culture connection as well. The surf rock melody heard throughout the track comes from the theme song to The Munsters, a ’60s sitcom about a monster family.
“Night Running” by Cage the Elephant ft. Beck
Just in time for their joint summer tour, Cage the Elephant and Beck have recorded a single together, and it sounds like the theme song for a supernatural action film. One of the lyrics is literally “In a world of secrets and demons and people hiding from the sun” — what could be better for a paranormal saga? The track’s easygoing, dub-influenced vibe is also fantastic for the carefree season ahead.
“Cry Little Sister” by Gerard McMann, “Lost in the Shadows” by Lou Gramm, and “People are Strange” by The Doors
Much like Us, Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys (1987) brings a taste of horror to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The film’s teenage protagonists find themselves fighting a gang of vampires who are far more James Dean than Nosferatu, with leather jackets and motorcycles. Like countless other ’80s flicks about young people with a hip fashion sense, it’s got a killer soundtrack. “Cry Little Sister” is the movie’s epic theme, worked into the score throughout. “Lost in the Shadows,” used as a chase song in the film, is quintessential melodramatic hard rock, complete with shouts of “Lost Boys!” in the background. “People are Strange” is a Doors classic — haunting and carnivalesque, it serves as a great opening credits song.
“Dirty Paws” by Of Monsters and Men
You might know Icelandic folk rock group Of Monsters and Men from their single “Little Talks,” which topped the Billboard Alternative Chart in 2012. Their debut album, My Head Is An Animal, is packed with eerie musical tales that would be perfect to sing around a campfire. “Dirty Paws” is one of those songs. The lyrics speak of a mythical beast and a “forest of talking trees” — ideal listening for dark summer nights.
“Right Where You Want Me” by Jesse McCartney
Remember Disney Channel’s Halloweentown series? If you stuck it out to the end, you’ll recall that this song was used in the final installment, Return to Halloweentown. The chorus — “Baby, take me on a journey” — makes it well suited for road trips and flights (in addition to broomstick rides).
“Monster” by The Automatic Automatic
“Monster,” the first U.S. single by Welsh rock band The Automatic Automatic, is pure pop-punk fun, with a cryptid twist. The song’s refrain — “What’s that, coming over the hill? Is it a monster? Is it a monster?” — is sure to be stuck in your head for hours, but you won’t mind. The goofy music video, which shows the band members tracking down cryptids in a high-tech van with all the gusto of the Scooby-Doo gang, is unforgettable.
“Zombie” by Jamie T
Jamie T’s unique brand of alt rock — part Britpop, part Eminem — has made him one of Britain’s most intriguing musicians. “Zombie,” a single off his 2014 comeback album Carry on the Grudge, is a particularly entertaining track. A fast pace, upbeat guitars, and a major-key melody, make this one of the best songs about the undead.
“Nightcall” by Kavinsky
Seriously — that song from Drive? That Ryan Gosling movie about a getaway driver? you may be thinking. Sure, nothing about the song screams “Halloween” or “horror” — explicitly. But the creaking door, wolf howl, and phone dialing noises within the first few seconds of the track are nothing short of haunting. The lyrics are mysterious, too: “I’m gonna show you where it’s dark, but have no fear…” It turns out that the eerie vibe was intentional: Kavinsky has stated that his Teddy Boy EP, which “Nightcall” appears on, tells the story of a man who dies after a car crash and returns as a phantom. With that said, put this on AUX next time you want to add a little ghostly drama to your night drive.
“Baby You’re a Haunted House” by Gerard Way
Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame released this as a Halloween track last year, but its feel-good vibe makes it perfect for the warmer months, especially if you’ve got a summer love in mind. The song title might sound like an insult, but coming from Way (a so-called member of the Emo Trinity), it’s a compliment, and lyrics like “In the dark, we laugh together” prove it. It’s just about as spooky as the dark ride at your local county fair.
Check out the full playlist below:
— Brittany Menjivar
Brittany Menjivar is a music journalist for The Young Folks. She is currently studying English and Film at Yale University.
