To get ghouls and goblins in a frightening frame of mind for Halloween, West Michigan rockabilly queen Delilah DeWylde offers Local Spins a rollicking Top 10 of spine-tinglers, from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to Los Straitjackets. Check out the videos and Spotify playlist.
EDITOR’S NOTE: With Halloween fast approaching, Local Spins asked die-hard Halloween devotee and West Michigan rockabilly queen Delilah DeWylde to scare up a Top 10 list of her favorite hauntingly good rock classics to rattle the bones of readers.
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She dug deep into the crypt for a deliciously gruesome retro rock roster that’s spine-chillingly out of the ordinary. “I know you don’t want to hear from another person that loves ‘Monster Mash,’ ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead,’ and ‘I Put a Spell on You,’ ” she says, “so here are some weird ones … although I do love all three of those!” By the way, Delilah DeWylde plays the Big Lake Brewing Halloween Party at Big Lake Brewing in Holland on Oct. 27, the Zombie Halloween Party at Grand Armory Brewing in Grand Haven on Oct. 28, and the Trail Point Brewing Halloween Party at Trail Point Brewing in Allendale on Oct. 29.
DELILAH DEWYLDE: THE LOCAL SPINS HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST NO. 1
1. “Little Demon,” Screamin’ Jay Hawkins — It’s a really great upbeat 1950’s rock/R&B tune about an angry demon (a “mad cat,” ha-ha).
All my other favorites all come from one album, “Monster Party 2000,” that’s available online at Amazon.com. I play this non-stop every October, and we always use it as pre-show music for our Halloween gigs. Really fun garage/surfy/spooky stuff. (you can listen to partial tracks here) Standouts for me on this album are as follows:
2. “Nosferatu,” The 3-D Invisibles – This song and No. 8 are by Detroit bands. Not even sure they play out much anymore, but I love all their stuff. “Nosferatu” has some great guitar work.
3. “Transylvanian Orbit (Romanian Dance Of The Undead),” The Space Cossacks
4. “Theme From ‘Young Frankenstein,’ ” The Madeira — The Madeira just played in Grand Rapids recently. I think Tommy Schichtel (Goon Lagoon) has recorded them as well. Really well done surf music. I just love that they covered the “Young Frankenstein” theme, because I also just love that movie.
5. “Billy’s Dead,” Deadbolt – Deadbolt is a California band. They describe themselves as “The Scariest Band in the World,” which is hilarious. They’ve been around since the 1980s. The lyrics are really entertaining on this one, and there’s some nice reverby guitars with a driving bass and drumbeat.
6. “Rockula,” Los Straitjackets
7. “It’s The Mummy!” The Chimps – This “Mummy” song just slays me — really danceable with a spooky edge and creepy keyboard. Minimal barely understandable lyrics, lots of shouting, “It’s the mummy!”
8. “The Ghosts of Boot Hill,” The Hellbenders — The Hellbenders are top-notch spooky spaghetti Western. “The Ghosts of Boot Hill” has a really catchy chorus.
9. “Have You Ever Seen?” The Boss Martians – A great Halloween party vibe; a really fun garage rock song.
10. “Frankie’s Groovy Monster Boots,” Eddie Angel & The Omega Men – Of course, Eddie Angel is the best garage surf rocker there is.
DELILAH DEWYLDE’S HALLOWEEN TOP 10: The Local Spins Guest Playlist on Spotify
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