Tuesday Tracklist (Halloween Edition): Wax Fang, Diamanda Galas, The Fervor and More (10/31)

In this weekly feature, a different LEO staff member will share 7-10 of the songs they’ve got on repeat right now. (Songs by Louisville artists are marked with an asterisk.) Got a track that you think we’d like? Let us know at leo@leoweekly.com or at the author’s email below.

This Tuesday Tracklist is dedicated to our day of scariness, darkness, and all things unsettling, Halloween. With this list, we didn’t want to rehash the usual Halloween fare with songs like “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett, or Sheb Wooley’s classic, “Purple People Eater.” We think there are just as many worthy tunes that leave the gimmickiness aside, not that there’s anything wrong with that. We hope this list provides some good listening and sends a chill or two down your spine today.

Enjoy!

Wax Fang – “Halloween”*

It came out in 2015 on Louisville Babylon II, and to be honest, it’s not like Wax Fang were slacking on the job here. This isn’t a thrown-together song just for the holiday. The guitar riffs and driving drumbeat actually kick. This song is a treat. 

Funkadelic – “Maggot Brain”

“Free your mind, and your ass will follow,” said the great George Clinton. If “Maggot Brain” with the legendary Eddie Hazel’s guitar doesn’t put your brain on sizzle, I’m not sure anything will. 

Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “Make Worry For Me”*

Well, it’s a tiny bit scary. OK, it’s actually kind of a lot scary. It’s a song seemingly about obsession and the potential for a dangerous interaction. Perfect Halloween tune. Also great guitar licks.

The Velvet Underground – “Venus In Furs”

In Leopold Von Sacher Masoch’s novel “Venus in Furs,” his protagonist Severin is told by a friend about his dreams of speaking with Venus, draped in ermine furs. His obsession with cruel women who mistreat him is something he wants to escape. Severin tries to help. Read the novel of the same name yourself to find out more. Also, this song by The Velvet Underground is a classic in rotation year-round. Its scraping guitar and strong imagery of a woman in furs and leather were, of course, inspired by the book. Fun fact, the book’s character Severin and his imagination of Venus was inspired by Titian’s painting, “Venus with a Mirror.”  

Prayer Line – “Crawling Eye”*

The Louisville Babylon releases were gems, I tell you. This Prayer Line cover of the Misfits tune certainly fits the Halloween themem, but it’s one of the more fun and free songs on this list. A good time… a treat, not a trick.

Because there is no video for “Crawling Eye,” how about Prayer Line’s “Reanimator,” inspired by the film of the same name. Another great Halloween-y tune, but an even stronger reminder that Louisville bands fucking rock. Plus, it’s kind of like getting a bonus track in this list.

Diamanda Galas – “Gloomy Sunday”

This song, sung once by Billie Holiday but originally composed by Hungarian composer Rezs? Seress, is also known as the “Hungarian Suicide Song.” Its lyrics are a lament about war, loss, and despair. When Holiday recorded it, the BBC said the song was detrimental to wartime morale but allowed instrumental versions of it to be played. The composer killed himself in 1968, 35 years after writing it. 

Diamanda Galas’ version is perhaps one of the most haunting versions of this song. It will get deep in your bones and you’ll never forget the experience. Ever. 

The Fervor – “Goodnight”*

This song was an unreleased track by Louisville band The Fervor. It’s a quiet, haunting, and lovely song about the present but final moments. It’s recorded in the video with a simple guitar and no production. It’s perfect that way. 

This article appears in October 24, 2023.