Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats always has the coolest videos...
Halloween Limericks
16 hours ago
Halloween 'Zines: Ghostlore #6
It's time for another Halloween 'zine review! Growing up as a punk rock kid, I collected many a fanzine through the years. Small, DIY handmade photocopied, low-budget mini magazines that covered all aspects of the music genre, created and produced by the very participants within that scene. There's just something about holding a small magazine that was created and assembled by hand that always felt so tactile and genuine to me. And when I later became a home haunter, I discovered the same medium and immediately began collecting them.
Up next is the current issue of Ghostlore (#6), a Halloween 'zine created by Wychwood Arts. I follow the Instagram page, and was super excited to see that alongside all of the really cool Halloween art, they also offer 'zines!
I have a few of the earlier issues and have spent hours going over each page and this new issue is no different. Choc full of atmospheric black-and-white photography, a really cool interview with an arachnologist (the study of spiders!) and a dark Halloween artist, music reviews, a fun word search, AND an additional set of black-and-white prints. All neatly collected in the latest perfect bound 'zine. A true pleasure to hold in your hand and devour the Halloween content inside.
Ghostlore #6 is still available at the Wychwood Arts Big Cartel page, so grab one for your collection before they're all gone. (And as a quick insider tip, get ready for the upcoming Halloween issue! It's bound to have a TON of Halloween haunting fun!!)
Ak'Chamel, Live In Cleveland 10-25-26
Last night I got the chance to go see a show so unique and fascinating that I literally haven't stopped thinking about it since. A performance that incorporated incredible organic (and somewhat horrific) costuming, hypnotic tribal music featuring unique global instruments (with elements of African, Eastern, and Louisiana Bayou influences), and a quaint venue that was once a former church, allowing the audience to experience the layered richness of the trio's full sound.
From Discogs:
Ak’chamel has built a solid reputation as a compelling stage project. Wearing nightmarish costumes and engaging in hallucinatory “rituals”, their singular sound comprising desert-scorched psychedelia, post-apocalyptic shamanism, and lo-fi ritual-folk is as unique as the physical theater of their live performances.
And this description sums up the evening perfectly. A hard jump from the usual punk and metal shows that I still venture out to, Ak'Chamel, The Giver Of Illness's "performance art" showcased their rich visual imagery as well as their incredible musicianship. I was a bit hesitant to go to this show solo, but I'm SO glad I did. I had never been to Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project before, but the former church turned performance art center and gallery was the perfect venue to see this.
A quick clip from the show:
And a more encompassing representation of Ak'Chamel's sound and imagery can be seen in their live KEXP performance from July. Definitely a new artist to hear (and see) and add to the seasonal Halloween playlists.
Enjoy!
49 Years Ago Today...
The horror movie that started it all. The original slasher. The timeless classic. John Carpenter's Halloween premiered on this day 49 years ago. (I can't wait for next year's inevitable 50th anniversary hoopla!)
Happy anniversary, Michael!
"How To Haunt A House" Cassette
Welcome to another weekly installment of Freebie Fridays where I share another nugget from my ever-expanding Halloween "spooky sounds" collection!
I originally picked up this cassette on a whim, based solely on the creepy font and standard Halloween orange cassette color. With these two boxes checked, I knew I was in for another stellar Halloween release.
And when I pulled this cassette out earlier this year, deciding to add it to this October's Freebie Friday offerings, I wanted a little bit more info on it. So off I went to scour the internet for more information. And what info I found!!
It turns out that this cassette was part of a pack from 1995 entitled House Haunting Kit, by Dan Witkowski. And in this incredibly cool fold-out kit came an instruction book, this cassette, a packet of cotton spider webs, AND a small tube of theatrical blood! A full intro on how to become a home haunter in one convenient package!
I ended up finding a full kit on Etsy and quickly put my money down. Aaaaaand unfortunately a full month later still no package. I've had conversations with the seller and promises to get it out, but as of right now nothing. So I'm going to borrow their photos in the meantime. No setback is too big!
I was able to go back and record the original cassette and what a release it is! Nothing earthshaking it its content, but it has all the continuous howls, groans, shrieks, wind, cackles, roars, heartbeats, crashes, organ, and screams to make a really great "spooky sounds" release! Roughly 15 minutes of continuous sounds, and different sounds on each side.
Overall, this cassette is a lot of fun. It really nails that old nostalgic "spooky sounds" feel, and has a pretty high production quality that makes this a really good one to add to your collection. Enjoy!
(And if the book package EVER arrives, I will add a post for it, too!)
DOWNLOAD "HOW TO HAUNT A HOUSE" HERE.
