Halloween Fright Night Dances and Music

So tonight was Halloween Fright Night on Dances with the Stars. I don't typically watch this show, but my Mom really likes it, and it was the Halloween Special, so I decided to check it out and see how they would interpret my favorite holiday of Halloween into song and dance.  I quite enjoyed the show in all honesty, and I heard a few songs that were new to me that I thought were "in the spirit" of Halloween, and worthy of being added to ever growing list of Halloween Songs.  

The couples all performed solo dances, and there was also an additional group dance competition.  So I searched for some of the videos to post here on this 27th day of the Halloween Countdown.  Both of the group competitions were really good, but I've posted the video for the 2nd place team, because they were dancing to the "Time Warp" from Rocky Horror Picture Show. They looked fantastic in eccentric cool Carnival inspired Costumes and Make-Up.  But the best part is that the number was opened by the 'Ring Master', who was none other than Tommy Chong of Cheech and Chong fame, and he is 76 years old!!!  Eeegads, that is 4 years shy of 80 people....that man deserves a major Halloween Shout Out for still being cool at his age!


Next up is the first new song I heard that I really liked, and think perfect to add to any Halloween music list. It's called "Secret" by the Pierces", and it has a Creepy Old Carnival sound to it that I love.  It also has an ingenious and catchy concept, that "two can keep a secret...if one of them is dead."  Ha...well that sounds about right...dead men can tell no tales or secrets!  You can see the dance below, and the original music video from the artists after that, which is also good.




The other song I discovered and totally dig is "Necessary Evil" by Nikki Yanofsky...a sultry tale of seductive, necessary, evil....with some big black cats thrown into the video for good measure.  I've posted the Halloween themed dance number, and the song's video.  Seems like a cool tune to add to the Halloween Collection based on the title alone.





And last is "Run Boy Run" by Woodkid.  I just posted the video on this one because it's quite strange, with a kid running from what looks like big hairy Baphomet monsters or something?  Then later, there are what appear to, be some sort of Tree Ents rising up, and then finally the viking helmet clad kid arrives at a city. I have no idea what it's all about to be honest, but it does have a sort "Where the Wild Things Are" feel to it.


(All videos © respective owners and networks)

Creepy "Dollhouse"

Well the stores are getting in their Halloween Merchandise full force now which is always mondo-exciting!  Looking forward to Halloween falling on a Friday this year!  I've been scouring the web for 'spooky' ideas for a Halloween Carnival themed party this year.  In my searching, I landed on this creepy video from a lesser known musician that I just happen to love.  She has a breathy, haunting voice that I never tire of listening to.  Her name is Melanie Martinez, and I first saw her on "The Voice".  We thought she had a really unique sound that was far more interesting than most of the other cookie cutter singers.  She didn't make it to the end, but apparently she is recording, as this official video is for her new EP out on iTunes titled "Dollhouse", and the song is of the same title.  The video is creepy in a good way, and that disturbing melancholy is what makes it so interesting .  Unfortunately, the lyrics will probably hit home for a lot of people who were raised in dysfunctional families, but again, that's what makes it so good!

Day of Dearly Departed Souls!

Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.

~ George Eliot

So yesterday and today, November 1st & 2nd, is when Día de Los Muertos is traditionally celebrated.  And although I've never been to an event, I sure would LOVE to go.  So this year as I was lamenting my failed attempts at making Halloween happen to my liking...I decided to see if there were any Day of the Dead celebrations in our area that I could attend to appease my hurt feelings.  Well of course there's not...no surprise there, go figure!  There was one museum that had some small something or other, but that's pretty much all I could find.

Until.......I expanded my search to the entire state of Florida.  Then I found something that really caught my interest and looks like BIG fun.  Unfortunately, I discovered this on October 30th and that was just not enough time to get our ducks in a row to head down there today, October 2nd.  It's the South Florida, Day of the Dead Celebration in Ft. Lauderdale.  This is the event's 3rd year, and apparently it grows ever more popular each year.  There are all sorts of fun events going on in the City Arts District which has several streets blocked off for the event.  Here are some of the Fun & Fabulous Festival Offerings...

* Giant Skeleton Puppet Processional and Parade 
* Day of the Dead Art Exhibitions and Market 
* Community Ofrendas and Calaveras Skull Mask exhibits 
* Day of the Dead Film Festival 
* Hearse/Art Car/ LowRider Auto Show
* World’s Tiniest Skeleton Parade Floats & Kazoo Band
* Landscapes of the Dead Exhibition  
* Live Music at the Bone Yard Bandstand
* Circus Bizarra Side Show, Midway and Funhouse
* Memento Mori-Go-Round
* Great & Prescient Fortune Tellers Vladmir Plotzsky & Madame Glo
* Cupcake Burlesque
* South Florida Pirates & Ghost Ship
* Animale Mexotica
* Skeleton Street Circus: Trapeze, Stilt Performers & Cirque Performances  
* Mr. Bones Heckle Puppet Show
* Calaveras Mask Making
* Live Skeleton Body Art and Face Painting
* Kid Zone and Petting Zoo
* Calaveras Cantina Food Trucks (Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru and others)
* Day of the Dead Crafters Market
* Costume Photo Booth
* Exotica a Go Go Day of the Dead After Party at the Mai Kai Restaurant
* Day of the Dead Shimmy Shake Review at the Green Room Nightclub


I don't know about you...but I REALLY want to hit this up next year.  The only I'd like better is if it were being held in a Cemetery...but beggars can't be choosers.  So I'm going to plan for it in advance for next year.  And I think it will fall on a Saturday next year too, so that would be even better.  My only decision is do I want to take the kids to let them experience something cool from another culture, or do I want to go with just the hubby or some friends and really let loose...ha!  I need to start looking for Day of the Dead make-up tutorials on You Tube!

So today on Día de Los Muertos, don't forget to light some candles and honor your relatives and ancestors who have passed on to the other side!  They may be gone, but they are never dead until they're forgotten....so don't forget to remember them today!  After all, the veils are thin and maybe their spirits will see fit to drop in and celebrate the day with you!   
Happy Día de Los Muertos!
(All artwork © South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration)

Stir Them In My Witches' Brew!

OCTOBER is hands-down the most magical month of the whole year! And as such, it's the perfect time to partake in some 'Witches' Brew'!

When I was but a wee WitchyPoo, we would go to music class at school on Thursday of each week to sing a variety of songs from our music books. But come October, there was always one special song that all the kids were dying to sing.....'cause when the Teacher broke out Hap Palmer's "Witches' Brew", we knew Hallowe'en would soon be creeping around the corner.
Does anyone else remember that song from their childhood? Or any other special Hallowe'en song from school?  Witches' Brew is a fun, catchy lil' tune for children, and for those adults among us who still retain the 'Hallowe'en Spirit' from our youth. I've provided the lyrics below to help jog your memory, and if you're really feeling 'witchy', you can sing along with the video too! :o)

WITCHES' BREW

Dead leaves, seaweed, rotten eggs, too.
Stir them in my witches' brew.
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.

Spider web, moldy bread, mucky mud, too.
Stir them in my witches' brew.
I got magic! Alakazamakazoo

Ooo - My witches' brew - ooo
What's it gonna do to you?
BOO!

Floor wax, thumb tacks, purple paint, too.
Stir them in my witches' brew.
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.

Finger nails, lunch pails, apple cores, too.
Stir them in my witches' brew.
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.

Ooo - My witches' brew - ooo
What's it gonna do to you?
BOO!

Wrinkled prunes, mushrooms, motor oil, too.
Stir them in my witches' brew.
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.
I got magic, Alakazamakazoo.

"Witches' Brew" video from the DVD Read & Sing with Hap Palmer.
Music and Lyrics © Hap Palmer
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/halloween/witches_brew.html ]
Witch Brew Image @ littleclove.com

Halloween Headphones

Quick post today....as I must head out and do a little Hallowe'en Recon at my local stores. It's still a bit early, but August is usually when stuff starts appearing in HomeGoods, Old Time Pottery and places such as those.
Thought you might appreciate the wickedly cool detail in my new Hallowe'en Headphones! Aren't they fantastic?! Yeah okay, so they aren't 'really' mine....but I wish they were, so that counts right?!

Just look at the detail on these thrilling 'Thriller Headphones".....the little tombstones, the fence, the owl in the tree! Yes, these are a true work of art by the crazy talented Johnny Lighthands! Dude has some mad skills. And these beauties really should be put into mass production! Makes me want to put them on right now and crank up the 'Monster Mash' or 'Bad Moon Rising'!
(Photos © Johnny Lighthands)

Halloween Emerges Quietly at Target & Other News

So it is finally September....Hooray! I had wanted to do a "First Day of September" post...but alas I am late as always. September 1st signifies that we are just one calendar month away from the glorious month of October...woo hoo! And in Florida it means that the stores can officially start putting out their Halloween wares. True enough....some renegade stores have had theirs out for awhile now....and oh how I love them for it too. But many are hold-outs until September when it is officially safe, and a less likely target of the scorn and ridicule of the 'Unbelievers'! You know the ones....."those who don't believe in the Great Pumpkin"!! Tsk Tsk! Now I'm not sure how it goes down, in other parts of the nation, but in Florida.....it seems that Target is always the last holdout.
BUT....I went in there this week and actually found small signs of Halloween emerging. They had the Halloween T-shirts out, which is usually the first thing to arrive in our stores. And there were a few Halloween items in the Dollar Bins up front, but not many. But surprisingly, they also had a Halloween Music section, complete with an audio box to listen to all the spooky selections. The Fall candles were out and smelling good, as well as children's Halloween books. There were NO signs of the 'School Supply Section' being converted over to Halloween yet however. Oh Target....why do you taunt me so? This excursion to Target was exciting to me though because....well because I am easily excited I suppose. But it was almost like Easter egg hunting in a way. As these little sections of Halloween were hidden amongst the regular merchandise with no real signage or fanfare to mark their presence. And I just happened to stumble upon them as I made my way around the store. That's always fun. In juxtaposition to Target of course...is the Spirit Halloween Store that officially opened it's doors. Ours is decorated really spooky and has all kinds of props and costumes. It's 100% 'in your face' Halloween there....no searching necessary! As the 500 neon orange signs they have out front does a more than adequate job of alerting you to their presence!

And Home Goods, which was previously not impressing me much so far this season....just upped their game! I went in, because it is my weekly Autumn routine to go in and see if anything new and spectacular has arrived. And much to my delight, the Halloween section had grown exponentially, AND it was swarming with people. This did cause me a moment of slight panic as I thought of them encroaching on my holiday. For I'm usually the only one haunting those aisles this early in the season. Where did all those folks come from? HomeGoods had a lot of new items that were not there just a few days ago. So now I proclaim my love affair with Home Goods to be officially rekindled. Oh how I love thee HG! Oh....and, JoAnne's had begun getting their Halloween merchandise out as well, and I scored my first sighting and purchase of Martha's Halloween line! I liked it....but then I always do. There was a 'Witchy' line of stickers and decals that I especially liked. But it was all good in my book!As for us....well, we are enjoying our Labor Day weekend by decorating the inside of the house for Halloween of course. And we've managed to watch "The Good Witch", "The Halloween Tree" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" to kick off the season. Hope everyone else is getting out. or staying in and kicking off the Halloween season as well!

Macabre Music Box

I am totally digging on this limited edition Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box that was made in celebration of the dynamic duo’s 25th anniversary of working together. This collector's chest includes Burton’s artwork, a DVD and 16 CDs featuring 19 hours of music, including 13 of Danny Elfman's original scores that have musically haunted many of Burton's best films. This is a collector edition, custom designed, working Zoetrope music box featuring Burton's macabre art. Among many other included goodies, it comes with a Skeleton Key USB flash drive. Now there were some Limited Numbered Collector Editions, but those are already sold out. And the box is now in it's final pressing, so after those are gone, there will be no more sold. This is a lovely piece of art, but it doesn't come cheap at $499.00. But then again, this is no 'small' music box. No sir...for as Burton (almost too eerily happy) denotes...."this box is big enough to fit a HUMAN HEAD!" Really? Wow...great information to have, and yet I'm left to wonder WHY??
Anyway...you can hear a sample of the haunting music, and purchase yours here at The Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box website. And you can view a video below of the pair 'unboxing' this marvelous monstrosity....if you dare!
(All images © Tim Burton / Danny Elfman) www.burtonelfman.com

I've Got a Skeleton in My Closet!

It's Halloween month and when it's Halloween month, I switch all the music in my CD player over to Halloween themed music. I have a huge Halloween Music Collection with all styles of music being represented. One of my favorite genres of Halloween music however, is 'vintage' Halloween music by big band greats like Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. Nothing puts me in more of a Halloween mood than Kay Starr singing "Swinging at the Séance" or Louis Armstrong singing "Skeleton in the Closet". (Note that I managed to say 'Halloween 6 times in just 4 sentences....ha!)

As most of you can see from my sidebar, I have a link to a Halloween CD also called "Swingin' at the Séance". This CD is a compilation of remakes of those fab old vintage Halloween tunes, and the swanky band is the mondo talented Moon-Rays. Now I know that I've blogged on them before, and I've also gifted their CD's in several Give Aways. You can see the video for "Swingin' at the Séance" here on the Give Away blog post I did last year. My connection to the CD is that I'm the artist who had the big fun of doing all the artwork for the 12 page CD Cover/Booklet. I get no kick backs from pushing their CD at all mind you....I just think it's a fabulous CD that everyone should have in their Halloween Collection.

So the band just recently released a new video from "Swinging" for the remake of the Louis Armstrong tune "Skeleton in the Closet". They actually styled the video to mimic the styling that was used when Louis himself sang the song. It incorporates the use of Halloween shadows and imagery for some ghostly fun!

* * But shhhh......I have a special little secret to share with you all about this song. As a musical 'thank you' and nod to me for doing the artwork, the band threw a special lil' surprise onto the CD for me while recording it, which was very cool indeed. In this song, there is a verse that says, "All the witches, were in stitches, as their steps made rhythmic thumps, and they nearly dropped their broomsticks, when they tried to do the bumps." So their surprise was that they changed this verse for ME! The revised verse says, "All the witches, were in stitches, as their steps made rhythmic thumps, then WENDY dropped her broomstick, when it tried to do the bump!!!"
(It's at 1:21 in the video.)

Ha Ha....ain't that just the niftiest lil' 'shout out' ever?! I was so surprised and so honored to be immortalized in a recording! That will be my one and only claim to fame in this life...ha! Of course my kids love to hear that part of the song almost as much as I do! So I thought I'd share my secret here with the rest of you Halloween Heads, along with The Moon-Rays new video for "Skeleton in the Closet", from their Halloween CD, "Swingin' at the Séance."
(You'll want to turn my music player off so you can hear the song.)

Also, at the top of this post is a poster that the band had me do for them so they could send it out with the CD's. I used those old 'Spook Show' posters of yesteryear as my inspiration. When you could spend an evening at a good ole' fashioned Séance and Midnight Jamboree for entertainment! And you were usually guaranteed to see a specter or two. It's a shame they don't hold these anymore....I'd be the first in line! :o)
Artwork © 2008 Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

When the Skeleton in the Closet Rattled His Bones

Hey, hey, hey....just a few more days until October...woo hoo! So I thought I'd share this lil' video clip to get your bones moving.

Do you have any Skeletons in your closet? Arguably some have way more than others. But what do you think happens when you let those Skeletons out of the the closet? They 'bust a move'....that's what they do. Watch this video as this lil' BoneJangler shakes, rattles and rolls his bones through a blues laden Danse Macabre in front of a street corner audience.

If this doesn't make you smile, then there is no hope for you! Beyond the coolness of watching this little Skeleton shaking his groove thing, is the fact that the puppet master here is extremely talented and deserving of much kudos! Be sure to watch the whole clip to fully experience the humor and art of this Deadly Duo's Dance show. :o)

Got a Case of the Spooky-Ooky Blues

So it is a gloomy day here today...it's been raining since I woke up. I like those kind of days, they make me feel tired and lazy, but also peaceful and contemplative. The overcast skies make me think its Autumn outside, even though I know it isn't so. And since the tired and lazy part has kicked in full throttle, I am not going to attempt to write anything too meaningful today, because I've developed a case of the "Spooky-ooky Blues". Yikes...is that contagious you're asking?! Nah...that's just one of the great song titles on the sheet music below.

I just had to share the Vintage-Fab Halloween Art from some old sheet music I found. I stumbled upon these public domain images on the Thirteen for Halloween website. A big thanks to M Ryan Taylor for all the terrific Halloween things he posts there for others to enjoy.

I also included an old Edison Phonograph Halloween Advertisement. They even spelled Hallowe'en the old fashioned way. This vintage ad is just so fantastic....as a Halloween Head and Advertising/PR major in college, you must know how much I dig this kind of ephemera. Not to mention how incredible it is that you could purchase Edison Phonographs for a mere $10-$100 dollars. What I wouldn't give to have one of these today. Enjoy...and consider spinning some terrifyingly terrific tunes on your turn table this fine Tuesday! :o)

105 Followers and the "Dark Arts Give Away"

Well, as usual I am ALWAYS late for EVERYTHING! And it pains me that I did not seize the moment when it came a few weeks ago. But none the less, it is official...I have reached 100 104 105 fiendish followers on 'The Hallowe'en Tree' blog. Woo Hoo! And in my witchy lil' world, that is as good of an excuse as any to have a drink celebrate! So I am celebrating with a GIVE AWAY! And this give away is titled..."Celebrating the Dark Arts"! So what you ask...is the meaning of a "Dark Arts" Give Away? Well step right up and I'll elucidate....

As most of you know, I am an artist/photographer....and a lover of the 'Dark Arts'! Not like VooDoo and Santeria (although they are scarily fascinating too), but rather the 'Creative Arts' with a 'Dark Side'! So this give away will have a little 'something something' from the Visual Arts, the Cinematic Arts, the Literary Arts and the Musical Arts. And that means that there will be 4 different winners, 1 from each category.

First up is the 'Visual Arts'....that is where MY particular art form comes in, and where you will have to do your only bit of work to throw your name into the Witch's hat for this Give Away. I am contributing an 8x10 Hallowe'en Art print of the winner's choice from my new Etsy shop. So to throw your name in the running, just follow the link to my store "The Artful Gypsy's Bohemian Marketplace", take a look at the 8x10 Halloween Art offerings, and then come back here to post which one you like best and would like to have if you are the winner. This will provide me with some valuable feed back, as well as allowing me to know which print to send you if it is your spooky lil' name that gets drawn. Next we have the 'Cinematic Arts'. Well okay....'Arts' might be stretching it a bit considering these are B-movies, but 'dark' cinematic arts they will be deemed regardless, for the purpose of this Give Away. Yes, I have a fiendish 2 Feature Film of old, and although the films themselves are old, the DVD itself is new and unwrapped. The first ominous offering on this Double Feature disk, is the 1967 B-movie, "Night Fright" with John Agar. And the second sinister showing, is 1977's "Sisters of Death" starring former Playboy playmate Claudia Jennings who died in a car accident the following year.
The third item up for grabs is a book from the 'Literary Arts'. This book is called "Emily's Good Nightmares" by Rob Reger. Now tis' true that this may not be a 'literary' masterpiece like a Poe novel, but the spooky artwork and quirky text are superb for any lover of Goth culture. It's really more of an 'art book' per se....but it's still a book, and thereby qualifies to be in the Literary category for this 'Dark Arts' Give Away.And lastly, I offer up the 'Musical Arts'. And for this I am giving away another creeptastic copy of The Moon-Ray's Vintage Halloween music CD, "Swingin' at the Seance". It's a fantastic audio compilation of re-recorded Big Band Classic Halloween tunes sung by the greats like Glenn Miller and Louis Armstrong. I can personally attest to it being one of my personal Halloween favs and it's not just because I had the honor of doing all the artwork for this CD either. It's a really great addition to your Hallowe'en Music Collection, I promise. And so I am happy to be able to share it with other Halloween music fans. So there you have it....The 'Dark Arts' Give Away with offerings from Visual, Cinema, Literary and Musical artists who all share a 'Dark' love of Halloween. And since there are 4 'Dark Arts' being honored, then there shall be 4 different winners chosen for this Give Away...one for each category. Unless of course only 1 brave soul dares to enter...then he/she will get the whole enchilada. And caution... my brand of magic is always random, so you won't get to choose, or even know which of the 4 'Dark Art' gifts you have won until you have the package in your slimy lil' hands. So please enjoy whatever 'Dark' gift the fickle finger of fate decides to hand you!

You'll have a week or so (give or take a few days for the July 4th holiday) to complete the above task, and get your name thrown into the Witch's hat. You only need to post one entry to be considered. But you are welcome to try bettering your odds by cajoling your friends and family to enter the Give Away and then pass the spoils along to you if they win....ha! On Sunday July 11, I will post the name of the lucky winner(s) and those said winner(s) will need to email me with a correct mailing address in order to receive your items.

Thank you to each of the 100 105 Halloween Heads that make this blog possible, and for following along with me and allowing me to follow along with you in the Halloween Blog-o-Sphere. You all are truly the peeps who feed my love for Halloween all year long and I'm honored and grateful to share this sinister space with you all! Best of Luck! ~ Wendy :o)

The Coffin Crew

If you're looking to rock your Haunted House Party this coming fall....look no further than "The Coffin Crew"! The crew consists of 6 blokes decked out as Victorian Undertakers, who carry around a portable Coffin Cased 1000 watt Sound System to festivals and events. By day they dress as Pall Bearers and at night they transform to Donnie Darko Rabbits. Their tricked out, amped up coffin plays tunes ranging from doom to techno! These ghoulish guys have haunted big name alternative events such as Glastonbury, Burning Man and Secret Garden party, among others, but they are also available for weddings, parties and other such events. For booking contact sam.woolf@gmail.com.

And the Winner Is.....

Well today was the big day to choose the winner of my first Hallowe'en Give-Away! As most of you know, I am currently on vacation in New England. I was actually supposed to be home by now, but our trip was postponed by a few days because of my daughter getting ill a half hour before our plane was to leave. Her Tamiflu kicked in and we did make it out a few days later. But today was our last day here and we spent the day driving around small villages in Vermont, checking out the campus of Dartmouth College and taking lots of photos. We got home late, and will be catching our flight home tomorrow. So I got on the computer later than I had planned tonight. Sorry about that.

But, as promised, my extremely scientific selection method was put into place for the drawing this afternoon. My trusty Witch Hat was eagerly awaiting the little slips of paper with your names written on them for the selection....when an all out brawl ensued. Yes, at is now apparent, I have TWO children. Count them....1, 2! Therefore, it never dawned on me that a battle would be waged over which ONE of them got to draw the name out of the hat. There were all sorts of arguments presented as to why the duty should rest with each one and not the other. And I am not beyond bribes when drastic times call for drastic measures. However after much deliberation, the judge (aka ME) finally decided that the only fair way to handle the dilemma was to let each child have the opportunity to draw a name from the Witch's hat. So you know what that means? YES....it means that there will be not just 1....but 2 winners of the Moon-Rays fabulous Hallowe'en CD "Swingin' at the Seance"!


So now the winner(s) are.....drum roll please.....Erick from 'The Wonderful Wonder Blog' and ' Bridgett from 'Doug & Boo Plus 2'! A big thanks to everyone who participated. I will be doing more of these in the near future. I am so excited to send the winners this CD because it is really a great addition to your Hallowe'en play list. I hope you guys will love it as much as I do, and if you do....then please be sure to tell all your friends, and drop in on the Moon-Rays over at their MySpace page and tell them you were Wendy the (very) Good Witch's contest winners and let them know what you think of the CD! Sorry again about posting the results just a bit past the midnight hour. I'm late to everything! Oh...and email me with your mailing addresses at amdahlphotography@cfl.rr.com and I will get your package mailed out to you on Monday!

I'd also like to wish my dear friend Broom Hilda a Very Happy Birthday today! :o)

Halloween Music CD Give Away

Well...today is a special day. In honor of just getting my 60th follower, I am going to do a give away too. I haven't done one before, so bear with me. But I have something that I know will be a most spooktacular thing to win in a Hallowe'en Give Away and I've been dying to share, so this is the perfect excuse. I do not understand all the workings of having people go to other websites and post things, so this one will be very easy. You only have to leave a post on this blog entry letting me know you want to be entered...easy enough. And if you are the lucky spook who wins, I will need you to email me a mailing address. I will also ship out of the country, so no problems for my friends in Canada. You also do not need to leave multiple posts because one is plenty. I will put all the names in my Witch's Hat and let my kids draw it out. How is that for a scientific selection method? We will do the drawing and post the winner on Saturday, October 10th. That's 2 weeks.

Now for what you'll win.... You may or may not have noticed in my sidebar, an advertisement for a music CD titled "Swingin' at the Séance" by the marvelous Moon-Rays. First, let me tell you what a fabulous CD this is for any Hallowe'en lover. And if you're a fan of vintage Hallowe'en....even better, because the majority of these swingin' tunes are from the 20's and 30's big band era. Here is a better description for you. "This year the Moon-Rays have given you the ultimate Hallowe'en treat! They have gone back in the studio to really dust off the skeletons in the closet and record twelve tracks of the best Hallowe'en songs of the 1920's-1940's. Songs originally made famous by artists like Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Bing Crosby, Louis Jordan, Tommy Dorsey, and Glenn Miller. These songs, many of them never re-recorded before, take you back to a time when Hallowe'en parties were really swingin! To take on the recording, the Moon-Rays used the same instrumentation and arranging that were done on the originals, which meant recording with a full big band on several of the numbers. So if you think that Hallowe'en music started with the Monster Mash in the 60's you're in for a very pleasant shock, because these songs are the real deal, and they are SWINGIN baby!!!!!!"
So why have I chosen this to give away? Because first, I can personally attest to this being my absolute favorite Hallowe'en CD in my collection. And secondly, because yours truly was the artist/photographer who had the pleasure of doing all the art work for the CD. So you can only imagine what an exciting assignment it was to design a Hallowe'en CD....right up my witchy lil' alley! The band picked the theme they wanted to go with, in this case being the Séances so common to the Hallowe'en parties of old...and I worked closely with them to give the CD the visual excitement to match their stellar music. In the end, we couldn't have been more pleased with the final product. I played this at our annual Pumpkin Carving Party last year and it was a total hit. The Moon-Rays music is equally enjoyed by young and old alike. My kids love "The Headless Horseman" and "Skeletons in the Closet." The whole CD is swell, I give you my word!

So think about it, and if you want a Free Hallowe'en CD to liven up this year's bash, then throw your name in the hat! And this is not a requirement at all, but if after you get the CD in the mail and listen to it...if you dig it as much as I do, then please tell your friends about it and send them to the Moon-Rays MySpace page. They also have 3 other CD's of spooktacular Hallowe'en music as well. They are a top notch group of musicians and I like to support my fellow artists! Check out their video of "Swingin' at the Séance" below...oh so spooky!

Death Disco

Being a young child in the 70's...I just can't help but to love Disco music. I know that sends shivers down the spines of some, but Disco music just makes me feel horribly happy. And it makes me want to dance like no other music can. So how can a Good Witch like me, combine my love of Disco and Hallowe'en? With this sensational Skeleton Disco Ball....that's how! Get a load of this beauty! A mirrored Skull disco ball with flashing red eyes, guaranteed to have all the groovy ghouls and dancing demons busting a move on your dance floor!

But what does a 'not so wicked' Witch spin on the turntable of such a bash? How about the "Halloween Disco Party" album by DJ Spooky Tooth! It's certain to get all the skeletons rattling their bones! And don't stop your Hallowe'en music search there, because Maxximus Music has a Hallowe'en offering for every occasion, and with any style of music you can think of. From ragtime and jazz, to classical, Irish and lullaby...they have it all. Heck, they even have a Halloween album for 'Rednecks'! So gear up today and get your ghastly groove on this Hallowe'en!

Music For Séances

Now this is cool! Music for Séances! I ran across this site while doing some research for a CD project I was working on and I became fascinated with these little Ouija Board CD's. The art was produced for the Art-O-Mat project which if you haven't heard of it yet...you really should check it out. It was basically an artist's vision to refurbish old cigarette vending machines thereby saving them from the scrap metal graveyard. Then the newly renovated machines are installed in different cities and vend out little boxes of art that are the size of a pack of cigarettes. Such a fabulously clever and creative endeavor. Read more about them.
http://www.artomat.org/

So one of the companies who was going to contribute their miniaturized art in a box for these machines decided to make Ouija Board shaped CD's. And thus The Mystifying Oracle's Music For Séances was born. Here is the summary from their site. "Music for Séances (a nod to Brian Eno) is a series of ambient music releases by different artists which are meant to envoke feelings of mystery, discovery, and ceremony. Each package is decorated to look like a vintage Ouija-style Talking Board. Some are gothic and dark, others are light-hearted and silly. The project, along with the music selected, is meant to encompass all aspects of the diverse nature of the boards, and can be taken as "seriously" or not as the artist and listener desire."

What a 'spirited' idea is that folks? There is a LOT of creativity packed into one of these little jewels (art, music, game, divination device). And they can be purchased for as little as 5-7$. And you can see the artwork front and back and sample the songs on their site. You just can't beat that, and the artwork is 'DIVINE'....get it? DIVINE...divination? Yeah okay...
http://austere.org/oracle/seances.shtml#oracle

Swingin' At The Séance

If you're anything like me, you are already busy making up your Halloween Playlist. No Hip and Happening Halloween Shindig would be complete without some Ghoulishly Groovy tunes bellowing out of the Hi-Fi! Well this year...your party can really 'Swing' if you can lay your cold sweaty palms on the new CD out now by those Halloween Hipsters...The Moon-Rays! Their latest offering is called "Swingin' At The Séance" and it is SPOOKTACULAR! They have brilliantly re-recorded old Jazz Swing tunes from the 20's, 30's & 40's that were previously recorded by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw to name a few. Plus they throw in a few originals as well. This album, along with their other previously released albums, are all available on Amazon and CD Baby, or you can buy directly from their website http://www.moon-rays.com. With full big band instrumentals and powerful vocals...this is the Halloween album you've been looking for. True Vintage Halloween Music at it's best. And with titles like "The Headless Horseman" and "Skeleton In The Closet"...you know this one is going to be a favorite for years to come! So let your own Skeletons out of the closet and start Swingin' at the Seance today!