Snobbin: Beautiful Trash in the Pop Culture Gutter

Jeffrey Lee Pierce was a blues man at heart, gifted with all the talent and power of a young Howlin' Wolf. His music borrowed heavily from the delta blues and other American roots music, but he took inspiration from these forms and created something new. Once president of the Blondie fan club, Pierce was a student of many musical disciplines, from reggae to progressive rock, but his commitment to the blues helped Gun Club, the band he formed in the late 1970's and continued with until his untimely death in 1996 at the age of 37, with varying lineups, become a powerhouse that ultimately released a few seminal records. Early Gun Club was a primal rush, often resembling Nick Cave's more manic output or slower Cramps sides, but its influences ran deeper than either. Pierce was a student of the blues form that followed his own muse and created records that are still far different than most of what is out there. Fire of Love draws primarily from blues with a heaping dose of ...

Not all of these are season specific. Some just allude to the creepiness that surrounds the holiday. I tried to stay away from Misfits songs and the other obvious choices, but Danzig creeps in with Samhain, and I could not resist giving credit to some of the other obvious suspects. I attempted to choose songs that were lesser known by some acts, but those like Eddie Noack's "Psycho" and Screaming Lord Sutch's "Murder in the Graveyard" are iconic. The mix is slightly schizophrenic; like the holiday it jumps in mood and sound. Old school country intermixes with rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, and pop punk. Horrific scenes intersperse with fun. It's a carnival ride with slight time for pause. 1. Screaming Lord Sutch -- "Murder in the Graveyard" -- One of my all time favorite tunes from the Lord. You really can't go wrong with any of the low budget collections that collect his "hits." A perfect basher for any and all Halloween pa...