Noots Letter: 👻GhOsT StOriEs👻
October 2021
? ? ?
BABY IT’S HALLOWEEEEEN WE CAN BE ANYTHIIING OH COME ON MAN
Good evening, creatures, it is I, the person who fears death every time she turns off the light, yet still watches horror movies in the mid-afternoon alone just to feel something, a phenomenon I’ll promptly be unpacking in therapy on Monday morning. But whether you’re a Corpse Bride baddie or preferential toward Christian Girl Autumn, we can all agree that this weekend is about spookies (NOT sweeties). To celebrate, here are a select few haunting tales of music history:
The Undead: Music history is rife with conspiracies of people who are dead. Well, people who are alive but actually dead. As well as people who are dead but actually alive! People love to say Paul McCartney actually died in a car accident on January 7th, 1967. And Elvis Presley didn’t die in 1977—he was featured in the background of an airport scene in the film Home Alone. JonBenét Ramsey’s murder remains unsolved because she is now known as pop superstar Katy Perry. Most importantly, “Avril Lavigne” has been dropping hints for YEARS that she is now being played by a body double named Melissa (apparently “Lavigne wears trousers, whereas Melissa prefers dresses and skirts”)!! I got 100% of this research from Wikipedia, so you can rest easy knowing it’s obviously not true. Unless… 👀
Covertly Creepy: Sure, we all know “Thriller” is a horror-pop song. But as someone whose ears often prioritize musical aspects of songs over lyrics, I continually have the wind knocked out of me every time I visit a Genius page. “Every Breath You Take”? Who hyped Sting up on this one?? “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People was the biggest songs of 2010, and it’s written from the perspective of a school shooter. Don’t even get me started on my distaste for modern Maroon 5, further cemented by their hit “Animal”, in which Adam Levine croons, “Baby I'm preying on you tonight / Hunt you down eat you alive / Just like animals.” To me, this is not hot! Most notably, Alt-J has gotten away with a lot thanks to guitar fuzz, distortion, and mumbly Irish voices. But don’t be fooled—these boys may as well be writing the soundtrack to my nightmares. Breakout hit “Breezeblocks” is about domestic abuse. “Fitzpleasure” is about a graphic sexual assault that I wish I could un-research. Recent favorite “In Cold Blood” (ok they’re not hiding anything with this Truman Capote-based title) is essentially about a dead body in a swimming pool. And yet, why is it that every time I hear this I’m like Yas Boyz, Turn It Up!!
Paranormal Activity: Radiohead’s OK Computer is considered one of the top albums of the past 25 years. But did you know that we have GHOSTS to thank for this? The band recorded much of this record at 16th century monastery St. Catherine’s Court in Bath. After their stay, Thom Yorke remarked, “Ghosts would talk to me while I was asleep.” Hm, kind of ironic that a ghost wrote “No Surprises”. Continuing on the Ghost Train, famous musicians apparently love to reappear as spirits. Amy Winehouse’s ghost has been spotted at her family home, according to her dad. Mamma Cass haunts her former LA mansion, according to Dan Aykroyd. Hank Williams’ ghost lingers around the Grand Ole Opry. Ke$ha claims to have slept with a ghost. Was it Hank Williams? Hope so.
Murder?!: We may not know who murdered Tupac, or if he’s still alive living in Cuba (see #1), but we do know there’s a major popstar murderess in our midst: LADY GAGA. Well, kind of. A favorite conspiracy theory in my circle has to do with the mysterious death of one Lina Morgana. Early on in Gaga’s career, she was a backup vocalist and co-writer with Morgana, whose style eerily resembled that of (what we now know to be) Gaga’s distinct look and sound. When Morgana tragically fell to her death in 2008, fans began to wonder if Gaga was behind the accident, snatching Morgana’s image, persona, and, ultimately, fame.
Spooky Sounds: Because I’m sadly not a #WomanInSTEM, I won’t get into the science of why minor keys—tritones, specifically—make for the scariest melodies. But this article about the Devil’s Interval serves as a great answer to the question, “Why are horror movies so much easier to watch without sound?”
Hopefully by now you’re now feeling eternally spooked. Know that none even come close to my greatest fear: living out the rest of my days with “Monster Mash” as the singular nationally-recognized Halloween song.
… … …
Ghost Stories, October ‘21: Nominations to replace “Monster Mash”.
Meg Ryan Autumn: If wistful thinking was a major motion picture.
the millennium can have a beer now: Only sweeties, no spookies.
! ! !
Ritt Momney, Sunny Boy - Ritt Momney was my top artist of 2019 because I was obsessed with this one song about religious disconnection. Since then, he’s absolutely demolished the internet with a cover of all-time favorite “Put Your Records On”. His production abilities and songwriting, even as a solo teen, have consistently blown me away. Reply to this email if you want to come see him with me next year at Elsewhere :)
Helado Negro, Far In - Helado Negro’s decade+ of work speaks for itself. Giving a smidge of psychedelia à la Devendra Banhart, minimalist guitar à la Bedouine/Hand Habits, rainy day forest feels à la Florist, and grand ambiance à la Moses Sumney. Extremely autumnal vibes, thank you Roberto.
Lala Lala, I Want The Door To Open - I first want to note that Lala Lala’s current most popular track is called “€€€€^^%%!!!!!heaven!!!!!!” and if that doesn’t make you want to dig inside this artist’s brain, I don’t know what would. Highly recommend listening to “Utopia Planet” while staring deeply into a body of water. Talk about otherworldly.
wishing ye all a very merry pumpkin, i hope u look cute in your lil outfits and get the biggest chocolate bars on the block<3