SEASON 4 PREMIERE! A Very Deadly Halloween: Discussing Songs about Murder From Artists Like The Killers, Bob Dylan, Sufjan Stevens, and More

The gang is back, just in time for Halloween, with a ghoulish new episode: Songs about Murder! From the traditional folk ballads of the old country, to the more well-known Americana takes, from the chilling tales of real murderers to the strangely entertaining hits like “Delilah” and “El Paso,” Adrienne and Katarina take you through the spine-tingling history of the Murder Ballad. Be warned: you might not make it out alive.


SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Check out our new musical endeavor, Fearsome Critters! Give us a follow on Twitter and listen to our brand new EP, An Exercise in Restraint, available now on Bandcamp! Just in time for Halloween!

 

Show Notes

31:10 - Mouths to Feed

34:00 - Slimy

39:20 - A Voice for the Voiceless

46:05 - Up & Comers: The Happy Alright

51:06 - A Very Special Announcement

57:30 - Outro (Thanks for Listening!)

0:38 - Intro (Back from the Dead)

3:36 - Death May Be Relatable...But This Ain’t It, Chief

5:30 - A History of Murder Ballads

19:38 - When A Ballad’s a Bop

22:30 - Love is a Many a-Curséd Thing


Songs Mentioned in this Episode

30:28 - “Lily of the West” by Joan Baez

30:52 - “Down in the Willow Gardens” by The Everly Brothers

31:30 - “The Ballad of Hollis Brown” by Bob Dylan

32:48 - “The Rake’s Song” by The Decemberists

33:34 - “The Dirt” by Mirel Wagner

33:41 - “Oak Tree” by Mirel Wagner

34:33 - “No Death” by Mirel Wagner

35:39 - “Son of Sam” by Elliot Smith

36:17 - “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” by Sufjan Stevens

37:20 - “Deep Red Bells by Neko Case

37:44 - “The Shankill Butchers” by The Decemberists

38:29 - “The Ballad of Charles Whitman” by Kinky Friedman

42:34 - “Big Iron” by Marty Robbins

44:00 - “Little Weapon” by Lupe Fiasco

10:55 - “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” by Nirvana

13:56 - “Psycho Killer” by The Talking Heads

14:01 - “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People

17:35 - “The Irish Ballad” by Tom Lehrer

20:20 - “Delilah” by Tom Jones

21:48 - “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin

22:17 - “El Paso” by Marty Robbins

24:13 - “Stone Cold Dead in the Market” by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan

25:03 - “Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair” by Bessie Smith

25:10 - “Pistol Packin’ Mama” by Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters

25:47 - “Testify” by Common

28:10 - “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” by The Killers

28:39 - “Midnight Show” by The Killers

29:42 - “In The Pines” by Mark Lanegan

 

LISTEN TO OUR FULL SONGS ABOUT MURDER PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY HERE!


Up & Comers

49:15 - “One Eyed Legend” by The Happy Alright

 

Follow The Happy Alright on Twitter and Facebook!


Special Shout Out to Half Access!

We want to give a special hat tip to non-profit organization, Half Access, for being the reason we found our Up and Comer of the week! Half Access is a super cool organization devoted to making live music more accessible to disabled music fans everywhere. Check out their website here and find out more about all the great work they are doing!


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