Now, I do not consider myself a "gamer", in the parlance of our times. However, I love zombies. A good zombie flick is a comfort I lavish myself with constantly. Raimi? Check. Fulci? Check. Romero? YES.
So it comes as small surprise then that when I heard about the release of Stubbs The Zombie video game on October 18th, I was amused. That is until I saw the accompanying soundtrack.
This has been on the buzz circuit for a long time coming, but frankly, I've been doing other things than keeping up with the buzz (read: NYU's foot kicking my ass). So when I got an email from Phantom Planet about one of their new songs being added to the soundtrack for Stubbs The Zombie, everything came together. And not only is that song pretty damn good, but the rest of the soundtrack is a music-lover's wet dream.
Each song is a 1950s-era doo-wop number, and some of the best "indie" bands go at them with gusto. Personal faves include Ben Kweller's faithful rendition of "Lollipop", The Walkmen's heartbreaking and distantly symphonic "There Goes My Baby", Oranger's clever update of "Mr. Sandman", and Cake's soundtrack-stealing and wonderfully...shall we say post-Sinatra version of "Strangers In The Night". It's already out and about amongst your record stores, so go, partake and be merry. And if anyone in the near vicinity has an X-Box, do have a Stubbs The Zombie party and invite me.
Stubbs The Zombie Soundtrack Player
As for tonight, unless you've got one of the coveted tickets to the Bowery RAPTURE show, your best bets are to either head down to the Mercury Lounge to see two great bands (ONEIDA and AWESOME COLOR) or to Scenic for some FRESH KILLS and KID CASANOVA loving.
Oneida and Awesome Color are playing with Big Bear (not this “Big Bear” but this Big Bear) and The Coke Dares (both of whom don’t sound too promising). AC go on at 8:30, and then Oneida at 11. In the meantime, perhaps Katz's?
Oneida: Run Through Her Hair
Oneida: Did I Die
Awesome Color: MySpace Page (Digging their groovy and unconventional style).
The Coke Dares: Rocking All The Time
Fresh Kills: MySpace Page with a brand new song
Kid Casanova: Like We Did Last Year
And some Rapture links for good measure:
Sister Saviour Live
Love Is All Video
Rock Photos:
One for my zombie fetish, and another for my golden boy rocker one.
Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) attempts to hide from a zombie (Noble Johnson) in a scene from the 1940 comedic horror film "The Ghost Breakers", which also stars Bob Hope. (And for those who attend NYU, this fair damsel in distress is your mentor and dignified trustee). Courtesy of © John Springer Collection/CORBIS.
Roger Daltrey, doing his best Adonis impression. Taken by Neal Preston in LA circa 1975 for CORBIS.
There's nothing wrong/That wasn't wrong before-S.