A New Twist On Zombie Music

Dan Barkasi



Perspective can be everything. Especially considering a genre such as the one we cover here, an interesting viewpoint can be a difference maker in quality.

Enter Aaron Stoquert. This musician has made an EP titled “Run For Your Life,” which is five songs that tackle – you guessed it – zombies. However, the theme comes with a twist. All of the tracks tackle the idea of how a zombie may be feeling in certain situations, running a gamut of situations.

Lyrically, this is quite inspired work. It’s obvious that a great deal of time and care was put into putting these songs together. Here’s an excerpt of a lyrical passage from the song “Bunker Hill,” which is the opening song:

The wind won't blow and the fire is out
Arms of the dead have no comfort to give
Rock-a-bye baby--stay in one place
The world is coming to an end...

The music itself is deeply rooted in folk, and is very somber in it’s approach. Heavily dominated by acoustic guitars, and soothing – yet haunting – vocals, this EP is full of emotion that portrays a wide array of strong feelings. It’s very downtrodden, thought-provoking and masterfully crafted.

As I’m sure most of you have heard, a good deal of songs involving zombies can be quite silly in nature. Which isn’t a bad thing – a great deal of these songs are a blast to listen to. The fact that there is something like this that takes an introspective look into what a zombie may be experiencing, however, is a road that hasn’t been traveled until now.

Music that is full of thought and intriguing ideas is always welcome to this writer’s ears. “Run For Your Life” is a perfect example of that. Mr. Stoquert has done a brilliant job with this EP, which is a fantastic showcase of his talents. It’s well-written and performed, interesting, and has an approach that is beyond refreshing.

Be sure to check this out, as it’s easily worth the time. You can listen to all of the songs online – as well as download the EP for free – via this link (http://aaronstoquert.bandcamp.com/). There is the option to make a monetary donation of your choosing when completing your download, and I highly recommend you do so.

Zombie Love Song

Todd Jepperson

Here's an amusing video by Your Favorite Martian called "Zombie Love Song".

They Walk Among You

Jet Black Berries have a new video available for your viewing pleasure!  Many of you will recall hearing Jet Black Berries on the Return of the Living Dead movie soundtrack.

If you enjoy the video, email your name and address to jetblack@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win a copy of their latest CD, Ghosts.  We will select one winner at the end of March.

Zombie Bitches Kickin' Peoples Ass

Sometimes I'm wasting my time by writing... witness Dr. Smith:

Musical of the Living Dead

One of our readers and (obvious) zombie fan made a three minute zombie musical. the video is featured on YouTube and part of a contest. If this video receives enough "likes" to win, it will be turned into a full-length feature.

Let us wish Sam luck and help a fellow Zombies & Toys reader by following this link and clicking the "like" button.

Zombie Music Video

Zombies inspire yet again. This time we have a video by Reality Slap for their song "Breaking Out". The video is actually really good and so is the music so make sure to give it a watch. Thanks to Luis from Portugal for sending this in.

If you're looking for more zombie-inspired tunes, check out these previous posts:

* Jonathan Coulton: Your Brains
* ZOMBIE!
* Roky Erickson: I Walked With A Zombie

REALITY SLAP - Breaking Out from Realityslap on Vimeo.

I Walked With A Zombie

I've been meaning to post this one for a minute. Here's a great song from a bizarre musician, Roky Erickson. The song, "I Walked With A Zombie", is not only a great tune but also the perfect theme as we approach Halloween.

Enjoy!

Zombie-inpired Jokes and Music? Zombie!

One of the things I've been wanting to do but haven't gotten around to is post about other zombie sites. There isn't a better one to start off with than to talk about ZOMBIE!, a one-man horror rock band. Formed on Halloween of 2008, ZOMBIE! has sounds in the vain of the Misfits and topics from out of your favorite horror movies. Don't just take my word for it, head over to the ZOMBIE! MySpace page and listen for yourself.

The music is not availble for purchase, but you can show support by heading over to the Zombie Rocks site and picking up some merchandise. I'm a sucker for a cool logo; So, of course, I couldn't run off without picking up a shirt. Don't worry, if you like a little more action in your clothing you're still covered. There's some great shirt designs including imagary from the original Night of the Living Dead and a really cool old school-ish design for the ladies.

Read through to see some pics of my son modeling the shirts I bought. Eric Weiss, the creative force behind ZOMBIE!, was also kind enough to answer a few questions regarding his music.

Eric's zombie outlet doesn't just stop with the band. Follow him on Twitter where he is ZombieRiot. This is essential. ZombieRiot has been entertaining me for a few months now with tweets throughout the day. These aren't jokes you want to tell to your mommy as the content ranges from zombies to necrophelia. Are some of them crude and tasteless? Absolutely. Are they still funny? Absolutely. Here are a few of my favorites to give you an idea of what I'm talking about:

How do you make a little girl drink? ... Put her in a blender.
My girlfriend asked me to take out the trash ... So I killed my neighbors.
Why won't zombies attack a marathon?... To avoid the runs.
What's the difference between an onion and a corpse?...You don't cry when you chop up a corpse.
I got into a fight with my best friend because I had sex with his ex. I honestly thought he moved on by now. She's been dead for AT LEAST 3 years.
What did the zombie do after he dumped his girlfriend?...He wiped his ass.
A lot of people don't know this, but I have dozens of tattoos. They're in my freezer. I'll have enough to make a quilt very soon.
What's the worst part about having sex?... Paying off the mortician.
Why don't zombies eat vegetables?...They are confused by the wheelchair.

If you enjoyed those, click here and be entertained throughout the day!

Now, as promised, let's hear from Eric about ZOMBIE!

Here's an obvious one: How did ZOMBIE! get started?

I just really needed a creative outlet. I was having some anger issues and really dark thoughts that just demanded release. Horror has always been very therapeutic for me. Being able to scream out lines like “I’ll tear the flesh from your smashed face!” without receiving a restraining order is far more effective at relieving stress than any psychotherapy or prescription medication.

Was the name ZOMBIE! chosen due to your appreciation of everyone's favorite film creatures or is there another meaning behind it?

I just reached a point in my life where I literally felt like a zombie. I was working too hard and too long on things that were not stimulating or fulfilling. I became completely dead inside and constantly felt the urge to rampage through the streets hellbent on mutilation. I couldn’t imagine calling this project anything but ZOMBIE! Many of the songs reflect those feelings and use zombies as a metaphor for the true unfortunate aspects of daily life.

So we can assume you like zombie films. What else do you watch?I really enjoy ghost stories, slashers, and anything ghoulish or creepy that’s supposedly “based on true events.”
At one point in my life I lived directly next door to serial killer Robert Shulman and at another point just a few blocks from The Amityville Horror house. True evil isn’t found in fiction, it’s lurking right next door. So anything that allows us to escape that reality for a while is good. After all, we only know about the ones who get caught.

So what is your favorite zombie film?

Return of the Living Dead. Zombies, punk rock, and lots of twisted humor.

Where do you find most of the inspiration for your songs?

The true darkness inside of people, horror fiction, and my own issues. It’s all in fun, as “horror” should be. But the feelings are real and the music is from the heart.
Basically, the songs allow me to shout out the things that I would love to say, but wouldn’t exactly go over to well at places such as airports, the DMV, or supermarkets.
The fact there’s people out there who want to scream along with me is just awesome. The ZOMBIE! myspace page has grown by almost 1000 people a week since it started. There’s already 2 fan clubs and even other bands have been covering the songs… while I don’t even have a CD out yet! So, hopefully ZOMBIE! is helping those people vent, have fun and ultimately feel a little better too.

Are there any bands you would like to eventually tour with?

The Spice Girls or Meatloaf. They sound delicious. I never want to play with the Bad Brains.

Evil Dead - The Musical?

I think this has been around for a minute but it's the first I've heard of it. Sam Raimi's Evil Dead has been turned into a musical. From Broadwayworld.com:

During spring break, five college students break into an abandoned cabin in the woods and unleash evil spirits. All hell breaks loose, and the fun soon ensues with zombies...and show tunes! Written by George Reinblatt, with music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris, and George Reinblatt, Evil Dead: The Musical delights with such tunes as "What the F*** Was That," "Bit Part Demon," "All the Men in My Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons," and the Rocky Horror Picture Show-inspired "Do the Necronomicon."

Blood features prominently in this show. Audience members sitting in the front three rows are guaranteed to get splattered with plenty of plasma. White t-shirts with the slogan "Splatter Zone Survivor" are available for purchase as keepsakes.

Evil Dead: The Musical comes to the Beck Center after an enormously successful 400-performance run in Toronto. "Maxim" calls it, "One musical you'll actually want to see." And The "New York Times" says it's "the next Rocky Horror Picture Show."

I'm not a fan of musicals but even I may give this one a shot!

Zombie Music and a Dedication

Well, I didn't plan on updating today but a submission from Jeff K. changed my mind. Jeff was kind enough to send us a link to a unique and catchy zombie song. It's also the first song I've posted here on Zombies & Toys. I saw the timing of this email as a sign to post it with a dedication to a musically-talented friend of mine,
Mark Esterle.

You see, Mark has been one of my best friends for over fifteen years and has always been more like a brother than a friend. I arrived home from work today to the horrible news that he passed away last night. While Mark will not be reanimating, he will forever live in the hearts of those fortunate enough to know him.