With every summer season comes inescapable summer jams — whether they’re blasting through your stereo on a road trip, at the beach, or over your headphones in an office job, music is a constant part of this time of the year. Some people bump whatever this year’s “song of the summer” is, others prefer classic tunes or pre-made playlists, but across the board, music is the common denominator that brings us together during the summer season. Cryptids are no exception to this rule.
Sure, their activities may be different, otherworldly, or downright spooky during the summer months, but even they still need jams to help them through it all. After all, what’s a flight through the dead of night, a showdown in the woods, or a goat hunt without some music to set the mood? With that being said, here are some hypothetical summer jams that could be on the playlist of your friendly neighborhood horror.
1. Hang On Me – St. Vincent (Mothman)
Okay, so it’s another Friday night in West Virginia. It’s the off-season (you prefer the cooler months of the year for terrorizing citizens), so you decide to invite a few other mysterious friends over for a night of fun. What’s the best way to get the party going? This slow-burn, glam-rock opening track from St. Vincent’s latest album is the answer. Nothing gets the party started like a little glam rock magic.
2. Wondering – Xiu Xiu (Mothman)
You want to keep things rolling, but you also want to make it clear you’re still the most goth and edgy of your friend group. Where do you go? Maybe the single from Xiu Xiu’s latest album could do the trick! Much more pop-centric than their previous faire, but still just as weird and dark.
Everything seems to be going well, but then you decide to open the music options to everyone else at the party. Things are about to take a turn, for better or worse.
3. Robert Frost – Mal Blum (Bigfoot)
Handing over the aux cord has lead to some interesting shake-ups in tonight’s listening order. Yes, you got things off to a solid start early on, but now Bigfoot is being Bigfoot and picked a very self aware track to start off. Mal Blum sings, “No, I shouldn’t have/Left my house in the first place/I guess/But I always go back to where I’m meant to be/I go back to where I’m meant to be,” and it’s like…we GET IT dude! You’re a recluse who loves the woods and can’t connect with people, but don’t bum us out. However, it doesn’t end there.
4. Fireworks – First Aid Kit (Bigfoot)
As First Aid Kit drifts over the party, things start to die down and you start to panic. Bigfoot’s taste in music has brought things to a head, and you can’t help but get a little depressed every time the chorus floats through: “Why do I do this to myself every time?/I know the way it ends before it’s even begun/I am the only one at the finish line.” Before it can all spiral into a pity party, you whisk away the aux cord to someone who has a better read on the room (and who shares your goth sensibilities too).
5. Blood Bitch – Cocteau Twins (Chupacabra)
When you met Chupacabra in the goth club last summer, you knew you’d be best friends. Obvious reasons aside, the two of you have pretty similar taste in music, and a soft spot for Cocteau Twins’ darker album, Garlands. “Blood Bitch” is not only a banger, it’s Chupacabra’s anthem, and it gets the party back into motion yet again.
6. Female Vampire – Jenny Hval (Chupacabra)
While Chupacabra isn’t technically a vampire, her sympathies are clear. When Jenny Hval rings out over the party, singing “Transient, restless/I’m not there, or not there yet,” her eyes well up a bit. You’re not sure if it’s the song alone, or the beer she’s been working on throughout the night, but it might be time to pass along the cord. The only guest willing to pick it up next isn’t who you hoped for though.
7. Horizon – Tycho (Flatwoods Monster)
The thing about the Flatwoods Monster is, is that no one really knows what they are. They look like a robot alien hybrid, and don’t talk much at parties, which makes things awkward at times, but damn do they know good electronic music. Maybe it’s their preference for silence or ambient noise that helps, but Tycho helps to keep the party chugging along. As the bubbly tunes fill the room, you can’t help but smile with relief.
8. Days That Got Away – MGMT (Flatwoods Monster)
The Flatwoods Monster is a cryptid of few words, so it makes sense that the one other song they decided to choose for the night has exactly four. The wavy, dreamy track from MGMT’s latest album is definitely helping things wind down a bit at the end of the night, allowing for an easy transition to a more chill period of the party. Guests are still talking and hanging out, but it’s only a matter of time. Yet, there’s one spooky buddy who hasn’t gotten their turn yet.
9. Folkin’ Around – Panic! At the Disco (Jackalope)
As the resident Texan, it’s always expected that Jackalope will go straight for the more folksy tunes during the night. It’s a taste that has annoyed you and Chupacabra, but has given Bigfoot another friend to talk to about music. Tonight, you let it slide and give the little critter the cord; things get a little upbeat, but it all feels like a warm wind down regardless.
10. Sleep on the Floor – The Lumineers (Jackalope)
Jackalope’s second pick, and the last song of the night, actually helps wrap things up nicely. While everyone here has distinct tastes in music, The Lumineers are one thing you can all agree on (even if its a little begrudgingly). As friends start gathering their things and heading out the door, the music wafts over it all, signalling another end to another summer night.
The last guest leaves, and you look at your listening history. You create a playlist and put them all there — for future reference. The funniest idea comes across your mind for an instant as the party comes to a close: maybe you and your friends aren’t so different from the humans who make this music, or the humans you encounter everyday.
So, the next time you’re in the woods, or walking around your city at night, and you hear music far off in the distance, it just might be a spooky someone jamming out.