Halloween has always meant a lot to me. It was my favorite holiday as a child. My wife was born on it. I proposed close to it (in Salem, MA), and we were married on it. If by some strange chance there’s something akin to Heaven and I’m allowed in, it will consist of crunchy leaves, [...]]]> When September falls dead at the feet of October, the land exhales – a cool breeze and a sigh of relief. The interminable summer is failing at last, giving way to the greatest time of the year: 31 days of build-up to Halloween night.

Halloween has always meant a lot to me. It was my favorite holiday as a child. My wife was born on it. I proposed close to it (in Salem, MA), and we were married on it. If by some strange chance there’s something akin to Heaven and I’m allowed in, it will consist of crunchy leaves, cool air and purple lights year round. Every night will be a rock show, and Zombina and the Skeletones will be one of the main acts.

Hailing from Liverpool, Zombina and the Skeletones manage the seemingly-impossible: A band with a theme and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, that manages to produce songs worth listening to on their own merit. With a retro sound that pulls on rockabilly, surf and garage punk, they dredge up B-movie pathos on tracks like “Nobody Likes You (When You’re Dead)” and “Staci Stasis.” The babydoll vocals of Zombina recall Jack Off Jill and Scarling vocalist Jessicka Addams, while bandmate and cofounder Doc Horror slides across styles effortlessly.

Recommended Tracks: “Nobody Likes You” seems to be the song that introduced every fan, including me. “Spring Heeled Jack” is a personal favorite.

Recommended Album: I think Monsters on 45 is an excellent intro to the band. A few fan favorites are polished up alongside new material.