The Loneliest Ghost in Town

If I ran a game store I would play the song The Loneliest Ghost in Town by Southern Culture on the Skids.

We don't all get to choose where we'll be when our life ends. The thing is if you move on to the spirit realm then it's not so much of a matter for you, but if your soul is trapped wandering across the mortal realm, well, then you hope to be someplace nice. There are tales of some pretty boring haunted places, like canyon passes and ghost ships. If you're the living and you get spooked by an out of the way ghost you scream and run away, but if you're the ghost in this scenario then you're in for an afterlife of boredom. The Loneliest Ghost in Town is a foot-stomping, rockabilly song with a title that sums up its subject matter quite well.

The Loneliest Ghost in Town was released on the 2013 album, Mondo Zombie Boogaloo. MZB is a Halloween-themed album, with songs by Southern Culture on the Skids, The Fleshtones, and Los Straitjackets. It released in in October 2013 to accompany the three bands on a joint tour. In my opinion, there are two other standout tracks on the album: It's Monster Surfing Time and Que Monstruos Son, both by Los Straitjackets. It's Monster Surfing Time is a surf music song with a playful, ominous vibe to it. Que Monstruos Son is a Spanish-language version of The Monster Mash and it features members from The Fleshtones and Southern Culture on the Skids. If I ran a game store I would also play the song It's Monster Surfing Time. for the general vibe it brings.

The Loneliest Ghost in Town on Google Play

Re: Your Brains

If I ran a game store I would play the song Re: Your Brains by Jonathan Coulton.

You don't know where you'll be when the zombie apocalypse occurs. There's every reason to believe that some of us will already be in zombie stupors at our day jobs, crossing over without noticing - except for the changes in appetite. Jonathon Coulton draws on that mindset with Re: Your Brains. It's an original rock tune played from the perspective of a zombified office guy (Bob) trying to convince his coworker (Tom), who has barricaded himself in a shopping mall, to open the door allow the zombies to feast upon his brain. Worst case of the Mondays ever.

Jonathon Coulton is a major talent in geek music, having developed a huge web following and touring as the opening act for They Might Be Giants. Re: Your Brains is likely his best known tune. It's easily one of his most played tunes at live shows. The song is attached to numerous YouTube videos with millions of views and it's been covered by other bands and covered in other languages. Basically, Re: Your Brains is a song that any geek worth their salt will recognize and it deserves to be played in game stores – it's a no brainer.

Re: Your Brains was released on Jonathan Coulton's 2006 album, Thing a Week Two.

Re: Your Brains on Jonathon Coulton's store

I'll Eat Yer Brain

If I ran a game store I would play the song I'll Eat Yer Brain by Bill Mills.

Bill Mills, showing that his finger is on the pulse of pop culture, released a zombie song that's a parody of a nearly 100-year-old song at the height of the zombie craze in 2011. A move like that takes guts. This song has guts, the kind of guts that ooze through the abdomen and onto the floor. I'll Eat Yer Brain is a filk song based upon the early 20th century folk standard "Little Liza Jane". Mr. Mills's version is told from the perspective of a zombie singing to its prey. It's a twangy song that is very near bluegrass in style. He keeps the lyrics of the verses quiet (not sure if that's on purpose or not) and brings it up for the chorus, with the effect being that it's easy to overlook this being a zombie song at first. It's not until you find yourself singing along, "Oooh, I'll eat yer, I'll eat yer brain," that you really get a taste for I'll Eat Yer Brain.

I'll Eat Yer Brain was released on the FuMP in 2011.

I'll Eat Yer Brain on the FuMP

Skeleton Cowboys

If I ran a game store I would play the song Skeleton Cowboys by Ghoultown.

Ghoultown sounds like they were inspired by the Deadlands RPG. They play gothabilly, which in this case sounds like a dark western played rockabilly style. Skeleton Cowboys has a very distinct "old west" feel to it both musically and lyrically, backed by an up tempo rhythm. The song is about a group of skeletal cowboys who ride into town with flaming eyes and blazing guns, reaping souls as they pass. How do you stop them? You don't. They'll get you with their horses' hooves or lash you with their whips. When the skeleton cowboys come a-ridin' it's best to lay low, but when Skeleton Cowboys starts playing it's best to turn it up.

Skeleton Cowboys was originally released as the A-side track on a 7" vinyl album and was later released on Ghoultown's 2012 album, The Unforgotten: Rare & Un-Released. X Marks the Beat will be visiting other songs from this album and this band in the future.

Skeleton Cowboys on Google Play