trick or treat
Up there with the U2 iPod is Live Aid. I’m sure they mean well, but nothing says “weird sense of ethics” like a group of supremely wealthy folks who probably have armed guards and/or live in gated communities trying to help the extremely poor by singing in harmony to a backdrop of music so engineered that it sounds like the Frankenstein of pop. “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” indeed.
Well, Vice Records is putting out a parody from North American Hallowe’en Prevention, Inc. (NAHPI) called “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?” And, before everyone gets their panties in a twist about making fun of a celebrity-fueled charity effort, be it known that “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?” is itself a celebrity-fueled charity effort, featuring the likes of Beck, Sum 41, David Cross, Roky Erickson and Elvira and benefiting UNICEF.
Live Aid is patronizing and irritating. A parody of Live Aid could conceivably be the latter, but you can listen here and see this is certainly not the case. Also, it is a truth universally acknowledged that Halloween is a superior holiday. “Do They Know It’s Hallowe’en?” is just designed to be awesome.
The record goes on sale on October 4. Get your Visa cards running.