Welcome to the Umpteen Thousandth Annual Apolcalypse! Brought to you by the Maya Long Count Calendar – and we all know that things carved in stone must be true. Never mind that people have based their idea that the end times are upon us on a cultural misunderstanding. Somehow, the fact that the Maya expected the world to continue after today never crosses their minds. Never mind that their doom scenarios are completely without foundation.

The small detail of end-of-world disaster scenarios being completely corny will not stop us from throwing end-times parties (because it’s Friday and damn it, we’ll take any excuse handy. Woo!). End-times parties need a soundtrack. I am here to provide. I also stand to lose ~90% of my readership if you all watch some of these videos sober, but I’m willing to take the risk, because they made me laugh.

Also, don’t forget: we have a very special Geopocalypse edition of the Accretionary Wedge up courtesy of Lockwood, and it has awesome content and valid points, so you lot who are stuck at work should absolutely read it while the clock ticks toward party time.

Soundtrack below the fold. Party on, my apocalyptically outstanding readership, party on!

Disaster Area: “Only the End of the World Again.” How else do you start off yet another apocalypse? Why, with a punk song inspired by The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with none other than Douglas Adams on guitar.

Yoshida Brothers: “The End of the World.” One of the best Japanese bands in existence was actually the inspiration for this series (combined with the Maya, o’ course!)

Great Big Sea: “End of the World.” Every apocalypse comes with the obligatory playing of REM’s classic. In this case, RQ pointed me toward an excellent cover, so we can at least pretend we are avante garde and original here in the cantina.

Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka: “World’s End Dancehall PV.” Here is where I begin to hemorrhage readers, but it’s very fucked up and Japanese and the name of the song is teh awesome and I couldn’t resist.

Shiina Ringo, Saito Neko, and Shiina Junpei: “Konoyo no kagiri (The End of the World).” The grand finale, my favorite find in the search for end-of-the-world music, and deliciously bizarre. If you watch no other video, watch this one. It will make you fully appreciate the apocalypse in a way no other song could.

Happy Apocalypse, everyone!