That old familiar feeling, sitting late at night on Stella number 6. A quiet falls over my house. Other than my earbuds blasting the latest in wonderful new dark music which I will now share with you. Our new Sounds and Shadows Facebook group has exposed me to several new bands and DJs so I will dig into that now. May the muses strike you and help you find something inspiring on this list like I did.
The Gothsicles – Animal Songs – Anyone who reads this page knows I am a goth who does not take himself to seriously. I think goth music should be stretched to the utmost limit of the definition. So when I hear a band that takes that way further than I could even imagine, believe me I am all in. When I first heard bands like Violent Femms in my youth it was extremely inspiring. I have a voice that does not fit the music I play. Brian Graupner has achieved the same concept and turned it to eleven. The music is Star Destroyer laser beams of energy burning through the universe with reckless abandon. His singing is an infectious wail spewing forth educational and spicy cadence you can taste burning down your throat. This album takes on a really interesting concept. All of the songs are about animals, written from that perspective. It also has some great guest vocals including MC Lars and FIRES doing a rap. This record isn’t a lot of ups and downs musically. Just keeps blasting you like a fire hose. I think it is a true testament to what Graupner accomplished by having the lyrics and clever delivery be the dynamics that hold your attention.
https://thegothsicles.bandcamp.com/album/animal-songs
Favorite Tracks: All of them
Rock the Quokka – This track has the same bouncing intensity but with a funky bounding adorable energy. The lyrics are brilliant and transport you into the tall grass and brilliant sun.
Naked Mole Rat – I want to hear Aedra (FIRES) on everything. Here she is dropping amazing bars and her sharp edge sultry voice is an amazing addition. It blends well with Brian screaming Pink and Furtive. All these songs really do make you feel and empathize with these animals. It’s a memorizing effect.
Stag Beatle Professional Wrestling – Here the idea of making the beetles do another thing close to my heart, pro wrestling just slayed me. The music has wonderful 90s electronica industrial beats. Just pure fun right up your gullet.
This record just captured me entirely. If you buy one thing this band camp Friday my recommendation is it is this. It inspires me to make goth music even more fun. Obviously the world is ready.
The Hanging Freud – Nowhere – Delicious Glasgow slow droning darkwave. Lots of swirl and down tempo with singer Paula Borges giving rich melting chocolate to pour slowly on that buzzing synth. Definitely hearing big audio heaven sound stretching. Sometimes in a mix you can feel one aspect or another too far away. Here everything feels underwater in equal measure and it gives the music a surreal quality. The tension is great and gives this feeling of being on a submarine sinking closer to the crush point. Watching out the small glass circles and seeing the world grow darker.
https://hangingfreud.bandcamp.com/album/nowhere
Favorite Track: Power over you – Definitely the sharp point of that sinking feeling. A stalking Bioshock copper glow sound. This isn’t a song you are hearing, it is a record playing from the spirit world creeping through the veil into your human ears.
Blind Colour – Ink Project – Rhythm Spirit – Ok this is a little outside my usual wheelhouse. This is slow sexy textural electronic beats. Renunciant of triphop like Portishead. It’s hard to box it in just one place though because the songs cover such varied group and have a real visceral imagery. This is an album to close your eyes to, lay back, and picture yourself floating. I found a calm meditation washing over me as each track flowed like liquid into the next. The craft and patience of these songs are fully on display. This whole project streams like a movie where your imagination are the pictures.
https://blindcolour.bandcamp.com/album/ink-project-rhythm-spirit
Favorite Tracks:
Blink Feat: Yazmyn Hendrix – Slow grinding space flight. Quasars and stars pass you by. Hendrix voice has a southern soul and smooths the staccato beats of the music with a dreamlike flow.
Slow Suicide Feat: Fifi Rong – A stronger and funkier gravitational pull. Fifi has a whispered spoken word style with a little Suzanne Vega flow. Gently dipping her hand in a calm pool to create expanding ripples. Then she reaches up with a beautiful chorus melody. “I’m a mess, I confess” the balanced rhymes never let your head leave this perfectly constructed vision.
Ashbury Heights – Wild Eyes – Now I understand I am a little late to the game on Ashbury Heights, I can tell you I have rectified that mistake now. Just magnificent construction and expansive rising dance club banger energy. Madil Hardis has a sunrise voice that sets light upon the shadows. Anders Hagstrom has a perfect piercing counterpart. I played this single 4 times and just couldn’t stop shaking and swaying. The lyrics were relatable and left you deep in the pop hooks. Precision layering of the vocal harmonies with modern crystal clean movement. I need to listen to A LOT more Ashbury Heights.
https://ashburyheights.bandcamp.com/track/wild-eyes-feat-madil-hardis
Long After Midnight – Painkiller – Close to home is Grand Rapid Michigan’s Long after Midnight. Really liking how much rock is mixed into this Industrial Rock. The mastering was done by Jules Seifert so everything is smooth as an Aston Martin’s fender. Ross Martin’s vocals are crisp and powerful to cut through the progressive hard edge of the music. Mike Nolan is juggling a lot of moving parts here to give the music a sense of complexity and movement. Really exciting taste of more great things to come. I need to play with these cats once shows start again.
https://longaftermidnight.bandcamp.com/album/painkiller-ep
Heavy Water Factory – it’s not what you think – Let’s keep things in the Michigan. Jesse James McClear has been a pioneer of the Detroit Industrial/Techno scene for a few decades now. This new EP highlights what he does best. The hard stomping echo of Detroit Industrial with the tight corners and revving engine of electronic dance. This EP is all instrumental but speaks volumes with the razor changes and subtitle details. It’s an endless motion and sinisterly honed vision. The bleep bloop bop is not glitchy or crushing. Instead it endeavors for something sleek and calculated. This is night time driving soundtrack through a collapsing city. Could I have appreciated some vocals? Sure. However not having them didn’t stop me from plunging in and riding this wave of emotion.
https://heavywaterfactory.bandcamp.com/album/its-not-what-you-think
Glass Apple Bonzai – The Blush – For my final review lets pick a great story from a wonderful human. Daniel Belasco had two friends effected by the winter storms in Texas and released this smoking hot synth danger to help them. This track has their beautiful signature layered new wave spun candy. The vocals are vaulting hurdle after hurdle and popping effortlessly between ranges. Spinning in a spiral of technicolor bright energy. The B side track Fire in the Sky is a deep crooning highway driver. I love this come hither version of Daniels voice. The chorus is a gorgeous open hook of cool mint candy cane. Feel good about snagging great music and helping folk in need.