Zegalba: Gustavoria (details), 2023

lil doodle from the other day born out of an overwhelming annoyance that for some reason body hair is associated with masculinity despite Everyone Having It. so why not draw a cute hairy girl about it

[image description: a drawing of a tan-skinned woman with brown and blond dyed hair pulled into a ponytail and copious body hair and stubble. she is smiling and doing a peace sign gesture with her hand. next to her is text saying "body hair has no gender!" end id]

Creatures of the night

Dear Baby Bats - Goth Band Recommendations

As a middle sibling goth (I’ve been in the subculture for close to 10 years now, so not a baby bat but not an elder goth either), let me turn you on to some bands because we do not gatekeep in this house!! Also, if you want consistently good lesser-known & brand new goth band recs, go follow Awfully Sinister on TikTok and Instagram. He’s a DJ & has great recs. I've found so much music through him because it's really hard to keep up with all the new bands cropping up every year. You want to avoid the goth subreddit because they are extremely gatekeeper-y and argue over labels constantly. It’ll just confuse you, and they are not nice over there.

If you’re very new to the subculture, and you haven’t yet listened to all of Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death, Cocteau Twins, Clan of Xymox, Joy Division, and Depeche Mode, go do so now. You'll want to know which of them you really enjoy the most because it will help you know which sub-subgenre(s) of goth you want to watch out for, and it'll tell you what to look for to find it. For example, Sisters of Mercy is the gothic rock subgenre, Christian Death is deathrock, Cocteau Twins is ethereal wave, Clan of Xymox is like the original darkwave, Joy Division is classic post-punk, etc.

I’ve bolded some of my absolute must-listen to goth bands, and I've put monthly Spotify listeners for each band so you know which ones deserve WAY more love. And in my pre-list ramblings for each OG band, I've given you some key terms to look up so you can more easily find music that's similar to what you enjoy. Okay, here we go:

If you like Bauhaus:

Bauhaus is a hard one because honestly, nobody really sounds like them, and they aren't really that closely associated with a specific sub-subgenre of goth. They have an extremely unique sound. They’re my favorite band of all time (I even have a tattoo for them, like I am devoted lol), but even I have a difficult time finding other bands that scratch their particular itch for me. These bands I’ve listed are as close as you’re gonna get imo.

Virgin Prunes (80’s band that has absolutely unhinged music in the way Bauhaus has unhinged music; one of my favorites; no one else does it like them and no one else ever will; I would actually give my left foot to see them live); 13.2k monthly listeners (this is actually physically painful to me, how is it this low!!! don't walk, RUN to go listen to them)

Alien Sex Fiend (80’s classic unhinged goth); 77k monthly listeners

Sextile (modern band that has some very Bauhaus-sounding guitar work at times); 147k listeners

The Danse Society (80’s unhinged goth; has similar experimental vibes to Bauhaus imo); 36k listeners

Sex Beat (80’s band); not even really on Spotify

Ritual Howls (modern band; I don’t know why it gives Bauhaus, but it does; one of the few modern bands that scratches that particular itch for me); 45k listeners

The Agnes Circle (modern band; one of my favorites; they have the right Bauhaus-like atmosphere for me); 52k listeners

Traitrs (I can’t explain why they remind me of Bauhaus, but they do; another one of my fave modern bands; they make me want to start levitating and doing the Ian Curtis dance in the same way Bauhaus does lol); 239k listeners

If you like Siouxsie and the Banshees:

Siouxsie is another one that's hard to pin down sound-wise because again, they don't really fit into one specific sub-subgenre, so all of these recs are just goth bands with female vocalists who have the same kind of powerful vocals that Siouxsie does.

Second Still (modern band; singer sounds a lot like Siouxsie to me at times); 69k listeners

Skeletal Family (80’s band; has the same “women in punk” vibes that Siouxsie has); 55k listeners

Xmal Deutschland (80’s band; has the same powerful vocals that Siouxsie has; makes you wanna go stupid go crazy the way the Banshees do); 73k listeners

Secret Shame (modern band w/ w woman singer; has the same rage that Siouxsie songs have to me, especially early Siouxsie); 6k listeners (let's get those numbers up, folks!!!)

Rosegarden Funeral Party (modern band w/ a woman vocalist); 57k listeners

Mephisto Walz (90s & 2000s; sounds so much like the Banshees at times); 56k listeners

If you like Depeche Mode:

For Depeche Mode enjoyers (which DM is kind of on the fringes of what’s considered “goth,” but they’re so entrenched in the subculture that I included them anyway), you’re gonna want to delve into modern goth playlists that have a lot of EBM (electronic body music) and modern goth that leans towards synthpop/synthwave. So those are the kinds of playlists you’ll want to search up for similar sounds to DM.

Nuovo Testamento (modern band; combines post-punk and pop elements in a way that’s very similar to Depeche Mode; lots of fun live, and they have a good sound); 25k listeners

Boy Harsher (modern band; relies heavily on synth; feels like it should be playing at every goth club); 558k listeners

ULTRA SUNN (modern band; singer sounds like Dave Gahan); 217k listeners (they just blew up on tiktok recently, which explains why this just skyrocketed since the last time I was on their Spotify page lol; good for them, good for them, they deserve it)

Ministry's first album, which was synthwave/synthpop before they went industrial (this is one of my all-time favorite albums)

French Police (modern band); 252k listeners

Closed Tear (modern band); 152k listeners

Night Sins (modern band); 33k listeners

Panic Priest (modern band; vocals sound decently similar to Dave Gahan & there is a lot of reliance on synth; In All Severity is a gorgeous song); 5k listeners

Fad Gadget (underrated 80’s band; I just feel like if you like DM, you’re also gonna like this band); 58k listeners

If you like The Cure:

You'll be hard-pressed to find a goth band that wasn't influenced by The Cure, so I really can't give you any key terms for what to look up lol. They also changed their sound so frequently that it entirely depends on what era of The Cure's music you're looking to find similar music for.

Vision Video (modern band; combines post-punk and pop elements like The Cure does; one of my fave modern goth bands; they are INCREDIBLE live); 52k listeners (I'm gonna need y'all to get a song or two of theirs to blow up on tiktok expeditiously lol)

Urban Heat (modern band; great live); 36k listeners

The Chameleons (80’s band; very underrated; they are also very good live); 167k listeners

House of Harm (modern band, very new; also very good live; has pop elements); 44k listeners

Deceits (modern band, another very new one); 28k listeners (it's crazy how much this number has grown the past two months because it was in the single thousands not that long ago; everyone say thank you, tiktok)

Drab Majesty (modern band; their instrumentals remind me of The Cure); 172k listeners

Double Echo (modern band; their instrumentals also remind me of The Cure); 15k listeners (let's get these numbers up!!!)

The Bolshoi (underrated 80’s band that combines new wave and goth elements in a similar way to The Cure); 114k listeners

The Essence (underrated 80s band that sounds so much like The Cure it’s actually insane, but they’ve got their own sound too; they’re like a perfect blend of all of The Cure’s different sounds); 25k monthly listeners

Miss Teen America (brand new band from NYC! They only have one single out right now, and it’s well worth listening to); 940 monthly listeners (y’all know what to do!!! Let’s get those numbers up, up, up!) link to their single: https://open.spotify.com/album/4nvdZeUVLLrMv3tEziCqm7?si=2WVS7-eYQLGR7Id3wLiKhg

If you like Clan of Xymox:

Most of these bands will be modern ones because Clan of Xymox was honestly way ahead of their time. (They are also amazing live, so go see them before they eventually call it quits!) For playlists that are full of their vibe, you’re gonna want to look up “darkwave” playlists and also some EBM. Clan of Xymox pioneered darkwave, so any darkwave band you listen to is gonna be influenced by their sound in some way or another.

Harsh Symmetry (modern, very new; very heavily relies on synth); 29k listeners

Ssleeping Desiress (modern band; instrumentals similar to Xymox); 55k listeners

Twin Tribes (probably my favorite modern goth band; they are fucking incredible, and I’m dying to see them live); 276k listeners

ACTORS (modern band; heavily relies on synth); 86k listeners

Mareux (modern; heavily relies on synth); 4.8 million listeners (this is wild!!!! everyone say thank you, tiktok)

Sixth June (modern); 23k listeners

Plastique Noir (modern); 40k listeners

Rendez Vous (modern); 160k listeners

Minuit Machine (modern); 97k listeners

If you like Christian Death:

All of these recs will be deathrock recs or goth bands that heavily leaned on punk sounds. So if CD is the OG goth band you’re most fond of, you’re gonna want to delve into deathrock playlists for similar sounds.

Asylum Party (80’s band); not on spotify

45 Grave (80’s band); 47k listeners

Voodoo Church (80’s band; probably my favorite out of this bunch; I actually like them more than Christian Death); 7k listeners (let's get these numbers up immediately!!!!)

Ausgang (80’s band); 2k listeners (WHAT; they deserve so much more, damn)

Corpus Delicti (90’s band; they are very good; they sound the least like Christian Death on this list imo); 26k listeners

13th Chime (80’s band; very underrated); 6k listeners

The Birthday Party (80’s band; very unhinged sound); 54k listeners

UK Decay (you know, I actually don’t know what era they’re from; unhinged sound); 1k listeners (omg)

Super Heroines (underrated 80’s band); 2k listeners (you see what I meant about underrated?)

Specimen (80s band; this one could have just as easily gone under Bauhaus tbh, but the vocals are generally higher pitched than Peter Murphy’s, so I put them under this category); 102k listeners

Sex Gang Children (80’s band; just so unhinged & I love them for it); 27k listeners

Suspiria (90s, I think? I don’t actually know); barely on Spotify but 27k listeners

Theatre of Hate (80s); 7k listeners

Bloody Dead and Sexy (2000s, I think); 44k listeners

If you like Cocteau Twins:

Cocteau Twins’ early sound is usually categorized as “ethereal wave” goth, so those are the playlists you’ll want to look up if you enjoy their early sound. If you like their later sound, you’re gonna want to lean more towards shoegaze for similar vibes.

Dead Can Dance (80’s band; NO one, and I mean NO ONE, was doing it like Dead Can Dance; so fun to dance to in the goth club); 332k listeners

Lycia (90’s band; their music is very transcendent); 20k listeners

Linea Aspera (modern band; gorgeous woman vocals; honestly, their music is just very beautiful); 67k listeners

This Mortal Coil (formed in the 80s; women vocals that sound extremely similar to Robin Guthrie at times; Sixteen Days/Gathering Dust is just like the best song ever); 310k listeners

If you like Joy Division:

All of these bands will be ones that sound very classically post-punk, so those are the playlists to search out; emphasis on "classic" because post-punk is a very broad term that gets applied to a lot of music. I would argue that Joy Division has had the most influence out of all the OG goth bands on the current goth sound/goth renaissance we're going through right now, so there are a LOT of bands out there for you if you’re a JD fan.

Molchat Doma (modern band); 2.5 million listeners (wow lol, they've grown so much over the past two years, it's actually insane; good for them)

Soviet Soviet (modern band); 152k listeners

Fearing (modern band; very good live); 30k listeners

Ploho (modern band); 146k listeners

Pink Turns Blue (criminally underrated 80’s band; they are SO good live); 98k listeners (this is an actual travesty, this band is way too good to not even be in the hundred thousands)

The Sound (another incredibly underrated 80’s band); 119k listeners

This Cold Night (modern; has the deep vocals of Joy Division and the driving bass); 150k listeners

Bleib Modern (modern); has very similar vocals to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, which is a band listed under the Sisters of Mercy section of this post, so if you end up liking this band, you should also listen to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry & vice versa; 36k listeners

Lebanon Hanover (modern; has the existential angst that Joy Division always ignites in me); 936k listeners (this is crazy, holy shit!!!!!! go, Lebanon Hanover, go!! now if only they would tour the damn US)

She Past Away (modern; deep vocals); 226k listeners

Belgrado (modern; woman vocals!); 18k listeners (they deserve better than this!!)

Leonora Post Punk (modern; Mexican goth band w/ Spanish vocals, so support them! They’re amazing! They have those deep vocals you want when you’re looking for a similar sound to Joy Division); 56k listeners

O. Children (modern; has the deep vocals & interesting bass lines that Joy Division was known for; great band); 29k listeners

If you like Sisters of Mercy:

This is one of my least favorite goth subcategories, which is odd because I actually love Sisters. But if you’re looking for a lot of music that sounds like SoM, I’d suggest delving into the 90’s and early 2000’s goth music scene. Search out those playlists.

Rosetta Stone (90’s band); 54k listeners

Miazma (modern); 10k listeners

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (another criminally underrated 80’s band; one of my fave goth bands); 40k listeners (THEY!! DESERVE!! BETTER!!)

Dreamtime (modern); 65 listeners (ouch lol, please go show them some love)

Fields of the Nephilim (80’s, I think; if you’re a metalhead, you’ll probably appreciate this band); 95k listeners

The Merry Thoughts (80s); 19k listeners

The March Violets (underrated 80s; might be a controversial opinion to put them under SoM, but I’m standing by it); 69k listeners

Horror Vacui (modern; it’s kind of a stretch putting them here tbh, but I couldn’t figure out what other category to put them under); 44k listeners

Also, if you want a 1500-song, 105-hour goth playlist that’s constantly growing, here you go. The name of it is a dig at my ex lol: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jCV530pMmOEmDHj4CLNka?si=cEVKiyAwQpaieGiV2pMyqw

UPDATE IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE MY BRAIN AND HESRT ARE SCREAMING: ANARCHIST CLOSET LIVES!!!!

It's a faithful and beautiful offspring of the Original, and it's absolutely perfect!!!

Physical Stores you can Buy Gothic Goods in, by Morticia Fattyms

Okay you Spooks,

Let me just state that you should always wear what feels comfortable *on you* and looks good *to you*. To be Goth isn't the clothes you wear, strictly speaking, and there isn't a Defined Look. Have FUN with yourself! If you think you look good and you feel good like that, that's all that matters.

Gothic Aesthetic and Fashion is colloquially referred to as "Goth" all of the time. Goth is a term used to describe some songs, and has many musical genres that find their audience under the name of "goths". Anyone with Google-Fu understands that sometimes the simplest tag is the most effective for reaching a larger audience. To keep our wonderful community of Artists and Creators thriving, growing, and easier to navigate, I'm saying Goth, Gothic, and Alternative interchangeably or where appropriate. 

The loaded question,

"What makes something Goth?/Why do Goths like these things?" (Surprise, it's actually 2 questions!)

   There isn't a predisposed rule about Bats, Bauhaus, and Halloween being Goth, we just happen to like them as individual people and found people that ALSO liked them. Its a surprisingly, almost singular circle, Venn Diagram. That being said, we do tend to appreciate a lot of the same design elements, and can thus comfortably find items we enjoy by engaging with the use of word "goth". We enjoy symbolism, creative use of colors, and recycling older designs to create  newer ones. We definitely take inspiration from thousands of sources, like Victorian fashion, fetish gear, and Punk's DIY attitude. Your look should be personal to you, inspired by the things you love to engage with, and feels comfortable for you to enjoy wearing while dancing. 

That said, not everything I list in my endeavors to support the growth of our community will be strictly gothic, because there isn't a defined look to being Goth. I hope you'll still check it out, and, if you like it, support it! 

It's pretty easy to find "Gothic style" online, but do you really trust that "gothic mall online" drop shipper? Are you on a budget and shopping fast fashion apps that send clothes you end up not liking? It's okay if that's what you do, it really is. There is something to admire about the convenience and lack of social anxiety we enjoy from Online shopping. However, I want to talk about Physical Stores.

While my favorite store, Anarchists Closet, has closed, my love for that shop, it's amazing owner, and the community it brought together, is undying. Anarchist's was loudly inclusive of it's customer base, was active in the community through events, ticket sales, and fashion shows, and ensured we'd see our favorite pieces at events again and again. Their Mission was always clear: We Dress Everyone!  The world needs more Anarchist's Closets, and I'm going to Find them! 

Here's a few stores you can stomp your stacks into and play dress up in for an hour or two. Please, buy something from them. Hell, get a gift card for your friend you thought of in there if you can't find anything for yourself. The Community needs these stores to thrive so that more can be inspired to start up! Be inspired to start your own wildly unique and wonderful Alternative store for us to explore! 

This is Definitely NOT a COMPLETE list. (In fact, I got overwhelmed writing this and took forever to publish haha)

Email Gothic.info.666@gmail.com when you find places! World Wide Accepted! Please include a full street address with business' name!

Clothing Shops

Coven Dark Boutique- 63B Wharf St, Salem, Massachusetts 01970

Die with Your Boots On - 9 Church St, Salem, Massachusetts

Gothic Renaissance NYC- 110 4th Ave, New York ,New York, 10003

The House of Goth- 19014 Gulf Freeway Friendswood, Texas 77546

The Ossuary -77 Wharf Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970

Ravens and Rockers- 14815 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, Florida

Rumors - 3 locations: Virginia & North Carolina 

Spark Pretty- 333 East 9th Street New York, New York 10003

Subculture Corsets & Clothing (BY APPT ONLY)-2604 Powers Avenue Jacksonville, Florida 

Witch Bitch Thrift -105 Whitney Ave New Haven, Connecticut

Home Decor and More 

Cemetery Pulp- 3950 E Sunset Rd, Suite 106 Las Vegas, Nevada 89120

Hail Dark Aesthetics- 2410 Gallatin Ave. Nashville, Tennessee 37206

Hail Records & Oddities- 720 Main Street Covington, Kentucky 41011

Hidden South -7124 Saint Claude Avenue Arabi, Louisiana 70032

The Weeping Glass- 746 East Warrington Ave Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15210

I want to end this on a small love note to a new found source of community for me: 

Alternative Markets.

We have to keep them going, to keep the Community going.

Whatever you want to call yourself, an Alternative, or Punk Rock Flea Market, Faire, or Festival is where you want to go to find the people hand-making intricate, meaningful, and life saving products. To be clear: you would be the life saver in this situation, where you buy something from a creator, offsetting the cost of the booth rental and travel costs that can really cut into budgets. Many people have conditions that make working regular jobs difficult, vending at markets are often a good source of income for them. Additionally, they're a fantastic opportunity to find a new favorite Local Band to support as well! Whoa! That's a 2 for One, Pal! Score! 

     Many are free, or have free parking but charge entry. I do suggest taking enough cash for your daily purchases, just in case there's bad signal in the area, a Food truck can't take digital payments, or you decide to buy a local band a drink.

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you find any local physical shops I should add to future blog posts.

 Also, let me know about events happening near you! Gothic. Info. 666 is building a network of event promotion for the Goth/Alternative communities, and we'd love to have your help! 

We'll be posting submission guidelines soon! 

I haven't even left the parking lot and I am in tears about leaving Dark Force Fest today.

I had so much fun.

I was loved and accepted in a way I didn't even know I needed right now.

I fucking LOVE my Goth Community.

If your "satanic" artwork is just overly sexualized women and no actual symbols, imagery, or references to actual Tenants, you didn't make "satanic" art, you made expolitation.

I would really like to create the way Lauren Montgomery creates Nadja's dresses.

One thing about me: I like to be scared

And this is where things start to get interesting..

how the absolute FUCK am i supposed to live long and prosper in these conditions

"I'm so Goth, I exhale black mold. So the sooner shall this body be made to dust than I shall finally be at peace."