Hey everyone! I'm really new to goth music, but from what I've heard so far I really like it. I've learned that a big part of being goth is actually supporting bands, not just liking the music.

My problem is that I suffer from severe anxiety that makes getting out of the house pretty rough sometimes, and the nearest nightclub to me is like a minimum of 45 minutes away. Are there other ways I can support bands, and am I allowed to call myself goth if I'm not active in clubs?

It's been 1 Year since the end of Roe vs Wade, putting an end to the constitutionally protected right to a woman's access to abortion services, and in some states, that includes endometriosis and other complications putting a woman's life in danger and possibly death.

While I'm honored to be included in the amazing alternative super-group/collective The Joy Thieves. I wish becoming a member was for more positive reasons.

My contribution was a joint project with World Goth Co-Founder Lee Meadows, aka DJ Batboy Slim, AKA, Code Name: Lola, AKA bassist for the band The Glasshouse Museum

DISSENT-ERTAINMENT: 6 TO 3 REMIXED has now been released It's a 'Name Your Price' release and ALL proceeds will be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF).

https://thejoythieves.bandcamp.com/track/6-to-3-yoke-of-oppression-mix-by-codename-lola-johnathan-mooney

Hey, I don't know why but I felt like I should post this here. I'm trying really hard not to lose my mind. I'm planning to leave my boyfriend. I've been seeing him for almost a year and things aren't going so well. He's turned abusive. I'm stuck in a town 2 hours away from my hometown with no way to get back.

I'm disabled and can no longer drive. He's taking advantage of that. He treats me like a paycheck and meal ticket. I've broken up with him several times but he refuses to accept it. He's even said that I don't know what is best for me. He said that breaking up isn't what I really want and has said that he doesn't care what I want, I'm not allowed to leave him.

I'm depressed and I just want to go home. I have somewhere to stay in my hometown but no way to get there. I've called the domestic violence shelter here and they will not help me because I'm wanting to leave the county. I just don't know what to do anymore. I never consented to moving here. We used to come down on the weekends to visit friends. In February, he waited until we got here to tell me that we weren't going back.

He refuses to accept reality. He thinks I'm going to marry him and everything will be fine. I don't want to marry him. In fact, I just want to be single from now on. The only thing that keeps keeps me sane is dressing up and listening to Bauhaus and Peter Murphy. I also like Killing Joke, Sisters of Mercy and The Mission UK among others. I just want to talk to you, my people. I'm not asking for money, I just need support. Thank you for reading.

Just a short list of Ukrainian post-punk/goth etc. bands to support amid the on-going crisis. I'm sure any amount of money towards these bands is helpful and it's Bandcamp Friday, so they will get the full amount. Best part is, you choose how much you want to give and you 100% know that all of your money is going straight into the pockets of these people.

All information is observed from various sources online.

Let's get into it…

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• Old Cat's Drama

Early 2010s deathrock duo based out of Kyiv whose 2011 Pretty Things EP had a good reception among the goth scene. Their follow-up, Come and See was released in 2015 and their newest single "Crystal Signals" in 2021. Follow them on YouTube, MySpace, Spotify and Facebook.

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• CITY OF ME

A quartet from Харьков, Ukraine whose band seems to have experimented with a number of genres including post-punk, alternative rock, grunge, and shoegaze. Their discography seems to consist of two short EPs and they haven't released anything since 2015. Their lead vocalist, however, seems to be active with a hardcore/punk project. They have a Facebook page.

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• Ivanov Down

Chaotic post-punk/lo-fi/experimental rock formed in 1989 from Kyiv, who, according to their Last.fm only lasted two years but seemingly, according to their rateyourmusic.com / Discogs regrouped prior to 2012 and released two studio albums. Their discography mainly consists of live albums which can be listened to on full on YouTube.

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• Gentle Ropes

A modern and active darkwave/coldwave/post-punk duo from Kyiv with a discography of two EPs/albums and a single. They have recently been booked to perform at Return To The Batcave Festival 2022. Other platforms of theirs are Facebook, SoundCloud and YouTube.

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• The Glass Beads

Described as a cross between Lebanon Hanover and Drunken C, the coldwave duo have so far only released an single entitled "Going", which would make itself part of The Glass Beads’ 4 track debut EP Phobia issued on cassette via Squall Records, and a 2020 album Therapy, also available on Limited Edition vinyl, a collection of 11 sorrowful songs. They have profiles on SoundCloud and Facebook.

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• Сома (somygram)

Post-punk/new wave duo from Kyiv, who have been steadily releasing music from 2016. Their style ranges from experimental to post-punk to more synth oriented songs. A link tree to all their profiles is here.

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• Icy Men

Associated with Cold Transmission Music, this post-punk/darkwave/coldwave duo from Kyiv have released two albums, a single, and a remix album to date. Their 2020 album Low Light is available to buy in CD format. Follow them on Facebook.

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• the NIGHTCHILD

Influenced by '80s and '90s goth rock, The Nightchild was created in 2003 in Donetsk, Ukraine by Olexiy Nikitchenko. The band has released numerous records since their debut album in 2009, and gained additional band members. The project currently resides in Chernihiv. Follow them on Facebook and Spotify.

Olexiy also has another solo project named Sociophobia, the music is a mixture of old school deathrock with elements of cold wave.

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• Morwan

A solo artist named Alex Ashtaui, based out of Kyiv who started releasing post-punk music originally under the name Pyat'shest'tri. Under Morwan, he combined his half-Ukrainian and half-Arab roots with his familiar dark post-punk leanings. Follow him on SoundCloud, Facebook and Instagram, found on his link tree.

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• Gil'otina

Solo project of Ivan Kotsiubynsky and currently based on the Worn Pop label, Gil'otina released two LPs, Taiga and Orgán in April 2016 and July 2020, respectively. They have a Facebook page.

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• Delirium

Based out of Slovyansk, Delirium are a post-punk/new wave band who released their debut album Место наших встреч in 2019. The three-piece released their new album Некролог in mid-January 2022. Follow them on Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, and YouTube.

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• Bottom Radio

Bottom Radio is a project who has experimented with several genres or sounds including post-punk, synth, lo-fi, and electronic. Their debut release (according to Bandcamp) of the same name, dates back to 2014, and their newest, Ghostly Hour, from December 2017. They have a SoundCloud page.

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• The Javelins of Justice (no Bandcamp)

A bit of a mystery, as "Stay Trve, Sleep Well, Goth On!" is the only song you can find by the band on YouTube. In the description, it states that it's their first single from their upcoming album "Make Our Javelins Laugh", however, the video was uploaded in 2019. Our only other clue is Oskar Terramortis's inclusion of the single on their 2018 "POST GOTHIC You Should Know".

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• Cold Comfort

Found on Worn Pop records, Cold Comfort is a project born in Rivne in late 2012. Their three releases to date experiment with a vary of genres, including post-punk, synth, electronic and shoegaze/dream-pop, but their 2013 debut Modern Crypts carries that familiar dreary and atmospheric post-punk sound.

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• SMURNO

Lo-fi post-punk artist based out of Kyiv. Their two releases consist of May 2021's Скло and December 2021's single "Море дерев". Stream them on SoundCloud, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

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• Son Seagull / The Son of a Seagull

An experimental/drone post-punk solo artist based out of Kyiv. Their numerous Bandcamp releases experimental with a variety of sounds.

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• Sexual Purity

An electronic duo based out of Dnipro, who has experimented with coldwave, darkwave, EBM, minimal wave, dark synth, and synth-pop. Their 2021 debut Beautiful Scar of Society was released to a good reception. The band has their own website as well as Facebook, SoundCloud, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.

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• Rugaru (no Bandcamp)

Formed in early 2013, Rugaru's music is described as "emotional and expressive vocals combined with atmospheric guitar rock, fast and energetic tempos, as well as interesting lyrics". Except for the information that's provided on their VK profile, nothing much else is known about their discography except for the songs on their 2013 EP "Little Girl".

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• The Room Without Sun

A multi-genre project from Kyiv, their debut of the same name was released in January 2015 with several other releases being published throughout the years. Their latest EP Decades Of Darkness, released in January 2021, takes on a post-punk and darkwave-influenced sound.

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• Blablarism

Blablarism is the solo moniker of Kyiv resident Oksana Zmorovytch. Their debut EP, Fugue was released on New Ideals in early 2013. Another album of theirs, Agnostodynis released in January 2019 on Fabrika Records.

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If anyone has any more suggestions, feel free to add them on the bottom and give some details.

I've always been tall and thin and I honestly hate my body. I have a precious little boy who I absolutely adore, he'll be 2 on the 25th. He's definitely a baby bat as well. He baby dances to Peter Murphy, Sisters of Mercy and The Mission. However, since his birth, I've struggled with it even more. I feel like a caricature of a person.

I used to dress goth and I still have the clothes and makeup but don't do it anymore, mostly due to time constraints. I see my friends, socially distanced of course and they still dress up. It's made me feel like I've lost a huge part of who I am.

It's like I want to dress up but can't find the motivation either. I'm honestly kind of depressed about it and it feels like a vicious cycle. I'm also tired of being told I'm lucky I'm thin. I've struggled to gain and maintain weight my entire life.

Anyway, maybe I'm being petty but it's how I feel. I just need someone to listen and thanks for making it this far. Could you guys maybe give me tips on how to slowly incorporate it back in or should I just go nuclear and dress up? Thanks. 🖤

Edit: I guess I'm also a little scared of scaring my son because he's never seen me like that. I know deep down he'll be fine because all he'll see is mommy but I just don't want to shock him I guess.

(Sorry for my popo english)

I'm the only goth at my highschool and even if I have friends that like my style, it feels lonely. My parents and classmates always say slurs at me when I wear what I like.

Today I've spend six hours on my makeup, REALLY felt proud of myself, but when I showed my friends they laughed at me.

How do I deal with this?

I've tried to stop caring bout their opinions, but I would love to be called pretty and not a weirdo.