Teen Gothic

need to rave about this album with someone, anyone

I recently got recommended this band, specifically the song “clown” and I’m obsessed.

I’ve always grown up in the American west, and I find a gothic feel within the sublime atmosphere that is resonant within it. I’ll listen to old blues or country songs that speak about and romanticize death and sorrow like few songs I’ve heard. The feeling and history is so palpable sometimes that I’m surprised I’ve found very little people that express themselves the same way, is this something odd, or something you guys have experienced, come across, or could see? I’m curious whether people here see any meaningful thematic or historical overlap between the tradition of goth’s preoccupations with death, decay, and romanticism, or whether this is better understood as parallel inspiration rather than direct connection.

For example, these bands that I listen to have some of the deepest gothic elements, and western/folk structure or style, and seem to be offshoots of goth’s upbringing:

Angels of Light, Wovenhand, 16 horsepower, Fields of the Nephilim, Swans, The Gun Club, Lilium, Rattlesnake Milk, and even some Sisters of Mercy on a spiritual level, like First and Last and Always

The attached images are taken of or by me and are just to illustrate the atmosphere I’m trying to describe, please lmk if this is out of the context of this sub but I do think they are tied together

So, I saw someone talking on here about "The Merry Thoughts" being a Sisters fan band… not gonna lie, it's literally like hearing unreleased Sisters of Mercy tracks.

Which got me thinking – are there similar … "inspired by" bands for the Fields of the Nephilim, The Mission, Rosetta Stone?

I really loved Merry Thoughts, but searching "sisters of mercy rip off" isn't likely to get me far.

Hope you guys can help / advise.

i really want to meet other goths but all these hangout spots i search for are either closed or 21+.
i hate being gen z, where so many cultures like goth and scene (ESPECIALLY SCENE) arent nearly as thriving because of tiktok imo, along with other reasons.
i remember a minor on pinterest saying "i wanna be goth sm but honestly i dont really like the music, can yall tell me how to be goth without liking the music plzz" i replied with
"if you dont like goth music, maybe you should find music you DO like. being goth isnt a fad, its not like changing your hair so you can sit with the other cool kids who put up their hair a certain way.. all subcultures are about being yourself. goth is who i truly am inside, if you dont feel the same, you sould search for something that makes you feel like your true self!
.. i just got called a "gatekeeper" and "invalid"

and,, i think that experience is everything wrong today. everyone is so obesessed with labels and trend chasing. they see a group of cool looking people and base their lives around it, even if its not their true selves. this is also why i feel goth to kids has been dumbed down to "white women wearing $ 100 fancy black dress and $ 86 shoes = goth, anything else is emo or punk" 🙁
and scene has it worse, because of the whole "scenecore" nonsense which- this subreddit probably isnt the place for me to rant about that..
but ya. why does it feel so hard on goth gen z? what are your thoughts about goth culture (and by extent emo and scene culture) in todays social media?

Or "baby bat", whichever you prefer.

In the early 00s, I saw "babybat" everywhere. A term of endearment and acceptance. Someone new to the subculture who listened to actual goth music, unlike the edgy teenagers who mistook Marilyn Manson and Slipknot for goth musicians. (There was a derogatory phrase for those people: "spookykids".)

Lots of members of this sub have used that phrase. Whenever I did, I was met with disapproval. "It's extremely patronizing."

Which is it? What are your thoughts?

I ask this from the perspective of a conflicted dj that is used to electronic music events where it's rarely a request from the audience. In those situations the music is always mixed continuously and the crowd realize they are going to hear music that is new for them and are down. At best they'll get a recording over a tracklist. People ask for IDs of specific tracks and it's usually other djs asking. I've heard people call this Trainspotting.🙃

I started getting invited to play goth shows a handful of years ago and noticed other goth djs posting their tracklists afterwards. It was interesting to see commentary that followed by people sizing up their opinion based on the music played. The way I get feedback as a dj in the goth community is completely different too. I tried recording my sets and people asked for the tracklist as a substitute. People have told me the tracklist makes it easier for them to keep dancing and laying off Shazam while at the club. I am nearly positive posting a tracklist led to another gig opportunity from a promoter that wasn't even at the show where it happened.

The only issue for me is it's hard to write down a tracklist while I am djing. I am usually busy with other things. Also at other times I notice what makes for the best track to play in the moment might not always be the most impressive looking tracklist compared to other shows.

I like the idea of posting tracklists because people who are on a similar wavelength will see where I am coming from musically. I was just caught off guard by how prevalent it is in my area. Is it the same for you where you live? Do goth djs often post track lists and use them to show people how the night went? Does it make or break whether you'd be willing to give a night a shot for the first time over whether they are posted or what is in them?

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