Hey guys =) Just received my latest issue of Gothic Beauty in the post, and have been checking out some new bands from the Music Reviews section - thought I'd share them with you. Of course, I will be adding all these bands (and more) to my infamous List shortly (along with all the other updates I keep promising... dammit, when did I get so busy? Stay tuned, all right, because all those pages I mentioned recently ARE coming; I will be moving some of the shorter pages to this blog to free up some space; and turning up the awesome on The Guide in general).

Beginning with Lost Diary of a Goth Girl by Kubrick, which did of course attract me due to the album name (cliches, gimmicks - bring them on. I'm an aficionado of mallgoth-style baggy, strappy trousers; I read Anne Rice novels, and I own an ankh pendant. Stereotypes? Gotta love 'em.). GB reckons that fans of early NIN and Ministry would love this album - I'm actually not keen on either, but there's definitely something there that appeals to me - and not just because they have a song called 'Glittery Rage', either.

Moodorgan are apparently very big in the LA scene, but I'd never heard of them before I picked up this magazine. They have a great synth-based darkwave sound (I'm pretty much equally divided between oontz-oontz electro-goth and old-school guitar-driven goth rock ((with a sprinkling of metal and various other genres, of course))  - how about you?) and I really love some of the tracks on this remix album.

Comparing a band to Emilie Autumn and the Dresden Dolls is pretty much a surefire way to get me interested, so I was excited to check out Down About The Ceiling by Tranquilatwist. I also thought that tracks such as 'Charade' had a definite Johnny Hollow feel - give them a listen and see what you think. Also, gorgeous artwork!

Among the Weeds don't seem to be very well known judging from the emptiness of their last.fm page, but their debut album Frail Tin Beauty (great name) is apparently comparable to the works of Siouxsie and the Banshees or Tori Amos, combining influences from Motown, electronic, deathrock and blues.

Lastly, let's bring on the tears and mopey poetry with A World We Pretend by The Twilight Garden. It's released on the Pro-Jekt label, which should give Gothy record label buffs some idea of what to expect. If you're not quite up-to-scratch with labels, this album is the solo project of Todd Loomis from Velvet Acid Christ, boasting tortured Robert-Smith-vocals and heavy on Morrisey-style moping (hey, us Goths had the emotional thing covered before skinny jeans and side fringes ever appeared, y'know).

So... what are you guys listening to at the moment?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Listening to: Do You Know My Name/What Has Happened While We Slept - Sopor Aeternus and the Ensemble of Shadows