The second section is of bands that have material that could be called Goth, but not necessarily any period of work in particular, bands that touch on the fringes of Goth or bands that should interest fans of Gothic Music. DISCOGRAPHY is limited their Goth-tinged work.
Abecendarians defunct US
Area defunct US
(literati/me)
Steve Jones(ex-the Arms of Someone New) joined with Lynn Canfield to form Area. Area crafted spooky little pop songs, with Lynn's voice soaring over Steve's many-layered guitars, ala Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. Lynn went onto form the Moon Seven Times with Henry Frayne.
Arms of Someone New defunct USPut out one ep in 84 that i know of (burying the carnival), which is kinda swirling dark pop along the lines of xymox with a neo-psychedelic influence. Steve went on to form Area.
the Cassandra Complex active UKThe Cassandra Complex's music generally leans towards the industrial/techno/EBM side of things. But Theomania hits that fringe area quite nicely. Currently living in Hamburg.
the Chameleons defunct UKKinda in the same spot Echo and the Bunnymen are in. Kinda goth, but to much of a pop band at heart. Members went on to form the Reegs, the Sun & the Moon, and Weaveworld.
the Church active AUS.Poetic enough to be goth, but lilting guitar pop at heart, perhaps a gentler aspect of what REM have become. The Persia e.p. and the Blurred Crusade lp are recommened to goths.
Cindytalk active UKClockDVA avtive UK
Mostly the lp, advantage.
Cocteau Twins active UKShimmery pop that often evokes melancholy moods, despite Liz Frazier's penchant for simply shaping sounds instead of writing actual lyrics. Start at the Pink Opaque and go from there.
Controlled Bleeding active USAnother industrial band that feels no need to be bounded by their main genre's limitations. Mind pummeling one minute, gentle lullaby's the next. 'Songs from the Ashes' would be a good place to start.
Coil active UKCoil more readily fall under the industrial category, if only because none of the band really know how to play an instrument as such. But, their ambient works, in particular How to Destroy Angels, are genre-bending and defy pat labels like Goth, or Industrial.
Concrete Blonde active USGuitar-based alternative rock, whatever that means these days. Blood- letting (lp 90) generally gets lumped in with the Goth fringes, mainly on the basis of the title song which was inspired by Anne Rice's Vampire books. Goth in the same way that the Gun Club are Goth.
Controlled Bleeding active USAnother industrial band that feels no need to be bound by their main genre's limitations. Mind pummeling one minute, gentle lullaby's the next. 'Songs from the Ashes' or 'Buried Blessings' are a good place to start.
the Cranes active UK (ayse)Led by the brother and sister team James and Alison Shaw, Cranes have made quite a name for themselves over the past few years (especially in the U.K.). Cranes' innovative use of guitars, along with Alison's positively unique voice, set them apart from much of the other "ethereal" female-led bands that are recording nowadays. They layer guitar with the skill of Jane's Addiction or the Cure at their best; the resulting sound can be reminiscent of a richer Twin Peaks soundtrack at times, and maybe even early Jesus and Mary Chain at others (though Cranes rarely use feedback as an instrument). The thing that makes this band totally distinctive, however, is Alison. Her voice, described by some observant soul as that of "a baby trapped in a metal toolbox", is high-pitched, sugary, and downright *eerie*. The lyrics are often hard to make out, but they are generally obsessive, intense, and full of wonder... the way that Alison's lost-child vocals meander through the music are utterly enchanting. Highly recommended, though I would describe this band as an acquired taste. Recommened lp: Forever the Creatures hiatus UK
Siouxsie and Budgie of the Banshees on holiday. The first lp [feast] was recorded in Hawaii is is infused with Polynesian rhythms. The second [boomerang] was recorded in Spain is similarly infusing with Latin rhythms. Either is a good place to start, tho bommerang is probably easier to find in the US.
Toni Halliday could be a goth-goddess for all time if she'd just stop posing in front of a that band doesn't have anything to distinguish it from the competition other than her presence. actually, she's supposedly joining up with pieter noonten and anka wolbert, formerly of xymox in a band to be called bud. we can only hope.
the Damned defunct UKMore punk and pop opportunists than goths, but Dave Vanian's wardrobe has fooled many. Any of the albums from 80-86 is a good choice.
Dancing Did defunct UKDelerium active CAN
A Front Line Assemply offshoot with Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber doing a very creditable job of ambient goth.
the Drowning Pool active US now called Mumblesthe Dream Academy active UK
Goth much like All About Eve are Goth. Hippy free-flowing pop music that occasionally summons up that elusive atmosphere.
Echo & the Bunnymen active UKAnother of those fringe bands.Their music is frequently bleak and depressing, and Ian McCulloch desperately wants to be Jim Morrison, but this does not a Goth band make. The attitude is missing. Nearly Goth is a close as they get.
45 Grave defunct USFrazier Chorus active UK
Also in the much the same position as Echo, bleakly depressing pop music, but it's still more pop than goth. But Sloppy Heart comes *so* close to being goth, you might be fooled.
Gentle Ihor's Devotion active UKGodflesh active UK
A metal band with a drum machine for the most part. But their music is rather dark, covering topics not usually associated with metal, and generally proving that the border distinctions of Goth are _really_ fuzzy.
Gothic Hut ? USthe Glove defunct UK
One-off by Steve Severin of the Banshees and Robert Smith of the Cure (and the Banshees at the time). Dance music for people that can't dance and the fore-runner of what was to come with the Cure.
the Gun Club active USRather more bluesy and straight ahead rock than Goth, but Patricia Morrison's presence as bass player veered them in a slightly Goth direction for a while. Recommended lp, the Las Vegas Story.
Icehouse active AUSSometimes, pop bands with a penchant for melancholia turn out a Goth masterpiece without anybody, including the band, noticing. Icehouse did this with their self-titled first album. The rest of their catalog is increasingly more commercial pop garbage, but that first is a classic slab on angst and pop.
Japan defunct UKTo depressed to be punks, too happy to be goths, and just to talented to be new wavers. Ah, where to fit in Japan. Sylvian`s talent for ambience is mainly what gets them included. Albums-wise, you can jump in anywhere pretty much, they start perky and get more sedate as time goes on.
Junior Manson Slags defunct UKKastrierte Philosophen active GER
A German band of interest to goths mainly through a recent single remixed by Andrew a generl atmosphere of gloom. Eldritch.
Legendary Pink Dots active UKNeo-psychedelia-gothic-trance music for the occult and intellectually minded. Edward Ka-Spel is a genius, and thoroughly mad.
the Lords of the New Church defunct UKLove and Rockets active UK
Bauhaus minus Peter Murphy. Have continued the direction started with Burning from Inside, recorded while Peter was ill, and actually achieved some form of alternative stardom
Ministry active USMore industrial than Goth, but there are touches here and there, mainly bits of Twitch.
Modern English active again UKBefore they turned _totally_ into a pop band, Modern English were as dark a pop monster as there ever was. Mesh & Lace integrated samples and noise that set the standard for later generations of less talented shoe-gazing 4AD bands.
Moev active CanLike Ministry, more industrial-pop than Goth, but Yeah Whatever has it's share of angst and fits nicely into 'almost, but not quite goth'.
Mumbles active US formerly the Drowning PoolMy Dad is Dead active US
Mainly the product of one man's talents, MDID are sort of the REM of goth, if that makes any sense. Strongly rock oriented with lyrics and musical touches that put them close enough to the fringe to be included.
Naked Raygun active USthe Neon Judgement defunct BEL
In the same general area as the Cassandra Complex, more EBM than anything else, but often darker than your average EBM band.
Nice Strong Arm active USPieter Noonten/Michael Brook defunct UK/BEL Pieter is ex-Xymox, one-off
Not Drowning, Waving active US early stuff
Parade Ground active BEL
Have virtually assumed the Neon Judgment spot in the EBM/almost Goth hierarchy.
the Pixies defunct USDon't really have a place here, but i can't bring myself to drop them. guitar-noise, angst and a bass player with the voice of an angel.
Public Image Limited active UKGenerally a perverted version of a pop band. But Second Edition is a very dark, incredible record that should be recognized for being at least as Goth as Siouxsie & the Banshees have ever been.
James Ray & the Performance defunct UKA pop/dance band at heart, they got lumped in with the Goths mainly because James Ray sang on the Sisterhood's Gift and their records were put out on Merciful Release.
James Rays Gangwar defunct UKSuccessor to the Performance. Out with the keyboards and in with the guitars. Much harder edged and far closer to being a Goth band. Didn't throw out the keyboards _entirely_ though, and added some sampling to the mix as well.
Savage Republic defunct USShinjuku Thief active AUS esp. Witch Hammer lp
Siouxsie & the Banshees active UK
Walks like a Goth, looks like a Goth, but not really a Goth. Role model to thousands though, certainly. Started out as punks and have slowly been buffing those edges into the sleek pop band you see today.
Sleep Chamber active USIndustrial one-man band. a man with an obsession, and that obsession is sex. often combined lyrically with death and what could be more goth than sex and death? Spiritual kin of suicide, dive and daf
Sleeping Dogs Wake active USPK defunct UK
Mostly of that hazy border area of ambient industrial. Later turned mutant dance experiments. Graeme Revell, mastermind behind SPK, has of late turned his talents to film scoring, most notably to Goths in the score for the Crow.
Sunshot active UKthe Tear Garden active CAN/BEL
Kevin from Skinny Puppy with Edward Ka-Spel from LPD. Imagine Pink Floyd in the 80s if Sid had kept his sanity and developed an interest in samples and industrial music. Tired Eyes Slowly Burning on CD features the album + the Centre Bullet ep. The Last Man to Fly adds Dwayne from Skinny Puppy and a few more of the Dots, and is subsequently more LPD-like and not as interesting for no readily apparent reason.
Jimi Tenor and His Shamans active FinlandToyah active UK
All the art and drama we expect from a Goth, done better by and former punk turned pop craftsman. All the music is good(Minx aside), getting steadily poppier as the 80's slide on. The Blue Meaning would be a good place to start for the early stuff, and Prostitute the ideal place to start period. Also part of the inexplicable lame Sunday All Over the World with her husband, Robert Fripp.
Ultravox active again UKAgain, more pop and punks than goths, but the pre Midge Ure incarnation would not be out of place playing in a goth club, and should be more often.
the Wolfgang Press active UKAll that emerges from 4ad is not goth, but some take an album or two for that to become obvious. tWP fall under that category. Birdwood Cage is fairly poppy goth, that has given way to kinda gothy-pop.
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