Gia's Favorite Dark Culture Links

With my favorite holiday Halloween just around the corner, it seems that everyone is getting in tune with their inner goth. If only for the season, and if only for pretend.

What is Goth? Ah, the age-old question. Okay, maybe not age old, but it's been around for a while in a number of contexts. There's the Eastern Germanic Goths, Gothic architecture, Gothic Romanticism, even Gothic typeface. That said, I'm going to talk about Gothic (or Goth) subculture.

Actually, I'm not going actually going to talk about it at all; I'm not even going to define it. There are articles on that subject all over the place, even on this site. Look them up. Books, too. If I may, I'd like to recommend Voltaire's What is Goth?

In fact, I'd like to recommend a bunch of sites. Some of them spooky. Most of them dark. Some of them not considered Goth at all. But all of them showcasing just really cool stuff, music, and artists.

(DISCLAIMER: This list is a bit biased, per say. It is indeed a list of my favorite sites and most them are either run or supported by my friends, sites or places I visit regularly, or people I've had the fortunate opportunity to work with. It is no way a comprehensive list, but it is a good one. I promise you. But go ahead, see for yourself.)

One more thing, before we go any further, I'd like to call on the immortal words of Ministry:

Well I live with snakes and lizards

And other things that go bump in the

Night cos to me everyday is halloween

I have given up hiding and started to fight

I have started to fight well any time,

Any place, anywhere that I go all the

People seem to stop and stare they say

'why are you dressed like it's halloween?

You look so absurd, you look so obscene'

O, why can't I live a life for me?

Why should I take the abuse that's served?

Why can't they see they're just like me it's

The same, it's the same in the whole wide world...

--Ministry (Every Day is Halloween)

Dressing up is fun for everyone and here are some unique clothing and accessory retailers that cater to darker (and often more fethishy) tastes:

Obscuria

Athenais Designs

Dementia Clothing

Demonia Shoes

Lip Service

I Kick Shins

Cypherlox

Then you'll need somewhere to go depending on where you live or if you're up for a road trip:

Haven (Northampton, MA)

Ceremony (Boston, MA)

Ulteria (New Haven, CT)

Termination (Brattleboro, VT)

Resurrection (Manchester, NH)

Original Sin (Albany, NY)

Contempt (New York, NY)

Gothic Maine (ME)

Hexxt (Atlanta, GA)

If a night isn't enough, how about a multi-day festival:

Eccentrik Festival

Wave-Gotik-Treffen

Blacksun Festival (my personal favorite)

Bats Day in the Fun Park

While you're there, you'll be listening to artists from some of the following record labels:

Projekt Records

Dancing Ferret Records

Metropolis Records

Cleopatra Records

Nilaihah Records

If you want to learn more about the music and the fashion:

Gothic Beauty

Carpe Nocturne

If you are looking to network:

Vampire Freaks (highly, highly recommended)

Gothic Personals

Gothic Match (To be honest, wasn't a huge fan, but thought I would list it anyway. It may have just not worked for me.)

And last, but absolutely not least, some of my favorite artists and bands:

Rubicat Design and Photography

Jeremy Saffer

Addambombb

Mike Saga

No Response

Xerotime

Stephanie D'Ranged

Cynthia Sheppard

Matt Towler

Joe Wilson

Red Seth

Black Tape for a Blue Girl

Das Ich

The Dark Clan

Zombie Girl

Voltaire

Combichrist (Okay, I don't know them, I've never worked with them, but not only is the music aweseome and they put on a great show, they sing about my uncle.)

Happy Halloween!