The Darkness In Me

I work best to music, it's my preferred option. Silence is too all consuming whilst spoken word is too distracting, I focus on the words being said not on what I'm writing (of course despite saying that I'm typing this with Radio 4 Extra on in the background).

The music I like tends to be dark, sometimes its funny but I fled the cheese pop factory in my early teens and never went back. My teenage listening was indie, usually bands like Kingmaker and the Manic Street Preachers. When I became a Goth in some ways I took a step towards a less self loathing kind of music!

As I'm feeling lazy tonight I'm going to post links to five of my favourite songs and perhaps give you an idea of why I like them (gosh its like a sadder, more pathetic version of Desert Islands Discs isn't it?)

Anyway let's get it on:

1) The Cure: Burn

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzbRSD_rM1A

The Crow is one of my favourite films, it's beautifully shot and wonderfully poetic. I adore the scene where Eric Draven is transformed from a man spat out of the grave into a clown faced revenant vigilante and this song just makes it for me, stirring all sorts of passions inside me.

2) Sisters of Mercy: Lucretia (My Reflection)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDPqw-AA3F4

If I recall rightly this is one of the first songs my wife, Eve, introduced me to, and whilst its a great song, its the video that really sold me on it. It's so cool, I love Patricia Morrison in it, looming like an expressionist phantom.

3) The Cruxshadows: Winterborn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6M8kluGmiI

I found this band when Meltdown magazine gave away a free Dancing Ferret CD. It was love at first listen, as I'd been interested in the more Gothtronic side of Goth ever since Cara had introduced me to Rosetta Stone back in '95 (another band I love but I must admit that Cruxshadows get played far more than them when I'm working). I love the feeling of defiance the song has, the acknowledgement of pain and sacrifice and the way it then drives you onto do great things anyway.

4) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Red Right Hand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrxePKps87k

Ah Nick Cave, my only real man crush and, really, I'm after your brain with its wonderfully macabre sensibilities. This, again, is my first song, the one that popped my Nick Cave cherry and whilst he's not exactly Goth (and he'd hate to be described as that anyway), there's a drive and an energy to his music that's close enough to satisfy that hunger in me, at least. What's more his music is for grown ups, he writes funny songs about death, for people who know that dying isn't always a terrible tragedy; and dark songs about love for people who can bear to see past the first blush of attraction.

5) Voltaire: When You're Evil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTuhuon1j6U

Voltaire, clever, witty, funny and Goth, no wonder the ladies swoon. This is a really good song for writing to, it's got a really good energy and the way the tune moves keeps you moving forward. The fact that its quite funny helps too.

And that's your lot, think I'll do another of these next Friday... Post Apocalyptic music videos anyone?