Post #500 - The Top Five Songs Nobody Should Disrespect in My Presence

Since this is the 500th post, I figure I'll do something interesting for this. So, here is a list of the top five songs for which I hold the most reverence, for one reason or another. Three of these were very easy choices, but it was hard to make it to a list of five, because a solid dozen songs could have made it into the last two.

So, here's my list, in no particular order:

Spider Lilies - "Mirror in the Dark"

How can anyone make a knock against the already talented Spider Lilies, with former Crüxshadow, Stacey Campbell, and Chad VanPelt teaming up with Rachel McDonnell?

VNV Nation - "Standing"
This song brings back quite a lot of memories of my early days within the scene. I still listen to this song quite often, because it shows just how incredible and timeless VNV Nation truly is.



I:Scintilla - "Swimmers Can Drown"
This masterpiece by I:Scintilla single-handedly got me back into the scene when I was facing a heavy rut. If it wasn't for this song, I might still be listening to Paramore and Flyleaf on a daily basis.



The Crüxshadows - "Tears"
This song was what got me into a particular band for the first time. Before then, I was just listening to random songs, but this song made me become a huge fan of The Crüxshadows. For the first time, I felt like I had a band that was "mine".



Tying Tiffany - "Drownin'"

OK, did anyone ~not~ expect this on the list? Seriously? I know I was a little bit of a jerk for slow rolling you, but come on. If you know me or know about me even the tiniest bit, you don't even need an explanation for this.

This Hollow Machine - Cycle

This is Chad VanPelt's solo project's first album. If you're expecting something that sounds like Spider Lilies, you'll be horribly disappointed. If you like stuff like Android Lust's instrumentals, then you'll like this.

Axum Lounge - March 2, 2013

So, last Saturday, I drove about four hours to mainly go to see Spider Lilies at Axum Lounge in Washington, DC. I knew there were going to be at least a couple of other bands after Spider Lilies played that would be my style of music, too, but the bands before Spider Lilies were a little out of my realm of interest. Still, for $10, being able to see up to six bands play was quite the bargain.

Axum Lounge is a very small, cozy venue. The downstairs is an Ethiopian restaurant, but the upstairs is kind of a dive bar. I was pleasantly surprised to find the restrooms to be as clean as they were. I usually expect places like that to have restrooms to resemble that of seedy gas stations, but this place was a refreshing boon in that regard. Considering I had to drive not too long after having just gotten there, drinking was totally out of the question for me, so I can't really make any comments about the bar. The bottled water that Stacey Campbell's boyfriend, photographer Daniel Sergei, bought for me didn't seem shady, so I guess that's a plus. My only real complaint with the place was that the volume on the speakers was a bit too high for the size of the room. It was difficult to have any sort of conversation in the venue, regardless of wherever I stood.

Anyway, how were the bands?

The first band that popped on stage was Nila Kay. I did not envy their opening role for this event. It seemed like the crowd wasn't into them, although this band certainly wasn't bad. Their music reminded me of some 90s pop. Des'ree instantly popped into my mind, although some of Nila Kay's songs were a bit more danceable than what Des'ree did. I'm definitely not an expert on this kind of music, so I can't really get into too much detail about my opinions. I do think they might have gotten a more energized crowd though had they been booked for a venue with music more like theirs.

Here was their set list:

1. Tonight
2. Turn It Up
3. Drive
4. No Escape
5. Tongue-Tied
6. Hand Jive
7. Wallflower
8. Soda Pop

Nila Kay had this to say about the concert:

"This was a fun show at Axum, I was happy that there was a sound person there this time. The bartender was just as characteristically unenthusiastic as she was the last time I was there, ha ha. She does not look happy to be there! Although the turn out was bigger at the last show I played here, I still had a good time. The band after us was pretty good and they had a lot of funny drunken friends...I sold a C.D. and a couple people signed my mailing list. 

...Just another night I guess. Onto the next show!"

I'm totally not commenting on that part about the bartender. Those two can duke it out. Heh heh. That being said, let's talk about These Future Saints.

 (Property of These Future Saints, used with explicit permission)

(Property of These Future Saints, used with explicit permission)

These Future Saints played after Nila Kay, and they seemed to be pretty much the cookie cutter definition of indie rock. Again, this was another band that I really didn't feel overly qualified to comment on, since their genre is outside of my interests, but they had a good enough sound, I guess. Nila Kay was quite accurate in mentioning the drunk population during the set though. Many people seemed rather -- energized in the crowd. I think a good number of people too went specifically to see them play and didn't stick around for the rest of the bands.

This is what they played at Axum:

1. Love and Excuses
2. Catch and Release
3. Take Care
4. I Can't Win (The Strokes cover)
5. Come Around
6. Fit for a King
7. Separation
8. Reverie
9. Blackjack


Here is what the band had to say about that night:


"Our set at Axum Lounge was our second official show.  As a band starting out, we're constantly working to improve and perfect our live performances, and with each show we're getting more tighter and comfortable with the audience.  At Axum, the small crowd provided a fun, intimate setting for our set that was well received.  We had a great time, and look forward to providing our audience with the best show we possibly can.

The upstairs at Axum Lounge had a decent setup given the size limitations.  There were some sound issues ranging from a lack of monitors to overbearing PA speakers near the back of the room that really could have been shut off.  Despite these issues everything sounded reasonably well and we easily moved past them and into a good show.  

Overall we did not enjoy the venue, and we will likely not return, which is unfortunate because DC desperately needs more venues that support live original music.  Through setting up and performing this show, it became clear to us that they were not interested in supporting or respecting the musicians that choose to work with them.  The focus was the venue making a quick buck off bands looking for places to play."

I can't really comment on the venue's role in scene politics. I had never been there before this concert, and I don't know the people who run the establishment at all. I do hope this grievance is resolved between the two parties though, because venues do need to have feedback from all stakeholders to get an adequate idea of how to maintain good business.

Now, onto talking about the band that I paid to see, Spider Lilies.

 (Property of Sergei Photography, used with explicit permission)

There is no way I can possibly comment on Spider Lilies in a way that would even pretend to show any level of objectivity. Obviously, I'm going to tell you that they put on a performance that would have given Queen's Live Aid performance a run for its money. So, instead of gushing out hyperbole, especially since I have video footage for you all to see on your own to judge, I'll tell you some interesting details.

For one, Stacey Campbell was just getting over laryngitis. She had gone on an intensive regimen earlier in the week to make sure she could sing by concert day. I think she did a bang-up job getting into the necessary shape. Also, Chad VanPelt wore an I:Scintilla hoodie to the show, and I noticed that right away. Considering how anyone who reads this blog knows just how absurd I am about doting on I:Scintilla, needless to say, I couldn't help myself but to compliment Chad on his choice of apparel. Furthermore, all in all, Stacey, Chad, and Daniel (Stacey's boyfriend) were all incredibly nice, sociable people, and I found them to be totally down-to-earth.

Here's what they played at this event:

1. Metaphor (live footage)
2. Soft Green Eyes (live footage)
3. Follow (live footage)
4. Surgery (live footage)
5. Idolatry (live footage)
6. Within (live footage)
7. Serene (live footage)
8. Mirror in the Dark (live footage)
9. Pay (live footage)

Stacey had this to say about the show:

"It was a fun, intimate little show. The sound wasn't bad, and a bunch of our favorite people were there."

Chad had this to say:

"It’s always great to get out and play live, especially local shows. We’re in the process of working on the new album, so shows like this that pop up are a nice way to keep connected to our local fans and let folks know that we’re still around and still active even if we’re not playing shows all the time right now. Sharing the bill with friends, other local bands, is also a plus."

Wait -- did you just say "new album", good sir? Mr. VanPelt, you must tell me more about this "new album" of which you speak. But anyway, I need to give some article space to the other bands of the night. The next one that came on stage was dharmata 101.

(Property of Sergei Photography, used with explicit permission)

So class, what do you get when you mix Buddhist philosophy with good old-fashioned industrial and EBM? The correct answer to this question is dharmata 101, obviously. At the show, it looked like the band might have been having technical difficulties, so it was a good while, about twenty minutes after scheduled start time, before dharmata was able to start. It was definitely worth the wait though. The second song in their set, "Magnetic Stripe Down", was probably my favorite. It was a cold, slightly uncomfortable explanation of why lusting after money is the root of all evil. I found "Oxygen" to be the most danceable song of the night and would totally recommend it to any DJ who wants a song that will get people moving. Overall, I thought dharmata 101 had a good thing going here, and I would definitely be interested in seeing where they go from here.

This was their set list for the night:

1. Mile One
2. Magnetic Stripe Down
3. Oxygen
4. Emoticon
5. Emancip8
6. Hello Cruel World
7. > I (Dada In Motion)
8. The Five Shackles

JSun Bruner, frontman for dharmata 101, had this to say about the show:

"We think the concert went splendidly, save a couple small technical issues at the beginning of our set. Though short a member (our bass player isn't old enough to perform at a 21+ establishment), we ran through the bulk of the music from our forthcoming concept album 'the five shackles' (the first half of which can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/dharmata-101/the-five-shackles-part-1). We were extraordinarily lucky to have shared the bill with both Spider Lilies and Lenorable, who rounded out a wonderful night for all in attendance."

Chad VanPelt commented on the dharmata 101 performance, too:

"Dharmata 101 keeps evolving his live show and that’s been great to see over the years, adding Ace on keyboards for this incarnation of the band. Jsun’s got new D101 material in the works so getting an ear on some of that in a live setting is cool."

I thought dharmata 101 had an excellent stage presence throughout the whole thing. They didn't have a huge stage to work with, but they knew work really well with what they had.

Unfortunately, I had to leave after this set, but there was one more band who played. After having listened to Lenorable's stuff at home after the show, I really wish I could have stayed, because this is the kind of stuff that's right up my alley. I especially liked the video for "Ligeia".

(Property of Sergei Photography, used with explicit permission)

I didn't get to see the show, so I can't comment directly on their performance. Here is their set list though:

1. The Prince

2. She Waits

3. The Puppet Man

4. Metamorphosis

5. Disconnect

6. Ligeia

7. Charlie Darling

Here is what Ian Graham, Lenorable guitarist, said about their experience at the event:

"We didn't know what exactly to expect at Axum, since we'd neither played there before nor had we worked with their promoter, and a 1:30am set is late for DC shows. We've always considered our music to be at least related to modern gothic rock, since we're so heavily influenced by bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division and Clan of Xymox. When you label yourself with a term like 'goth,' which is so near and dear to so many people, you hope you do it justice. It was cool to see fans of Spider Lilies and Dharmata 101, who both have stronger ties to the DC goth scene than we do, react to us positively."

From what I hear, you all did just fine. Here's what Chad VanPelt had to say about the Lenorable set:

"Lenorable is a relatively new band that I’ve been introduced to and always look forward to seeing. They have a really nice post-punk shoegaze sound that really translates well live. Guitarist Ian Graham’s shoegaze presence is balanced out well by Vocalist Lisa Reed’s energetic movement between verses."

So, there you have it. Five bands in one night in a tiny upstairs room in DC. Overall, I had tons of fun. Obviously, I would have been happy to just see Spider Lilies for ten bucks, so seeing quality shows out of the rest of the bands was an incredible bonus. I would really like to see a five or six-band megashow once again, although I would like there to be more of a cohesive theme next time around. Although Nila Kay and These Future Saints were certainly decent bands on their own, I think both of those bands would have gained a lot more benefit from being in concerts with bands similar to theirs. Likewise, I think Spider Lilies, dharmata 101, and Lenorable would rock if they did another concert, especially if another goth/industrial band or two were to get thrown into the mix. Final verdict: If you didn't go, you really, really missed out.

Spider Lilies - "Axum Lounge, March 2, 2013" (live)

I got the honor of taping the Spider Lilies set at Axum Lounge this past Saturday. Here is the video, so everyone can see just what they missed if they didn't show up! Also, I will do a write-up about the concert soon, but I'm still waiting to hear from some of the musicians in regard to things I wanted to put in the article. It'll come soon!

Spider Lilies - "Serene" + tour date

You already saw this video if you read my interview with Stacey Campbell from a little while back, but I wanted to use this opportunity to show it to you again and to tell you that Spider Lilies is playing this Saturday at Axum Lounge. If you want to see Spider Lilies play, this is just as good of a time as any. There will also be sets by Nila Kay, These Future Saints, Dharmata 101, Lenorable, and Pleasure Curses. For more information about the event, go here.

Project Pitchfork - "Existence" + tour date announcement

I'm in a very Project Pitchforkish mood right now, so I feel like you all should be, as well.



But there is more to tonight's post! I just heard that Project Pitchfork is coming to Empire in Springfield, VA on June 2. And that's not all! Ayria and Spider Lilies are going to be there, too! This event is going to rock your socks. You don't want to miss this.

Industrial charity

(Public Domain License)

One thing that I wanted to highlight for a while now has been the different charitable things people within the goth-industrial scene have done. Although this is drastically not a comprehensive list of nice things that musicians have done ever, this just gives you a taste of their humanity.

Honestly, what finally got me off my duff to write this post is the fact Spider Lilies joined Music for Good on ReverbNation today to give a portion of their proceeds to charity: water, an organization that focuses on making it so people in developing nations have access to potable water.

I:Scintilla gave a portion of their proceeds from the sales of the Dying and Falling EP to help the victims of the 2011 Tohuku earthquake in Japan.

Helalyn Flowers donated music in 2012 for "The Greenlight Bundle" on groupees.com, which donated proceeds to War Child International, Make a Wish, and the Sandy Hook School Support Fund.

Trent Reznor raised money to help someone pay for hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses incurred from a heart transplant in 2009.

Finally, Emilie Autumn released a charity single, By the Sword, after the events of 9/11 to raise money for AmeriCares and the American Red Cross.

Like I said, I'm probably only just scratching the surface here, but the goth-industrial community does a lot of good things for people. If you know of other musicians who have given to charity or performed other charitable acts, let me know!

Interview with Stacey Campbell

For most of you, if Stacey Campbell's name rings a bell, you're probably thinking, "Oh, didn't she used to play guitar and backup vocals for The Crüxshadows?" Yes, that is correct. But what a lot of you may not know (unless you read my previous article about her) is that she has been making a fair amount of music since leaving The Crüxshadows. Her project, Spider Lilies, has been going on for a while now. But you don't really need me to explain it to you again, do you? Why have me talk about it when Stacey can talk about it much better than I can?

Audio Cantrips: Although the intention of this interview is to be forward-looking and talk about your new stuff, admittedly, a lot of people out there may not even know you've been making music or doing anything at all since your exit from The Crüxshadows. Could you briefly explain in just a general sense what you've been doing since then?

Stacey Campbell: I resurrected the Spider Lilies project because I was inspired to finish some of my own musical ideas, and create new songs, with the ability to see them through to the end.  The Spider Lilies has gone through some lineup changes, and I think each member has had a positive influence on the Spider Lilies sound.

Audio Cantrips: I've been listening to "Serene", and I can't help but to think there's a bit of industrial influence in it. There's a bit more scratchiness and buzzing to the background, and from 0:07 to 0:13, that almost reminded me of something I would have heard from a slower nineties-style Nine Inch Nails song. Am I completely off my rocker here? Even if you don't believe there's a distinct industrial influence, it does sound more electronic than what I've been used to hearing from Spider Lilies. Is that a new trend?

Stacey Campbell: I've always liked industrial music, but it doesn't come through in my music so much, maybe because I incorporate such strong melody.  I am honored that you hear some 90's NIN influence!  I love Nine Inch Nails for their harsh electronic sound, but sexy rhythms.  For Serene, I used dubstep drum loops, but nothing too extreme.  Serene has kind of a sexy rhythm too, I think.

Audio Cantrips: Is it safe to assume there's a new album coming in the near future? If so, what can you tell us about it?

Stacey Campbell: I am working on some ideas for a new album, but I can't say when it will be finished.  Serene will probably included.  I have another danceable track I've been working on, and a ballad.

Audio Cantrips: What can you tell us about the inspirations for your music? In particular, I'm very curious about about the lyrics. Many of your songs seem to be about pain or revenge. Are these songs derived from personal experiences?

Stacey Campbell: Yes, they are mostly derived from personal experiences, or an interpretation of an experience that didn't happen to me, but I found inspiring.  Sometimes I take inspiration from other art and string it together in some kind of poetic collage, to ultimately form some kind of surreal vision or journey.  My hope is that even if I don't spell out a situation entirely, the listener will feel and imagine things as they listen, and then my songs will develop a personal significance for them.

Audio Cantrips: I'm under the impression most people are capable of reading your "About" section on the band's Facebook page, so I won't ask you about who your influences are musically. But I was wondering if you could tell us a bit more depth in how they influence you. What would you say you like about what other musicians do and try to incorporate in your own work?

Stacey Campbell: Some artists are strong lyrical influences certain artists like The Cure, Stevie Nicks, Sinead O'Connor, Ego Likeness, and Nine Inch Nails encourage me to try to open up and write lyrics that have poetic quality, but are also raw and truthful as possible, even if the truth is hidden in metaphor.  A lot of the darkwave/EBM influences I've listed (VNV Nation, Covenant) encourage me to create rhythms that make people want to dance and move, to make the live experience fun and exciting for us and for the audience.  Many of these bands are ones I sing along with in my car.  I often think of it as a sort of vocal training, so of course they are influences!

Audio Cantrips: I haven't heard of you all touring much as of late. You've only played a few live shows right around the DC area. Do you intend to go on tour anytime soon? If not, do you intend to do more live shows locally, at least? What about Dragon*Con?

Stacey Campbell: I would like to finish the next album, and plan more of a tour when its done.  Until then, we've been playing shows every so often around the region.  The DC metro area is a good place for random shows, because we have DC, Baltimore, Virginia, and the New York metro area to book, without having too far to travel in a short amount of time.  We play whenever there's a good opportunity that we are able to take.  We still have to work music into our lives with full-time regular job schedules, and Chad lives a few hours away, so scheduling can be challenging.  It's also difficult sometimes to switch gears from writing to performing, psychologically and temporally.  Practicing, planning, promoting, booking and performing live shows is a different mindset than dreaming and writing, so if possible, I prefer to get the writing done first, and then take the results on tour to share with the world.  It just takes longer that way.  Sorry about that.

Audio Cantrips: You all did a gig at the Multiple Sclerosis Fantasy Ball in October 2012. It was part of a major event for charity, and there were a number of bands there. Could you tell us a bit more about your show there and what it was like?

Stacey Campbell: The show was a lot of fun, and for a good cause.  We played a short set, and had some unusual technical difficulties resulting from interference with my wireless microphone.  Even so, it was a great experience, and we'd love to do it again! I still have tons of pictures I need to post from the ball.

Audio Cantrips: What has been your most memorable Spider Lilies live event?

Stacey Campbell: DragonCon, definitely.  It was fantastic to be up on stage with Rachel McDonnell again for that show.  The crowd was excellent, and filled with some of our biggest fans and dear friends.

Audio Cantrips: Finally, what are your future plans for the short and long-term?

Stacey Campbell: I'm not sure whether these goals will end up as short or long-term achievements, but I'd like to finish the next album, do a short tour and more shows in the region to support it, and build up our live show with more members and perhaps some enhanced visuals.  Then... do it all again!

This is the post where I talk about Spider Lilies.

A new year is supposed to be all about new beginnings, but I'm going to start off 2013 with a bit of nostalgia.

Who remembers Stacey Campbell, former guitarist and backup vocalist for The Crüxshadows? She had been around for Wishfire, Ethernaut, Frozen Embers, and Echoes and Artifacts. I know I certainly remember her, because she was my favorite member when I first got into that band. I was actually quite sad to see her leave. After she left, I heard a little something about her being in another band, but I didn't keep up with it.

That other band she went to was Spider Lilies, the band she had created before her stint with CXS. She likes to call it "electronic dark rock", although there are a number of people out there who like to stick the darkwave label on the band. Regardless of what anyone wants to call it, it's incredible. It's dark and broody, but the beats aren't lethargic. If you want a good idea of what to start with, my favorite songs are "Mirror in the Dark" and "Nearly Forgotten" from Cyclogenesis, "My Love" and "In the Light" from In the Light, and "Disaster (The Prime Time Player Mix by The Dark Clan)" and "Mirror in the Dark (Clan of Xymox Mix)" from Eyes of the Storm, Spider Lilies's remix album.

I wish the band had more influence outside of Washington, DC. They went to Dragon*Con once, as far as I know, but the band has mostly stuck around the Mid-Atlantic region. They don't seem to play too many shows, either. The last one was on October 27, 2012, at the Multiple Sclerosis Fantasy Ball with a number of other bands. The show before that was in July. From what I understand, they haven't really toured in recent days (if at all).

This band is nothing short of amazing and is on my top five bands/musicians I simply have to see live within the next year (with I:Scintilla, Unter Null, and Tying Tiffany being easily in that list, too, but I'd have to think about who'd take the last slot). With that, I leave you with their ReverbNation streaming playlist.

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