Full Crüxshadows Concert

I'm on this "full concert" kick right now.

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.

The Crüxshadows - "Eurydice" (live)

Solid song from Echoes and Artifacts. I think what amazes me more though is that in over ten years, Rogue, Rachel McDonnell, and Stacey Campbell haven't aged one bit. I don't know about Chris Brantley, because he's largely kept out of the public eye since his leaving CXS.

The Crüxshadows - "Return" (in the background of Sym Bionic Titan)

The Crüxshadows shows this on their Facebook page a day or two ago, and I felt like showing it. It's a clip of a remix of "Return" that was done by The Dreamside. It's cool when you see scene music get recognized in the mainstream.

The Crüxshadows - "Resist/R" (live)

Good song from Wishfire.

The Crüxshadows - "Deception" (live)

I like the fact that there's an old video from approximately the time when the song was made for this. This feels like the most "pure" live performance of this CXS song.

The Crüxshadows - "Marilyn, My Bitterness" (live)

I totally lied to you all, earlier. I'm so not doing New Wave for three posts in a row. So, here's one of the most popular songs by The Crüxshadows (with apparently a lot more growling than I remember).

The Crüxshadows - "Tears" (live)

This is the song that got me into CXS. Here's someone's live recording of it from years after it came out.

The Crüxshadows - "Cruelty"

Like I've told you before, I'm totally a sucker for 90s hacker culture. As such, I have to show off something with that theme every so often. Here's a video of one of the older songs by The Crüxshadows, "Cruelty", from The Mystery of the Whisper. As far as I know, the song has absolutely nothing to do with the video, but the video is just really fun to watch if you're into this type of thing.

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!

Is goth becoming more mainstream? If so, is it necessarily bad? (Part II)

Yesterday, we saw the first half of the video from Dragon*Con 2009 in which a number of experts on goth answered a question regarding the mixing of goth and mainstream influences. Here is the second half of that video, and I will finish my commentary.

This is the more interesting portion, in my opinion, because this more directly focuses on the music and the club scene. First, there is a fair bit of talk about how European markets seem to be more appreciative of the innate experience of art while American markets care considerably less. Then, Rogue steps in and explains that pure goth-industrial nights in Tallahassee, FL, always failed, but there was major success when "dark disco" nights were introduced, where goth-industrial music would get mixed in with techno and pop. Finally, DJ Ichabod comes in and caps everything off by saying that the goth-industrial stuff really doesn't sound much different from modern pop.

In regard to the first point, I agree that goth and industrial genres and subgenres tend to have more success in Europe than in the US, but I'm not sure if it's entirely due to societal assumptions about the appreciation of art. I think one part of the equation is how the business of music is seemingly different in the US than it is in Europe. In the US, major music labels have a lot more power and seek to gain mass appeal, pouring vast investment into marketing. In the US, particularly in regard to music, what gets put on the radio is a result of huge cash flow swings. People listen to music in the US because it's shoved in their faces, and listeners are told that they need to listen to this music to be socially relevant. In Europe, there doesn't seem to be nearly that kind of pressure from huge record labels, and people's enjoyment of music in Europe tends to be more organic.

As for Rogue's talk about his experiences in building up a goth night in Tallahassee, I think part of his issue might have been his market. The metropolitan area has a population of less than 400K, and the city isn't surrounded by any known major goth or otherwise alternative subculture concentrations. What he did was a matter of survival in a relatively small market, but what about larger markets?

Take, for instance, goth nights in very large metropolitan areas, such as Boston, New York, or Washington, DC. Logic would state that adding pop, techno, and other non-goth-industrial things to those scene nights would dilute the brand and make people not overly interested. Unlike Tallahassee, where a crowd of 50 people would be considered a boon, in these places, prominent goth nights can easily have 200 on a so-so night. In a large market, people have choices on where to go. In that situation, would it make any sense at all to have a hybrid night, or would that be just a waste of resources?

Finally, in regard to Ichabod's point about goth-industrial sounds being similar to pop sounds, I agree with him. If you think about it, you can make a case that many types of music sound similar due to similar melodies and compositions. Furthermore, musicians intentionally borrow from other genres to add depth and uniqueness to their sound, so they don't become stale and irrelevant. That being said, certain things still sound much more pleasing to my ears than others, and even if those things sound similar to one another, there is only one that will bring a positive emotional experience.

In summary, what purpose does the meshing of goth with mainstream serve? Is it beneficial? Is it detrimental? Do you think we'll see more or less integration? The panelists seem to think this is just a passing fad, but one thing that we need to remember is that everything changes, not just the mainstream. If you look at how much post-punk music has changed and evolved over the years, it only makes sense that new things will pop out of the woodwork over time. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Is goth becoming more mainstream? If so, is it necessarily bad? (Part I)

The background for what I have to say is this excerpt from a panel from Dragon*Con 2009 in which Holly Hasty, Jessica Lackey, and Rogue from The Crüxshadows, DJ Ichabod, Michelle Belanger, and DJ Spider participated. The questions presented are about how goth culture elements are meandering their way into the mainstream.

The first part is mostly about Twilight and the ilk becoming mainstream hits and making elements that were originally part of the niche goth subculture into things that were accessible to everyone. I felt the first video rambled a bit, so I won't focus too much on it. But in short, the point seems to be that by having gothic elements become part of the the mainstream, it makes goth more acceptable and goth things won't be as likely to be singled out as bad, unacceptable, or deviant because they're goth. Although I agree with that sentiment from a logical standpoint, I feel we need to be careful about the general premise of what "goth" is. Can "goth" be broken down to a set of elements, or is it more complicated than that?

I remember the South Park episode in which the brooding goth kids went completely insane when everyone else in the school started getting into Twilight and wearing goth fashion, as prescribed by Hot Topic. At the end of the show, the goth kids burned down the Hot Topic and everything went back to its previous status quo. Obviously, South Park isn't going to give us a deep insider's understanding of the goth subculture, but I do think that they give an excellent portrayal of what people on the outside think goths are. Of course, Matt and Trey portrayed the goth kids as a number of the stereotypes that much of the mainstream does for goths, such as making them prone to substance abuse. I think the key idea that is at the center of that episode though is the set of interactions based on inclusion and exclusion.

Based on the perceptions of the writers, the goths not only feel like they have been scorned by the mainstream society, but they also feel territorial about their place within it. The goth kids feel like their boundaries have been breached and seek to assimilate with the prior status quo as a means of rebellion. They end up feeling completely directionless and decide to take matters into their own hands to accelerate the end of the wave of mainstream goth.

Although I do not suggest that South Park is a bastion of enlightenment, I do think they bring up a good talking point that goes back to the talk of the panel. Is the concept of goth a boundary that self-proclaimed goths establish? Is there an unacceptable price to be paid by acceptance into the mainstream? Much of the gothic subculture revolves around feelings of self-expression, but one could argue that self-expression that aligns itself to the status quo really doesn't express anything at all. Or if something is expressed, it's not novel or interesting.

If goth is considered to be "deviant" by the mainstream, then when gothic elements become wrapped up into the mainstream, an impasse is created. It leads to a slew of conflicting messages about the attitudes and identities of the subculture. I think a significant amount of the backlash that sometimes gets created by mainstream goth is because people who self-identify within the subculture begin to feel confused about their identity. Many goths care so much about their identity as "goth", and when something threatens the definitions of what they think they are, these people panic. In short, backlash against mainstream goth is a reaction of fear.

Do goths have anything to fear by mainstream usage of gothic elements? Do you think there is a threat to identity? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

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.

Free Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com

A blast from the past: The Crüxshadows - "Winterborn"

If you're wondering what got me into this stuff, here's a song from near the beginning of my time being interested in the whole scene. I had been into industrial for about a year and a half or so, and I was starting to branch out into related genres. I got very much into The Crüxshadows in early-2003 with Wishfire, and that is probably my favorite album by CXS. But "Winterborn" from Ethernaut was and still is most definitely my favorite song by the band.

In my opinion, this song perfectly exemplifies what I think of when someone mentions The Crüxshadows to me. It was stuff like this that got me into them. Other songs that I think of when I think of them are "Tears", "Deception", and "Within". That's not to say their old stuff or their new stuff is not worth mentioning, but it was their kind of "middle era" music that really got me hooked and what holds a special place in my heart. It had that perfect balance between the broodiness and mystery of the older stuff and the high-tech, upbeat tunes they tend to make now.

My interest in The Crüxshadows was kind of a turning point in my musical interests, and in some ways, my life. Before I got into them, my becoming a fan of previous musicians was always a result of someone else within my social spheres telling me about them and instigating my interest. The Crüxshadows was the first band that I really got into because I took the extra step to find out about them after having seen them live during a weekly club night that I normally went to. I searched for as much information about them as I could, and I created my own interest from scratch. As a result, they will always be special to me. They will always be aligned with at least a small portion of my identity as a person, because my memories truly feel like mine and not like stuff I just borrowed from someone else.