Blast From the Past - Rediscovering My Old Youtube Channel

When I made my (first) Youtube channel I had one intention in mind - to illegally upload rare music that wasn't uploaded to Youtube before. I've used the website to discover new music (and still do), so I was very disappointed to not be able to find certain songs by my favorite artists. This needed to be changed.

At certain point Youtube changed it's policy and tied all the accounts to Google, which made me start using my current account and forget about the old one. But still the old one lives with thousands of views on the different songs I've uploaded, comments from all over the world and people thanking me for sharing the music. Even friends posting an occasional song here and there on Facebook, probably unaware that it was me who uploaded it ;)
I wouldn't upload any piece of music by any artist without their consent nowadays, but looking back and my most favorite music from when I was 17-20 makes me nostalgic and happy to have encapsulated this small fragment of my personality online.
If you haven't noticed, documenting myself is one of my favorite things to do.

So aside from a few embarrassing high school boredom moments, I've started the channel by sharing my fascination with Peter Hammil's music by uploading 2 of his songs from his "mid life crisis" album, Over. This number is in my opinion one of his best songs:

Uploaded in 2008, back when making a song-Youtube video involved making titles and credits....
Seriously though, this song is haunting! If you're planning on geting devorced, buried in a suit or committing suicide in the process, this one's for you.

Things got real when Boris and I discovered The Birthday Party, which made me want to upload some songs that have never seen the light of Youtube, like Zoo Music Girl and Ho-Ho. The latter was a more favorite song, but not having them online felt like a miss. I tried uploading Mutiy In Heaven, one of my favorite songs, but it always got put down due to copyright. And as an aspiring 17 year old longing to share this geniussness of post punk with the world, I felt very betrayed...

There were a few other numbers in between, like a part of Einstürzende Neubauten's song from their movie Halber Mensch (with a very wrong german-title attempt), which I've idolized at the time, and some songs by Russian & Ukranian musicians like Kolibri and Fleur.

Discovering Cinema Strange was totally a thing, and I began uploading a few missing songs. I was getting to know all these goth bands, it felt so great! I can still feel my excitement through these silly uploads; wanting to know more about the band, wanting to grasp every aspect of it!

One of my favorite Cinema Strage songs is actually a small instrumental from their Quatorze Examples album. Very eerie and atmospheric, not so over-the-top as they're otherwise are. I bet not many people know this song to begin with!

Do you know why I liked this so much? It reminded me of Opeth's accoustic pieces. The "Maria seal of approval".

Are you ready for the next atomic bomb of this blast from the past?! I'm not sure you are, because aside from me writing about it here and there, I have never actually shared any visual evidence of my army service.

This is perhaps one of the most "Israeli things" you can get. Soldier girls dancing in their uniform like it's no big deal. For most of you, the fact that we are actually soldier girls is already pretty unheard of. But it's Israel, baby, and as a very none-rebellious, obedient teenager - I was hoarded into the army system just like the rest of them.

Just a quick note here - the army was the worst time in my life, and instead of serving the normal 2 years for girls (!!!) I have been there 9 months before I said "fuck it", went to the army psychologist and bailed out on lying about mental problems, suicide and depression. Except that I wasn't lying. I was in a place/system where I hated everyone and everything, didn't believe in its common goal and felt like all my potential, my very true being and my determination in life has been taken away for something that served the most ridiculous purpose. Sure, I am smiling in that video, because I can adapt very well and was never one to sit in a corner and mop. But soon enough, every little sell in me would rage in despair, for I would want a different life, a different choice with a completely different goal in mind.

Since going to the army is so embedded in the Israeli politics/culture/etc, NOT doing it is still considered a huge no-go. You get judged, you are told it's a bad decision for your "future". And it's all bullshit.

And after 9 horrific months, 6 of which were spent without Boris since we broke up, things have changed. Gloriously. I have never rebelled at the age of 14, 15 or 17. I rebelled at 19.

My army experience definitely deserves a post of its own. Or few...

But for the time being, we were dancing the stupid polka song because we were waiting half an hour to get the permission to go home for the weekend. And it was fun!

I am first from the left.
I spent only the first 3 weeks in a classic military camp through my basic training period. After that my service looked nothing like it, I went home every day after teaching a class at grade school. Many soldiers have it way worse in the Israeli army; people stay for months in the base; people actually fight and see their comrades getting killed. My service and "struggles" are considerably humble in comparison, but hey, it's my life and my own perspective on it...

Things began to get even gothier on my channel when I started posting some Corpus Delicti. I was somewhere around 20. I still love listening to that band no matter how cheesy they are.

There were other bands like Neva that I uploaded, which at the time I though I was the only person in Israel even being aware of this band. What growing up in the periphery of the world does to your feeling of self importance :)

Another notable mention from my channel would have to be Boris' post punk band from that time, Vivid Noir. They had a few gigs and even recorded an EP, but unfortunately broke up shortly after. Some recorded songs can still be found on youtube, uploaded by their synth player.

I looked up to every one of them. I glanced at their singer in awe for being so badass. I was definitely the biased groupie, no less. I was excited something like this has even happened in a relatively "sceneless" country like Israel, at least when you talk post punk...

Luckily, things have changed a bit since 2011 and there are new bands on the rise. Those were fun times though...

I have continued to document other shit on my current channel. All those old videos of me awkwardly talking to the camera... Since I enjoy browsing my previous channel so much, I know I will never delete them :)

Maria

What I Dislike About My Favorite Bands?!

I frequently criticize the things I love. Surprising? Not really... I love finding out why I like what I like; what makes a piece of art - be it a book, a film or a piece of music - touching? Why am I attached to something so much? I am the last person to try and explain things with reason, so my "search for meaning" is rather introspective - I just want to understand myself better by questioning what I love. 

So lets play a game where I pick out my favorite bands and ruthlessly elaborate about what I don't like about them. I am always praising my favorite bands/albums/songs, but nothings is perfect. Balance should be everywhere, and even Opeth are no exception (gasp!). Speaking of which:

Ok, so it's my favorite band in the world, right? Well, up until a certain album. And that certain album is Watershed. Ever since Opeth dropped the death metal subcategory of their music and took things more 70s prog rock, fans have been divided into 2 groups - people who love the "new" Opeth, and people who hate the "new" Opeth. I definitely belong to the latter group. I respect Opeth immensely for always changing and doing what they like, a band can never be stuck in one place, it's impossible and kind of disappointing. 

But things finally ended with Heritage for me, what a strange Jethro Tull attempt... What a contrast to the heavier sound of Blackwater Park and Deliverance; where are the growls, where are the heartbreaking waves of guitars? I don't think you can fully remake 70s prog rock, with all my love for 70s prog rock... 

Their last album Sorceress didn't make things better either. I could appreciate it, sure, but Opeth will forever be the gloomy, death/doom mix of their first few albums, which I find remarkable. My humble opinions on the Opeth discography deserve a post of their own, but as long as Mikael Akerfeldt doesn't growl, I and a lot of other "old" Opeth fans are not too happy.

Fortunately, they play a majority of old songs live and going to their gigs is an experience I want to relive every single day of my life.

And another thing: for the most part, I couldn't care for their lyrics. Sure, I cite Opeth lyrics like all the time, and I have my Instagram to prove it. But it's just sentences here and there that I find beautiful. When I was younger, I tried reading the lyrics of my most favorite songs but couldn't make sense of it. Yeah, dream/forest/woman/sadness blah blah blah.... every now and then I would enjoy an entire song's lyrics, but it's rare. I just love the music, really. I really can't stand their lyrics videos, who cares?

I am such a hypocrite fan ;)

Nothing makes lyrics more irrelevant for me than my next favorite band - The Mars Volta. Really, Cedric Bixler Zavala, aside from being an incredible singer and a gorgeous looking man, has really fucked the whole lyrics thing up.

I know, I know - super progressive, philosophical, our of this world, beyond consciousness and acid worthy lyrics type of shit going on. I get it, it's what TMV are all about. But come one - I can't even remember at least 1 song by it's lyrics (ok, not entirely true but still) plus they make zero sense. It's completely abstract and to some may sound unemotional at all. 

Frankly, TMV's music is so emotional to me that like with many bands that I love - I couldn't care less about the lyrics. But god, can you at least give me a thread here? Lead me to at least a hint of a story? 

Here's an example of one of my favorite songs, Inertiatic ESP (the title "says it all"):

"What of this mongrel architect   

a broken arm of sewers set 

past present and future tense 

clipside of the pinkeye fountain  

Now I'm lost" 

 Yeah, I'm fucking lost too...

Next up are....

What can I possibly not like about Bauhaus? Well, maybe the fact that they don't play anymore? At least not in that formation, it's just Peter Murphy now (which I haven't seen live yet! urgh...).

There's the whole lyrics part again. Have you tried reading Bauhaus lyrics? They are pretty abstract most of the time... they're not even that goth (because Bauhaus are technically not goth - ha!); they're not even that romantic either... I mean, Peter Murphy sure gives you a sleazy, disturbing feeling with his attitude as a front man. I've always found it interesting, so I guess I cannot mention it as something I dislike.

Another thing would be - yet this is a contribution of the goth subculture - that Bauhaus are regarded as a goth band. They're so not, and Peter Murphy himself stated that they couldn't make sense of the goth label. Bauhaus are a post punk band - a post punk band with dub influences and a bunch of other shit. Shrinking them into just the goth label is frankly an insult to this great band.

And last but not least...

Just please release an album already!!!!!

I think I've said enough for now. Maybe we can continue this another day?

What do you dislike about your favorite bands the most? 

Maria

My 2016 In Music

Last 2016 recap of the year. I thought of making a video for this post, but these music recaps are mainly done for myself, plus I had a cold the past few days so my voice is very nasal.


Here's the music recaps of 2015 & 2014.


This year has been a long musical journey. I don't remember listening to so many different genres and so many bands in the last couple of years. I definitely grew distant from post punk like never before, which is a strange feeling, considering how much love I have for the genre.
Above all, I've returned to musical realms from the past and was excited to enjoy them like I've never did, which is a rare experience with bands one is already familiar with.


I've also listened to heavier music, inspiring myself to make it one day. And by the end of this year, this is what I'm wishing for the most.

1. And Also The Trees

And Also The Trees / The Soul Driver

Lowe and behold - I actually listened to more than A Retrospective! AATT were the only post punk band I actively listened to this year. I've enjoyed their The Klaxon album immensely, The Soul Driver (above) being one of my favorite tracks. Being a bass player and paying closer attention to bass lines in songs, I guarantee you this song is bassline heaven! It really makes the song for me.

Another notable mention is their acoustic album When The Rain Comes and the song Candace - simply haunting, the drums tickle with your heart.

2. Alice In Chains

Alice In Chains / Love Hate Love

Going back to past music favs - AIC are one of the bands I find most mesmerizing. And while I don't have to describe to you why this band is so influential and unique, I have to admit that AIC have always been sexy music to me. There's something oddly decadent - desperate yet "in your face" - when it comes to this band. Be it the drug lyrics (which have always sparked sympathy and sadness in me, considering Staley and all), the unforgettable vocals of Layne Staley or the songs, which often remind me of progressive rock rather than grunge (like the song Sickman for instance).

There are very interesting rock music components in AIC that do echo with standard hard rock, but offer so much more.

The song above is a great example of beautiful melodies and the kind of self-hating, desperate atmosphere AIC always bring with them, like someone trying to form their heaviest emotions through a blurry, alcohol and drug fused narrative, that is doomed to never be taken seriously.

3. Tool

Tool / Forty six & 2

I know, I wrote about Tool already and the last thing you want to read is me being 20 years late by praising them. However, I am very excited to be enjoying their music at last and slowly but surely digesting their albums with satisfaction.
There is everything here - progressive rock, beautiful melodies and vocals, bass lines to die for, drums fills to excite you in places you never thought drums could - and all shaped in the contemporary 90s sound of the time (the early albums at least). Is it grunge? Is it prog? Is it metal? Is Keenan crazy as hell? Fans have been asking themselves these questions for years.

I don't fucking care. Tool are amazing and I am enjoying them immensely. The earlier albums are so badass.

4. Uncle Acid

Uncle Acid / The Night Creeper

This year I've explored stoner/doom rock, and found some gems, UA being the band I listened to most. I admit that most bands in this genre sound the same and rarely go outside of the "guitars and bass play the same demonic sounding riff again and again trying to sound like Black Sabbath" box. You might as well go the extra mile and say that stoner/doom rock is lazy music.

In my opinion, UA are special because the vocals sound like Beatles and some songs do stand out. And while I enjoy this genre in a playlist/background music form, I've enjoyed a full album by UA and my only remark was that their drums deserve more versatility.

A notable mention here would be the band Stoned Jesus, which I completely fell in love with and listened to their album Seven Thunders Roar more than I could count. I am seriously considering going all the way to Wroclaw in February to see them live.

5. Opeth

It's been 10 years and I am still riding the Opeth wagon. They are not just a favorite band, and I am happy they have been with me this year.
The pinnacle of my crazy-ass deep emotional attachment to this band has to be their concert I attended in November, which had me losing my shit like never before. I was completely ecstatic - I sang all the guitar, bass, drums, back and lead vocals (+ lyrics) through the entire gig and headbanged like a 15 year old on their first metal concert. I don't think I was that excited when I first saw them in Israel in 2009.

I will get my hands on their new album (shame on me), the singles of which sounded surprisingly great live. Yet nothing beats old Opeth for me, and when they played Demon Of the Fall and Ghost of Perdition live I was *insert crazy slang expression of a person overly excited here*.
A lot of this year's recap as well as reflecting on the last 10 years has to do with this band, to say the least.

I guess that's all. I'm excited to see in which musical moods I'll be next year. What music did you enjoy this year?

UPDATE LATER THAT DAY:

6. The Mars Volta

I can't believe I forgot to write about THE band which I have been worshiping the entire year!!!! I have seriously been fangirling this band, and again this is me coming back to a band I know well just to realize how genius they actually are. Hardcore kids doing progressive rock, it can't get better than this. Take me Cedric Zavala! 

Also - At The Drive In have released a single a while ago and I actually like it. Could only stomach 2 or 3 songs by them till now, but the new one has got me hooked. Can't wait for the album!

I wish everyone a wonderful New Year's celebration and let your next year be filled with accomplishments, adventures and loves.
Thank you everyone for reading my blog and even enjoying it. I appreciate your comments  and opinions a lot. Love you!

Maria

BaNd news: our EP is out

This week we have released our first EP with our alt rock band, Girls Like Us.
The EP was recorded in the summer of this year and consists of 4 songs (I sing on the last one):

1. (it's not) Sex
2. Not Enough
3. Thank You
4. Burning Burning Burning

You are welcome to give it a listen and you can also support the costs of making it by purchasing it through our bandcamp.

Artwork is done by Boris.

This is our first and last EP, as since late October this year the band is no more. Sadly, we have broken up due to many reasons, mostly being creative differences.

I would have liked to elaborate on why the band is not continuing, but there are so many different factores that go into maintaining a band that I don't want to bore you to death as well as not include the point of view of everyone that was involved in the band. In other words, I don't want to gossip.

I initiated this brakeup though, as I wasn't satisfied with the musical direction we were going, and as I got more free on the bass I realized that I yearn to make heavier and more progressive music, something like progressive rock or metal, as this is the music I have almost always listened to and I've always known that this is the kind of music I really want to make. As a result (and additionally influencing my decision) I have declined a lot of the music Boris was composing (which are mostly acoustic ballads) with the reason that I wanted us to sound heavier. But in this constellation it wasn't going to happen. I felt bad for dismissing a lot of Boris' songs, which with the passing of time were piling up, and I knew he really wanted to play them. With that being said and other things at play, all 3 of us have decided to part ways (musically).

back cover of the CD, also done by Boris

I hope you'll give the EP a listen. I am proud of what we did and hopefully we will play another gig and try and sell a few copies. I am happy to have learned so much about being in a band and about music making through this project. I am currently in search for starting a new heavier band, so let's hope that works out.

Maria

London 2016

Just came back from a week-trip to London. It was our first time in the city, and the trip was arranged through Boris's parents who have been there few times before and love coming back.

I liked London. Yes, it was posh, but it still felt good. I liked Oxford Street with it's endless shopping experience, I liked how people were dressed with no trend being left out (people were simply pretty); I liked Camden with it's mainstream "alternative" vibe, it was cool as hell despite the ridiculous "gothic" shops lol.

The greatest feeling was to actually be in the city where my favorite music has begun. Punk, post punk and goth have been centered in London and even though it's not 1977 anymore, there was still something in the air...
And that was how we met a guy who once had drinks with Jayne County, visited a second hand shop held by the guitar player of Vibrators and went to Highgate Cemetery where Malcolm Mclaren is buried!

Highgate Cemetery

We also ate everything we could find and drank disappointingly bitter beer and some very nice fresh ciders. We were out of money 2 days before the plane home. Luckily Boris's parents were there to save us. We spent the rest on books which I will share in a separate post.

I didn't think London would touch me as much as it did. It would be so cool to live there some day. That's just my imagination talking, but who knows? It did seem like there's a lot more room for indie and guitar music there than in Berlin. Living there sounds more exciting than visiting as a tourist. So it was not the last trip for sure.

Maria

Interview with TRAITRS - dark post punk from Toronto!

Get this - bands are contacting me for mentions! Who knew that my blog will get this far? I was very happy to check TRAITS out and discover new music, I liked the dark post punky vibes and the straightforward singing that rings in your ear. 

So without further adieu, and make sure to check out further links at the end of the post! 

1. TRAITRS consists of 2 longtime friends, how has your friendship affected the music writing?

NOLAN: Shawn and I are always on the exact same page as far as musical direction goes so we never really argue about anything. This makes the songwriting come very natural and easy. There's an honesty and comfort level between us that can only exist between two close friends. So if a song isn't working and needs to be scrapped or a lyric is rubbish or a synth line could be better, we have no problem calling attention to it. There's never any tension or hurt feelings. 100% of the time if one of us notices something good or bad in a track eventually the other will hear it and agree. We constantly sacrifice mediocre material for something stronger. Shawn and I also have the exact same sense of humour so we can spend a ridiculous amount of time together in the studio and on the road and always have a good laugh. Honestly, this is an absolutely crucial component of Traitrs. Despite how dark and gloomy the music is, we're both a couple of silly fucks.

Source

2. You are based in Toronto, how would you describe the music scene there (and in Canada in general)?

NOLAN: The Canadian music stereotype that immediately comes to mind is boring, vanilla, folksy, middle-of-the-road, softer than baby shit pop-rock that nobody outside of Canada would ever listen to. Mainstream Canadian music totally blows. However there are so many wicked independent bands, record labels, producers, recording studios and artists all across Canada putting out really great music right now. And they're finally starting to get some much deserved recognition abroad. You can see it in the recent critical successes of artists like Dilly Dally, Greys, Odonis Odonis, Weaves, Austra, Grimes etc. As for Toronto itself, there isn't a definitive "Toronto sound" but the Toronto music community is very eclectic and incredibly supportive of one another. What's rad is whether you're in a punk band, post-punk band, hardcore band, art rock band, metal band, electronic act or whatever-the-fuck band, there's support for you here. It's not as though one genre or style dictates the "Toronto sound". Everyone kinda does their own thing and the scene supports that.

this beautiful EP cassette is unfortunately sold out :(

3. Your EP Rites & Ritual has been compared to Bauhaus and Pornography-era The Cure. What are some other musical acts that have influenced your music?

TUCKER: Early on we were listening to a lot of The Sound, Southern Death Cult, Dead Can Dance, The Opposition, Asylum Party as well as The Cure, Bauhaus, The Smiths etc. Sean and I have always been drawn to dark, moody, cold music and knew Traitrs would follow in that direction. 

NOLAN: When I was writing the drums for Rites And Ritual, I was listening extensively to the first two Dead Can Dance albums as well as a lot of aboriginal and Native American drum circles for inspiration which explains all the tribal, tom-heavy rhythms on the record. For us, the drums and rhythms set the mood and tone for Traitrs and we build on top of that.

4. You touch on occult themes in your song lyrics; is witchcraft a significant part of your lives?

TUCKER: I think it's bigger than that. By the age of 11 I was so fully surrounded by ghosts, hauntings, Ouija boards and strange ass stuff. Some scary bad shit happened when I was young. I was always told "Don't talk about it or it will follow you" so, I don't. I've always been drawn to horror / occult after that and think in someways we all are. It's something inside us as humans, drawn to our worst fears. To me personally the content on Rites and Ritual was in someway me conjuring back memories and feelings from childhood. When writing the lyrics I was completely drugged up from an injury watching horror films with no recollection of exactly what I was putting down but now I listen and track by track it's like a messed up horror film meshed in with puzzle pieces of my childhood laced with so much suffering, sadness and the darkest of places.

5. Are there any places/ events where you would most like to play?

NOLAN: We definitely want to play Europe as soon as humanly possible. The record has been doing really well in Germany, the UK, Czech Republic, Italy and Greece. There are so many awesome festivals (both big and small) in Europe not to mention a hugely supportive scene for dark post-punk bands, we're dying to get over there. There are some tentative plans for Traitrs to tour Europe sometime in 2017. A few blogs in Japan supported the record as well so that's definitely on the wish list. Aside from that, we want to play as much as we can here in Canada and head down to the US as well. We want to push Traitrs as far as it can possibly go.

7. And lastly – after a long day’s work at his miserable job, Billy comes home and puts on TRAITRS in full volume. Where is your music taking him?

TUCKER: Dante's Inferno.

-----

I personally liked Youth Cults and Heretic from the EP, I find there's some Indie traces in Heretic, and you know how I like things that stray from genres. I also find the vocals to be the absolute jewel of each song, and the drum patters really get you in an avalanche.

Further band updates, check out the following:

Bandcamp - merch & more!

Soundcloud - album streaming

Official Facebook

email at: traitrstraitrstraitrs@gmail.com

Maria

Studio Recording Experience

This past weekend we've locked ourselves for a 3-day recording marathon at Blackstone Studios. We were recommended the studio by two acquaintances (one of them being H.U. Unrüh of Einstürzende Neubauten ftw!!!) and the date was set in advance.

We had a lot of fun recording. Everything turned out as planned and we even managed to slip in an additional song (where I sing!) which wasn't planned. I think we worked really well together as a whole and everyone was satisfied with the process and the result so far.

The best part was working with the studio-sound engineer-guy, Gerrit. We weren't wrong to assume that he really liked our music and we felt that he enjoyed working with us as well. It's such a great feeling of having your creative process in good hands. It also works as a sort of feedback, when a person outside the band takes the song apart and composes it together again. it makes you look at your music differently, also from the eyes of a professional.
Gerrit also suggested some creative ideas here and there that were very helpful, and overall we had very good chemistry which I consider to be huge luck.

I have recorded in a studio before a few times before and it has usually been incredibly stressful for me and I felt like placing myself under a lot of pressure, with the intention of making everything perfect.
Luckily this time was different, somehow things were running smooth, maybe thanks to me being more self confident about the instrument I play and the people I play with. And again, having someone sitting at the controls that you can trust helped a lot.

Here is a snippet of when Maike (the drummer) was recording some tambourine realness:

So aside from everything else. some cool psychedelic patterns were found...

 and some deep connections were made...

Can't wait to go on from here!

Happy week everyone, saturday in Pride Parade in Berlin, so I hope to blog after that as well :)

Maria

Some BAND News

Thought I'd update you on how our band Girls Like Us are doing, since all of my friends are tired of hearing about it via FB.

I am ambitiously trying to warp my head around the whole "band vs. social media" thing, mainly because my goal is to reach out to potential "fans" who would be outside of our friend circle (someone should give a damn about our music out there, right?).

I mean, we don't have anything released yet (but soooooonn...) and we don't have a cool video that people can occasionally stumble across on youtube, and digging out people from Facebook to like our page (who are not our friends!) is a pretty difficult task on its own...


So, I made this low-fi video for our song Not Enough:

And I made us a band Instagram! You can follow us at @girlslikeus.band. Now we are to conquer the internet for sure...

This whole self-promotion thing is pretty new to me, so I can only hope I am doing it right. Some people like to discover music through youtube (I am among them), so this was the thought behind making the video above. Funny though, with the VHS looking visuals the original recording doesn't sound half bad! I would have loved to upload a different song with our current drummer, but we do not have that yet.

Speaking of which, this weekend we are locking ourselves in the studio for a recording marathon, the result of which is supposed to go to labels who would hopefully release it/book us gigs/support us for life.

Whether or not that plan will work is a good question, but we can at least try. The main priority is to gig like crazy atm, which is not an easy task as it is - Berlin is a small place (can you believe it?!) and gigging anywhere out of your own city is always a good thing. Boris has been working on that, and I am focusing on social media, which has been fun so far.

I like the idea how Instagram can give you a more personal picture (pun intended) of the band, like going behind the scenes and not being as official as on Facebook. Showing something with a picture attached is always a good tactic nowadays.

But now I certainly understand the amount of promotion going in to, say, a small business, which for me is what our band really is. We don't want to stay underground, we want to be out there. And surprisingly enough not all bands want that, especially not in the gothic subculture, which we stay away from like fire. No use locking yourself in tight categories, we need to be out there, urgh!

Maria

A Spontaneous Alone-Trip to Hamburg

Never thought I'd use the word - but Wanderlust has made me book a bus ticket to Hamburg, which is only 3 hours away from Berlin. I've wanted to travel somewhere alone for a while, and heard some cool things about Hamburg from Boris, who played there with Totenwald. Who also was away on the weekend for the same reason (this time playing in Poland), so why sitting home alone? And I've finished an assignment for uni so I wanted to go have fun.

woah an outfit picture! #60sgoth 

Hamburg is a harbor city, which is famous for its trade and architecture, and also for its red light district (St. Puli / Reeperbahn). We're talking sailor working class atmosphere, and boy I could feel it the moment I stepped off the bus. It was also incredibly cold and rained most of the day. It didn't feel like summer at all!

Chile House. I have no idea what this is but it was pretty monumental.

the municipality building

The best part of the trip was taking a sightseeing harbor tour on a boat! We were lucky to get a very funny and entertaining tour guide, really "people of the past" kind of guy. I already walked in the harbor district but seeing all the beautiful architecture from the boat gave a different feeling to it.
I also learned so much about the city!!! Like the fact that 70% of the world's trade with China is going through Hamburg.

On my way to St. Pauli I came across a cemetery, and by a further inspection of the graves it turned out to be a Jewish cemetery! Sadly it was closed, Jewish cemeteries are open like half a day once a week. Too bad, it looked beautiful.

At that point 2 things happened: I was dead tired and as it was a saturday evening which means: drunk packs of people (mostly men) began prepping themselves before the German vs. Italy soccer game (god damn you soccerscheiß!). And by prepping I mean drinking on the streets and screaming at the top of their lungs for no reason (BEFORE the stupid game even started!?!?!). I felt quite unsafe.

I made the mistake of booking my bus back quite late so the last 2 hours I spent aimlessly wandering the streets with zero power in me only to come across a gay bar by mistake. I felt relieved since I felt actually safe there - it was half empty and cosy, plus the men there didn't mind me at all (except for the Twink bartender who was very friendly and nice). So I had a beer there before heading back to the bus station.

It was a nice trip overall. I would have loved to visit the parks but the weather was crazy and having my bus 2 hours early would have been nicer, but all in all I am happy I went. I would love to experience the nightlife there if I'd have the chance, yet with company and not by myself.

Have a lovely week everyone!

Maria

More 60s Goth

My internship was over last week which now leaves me with a lot of free time and a nice summery mood, so I made more of those "this is my new style now" pics.
It's not really my new style, I don't wear hats ever, but I do need to dig out more of Boris' hippie stuff, like that vest I'm wearing for example.

I have also been inspired by Sonic Youth's weird experimental albums which I kind of like and dislike at the same time. 

And I found this new weird-ass band called The Garden. I hate how goofy they are and their awkward lyrics, then again, this is how they look like:

should I utter another word?
Source.

We're having a gig with our band tomorrow and from what it looks like, we'll have gigs in the following months plus a recording session in July that will hopefully be fruitful. I am happy things are going as planned, and am excited to play live, because that's literally the best thing ever.

Have you got any style inspirations lately?
On a different note: last week Boris and I went to the zoo and saw the biggest rooster of our lives. I would love to visit a chicken contest once.

Maria

First gig ever!

I just had to quickly update about our first ever band gig with Girls Like Us! It happened last week and I am still left in it, if I do say so myself - it was a hell of a first gig and I am so proud of us three for rehearsing our asses off to feel so comfortable on stage together! Friends were surprised it was our first time as (from what they told us) we looked and sounded very confident on stage.


And look at the super cool Trabant we drove in to the venue! All thanks to our drummer Maike (in the middle):

coming to the gig like 1969

My first experience with an electrical instrument on stage wasn't as "shocking" as I would expect. I mean- Boris always told me these horror stories about bad soundcheck, asshole soundmen who couldn't care less about you and not hearing some of the instruments as a result.

But the venue was really good, the sound guy was super sweet and really cared for everything. You could tell it was a somewhat high class bar and not a squat we were playing at.


Speaking of which, we actually warmed up Marakesh, an alternative rock band originally from Ukrane, they were pretty big there from what it seemed and even warmed up Placebo in their home land at the time. So we were stoked to play with them, and needless to say they were awesome live, very tight and of course- Mark is one charming frontman!


I still need to get proper photos, but in the meantime here's a short clip from the only song where I sing lead vocals :D
It is sadly only the ending of the song, but I am still happy we've got some kind of recording! More to come in the future I hope.

Next gig is at the end of the month, can't wait already!

Hope you're having a nice summery time! I am still busy as hell, as it's always is when summer semester comes around.

Maria

Girls Like Us / Single Tonight (rehearsal session)

I am really happy to share a rehearsal recording of a previously unheard song by our band, Girls Like Us!
I would love it endlessly if you could check it out!!

Sound quality is shit but we are glowing with drive! ♥

Links go without saying:


Girls Like Us
Official Facebook.
Bandcamp.

Maria

PS

See you in 2 weeks, time to visit the past.

My 2015 in music

Today I sum up the bands that have been accompanying me throughout this past year.

Join me, in this genre-broad overview, and here is the post from 2014.

1. Placebo

Live 1999

Boris´ and mine lives will never be the same after this year´s  placebo fever. I finally got Boris to acknowledge that this band was not crap (he HATED them before! Can you imagine?) and it turned to be a success:

Not only was he inspired musically, gender-wise and had his (and mine) long awaited homosexual awakening, but now he also has his hair short like Brian fucking Molko, over whom we are still happily fangirling. Placebo have given us so much charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent this year and it felt amazing!!

2. New Model Army

1984

I was introduced to this band by a dear friend, in fact the first friend I´ve made in Berlin, and had this album for 2.5 years before I actually got into it. It has inspired me greatly this year and has given me strength and a lot to think about, not to mention giving me insane bass goals. 1984 is one of my favorite songs, there is so much more than post punk in this band.

3. The Underground Youth

I Need You

Well, I think I have mentioned this band enough this year. I went to see them live twice and it was amazing each time. I am mostly not impressed by quiet, monotonic music, but live it had a different dynamic to it that had me very convinced and sucked into the atmosphere. This is not about guitar solos or crazy vocals, it´s something different, and that´s why I like this band a lot.

4. Jayne County and the Electric Chairs

Peels Sessions

Boris has tormented me with this band making me listen to them every damn day, but they were one hell of a discovery. Proto-post punk from the CBGB fronted by one of the first Trans* women in punk - it can´t get any better than this. They were very inspiring as well, and County´s voice made it sound melancholic at times and a lot less punky, not to mention sassy song lyrics, like "I like it when you smell my dirty sock. toilet love"; or - "I´m getting ready to meet my midnight pal".

5. A Perfect Circle

live @ Stone & Echo

Like with Placebo, I have come back to a band that I´ve been listening to in my teens, to see if they would still speak to me, and they did, more than ever! I just love Keenan´s troubled voice tone, and it´s exactly the kind of "progressive rock/metal" I enjoy. Instrumentally and bass-wise they made a lot more sense than when I was a teenager. And no, I don´t like Tool if you´re curious. But I do like these guys.

6. The Mars Volta

Speaking of progressive rock and coming back to bands, I did the same with The Mars Volta. For a long time I couldn´t listen to them properly due to this band being introduced to me by my ex, and has always reminded me of a bad period of time + breakup Boris I´ve had a few years ago. But time goes on, and the need for amazing music grows. 

The only album I could digest by this band has always been Octahedron (their most popy one, ah well) but I got into their first one and was happy to hear tons of Led Zeppelin and (expected) post hardcore influences (no, I don´t like At The Drive In, if you´re curious). I fell in love with Omar´s incredible voice all over again.

7. Various Nowa Fala acts

Republika - obcy astronom

I have dug more into a few Polish post punk bands this year, inspired by Return To The Batcave festival. Republika, Maanam and Madame were the ones I listened to more than ever and liked the most, but by songs rather than albums. Republika has to be my favorite so far, since it gathers so many influences like ska, jazz and what have you and mashes it into brilliant post punk, which is exactly the kind of music I like and want to make. 

And most of all, they have set a very nostalgic feeling in me for things that have never happened (that´s the only way I can explain the feeling I get when I listen to them, Thank you, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, for this brilliant description).

Madame - moze wlasnie Sybilla

I am happy to have come back to familiar bands and discover them all over again. 

Aside from the mentioned above and many more, I have attended many concerts of Boris´ secondary band Totenwald and spent a lot of time perfecting his newly composed songs for our band together, Girls Like Us. 

I am excited to what musical adventures, discoveries and fruits the new year will bring.

You are all welcome to write a similar post and share your favorite music from this year, and send me some band recommendations!

Maria

Girls Like Us - our new band!

I am very excited to share our band at last! We have 2 songs up already, Not Enough & Manifesto. Click on the links to go to our Bandcamp page.

We don´t have a clue what genre our music might be, so I prompt you to give us a listen and write your feedback here in the comments!

You are also very welcome to like our Facebook page.

I am excited to share our little project, tell me what you think and spread the word!

A wonderful weekend to all!

N. Finsternis

Recent musical discoveries

While I am still waiting for our wedding pictures, which are taking an unsettling long time, here is some of the music that has been inspiring me lately.

Also, you might notice the new blog design. I thought bringing some hipster to the front could be nice, I got tired of the old school goth *gasp!*.

Regardless (or not?), if you are in a dreamy, bittersweet mood, you have come to the right post.

THE UNDERGROUND YOUTH

Source

I am going to see them again this month, as their gig this Summer has had me transfixed ever since. I love how soft they sound on the recording, and how surprisingly heavy and even more psychedelic they sounded on stage. I just can´t wait for the gig!
It´s not a really "new" music discoverie, but I just wanted to share this band again.

CIGARETTES AFTER SEX

Source

So what I did was to click on a bunch of suggested similar bands after listening to a couple of songs of The Underground Youth on YouTube (my favorite way of discovering new music), and I discovered Cigarettes After Sex. In a similar dreamy-shoegaze fashion, this band is all about atmosphere and a bit of sadness, nice for spending quiet afternoons at home (PS they do claim to play in the genre of "slow motion", can´t say no to that).

To be honest with you I am surprised I actually like this kind of music, I would normally consider something like this to be too vague or plainly overdone (I despise shoegaze of course). But I ended up listening only to these guys recently.

WILD NOTHING

Source

Clicking on to the next recommended band, and I ended up spending an entire evening (most of which consisted of preparing for a night out) with an entire album by Wild Nothing. It left me very content and carefree!

This band is a sensible combination of The Smiths and The Cure. And I would normally smirk at the emulation of the two in this band´s music, but they are just so damn good, you have to try!

Should I make this a regular post series? Would you like to discover new music with me?

Let me know and please do share bands that you think I would like, especially if they are contemporary and have some kind of post punk influence.

N. Finsternis