It's the Halloween season, and when in the mood for quintessential gothic rock, Nosferatu is the perfect fit.
Formed in the UK in 1988 during the second wave of goth music, Nosferatu does not shirk its heritage. Named for the king of the undead? Check. Low, wailing vocals? Check. Relentless guitars counterpointed by organ and harpsicord-like keyboards? Check. Enough vampire, witch and ghoul-themed songs to fill an entire album? Double check.
"The Haunting" from 1996's Prince of Darkness:
While moderately successful in the UK and Europe, most of Nosferatu's popularity in the US stems from Cleopatra Records various goth anthology records. Regardless, Nosferatu has continued to record, with an ever-changing line up of musicians, for over twenty years. Only lead guitarist Damien DeVille is an originating member.
As is the case with many obscure or near-obscure bands, Nosferatu has embraced digital distribution, taking advantage of all that MySpace, SoundClick and Amazon have to offer.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Music: Jill Tracy
Jill Tracy is the Edward Gorey of music. Whether it's only Tracy's smokey voice as counterpoint to broken piano melodies or backed by The Malcontent Orchestra, her neo-cabaret sound is gray-scale simple and yet, lyrically, wickedly baroque. Firmly tongue-in-cheek, the sensibility of Gorey and Tracy is the same. "I'll hold your hand while they drag the river / I'll cuddle you in the undertow" is what passes for a Jill Tracy love song.
Obviously, the "horror genre" of music isn't anything Tracy shies away from. After 1999's Diabolical Streak, Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra provided an original score to the 1922 silent film version of Nosferatu which later debuted live. She has also performed in the past with San Francisco's modern Grand Guignol troupe, Thrillpeddlers.
From 1999's Diabolical Streak:
From 2008's The Bittersweet Constrain:
Tracy's most recent effort, The Bittersweet Constrain, offers slightly more mainstream accessibility, but by no means sellout the ethos that sets her apart from a piano songstress like Fiona Apple or a Victorian goth act like Rasputina. Jill Tracy's albums and singles are found through the typical online vendors such as Amazon.com and CDBaby.
Obviously, the "horror genre" of music isn't anything Tracy shies away from. After 1999's Diabolical Streak, Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra provided an original score to the 1922 silent film version of Nosferatu which later debuted live. She has also performed in the past with San Francisco's modern Grand Guignol troupe, Thrillpeddlers.
From 1999's Diabolical Streak:
From 2008's The Bittersweet Constrain:
Tracy's most recent effort, The Bittersweet Constrain, offers slightly more mainstream accessibility, but by no means sellout the ethos that sets her apart from a piano songstress like Fiona Apple or a Victorian goth act like Rasputina. Jill Tracy's albums and singles are found through the typical online vendors such as Amazon.com and CDBaby.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Music: Murder By Death
If you were looking to score a gritty post-apocalyptic movie full of dusty anti-heroes, the Indiana-based Murder by Death would be a good choice. In fact, author Jeff Vandermeer seemed to have that very idea when he approached the band to provide an accompaniment to his up-coming science fiction novel Finch. The project is a natural extension of the band's loose concept albums which often include instrumental bridges between tracks.
Aside from sweeping instrumentals, the average Murder by Death song combines jangly punk guitar riffs with the smooth cello bass lines, topped off by Adam Turla's gravely vocals. Despite frequent horror genre references in album titles and song content, the band includes enough of a alt-country influence to completely avoid the goth genre. It's an interesting high wire act of sound that has become more cohesive and listenable over time. In terms of songwriting, the lyrics are considerably sophisticated using allusion and word play to good advantage.
Off 2008's Red of Tooth and Claw:
All four of Murder by Death's albums are available from Amazon in MP3 and other formats. The band's site also includes merchandise. The instrumental score to Finch is currently available for listening and purchase through BandCamp.
Aside from sweeping instrumentals, the average Murder by Death song combines jangly punk guitar riffs with the smooth cello bass lines, topped off by Adam Turla's gravely vocals. Despite frequent horror genre references in album titles and song content, the band includes enough of a alt-country influence to completely avoid the goth genre. It's an interesting high wire act of sound that has become more cohesive and listenable over time. In terms of songwriting, the lyrics are considerably sophisticated using allusion and word play to good advantage.
Off 2008's Red of Tooth and Claw:
All four of Murder by Death's albums are available from Amazon in MP3 and other formats. The band's site also includes merchandise. The instrumental score to Finch is currently available for listening and purchase through BandCamp.
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