Hatrack River Forum: Help me broaden my musical spectrum

This is topic Help me broaden my musical spectrum in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Regularly I'm a pop-rock fan, with various other genres making a short appearance now and then in my musical routine.

Well, it's "now and then" time again! I've listened to a lot of Evanescence lately and I really, really like their songs. And I'm not talking only about the most known (My Immortal and Bring Me to Life). I'm slowly starting to love each and every song I hear: Hello was recommended by Hatrack - thanks, btw -, then came Tourniquet, Haunted and Whisper.

So*, if I got this correctly they have some Goth influences in their songs. And I was wondering what other Goth bands are there that sound close to Evanescence. Any suggestion are most appreciated! [Hat]

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

quote:

So*, if I got this correctly they have some Goth influences in their songs. And I was wondering what other Goth bands are there that sound close to Evanescence.

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. [Smile]

Based on your musical background, I'm going to recommend The Cure, Depeche Mode, A Perfect Circle, and Lacuna Coil.

They're not necessarily the gothest, but all these bands are gothy. *grin*

Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :

I've heard them compared to a band called Poe, but I have never heard Poe.

I'm no goth expert, but I would say Nine Inch Nails (old NIN, the new album doesn't do a whole lot for me), Peter Murphy, The Cure, and Johnny Cash would be good places to start... also a friend of mine who was very into goth stuff kept saying my band reminded him of a group called Sugar, which I have also never listened to.

Hope that helps.

Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :

In addition to those Tom and Jim mentioned (all excellent choices), I'd recommend Vast and Garbage (not necessarily goth, but I think you might like them).

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

You can laugh with tears, I think that's the best way! [Smile]

Yeah, I know next to nothing about Goth... I don't even know why you want to laugh/cry... [Dont Know]

I like Depeche Mode and Cure, and never heard of A Perfect Circle or Lacuna Coil... I'm not looking for something that is close to my pop-rock tastes, but for a style that will go a little bit to gothy-but-not-gothest, as you very nicely put it, Tom. [Big Grin]

I'll try the others if I can find people who have them around here. Keep the suggestions coming! [Hat]

Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :

Bauhaus

Posted by advice for robots (Member # 2544) on :

Hanson.

Goth to the core.

Posted by camus (Member # 8052) on :

AFI is kinda Goth/Punk with the emphasis on Punk. Their latest album, Sing the Sorrow, is a little more mainstream. Check out the iTunes Music Store if you want to hear clips.

Posted by Enigmatic (Member # 7785) on :

Poe is very good. Fairly softer than Evanescense, I don't see much similarity beyond the "female lead singer" aspect. I also second VAST (Visual Auditory Sensory Theater) for huge soundscapes and poignant lyrics.

If you're interested in hearing more of what actual goth rock is like, there's some good compilations on Cleopatra records with songs by the various mainstays of the genre.

--Enigmatic

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :

quote:
Originally posted by TomDavidson:

quote:

So*, if I got this correctly they have some Goth influences in their songs. And I was wondering what other Goth bands are there that sound close to Evanescence.
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry.

Based on your musical background, I'm going to recommend The Cure, Depeche Mode, A Perfect Circle, and Lacuna Coil.

They're not necessarily the gothest, but all these bands are gothy. *grin*

I was going to recommend Lacuna Coil. [Grumble]

I recommend Dead Can Dance, Cocteau Twins, Dir en grey, Enigma (Especially the ever so cool Gravity of Love) HIM because they have great vocals.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

I have some HIM songs which I like, maybe I should try to find some more... Enigma? I don't know, never really warmed up to them. Maybe a second try will get me further...

Haven't tried any of the other suggestions yet, still waiting for the resident goth fan to arrive this Monday. [Big Grin]

But I have received two Nightwish compilations and I'm listening to them right now. Some really good stuff there. :goes off to listen & back to work:

Posted by bunbun (Member # 6814) on :

I second Engimatic's nomination of Poe. The lyrics are kooky dark fun; but not gothy dark if I remember correctly.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

I took a look at some of the Nightwish lyrics in my lunch break. Well, they're not much, really. Or maybe just too "poetic" for me?! (me <- NOT a fan of poetry!) And the voice is a little bit artificial and mono-expressive, at least in my opinion. But I still like them. [Big Grin]

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

quote:
Originally posted by advice for robots:
Hanson.

Goth to the core.

LOL

Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :

Well. If Evanescence aren't pop-rock then I suppose you could categorize them as nu-metal. They have this problem where they can only write a couple of different riffs, though. More than half their album is variations on a single musical and rhythmic theme.

Of course, I still enjoy it. [Smile]

I'm not very clear on what aspect of their music appeals to you. "Gothiness" is a vague property. Is it the lyrical melodrama? The full guitar sound? The dropped tuning for fat low nu-metal sounds? The fact that you like H.I.M. suggests the first, in which case I can't help you because I find excessive lyrical melodrama tends to detract from my enjoyment of good music. The fact that you don't like meaningless or obscure lyrics rules out an awful lot of very good records.

Anyway, if you want to cut to the chase of hard rock/nu metal and skip over a lot of the filler, listen to the Deftones' The White Pony. Also, if you don't, you should be listening to Tool (in particular their latter two albums). [Razz]

Tangent: There's a Canadian band called I Mother Earth who put out a record called The Quicksilver Meat Dream a few years ago. Listen to that, too. It's one of the few records I actively evangelize. [Smile]

As to Enigma, Gravity of Love is a great song, but give credit where credit is due: the early-20th-century operatic piece that Enigma samples on the track is the source of its greatness.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Neah, I like H.I.M. just for the voice. And I know a grand total of two of their songs, actually. [Big Grin]

So don't base your assumptions on that one.

I usually like the lyrics to have some meaning, but as I said, I can enjoy a song even when they're a little more obscure. On the other hand, I find that I enjoy songs with what many friends of mine consider awful sound just 'cause I like the lyrics. No examples come to mind right now, but I think you get my meaning.

What I really like at Evanescence is the combination and contrast of a "full" voice - IMO much more expressive than Nigthwish for example - and occasional "nu-metal" sounds, and the same goes for piano and guitar. (I'm not very familiar with musical terms, not even in Romanian, and in English it's a little bit harder...) The lyrics are just a bonus. I don't know, twinky, if you listen to anything other than English language songs, but I find that no matter how well I understand the lyrics, if they're in another language something of their power is sadly lost...

Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :

I mostly listen to English-language songs, yeah. Occasionally French and Arabic, but it's rare.

I'm not sure what to suggest, then. [Smile]

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Don't worry; I'll try to look into the rest of the suggestions too. After all, if I find exactly another "Evanescence" where's the discovery in that?! Hopefully I'll find new things I like in many of these other bands. [Smile]

Posted by Sweet William (Member # 5212) on :

If you bring up Evanescence on Amazon, it gives you this list as "you might like these too." As a fan, I can tell you what I think about the suggestions:

Meteora ~ Linkin Park
(I don't have it, but they're a bit harder than I generally prefer)

American Idiot ~ Green Day
(I liked it, like the music and the lyrics)

Under My Skin ~ Avril Lavigne
(I liked it. The lyrics are interesting)

The Reason ~ Hoobastank
(I liked it for the most part, but it is significantly harder, and the lyrics aren't particularly challenging)

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ~ U2
(Probably one of my faves. U2 lyrics are always challenging. The "hardest" song is Vertigo. Most of the rest are majorly tame. Not Phil Collins, but tame)

Afterglow ~ Sarah McLachlan
(Good, intelligent lyrics, beautiful music)

Breakaway ~ Kelly Clarkson
(Don't know)

Hybrid Theory ~ Linkin Park
(Don't know)

So take that for what it's worth.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Gotcha. I'm already in love with Sarah McLachlan's music, thanks to Hatrack. Now I need more of it! [Big Grin]

And almost any U2 is a given, really. Avril Lavigne's ok, there's room - and time - for better, I guess.

Hope to try the rest too someday. Boy, this is turning into much more than I asked for. [Smile]

Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :

Lacuna Coil was the first band that came to my mind as well. I will also add votes for Tool, I Mother Earth, and Green Day though these don't have as much goth leanings.

Posted by Sartorius (Member # 7696) on :

Goth, gother, gothest? Nu-metal? Huh? I guess I'm not up on my music sub-genres.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

[low, creepy voice]
You are not alone.
[/low, creepy voice]

Posted by JaimeBenlevy (Member # 6222) on :

Red Hot Chili Peppers! OK, they have nothing to do with goth, but they will expose you to alot of different kinds of music. Funk, punk, soft rock, heavy rock...so many other things. Get their Greatest Hits CD to hear the diversity of their songs.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Oh, I've been exposed to RHCP, don't you worry about that! And they're crazy; good crazy, that is! [Big Grin]

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

If you want more Nightwish, instant message me if you have AIM, or email me. I tend to not agree with file sharing, but I already own the CDs, so it's not like I stole them. I have four Nightwish cds, all of them are very good, but if you like the softer stuff of Evanessence there's some Nightwish you should avoid. I'm a pretty big fan of theirs. I have a recording by them of a song they did with Lacuna Coil.

Email me or IM me if you want to know more. Even if you listened to a couple of their songs, they deserve a much wider listen, their sound varies greatly from song to song, it's not all the same. I HIGHLY recommend them.

Posted by Corwin (Member # 5705) on :

Well, I started listening to Evanescence with the slower stuff, but now I've come to like some of their more "rhytmic" perfomances, like Whisper or Tourniquet, etc. That's why I started this thread, actually. So I could try "harder"" stuff. As I said, there's a goth fan coming back from the holiday on Monday and she is quite a Nightwish fan, so I'll try to listen to what she has too. Thanks for the offer, though. [Smile]

Go on and enjoy the good music. [Cool]

Posted by Tinros (Member # 8328) on :

Lacuna Coil is AMAZING. Especially Senzafine. I love that song.

Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :

*runs away from scary pop music*

[Angst]

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

Myr! Write to me! edob63@yahoo.com

Back to the regularly scheduled music.

Here is a site for rather off-the-beaten-track artisists that I love.

www.funkyside.com

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :

I haven't heard a lot of Lacuna Coil, but I wasn't really impressed.