April 29, 2013's Newest Gothic and Dark Links

CEMETERIES, FUNERALS AND DEATH:

Death Cafe

"At Death Cafes people come together in a relaxed and safe setting to discuss death, drink tea and eat delicious cake." The events seek to increase awareness of death and help people learn to make the most of their finite lives. Death Cafe was founded in 2011, and already close to 100 Death Cafes have been held around the world. The website includes a guide to holding your own Death Cafe event, as well as a list of upcoming Death Cafes.

http://www.deathcafe.com/

Death Cafe on Facebook

Death Cafe on Twitter

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DARK/GOTHIC MUSIC GENRE:

Dark Music in Your Heart

This blog specializes in informing us about new industrial, gothic rock, dark ambient, darkwave, electropop and other dark music genre album releases. There's also a lot of gothic and metal covered here. You can register with the site in order to "pre-listen" to the albums, and there may be some music links or torrents here. Currently they're blogging about Razed in Black. I'm surprised to see the new Simple Minds album mentioned here, as they're New Wave and not at all dark.

http://dark-music.org/

Dark Sounds Blog on Facebook

Dark Vision of Electronic

This blog covers industrial, EBM, electro-gothic, gothic rock, synth-pop, darkwave and other related genres. I love that they have a tag for female vocalists! Now, the blog posts here are mostly in Japanese. But you can still benefit greatly from exploring the links and checking out the album covers and Youtube videos. Currently blogging about Ruined Conflict, Eloquent, Purple Fog Side, and Wormz.

http://dark-vision-of-electronic.net/

Post-Punk 80s Underground

I really, really enjoy exploring this music blog. Much of what is here isn't "dark" or gothic, but you're likely to discover bands you'll enjoy. You might also rediscover lots of old favorites - I was overjoyed when they featured one of my all time favorite albums, Pure Joy's "Ocean." Check out their recent posts on Ex Voto and Alien Sex Fiend. Each post has a DivShare link to a song you can listen to from that particular album.

http://thepostpunk80sunderground.blogspot.com/

This Is Gothic Rock

This is a project to document gothic rock bands who began between 2000 and 2011, for the This Is Gothic Rock book. Meanwhile, the blog provides a ton of news, interviews, reviews and reports on the gothic rock music scene. This is a very useful resource and worth stopping by every couple days to see what's going on.

http://www.thisisgothicrock.com/

This is Gothic Rock, on Facebook

This is Gothic Rock Group on Facebook

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DARK PAGES IN OTHER LANGUAGES:

Madame Macabre

This blogger writes from Spain. Check out her tutorial on creating vampire blood phial jewelry. She blogs about goth fashion, art, films and literature. I barely read Spanish (and don't like to use Google Translate), but enjoy looking at the interesting pictures she finds to share. I enjoyed this post on how to celebrate your 15th birthday in a gothic way.

http://madamemacabre.blogspot.com.es/

Toile Gothique

"Forum de la culture gothique." A French gothic forum site with subforums for poetry, philosophy, literature, several subgenres of goth music, gothic art and fashion, film and television, theater and opera, and goth resources. It seems relatively active and pretty friendly.

http://www.toile-gothique.com/

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GOTH NET RADIO:

The Black Cauldron

This goth/industrial show streams live on Sundays at midnight. The DJs are BlackRose and Niccodemus. You can check out last week's playlist here.

http://blackcauldron.kuci.org/

The Black Cauldron on Facebook

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GOTH MUSIC:

Life in Sodom

A darkwave band from Miami. The band has been around in one form or other since way back in 1990! Their most recent release was a 3-song CD back in 2011, called "The Hollow and Haunted House."

http://www.lifeinsodom.com/

Life in Sodom, on Facebook

Life in Sodom, on MySpace3

Portion Control

This London-based electronic/industrial band was formed back in 1980! I hadn't heard of them til today - I guess I need to do research more often! They're still pretty active, releasing the "Pure Form" CD back in 2012.

http://www.portion-control.net/

Portion Control (Unofficial), on Facebook

XMH

A dark electro/industrial band from The Netherlands. They're currently on tour in Europe.

http://www.xmh-music.nl/

XMH on Facebook

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GOTH FASHION:

Afira

Get ready to freak out, and possibly swoon. I'm serious. The clothing (and photography) here is STUNNING. Gorgeous. You'll probably spend a lot more time looking at this designer's site than you'd planned to. My favorite of the collections here is "The Ice Queen," but I also very much enjoyed checking out "The Magic Wardrobe." And don't miss the "Love to Death" collection, which features some striking ombre gowns.

http://www.afira.co.uk/

Afira on Facebook

Afira on Tumblr

Afira on Twitter

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HORROR GENRE:

Digital Macabre

This blog focuses on macabre B-horror movies from the past. Currently blogging about The Black Sleep, Panic in Year Zero, and The City of the Dead.

http://www.digitalmacabre.com/

H. P. Lovecraft Live

An H. P. Lovecraft podcast produced in Ireland. This week, Sandra is reading Lovecraft's "The Tree." Last week, a man named Stephen Jack read "The Picture in the House." I really, really appreciate the effort these folks are putting into this.

http://www.hplovecraftlive.com/

H.P. Lovecraft Live on Facebook

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--Copyright 2013 Carrie Carolin

Dark Side of the Net

Dark Side of the Net on Facebook

The Darklinks goth social network

13 New Dark, Gothic and Steampunk Shop Links

Asylum Artwork and Oddities

Asylum sells taxidermy items, memento mori jewelry, mummified specimens, and "wet specimens" (preserved things in jars) such as this beaver fetus.

There are also a few pieces of artwork available, such as this Modern Day Crown of Thorns.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/AsylumArtwork

Asylum Artwork and Oddities on Facebook

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Dahlia Deranged Designs

This shop sells jewelry, hair accessories, a few taxidermy type jewelry items, and these cool tentacle pearl sunglasses.

I'm getting quite weary of jewelry that looks like someone just cut out a picture of Edward Scissorhands from a magazine and glued it inside a ring case, or the insert-random-gothy-item-or-skull-on-cameo type jewelry I'm seeing everywhere, but I have to admit at least this shop has quite inventive takes on the cameo trend and a lot higher quality looking pieces. Check out this Bride of Frankenstein cameo and nicely textured 3D Edgar Allan Poe cameo necklace. This skull and crossbones mini handbag is downright adorable, too. You'll find the usual skulls, bats, and octopi here.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/DahliaDeranged

Dahlia Deranged Designs on Facebook

Dahlia Deranged on Tumblr

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Fun for Curious Cats

This eBay store purveys unusual steampunk rings and jewelry, pentacles and Wiccan jewelry, some pirate and Alice in Wonderland themed jewelry, and a few cameo necklaces with skeletons or mermaids on them.

http://stores.ebay.com/Fun-for-Curious-Cats

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Gothic Rose Antiques

This Sacramento-based shop sells antiques and curiosities, such as this antique cash register, stunning antique crystal ball, and this incredible vintage little red devil table. There's jewelry, old photographs, gothic hats, apothecary bottles, home decor and other treasures waiting for your browsing pleasure. I could spend a lot of time getting "lost" in this storefront!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/GothicRoseAntiques

Gothic Rose Antiques, on Facebook

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Infectious Threads

This actually shouldn't be in a "new links" type post, as it's a very well known, long-running, respected shop. I had it linked on the main Dark Side of the Net shops page for years back when I kept the archive up. This shop sells cyberpunk, goth, punk, and Halloween related items. There's a bit of a heavy metal feel here, but you can easily get around the stuff that doesn't quite fit into your particular version of our subculture. They offer the usual assortment of women's clothing, plus tutus and plus sizes. For men, they sell t-shirts (of course), pants, shirts, vests, jackets and hoodies. In the accessories section, they offer belts, hats, goggles, jewelry, and purses.

Brands they carry include Alchemy Gothic, Kreepsville 666, Folter, Too Fast, Lip Service and others.

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I'm impressed, there are a lot of really cool purses here I haven't seen carried elsewhere too often.

http://www.infectiousthreads.com/

Infectious Threads on Facebook

Infectious Threads on Twitter

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La Plume Noir

Don't panic and hit the back button just yet when you see how colorful the photos in this jewelry store are. If you peer around just a little bit, you'll run into some of their lovely gothic pieces, such as this necklace and this black vintage deco ring. As much as I've been whining about cameos today, I have to admit my favorite thing here is this corpse bride cameo brooch. I bet several of you will really like these Victorian skeleton key earrings.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/laplumenoir

La Plume Noir on Facebook

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ParaNoire

This shop sells Victorian, gothic, steampunk and burlesque items. They carry lingerie (such as these peek-a-boo panties), hair accessories (such as this goth fascinator), purses, and some vintage buttons.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ParaNoire

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Tattoo Socks

I'm really fascinated by the whole Tattoo Socks concept. I haven't tried any myself yet, but I sure like the looks of the Jellyfish pair, the bats, and this floral design. The socks come in full length, thigh high, knee high and even sizes for boots. The shop also sells some leggings but I don't like the looks of any of them, they have some weird deer on them.

Check out the Forest Symphony line for interesting dark fairytale styled stockings.

This shop is based in Tel Aviv, Israel.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tattoosocks

Tattoo Socks on Facebook

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The Time Cabinet

"Artifacts and accessories for steampunk ladies and gentlemen." There are hats, jewelry, masks and goggles. I've seen a lot of goggles in my time, so I'm delighted that many of these are more distinctive and unusual. Such as these steampunk monocle goggles. Check out the Tesla Top Hat: its cleverness made me smile. And what do you think of this octopus steampunk bowler hat?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheTimeCabinet

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TotusMel Tats

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This shop sells beautiful tatted lace accessories, such as these delicate In Bloom ankle corsets, tatted lace necklacse, tatted cuff bracelets, and other jewelry. My favorite thing here is this tatted lace mask (I personally find masks too itchy to wear, though!)

Don't miss this incredible, unusual tatted sugar skull mask!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/TotusMel

TotusMel Tats on Facebook

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Venice Masks

Besides gorgeous Carnival masks, this shop offers steampunk corsets, macrame lace masks, fake eyelashes, Alchemy Gothic jewelry, steampunk and military clothing, stripy tights and some jewelry.

My favorite thing here today is this gothic Lolita skirt.

http://stores.ebay.com/Venice-Masks

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Wildfire Brand Jewelry

This shop sells a lot of cameo lockets (yawn), but at least it has some unusual ones I haven't seen cluttering up other stores. There are some nice nautical and pirate themed jewelry pieces here, plus some Victorian themed jewelry. The seller misuses the term "steampunk" and "Walking dead" to draw attention to items that have nothing to do with the theme or with the TV show, but you'll probably be able to find a couple things of interest here as you browse anyway.

http://stores.ebay.com/Wildfire-Brand-Jewelry

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Victorian Choice

This shop appears to be located in my neck of the woods. They offer Victorian and Gothic Lolita gowns. They advertise them as "prom dresses" but I imagine ladies would more likely be wearing these to gothic balls, goth faires, tea parties and formal dinner parties. My favorite dress here is this red and black Georgian ball gown. The styles here include Civil War, Victorian, Gothic Lolita, and some military styled and steampunk-era looks.

http://stores.ebay.com/VictorianChoice2009

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--Copyright 2013 Carrie Carolin

Dark Side of the Net 1993-2013

Goth Shopaholic

Halloween Shopaholic

New Dark and Gothic Links for April 27, 2013

DARK ART:

Jessica Joslin

Not quite taxidermy art, not quite steampunk, this artwork is made from bone, bronze, glass eyes, antique castoffs, springs, metals, velvet, and whatever materials the artist happens upon. Currently, her work is being exhibited at “The Blood is the Life: Vampires in Art and Nature” at the Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science and Art, in Pennsylvania. Check out her New Work gallery (My favorite is "Hermes.")

There's also a shop here, where you can buy a couple of her photographic prints, or her book "Strange Nature." I'm interested to hear what you think of her work, in the comment section below.

http://jessicajoslin.com/jessica/

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DARK MUSIC:

The Beauty of Gemina

This dark electro band is from Switzerland. I think you'll enjoy listening to their acoustic version of "Dark Rain" on YouTube. The singer's vocals are deliciously low and deep, and his accent delightful to listen to.

http://www.thebeautyofgemina.com/

The Beauty of Gemina, on Facebook

The Beauty of Gemina, on MySpace

The Beauty of Gemina, on YouTube

ShadowDancers: The Beauty of Gemina Fans, on Facebook

Girls Names

NME calls this Northern Ireland band's sound "doom-laden goth pop." The band simply refers to their style as "dark." Sadly, their official YouTube channel only offers two songs for you to check out: Seance on a Wet Afternoon (which sounds nostalgically post-punk to me) and "Bury Me."

Girls Names on Facebook

Girls Names on MySpace

Girls Names on YouTube

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DARK SHOPS:

Ghostlove Jewelry

This shop sells lovely handcrafted gothic lolita, steampunk and "couture noir" jewelry and accessories. (They're currently updating their website, so don't let it bother you that their "Whats New" items say they are from May 2012.)

My favorite of their collections is their Victorian line. Shown above is "Reckoning."

I suspect many of you will enjoy their "The Armory" collection, too.

http://www.ghostlove.com/

Ghostlove Jewelry on Facebook

Ghostlove Jewelry on Pinterest

Ghostlove Jewelry on Twitter

Harlots & Angels

Check out the amazing steampunk corsetry here. My favorite so far is the Sherlock Holmes Explorer corset. They also sell historic sewing patterns which could come in really handy to some goth crafters who might be reading this.

Don't miss the Steampunk Cthulhu corset!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Harlotsandangels

Lady Creepshow Couture

This shop sells vintage-inspired one-of-a-kind hair accessories. Check out the Blood Lust Feather Clip! And I'm giggling at the Shear Horror fascinator.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ladycreepshowcouture

Portland Black Lipstick Company

This Etsy shop sells cool stuff besides their black lipstick: vegan Corpse Paint theater style white makeup; "Phantom face powder;" a carmine red lipstick called "Bug's Blood"; and "Snow Queen" white lipstick. Their lipsticks are made from natural ingredients.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pdxblacklipstickco

Twisted Beanstalk Nursery

I'm growing a teensy bit weary of all the "dark demented" doll shops - they are really cool, but there are so many of them now. This one, however, intrigues me because it doesn't rely on dripping blood, grey rotting skin, or other over-the-top methods of making their dolls creepy. Their subtler touch, making the dolls look realistic like reborn dolls try to be, makes these actually more disturbing to me. Once you look a bit more closely at the babies here, you suddenly notice they have small unobtrusive fangs. Or you open their eyes to reveal unearthly white pupils, or you notice an odd dark stain around their mouths. I like that the doll artist has chosen to dress these in normal looking baby clothes, not black lacy Victorian or ripped torn bloody outfits. It makes them more menacingly real, with their twisted little smirks.

http://www.thetwistedbeanstalknursery.com/

Twisted Beanstalk Nursery on Facebook

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DARK TUMBLRS:

Deadly Breakfast

Not a lot of original finds here - mostly reblogs, with not much info on the original artist. Still, this person has an eye for hauntingly beautiful images to repost. (I can't quite say "curate" as they don't provide information like a proper curator would). Photos reblogged here include Victorian and Rococo inspired clothing and furnishings; ethereal ladies with knives; skulls and candles; ghostly maidens; and some burlesque/corsetry pics.

http://deadlybreakfast.tumblr.com/

My Wicked Fairy Tale

Visit this Tumblr if you like pictures of dark fairies; creepy little cottages tucked into the dark woods; autumn trees; dark snowy woods; flickering candles; clocktowers; iron gates and the like. I love that everything here is annotated with a link to the original source - I really appreciate that!

http://mywickedfairytale.tumblr.com/

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STEAMPUNK:

Airships and Petticoats

This steampunk blog also covers Edwardian and Victorian beauty, fashion and historical clothing topics. Currently they're posting about an amazing antique bed; a Georgian watercolor box that I am swooning over, even though I don't paint; and sharing a photo of a gorgeous lady drinking tea. I love looking at the interesting things they find, but would like to know more about the author.

http://airships-and-petticoats.blogspot.com/

Quest for the Golden Prim

A steampunk/fantasy webcomic that's recently relaunched. They plan to offer a new episode every week.

http://goldenprimquest.com/

Steampunkary

"A blend of Victorian and Imagination." This affiliate blog features lots of cool finds: steampunk clothes, jewelry, accessories, and even steampunk Halloween costumes. There are also occasional features on steampunk in art, books, movies and television. Currently they're blogging about the Steampunk Worlds Fair 2013.

http://steampunkary.com/

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ZOMBIES:

Run For Your Lives

Run for Your Lives is a really big deal, with over 650,000 fans on Facebook and thousands of participants. It is a zombie-infested 5k obstacle course and run. You can sign up to either be a runner, or be part of the zombie horde that lurches towards the runners menacingly. Everyone joins up at the end for an Apocalypse Party, a celebration of all things zombie.

Today happens to be their first event of 2013: a sold out race in South Florida. I see they are coming to my hometown in August but not sure I'll be tempted to join in - I'm used to running 5ks for charity and exercise, not amusement. Hrm.

I have to admit their Pinterest presence is very amusing and entertaining.
http://www.runforyourlives.com/

Run for your Lives on Facebook

Run For Your Lives Zombie Horde, on Facebook

Run For Your Lives on Pinterest

Run For Your Lives on Twitter

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--Copyright 2013 Carrie Carolin

Dark Side of the Net

Black Cherry Cake Company

You probably already know that I rarely if ever do this - focus an entire Dark Side of the Net post on just one link, especially not a business link. But today I am so blown away by these amazing gothy and horror cakes, I wanted to show you this right away. (I don't know the owner of the business and nobody asked me to feature it nor paid me any compensation to feature this link. Just something I wanted to share with you today).

Tracey runs her cake decorating company, Little Cherry Cake Company, in Bacup, Rossendale in Lancashire, UK. Black Cherry Cake Company is where she showcases her gamer, geek, sci-fi and gothic cakes that are a little too edgy or plain gory to show on her regular business page.

Her birthday cakes include this Alien movie themed cake; a Nightmare Before Christmas themed birthday cake; several skull designs; a Labyrinth movie themed cake that is so adorable; a bewitching black and white "Doodle" cake; a zombie cake; and an incredibly cool Army of Darkness cake.

Naturally, the Nightmare Before Christmas birthday cake is my favorite.

Her wedding cakes are incredible as well - giant tiered creations including the iconic Nightmare Before Christmas and Frankenweenie cakes I'm sure you've seen on Pinterest, plus skull-themed cakes and a Labyrinth wedding cake that makes me wish I had a boyfriend so I could get married and serve that cake to my guests!

I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy browsing Tracey's incredibly creative and artistic creations. I just wish we could taste them through the computer, too!

http://www.blackcherrycakecompany.com/

Miss Nightmare's Blog

Little Cherry Cake Company on Facebook

Little Cherry Cake Company on Twitter

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--Copyright 2013 Carrie Carolin

Dark Side of the Net

Dark Side of the Net on Facebook

Dark Side of the Net on Pinterest

New Dark and Gothic Links for April 20, 2013

DARK ART:

Carine-M and Elian Black'mor are artists and partners living in France. They work together on their dark monster and dragon artwork. They're also working on a small comic strip. While not the darkest art you'll have ever seen, I think many of you will enjoy exploring their two websites. Their art is being exhibited in several upcoming shows and conventions in France and in Belgium. Their latest book is Epouvantables Fantomes." Check out their Teatime Monsters gallery too!

Both artists' pages link to their online shop, where you can purchase their fine art, limited editions, and books featuring their "Monsters and Dragons" art. (The shop is located in France).

Carine-M

Carine-M on Facebook

Elian Black'mor

Elian Black'mor on Facebook

Arsenic et Boule de Gomme

Arsenic et Boule de Gomme on Facebook

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DARK BLOGS:

The Raven & Black Cat

This blog is described as "A Connoisseur's Compendium of Haunted Houses, Victorian Horror, and All Things Dark and Macabre." Currently they're reviewing a spooky Etsy boutique; mentioning the upcoming Great Horror Campout that will take place in Los Angeles; and announcing interesting upcoming Halloween and horror conventions and events. Check back in May to see what happens when they take a private paranormal tour of the haunted Shanley hotel.

http://ravenblackcat.com/

The Raven & Black Cat on Facebook

The Raven & Black Cat on Twitter

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DARK NET RADIO:

Dark Horizons Radio

Dark Horizons is Theresa's amazingly cool "Darkcast" radio station. Online since 1992! Older than Darklinks.com! It is broadcast every Thursday night from 8pm to 11pm EST. You can read more about the history of Dark Horizons here. Check out the playlists to see what kind of music is played here; and visit the forum to get to know other Dark Horizons listeners. This is a very, very important resource to the goth and dark online scene. I so appreciate that it's still running.

http://www.darkhorizonsradio.com/

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DARK TOYS:

The Monster High Gory Gazette

This Tumblr is devoted to Monster High dolls and their younger collectors. Currently blogging about the Ghouls Helping Ghouls project; and featuring new and upcoming dolls. It seems to be aimed at a pretty childish audience, not adult collectors, judging by the voice it's written in. I thought I'd include it here just in case a few of you would enjoy the pics of upcoming dolls.

http://gorygazette.tumblr.com/

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DARK AND GOTH MUSIC:

Savages

This London-based post-punk band lists their influences as Mary Shelley, JG Ballard, Kurt Vonnegut, and Ray Bradbury. As those are writers, not musicians, I assume those revered persons influenced the band's lyrics. This is an all-female band who recently played at Coachella. Their album, "Silence Yourself," comes out in May.

http://savagesband.com/

Savages on Facebook

Savages on Twitter

Victor Sierra

A steampunk/electro band based in Paris, France. You can check out a few of their videos on their Youtube channel. And there's a concert review of their show at Phantasium back in February.

Victor Sierra on Bandcamp

Victor Sierra on Facebook

Victor Sierra on MySpace

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DARK SHOPS:

Be My Goth

This shop offers PDF sewing patterns for goth clothes, goth accessories and home decor projects. The shop owner, Parnuuna, also offers some free step-by-step tutorials. She's adorably cute, modeling the clothing herself. The sewing patterns include some goth skirts, a neck corset, and a gothic jacket.

http://www.bemygoth.com/

BeMyGoth on Facebook

Idolatre Clothing

This Etsy shop sells stunningly original hats, hair accessories, and jewelry. They also offer some corsets and lingerie pieces. My favorite thing here is this bat wing corset. The wings are detachable - how cool is that?

http://www.etsy.com/shop/idolatre

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HORROR GENRE:

The Daily Nightmare

This horror blog focuses on Midwestern horror topics (horror writers, artists, and FX studios). I find it refreshing to read about so many things here that I haven't already seen covered on other horror blogs. And I really appreciate that this isn't just yet another horror movie review blog. They share a lot of interesting finds (toys, products, weird things) and I'll be back again soon to see what else they've found!

http://dailynightmare.com/

Twisted Central

A pair of horror fans (Gore Whore and J.R. Watkins) blog about horror movie reviews, horror interviews, and horror book reviews. Currently they're discussing The Omen IV and the upcoming All American Zombie Drugs DVD.

http://www.twistedcentral.com/

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--Copyright 2013 Carrie Carolin

Dark Side of the Net

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