If I can dream….I would put together a Carpe Nocturne Magazine sponsored festival. I don’t know what I would call it, but I’m liking the name Darkfest. I could most likely get Ego Likeness to perform at the event. Valerie Gentile is a huge supporter of the magazine and graced our cover in the Fall Issue. Therefore, getting Abbey Death to perform would be likely. My one writer, Chirality, works for the Industrial band Ludovico Technique. Having them there would almost be a given. That’s a good start without even reaching out to the many contacts I and my staff have made. There would be so many more bands.
If I can dream….I would secure the legendary nightclub QXT’s in Newark, NJ as the venue. Depending on the amount of performers, it may need to be a two day event. We would have vendors galore, artists, authors, tattoo artists, and everything else we cover to make Carpe Nocturne unique.
If I can dream….we would have a ton of performance artists. Belly dancing would definitely be represented. Chirality said she could get suspension artists. Burlesque troupes? I could possibly get the diverse Nikki Telladictorian to do something, if not perform with her band Prometheus Burning. There is just so many possibilities.
If I can dream….I would have as many of the staff there as possible. We are really spread out all over the globe, so it probably isn’t possible for everyone. It would be great to meet everyone in person, though.
If I can dream….I would secure the funds needed to pull this off. That is the most difficult part of the whole thing. Carpe Nocturne would be responsible for signage and promotion, and I would hope to recoup that money at the merch table. Where to get the rest? How much would it even cost? I really don’t think this is a possibility at this point, but if I can dream….it would be.
To end, and appropriate, here is the song I have been addicted to lately. It’s called Deeper into You by Ludovico Technique.
There comes that moment when three months of very hard work is completed, and the planning for the next issue is done. I can close my laptop, take a very long sigh of relief, and give myself a much needed 2-3 week break from anything Magazine related. Well, except for emails…always have those. I’m not there yet, but I’m pretty damn close. Just a couple more things to do, and should have everything finished by Sunday. Oh, and this Issue it turned out to be four months of hard work, not three. It’s going to be worth it. Spring should be a killer issue.
For a long time I wanted to post something on the short stories I have written. There are many. I guess to begin, we need to turn back time to 2009. I am a fan of all things vampire, but became frustrated with the popular mediums available. The first season of True Blood was good, but it soon got ridiculous. The Underworld series was decent, but couldn’t stand the whole Vampire-Lycan hybrid concept. Twilight was my breaking point. I decided to sit down and write my own vampire novel. In it, there would be no werewolves, no witches, no nothing…just a straight vampire story. I envisioned a world of Gothic Underground, much like VtM. I began writing.
That novel would consume roughly the next year of my life. I wrote, edited, re-edited, and finally shopped it to Literary Agents. The story itself was centered around an average guy named Adam. His fate was sealed by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He becomes the first known accidental vampire. Without a sire to guide him, Adam must maneuver through this life he did not ask for, and often finds himself in one blunder after another. Soon, there is a target on his back, but that is nothing compared to the trouble he encounters with Twila, the schizophrenic Goth he falls in love with.
Well…I never did find an agent. I think it was the query letter and synopsis that broke me. It’s so different than writing a book, and in many ways, harder. I decided to take a break from pursuing agents, had just bought my first smart phone, and starting downloading vampire apps to play to kill the time. Naturally, I used the name Adam. It turns out, most of the games sucked. I finally found another one named Vampire Stories, downloaded it, and this time thought it would be fun to use the name Twila instead. Understand, I did not know Vampire Stories was a social game. I never played one before, and didn’t really know what they were. I always just played single player games like Elder Scrolls on my computer.
So now I’m a woman on a social head to head fighting game and people begin talking to me. I’m mortified. I don’t respond. My first instinct should have been to delete the app, but there was one problem….I really liked the game, and I was really really good at it. So good, in fact, players started refusing to fight me. That was when the fateful decision happened…if I was going to continue playing, which I wanted to, I would have to either A. lose some battles on purpose, I could not bring myself to do that, or B. make friends. I thought about it, and with a male heavy game, reasoned I would get many more opponents if I just continued to be (and act) female. It’s really not that much of a stretch for me. People like to say I’m “In touch with my feminine side.”
Fast forward a year and a half later, and I’m a Game Moderator of Vampire Stories. Everyone still thinks I’m a woman. How did I do it? Simple. I kept everything as real as possible…what I do, where I live, and even my name I only changed by a few letters. I was Michaelena instead of Michael, but everyone called me Lena or Twila, my avatar name. Then, another moderator decided to Google me and came across the website for my pharmacy. It was all there, and anyone with an IQ over 60 could have figured it out. I was called out, and asked to resign as GM. I was embarrassed, but a little relieved too. I was tired of pretending, and I made some really good friends on there. I wanted them to know the real me, although the only real difference was I had a penis.
Through the fallout, I lost a lot of friends. I guess it’s expected. I lied to them. The funny thing I found was women were generally accepting. It was the men who were really pissed. Maybe it’s because they all tried to flirt with me over and over and over again. It’s really ridiculous what women have to put up with. It was a huge eye opener in many ways. Anyways, I finally switched to a male avatar, and changed my name to Belphegor…a demon prince who walks the Earth in female form. It was poetic in many ways. As Belphegor, I won the Olympic elimination tournament two years in a row, proving I was the best player in the game. I also began writing short stories in the forum.
I wrote a couple of stories as Belphegor, but then decided to do the unthinkable…write a story as Twila. I wanted to set the record straight of who she was to me, a character from my book. I took her basic story from my novel, her personality, and built a short story using players in the game instead of other characters from my book. It worked, and I am super proud of it. The hardest part was to represent each person accurately, and have their personalities work within the story. In all, I have now written four Twila stories, and soon I’ll begin my fifth. The game shut down in 2013, and when the forum disappeared, I lost a bunch of my work. Luckily, I at least saved the first two Twila stories from there.
When the game was ending, a group of us began looking for a new game. That led us to Dark Legends. My best friend from Vampire Stories, Debra…my Sis, was already playing under the name Serene Slayer. There was still unfinished business with the other game however. Debra became disenchanted with the way her character was portrayed in the forum of the old game. We decided I would rewrite Mistress Debra’s history. We began a blog. With no longer having to write under the guidelines of censorship, I wrote the Dark Queen. Debra provided some amazing visuals to accompany the story. It’s still one of my best works yet. In the Dark Queen, I decided to tell her story from her younger cousin’s point of view. Her name was Emilie. Doesn’t take a genius to figure out who I named her after. I also used two friends, Yvonne and Angie, who moved over from VS to Dark Legends with us in the story. And as I was writing the story, I joined Dark Legends, and so I named myself Emilie Darke. At this point, all of my friends knew I had a penis, so who really cared.
With this transition, Yvonne and Debra created a new forum for our Dark Legends guild. We are called Cinders to Ash. I continued writing stories, but on this platform instead. I started with the “Legend of Emilie Darke.” It’s a tale of a 500 year old vampire who is basically a bitch. I had so much fun with this. The word used to describe me most is Nice, so it was a refreshing change for me. You know, more fun to be the bad guy than the good guy. Also, in game, my favorite power to use was fire aura. I definitely wrote that into the story, and it became a part of who Emilie is. The Legend of Emilie Darke won the very first Spotlight Submission contest for Dark Legends, and gave me minor celebrity status within the game. It was fun while it lasted, but I no longer play Dark Legends. I still write stories for the CTA forum, however. Oh, and I usually create a video or two to accompany them. Like I said, once I’m officially done with the Spring Issue, I’m going to begin the fifth installment of the Twila Diaries. If you are interested in reading any of these stories, here are the links:
Feel free to look around the forum, and join if you so wish. We are always looking for new friends, and people to add to the creativity on there. Happy reading!
I have long thought if I wasn’t writing a blog about music, I would be writing one about beer. I’m a huge fan, and can talk in depth about it. Granted, I don’t abuse…I come from a long line who do (did). My father is a recovering alcoholic, my sister is, both grandfathers were, many cousins are, etc. Luckily, I take after my mother. Anyways, I enjoy beer, it’s variety, and the many complexities of it. Tonight I was with my best friend El (short for Eleuterio…half Puerto Rican and half Irish). We drank. Here was my lineup: Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA, Bell’s Two Heated Ale (my fav), Yards’ Pale Ale, Terrapin Liquid Bliss, Chimay Yellow, Victory Headwaters, and Troeg’s Nugget Nectar (fav seasonal). That’s enough to knock you on your ass, but I know how to pace it, followed it with two cups of coffee, an electrolyte pack, and a bottle of water. I’m good.
There are several topics on my mind tonight. Beer, of course, is one. Second, is sexual orientation and gender identity. They are two completely different things, but most people don’t know the difference. Me, the general assumption my whole life is that I’m gay. Even my wife thought it when she met me. I’ve been hit on by plenty of men, which I find flattering, but penis just isn’t my thing. I just don’t understand why femininity has to equal gay. It’s not true, or at least not always. A person could make a very strong valid argument if they accused me of being transgendered. The thing is, that rarely enters the general mindset. Sexual orientation is what people think of. Although, if someone said I was trans, I would counter that I’m a strong believer in androgyny, and hate strict gender roles. The thing is, I am actually not super feminine. I’m just not uber-masculine. I don’t need to grunt, spit, and shoot things to prove what is in between my legs. I enjoy hobbies commonly associated with women as well as ones associated with men. I also tend to be the “Mother Hen” of my group of friends, which men often like to kid me about. Secretly, I know they appreciate it.
Finally, let’s talk about music. What have I been listening to recently? A whole lotta Taylor Swift. Her new CD “1989” is simply amazing. I play it front to back, and then hit repeat. When I’m not, my wife or daughter usually is. Besides being a brilliant artist, Taylor was born and raised five minutes from my house. At age fourteen, she moved to Nashville, but that doesn’t make her any less a Berks County native. Gotta give love to the hometown girl. Here is one of my favorite songs off of 1989…
Last, a song came on my iPod tonight, and it made me want to ask the question…”What song do you listen to when you have had a completely shit day?” You know what I’m talking about. It’s that song you crank in the car on your drive home from work when you’ve had the worst day ever. It somehow seems to take the anxiety and frustration away. Mine is by a very long time favorite band, Social Distortion. Its aptly named, “On My Nerves.”
Before I go, can I just say….Finally they are playing “You Ruin Me” by the Veronicas on American radio. It’s about time!!!!
Where do I begin discussing MKIO? I can not say I am a long time fan, but I am a HUGE fan now. I discovered them roughly a year and a half ago. It was one of those nights where I sat on my couch watching YouTube video after video, trying to discover new music and bands. I came across the video for “Still Right Here,” and instantly loved it. The song had an amazing eerie feel, coupled with stifled rage, and outward animosity. I downloaded the song to my phone and proceeded to listen to it frequently for the next several months. Oddly, and I’m not sure why, my curiosity about MKIO ceased with the simple pleasure of finding that new song I have never heard before. My guess is I was distracted by something else at the time, but can’t quite remember what. Probably writing. Usually I’m more obsessive about new artists I discover. It would take another six months for my real love affair with Mankind is Obsolete to begin. First, let me post the video that put MKIO on my radar.
Fast forward those six months, and you will find me on my couch once again, watching video after video once again. Maybe it was some divine power that forced my fingers to type Mankind is Obsolete into the search bar, but I did. The result was I watched the video “The Rapture.” Honestly, I couldn’t believe I was listening to the same band that recorded “Still Right Here.” This new song to my ears, was so completely different. It sounded more like Unter Null than what I expected MKIO to sound like…based on that one song I had previously purchased. I loved it, downloaded it, and proceeded to listen to the “The Rapture” over and over again for roughly a week. After that week, I delved into their entire discography and downloaded everything they have ever recorded. The diversity of the music they put out amazed me. I would spend the next several months listening to almost nothing but Mankind is Obsolete.
So what moves me so much about MKIO? What makes them so different in my mind? I can’t put my finger on it, but their music moves me. They are one of the greatest bands I have ever heard at putting together a depressing and melancholy slow song. There is just so much feeling in the lyrics and vocals. Tash Cox is just incredible. The band can also deliver a pounding metal-esque song, or something that falls closer to Goth-Pop. They are extremely diverse. MKIO’s latest release, “Mobius Loop” is my favorite CD of their’s to date. I’ve listened to it ad-nauseam.
There are so many songs I want to share of their’s, but I’ll only post one more. I’ll actually use a video I created to their song “Prayer.” I made it to accompany a chapter of a short story I have written. The context was a young vampire mourning the death of her sire, and her trying to remember everything her sire had taught her. “Prayer” is just one of the many truly great slow songs MKIO has in their discography. I will interview this band at some point for Carpe Nocturne, but the timing hasn’t worked out for me just yet. I’m thinking Fall. In the meantime, I will certainly review “Mobius Loop” for our Spring Issue.
Ahhh, Christmas time, and the airwaves are flooded with songs of comfort and joy. I actually love Christmas music. I would play it all year long if I could. Well…here and there. Not continuously. Anyways, I know some people can’t stand it, and I totally use this to my advantage. At work, myself and the store manager both love holiday music, and we put it on the first opportunity we can. This drives the employees crazy! It’s our little way of getting back at them for all of the BS we’ve tolerated from them all year long. This year, we started the Christmas Music a week before Thanksgiving. The louder they complained, they louder we sang (we do a mean rendition of Dominic the Donkey).
I know Christmas music isn’t uber Goth or have wicked industrial beats, but I still just kinda like it. It makes you feel good. Gets you into the spirit. There are a few smattering of Christmas songs that are performed by artists that you would mostly find on my iPhone. I would like to share one. It’s by Ego Likeness. Donna Lynch has the most amazing voice, and as the years roll on, I am learning to appreciate how very special she really is. Last week I got to meet her for the first time. Previously, I had only ever spoken to her on Facebook. Besides being extremely nice and down to earth, she is much taller than I realized. I think that’s what surprised me most of all. The song…
One of my absolute favorite Christmas songs, and has been for a long time, is from the movie “The Grinch” with Jim Carrey. The song was sung by Punk/Rock Goddess Taylor Momsem, then only seven years old. I know the popular version of this song is sung by Faith Hill, but it’s little Cindy Lou Who’s version I love best. The innocence gets me. And as we watch the video, can we all just say awwwww….look how cute Taylor is.
Finally, one last song, my favorite, from the King himself. There is no singer in the history of music (my Opinion) who can make you feel more or sing with more emotion than Elvis Presley. He was truly great.
Now, just a few thoughts on Emilie Autumn. She is another truly great musician. So different. I just love her music. Yet, I have to wonder, will there ever be another album? Will there ever be a tour where she performs Misery Loves Company, Dead is the New Alive, or Opheliac? Or, is FLAG it? Will she move onto Broadway, which I know is her dream, and that be the end of it? I know I am being selfish. I know how great her show is. I’ve seen it. I just want more. Her music is too amazing to never be heard live again.
Finally, I have one more piece of news to share. Roughly a year and a half ago I was sitting at home and received an email from the owner of Carpe Nocturne Magazine to call him. That night I became the Feature Editor of the music section. Two weeks ago I received a very similar email from the CEO of the publishing company that now owns Carpe Nocturne. There are always nerves. Did I do something wrong? I called, and am now the Managing Editor of the entire publication. Go figure. I will still handle the music section, at least for a while, but now I also have to handle the day to day operations of the magazine. It’s very exciting, and I am looking forward to this opportunity.
As you know, I am an editor for a Dark Culture magazine. A lot of people find it odd (but cool), and wonder how a pharmacist living in suburbia, USA ended up doing what I do. How did I even discover this music? It’s not a simple answer, and there was definitely a progression in my musical tastes over the years, which leads me to this post. I asked myself, “How did I get here?” I can break it down in a series of albums that actually changed my musical preferences, and I would be interested to see others do the same. Again, these aren’t albums that were just amazing, because there are plenty of those, but were actually life changing. Big difference.
Ozzy Ozbourne — Diary of Madman
My musical journey began at the tender age of ten. The year was 1982, and I was just introduced into the world of Dungeons & Dragons. The kid who taught me to play was four years my senior, and I idolized him. He was literally the coolest person I have ever met. On the night I created my first D & D character (an assassin if you are interested), Guy, which was his name, played two cassettes over and over again. They were “Diary of a Madman” and “Blizzard of Oz” by the iconic Ozzy Ozbourne. Suddenly, a whole new world of music was available to me. It was my first realization that there was more to music than what was played on the radio.
Although I would spend the next six years of my life being a die hard Ozzy fan, I do not have any of his songs on my playlists today. Tastes change. It is funny to me to see his songs played in car commercials these days. I remember being a young Catholic school student, and the nuns telling me I was going to burn in Hell for listening to his satanic music. Times change too. One further comment I have to make about Ozzy Ozbourne…my first day of second grade I noticed a kid with the letters O-Z-Z-Y written across his fingers. We instantly became friends because of it. Twenty two years later he would be the best man in my wedding, as I was the best man in his.
November’s Coming Fire — Samhain
The times were changing. Glam metal was becoming popular, and I have to say, it was not my thing. Bands like Bon Jovi and Poison dominated MTV, and I tolerated it at best. There were those exceptions like Guns N Roses and Metallica that I still loved, but I needed something more out of my music. Then it happened…a new friend introduced me to the works of Glenn Danzig. At the time, he had just released his first solo album, but was more known for his work with the Misfits. It was his in-between band Samhain that really caught my attention.
For me, Glenn Danzig represented a music much darker than I was used to. I mean sure, Metallica was heavy and dark, but Danzig was a different animal. If you are a fan, you know what I mean. I would spend the next decade of my life being the biggest Danzig fan I knew. I loved everything he did, and listened to his various works constantly. My favorite album out of his vast collection is “November’s Coming Fire” by his least known group Samhain. It is a perfect blend of that Misfit’s punk style growing into his eventual metal sound. I still consider it one of the greatest CDs of all time, and yes…it is on my iPhone playlist.
Jagged Little Pill — Alanis Morissette
In my lifetime, I have never heard a song that so instantly affected me like “You Oughta Know” did. From the very first listen, I said, “This is probably the greatest song ever written.” I meant it. The song was so edgy, so real, and I think almost anyone could relate to what Alanis was singing about. There was so much personal anguish and emotion put into that song, and it made me realize how emotionally deep music could be.
“Jagged Little Pill” is one of those truly great albums front to back. For me, it’s a top three CD of all-time, if not number one. Songs like “Forgiven” and “Right Through You” further cemented my belief that Alanis represented something different than what was currently available. She spoke from the heart, spoke out about topics few would tackle, and did it bluntly in a language people could relate to. By the time her second CD, “Supposed Former Infatuation Junky,” was released in 1998, a lifetime love of testosterone driven metal and punk music was conquered by the female voice of Alanis Morissette. Suddenly, artists like Sophie B. Hawkins, Tori Amos, and Paula Cole started to dominate my mix tapes. Alanis is still one of my favorite artists today.
If I may indulge you with one song off of “Jagged Little Pill”, it would be “Forgiven”. It is a perfect example of everything I have stated about Alanis Morissette in this blog. I am choosing this song only because I am assuming everyone is familiar with “You Oughta Know”. If not, I suggest jumping over to YouTube real quick and giving it a listen.
Mira — Self-titled
The year was 2009, and Twilight was all the rage. I watched the first movie in the comfort of my living room, and was disgusted by it. I thought the entire series was a disgrace to the vampire genre, and was quickly trying to unravel everything Anne Rice had accomplished. True Blood was in it’s second season, and already moving towards the insanely ridiculous. I decided I needed to write my own vampire novel, and tell the story in a gritty urban Gothic way that I saw the genre in my mind. And so it began….
I searched for music that would reflect the images in my mind and would inspire me to write the novel I wished. I fell into the ethereal. Bands like This Mortal Coil and Dead Can Dance would keep me company night after night. There was no single band, however, I loved more than Mira. I often talk about “mood music”, and their self-titled album is the epitome of it my mind. They are so dark and melancholy. So different from what I previously listened to. So perfect. Although this CD was originally released in 2000, my discovery of it happened nine years later, and unfortunately, they had already disbanded. It’s still a staple on my playlists, and very few songs move me as much as “Blister” or this perfect gem…”Alone.”
Funhouse — P!nk
My musical tastes were rapidly changing, or should I say, solidifying. I began discovering so much music I have never heard before. Then again, there was P!nk. I know she is a Pop musician, but her CD “Funhouse” was so extremely dark in nature. I was a long time fan, but “Funhouse” changed me. No longer would I declare Alanis Morissette was my favorite musician. In fact, “Funhouse” was the greatest CD front to back I have heard since “Jagged Little Pill”. There was so much emotion and despair, coupled with a sense of liberation. Amazing.
“Sober,” to this day, remains my single favorite song of all time. “Please Don’t Leave Me” is right up there. “Ave Mary A” I can listen to over and over. This CD just blows me away. I don’t remember listening to many male musicians after this CD except for a song here and there. I understood the female voice appealed to me, and could deliver those haunting vocals I have always loved. I knew my friends would find it odd, but I deleted most of the male singers from my playlists. It was created for me after all, and reflected what I wanted to hear.
Flicker — Ayria
The final CD that I consider life-changing I discovered roughly around the same time as the last two. I downloaded the song “Disease” and fell in love. I don’t remember how I found the song, and I hadn’t heard much industrial before outside of Nine Inch Nails (who I liked), but this song was completely different. I delved into Ayria’s discography, but was still listening to Mira and “Funhouse” all of the time. I downloaded “Flicker,” and the transition to what I listen to now begun. Ayria hit a nerve, and filled a void in my psyche I didn’t know existed. It is her music that lead me to discovering artists like Ego Likeness, The Birthday Massacre, and Emilie Autumn, who are my favorites today.
I love Ayria’s upbeat songs, but it was the slower ones that got me on this CD. “Pink Dress”, “St. Edith”. and “Lovely Day” are probably my most played songs by Ayria. “My Revenge on the World” is right there to. If it wasn’t for Ayria, I might not be listening to what I do today. Then again, I may have eventually found it anyways. Who knows. Who cares. But these were the six CD’s that shaped my musical tastes.
I’ll leave you with one more song…one of my all time favorites, and rivals “Alone” by Mira as the single greatest melancholy song in my mind of all time…”Lovely Day” by Ayria.
Ahhhhh shit, here we go…In This Moment live in Lancaster, PA tonight. The Amish better hide and lock their doors. Doors open at 6, three opening bands, and then In This Moment takes the stage. It has been years since I’ve been to a metal show, but when I was younger, I saw just about every metal band that came around. I can’t think of anyone better than In This Moment to bring me back to the valley of fist pumping and mosh pits.
Heavy Metal has always been a testosterone dominated genre of music. Very few female bands, or bands with female fronts, have been successful in this style of music. There is a prejudice and an arrogant belief that estrogen and metal just don’t mix. I find the concept ludicrous, and to those who adhere to that ideology, I have to ask…have you ever listened to Maria Brink sing? Have you watched her? This is one bad ass bitch with the most amazing arsenal of vocals. She can deliver those guttural screams with the best of them, and move you with some of the best power ballads in the industry. It is a shame that Maria has to meet with so much criticism she needs to speak out in the new song, “Sex Metal Barbie.” On the flip side, I completely love the song. So…I’m kinda glad she wrote it.
I am not going to go too in-depth today, but I did want to write something about In This Moment. Soon, I will sit down and write a CD review of their new album “Black Widow” (amazing!!), and will be providing a scene report of the concert tonight. Both are for Carpe Nocturne. I’ll save the majority of my words for there, Lol. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with one more video (for those of you who haven’t seen it yet)…it’s their first single off of “Black Widow” titled “Sick Like Me.” Is it possible In This Moment keeps getting better? I would put my money on yes.
I am just sitting here gorging myself on bratwursts and brownies and thinking at some point I really need to start exercising again. Oh well. I do feel a sense of accomplishment, though. I have just finished my last article for our Winter Issue. I’m debating if I want to write another one yet…so many bands to cover. I still have time.
So what is new with me? Well, about four weeks ago I hurt my back. It was lower back pain, sitting was painful, and bending was near impossible. How did I do it? Well…let’s just say it involved my wife and the bedroom. I finally realized the pain wasn’t going to go away, so I saw my chiropractor earlier this week. He put me back together, and I feel almost 100% percent better. It is truly is amazing…I don’t know of any other health professional that can make you feel instantly better and it only takes them 10-15 minutes. The interesting moment came when he asked HOW I hurt my back. When I responded, he held up my profile, stared at it, and stated, “You are married, right? How the heck does that still happen? Let me know your secret.”
Moving on to music….two weekends ago I decided to listen to the new Lovelorn Dolls CD, “Japanese Robot Invasion” that was just released. I have been a fan, I own their first album, and I was interested to hear how their sound has progressed. I’m telling you right now, the CD blew me away. It is seriously one of the best albums I have heard front to back in a very long time. Within two days I wrote a review of “Japanese Robot Invasion” for our Winter Issue (sudden addition to our content), and briefly talked to the band via Twitter about an interview for our Spring Issue. Yeah, it is that good. Here is their first single off of the new CD title “The Thrill.”
Oh wait, I’m not done yet…I still have more to share about Lovelorn Dolls. I know, I should just make a separate post about the band. Unfortunately, they fell into the trap of me writing so much about them for the magazine, I don’t feel like repeating myself on here. Ok, it’s not unfortunately. Carpe Nocturne Magazine has roughly 32,000 more readers than my blog. Anywho, maybe my favorite song off of “Japanese Robot Invasion” is actually a cover. I truly can’t believe it. Lovelorn Dolls remade “Just Like a Dream” by the Cure, and did it phenomenally. They changed it up enough to make it their own, but it is still completely recognizable as the Cure’s song. You have to listen, and if you haven’t heard the new CD, notice how this song and the previous one I shared differ dramatically from each other and from Lovelorn Dolls’ first CD “House of Wonders.” Bravo!!
Coffee…my best friend. It’s like Night of the Living Dead in my head until I’ve had at least two cups. Seriously, I’m brainless. I walk into walls. Fortunately, I just poured my third cup, so I’m good.
So, the magazine…a lot is happening, and I’m extremely excited. With it comes a lot of new responsibilities. Mostly, it entails sending and receiving emails. It seems it is all I do. I have been given a bunch of new responsibilities, no real direction except my experience, and an outdated list of staff writers to complete it. Therefore, I have been uber-busy trying to piece together a staff and make sure we have good content going into the Winter Issue. I think I have succeeded.
The staff that remains at Carpe Nocturne are the ones I would have hand picked to stay anyways. So that is good. I would rather have a smaller group of quality writers, than a multitude of mediocre ones. Also, there is a new addition, Asylum Attendant, and one former writer who I was able to bring back, Krystalle Voecks. I am not the type of person to just take anyone, and I feel confidant about my choices.
One of the difficult things about my current position is this…at Carpe Nocturne, we cover a broad range of cultures. Industrial, Goth, Punk, Steampunk, I can go on. I need to make sure each is represented in every issue. I mean, I don’t technically have to, but I will. It’s a little bit of a juggling act at times.
Ok, now I have to go make a cake. Yes, I can bake too. It’s going to be a peanut butter pound cake with chocolate chips and a peanut butter glaze. Afterwards, I’ll probably send and reply to some emails. I also have to touch up the interview I just conducted with Chibi of The Birthday Massacre, do a CD review of Stoneburner, and write an article on a benefit concert being performed for a woman who was attacked and nearly killed in her home. This is to say I will do this unless I end up sending and replying to emails instead, Lol.
Here is a band I discovered last night, and am totally digging…LIGHTS
So I just spent the last twenty minutes sitting here debating what picture to use as my header. Should I use Flyleaf 2010 or 2014? If you are a fan, you know why. I decided on 2014 because it is the current lineup, but I have loved the band for so long, it just takes some time getting use to. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, you will by the end of this post.
It is difficult for me to remember when exactly I discovered Flyleaf. I believe it was right around the release of “Momento Mori,” in 2009. Somewhere between the songs “All Around Me,” “Fully Alive,” and “Again” I fell in love with this band. They were rock, but with some subtle dark undertones. I later realized they were a Christian rock band, but I’ll get back to that in a minute. I loved Flyleaf’s sound, especially the vocals, and for me it was a discovery of great song after great song. I downloaded both CD’s without thinking twice.
Their self-titled debut album “Flyleaf,” is incredible from beginning to end. I love this CD. It’s edgy, but catchy. “Momento Mori,” I feel, wasn’t quite as good, but it definitely had some amazing tracks on it. It was worth the money for sure. At the time after it’s release, I was certain Flyleaf was destined to become one of my favorite bands of all time. The Christian lyrics…to be honest, words are the last thing I notice in a song. I played bass for a long time (don’t anymore), so it’s natural for me to focus on the percussion and bass first. Next I notice the vocals, but not necessarily the words being sung. Weird? Afterwards, I focus on everything else. As for the lyrics, I’m Catholic, send my kids to Catholic School, but not sure if I want to hear religion in my music. With Flyleaf, it’s never in your face, usually stated subtly, but there is almost always a positive theme to their songs. I’m ok with that.
2010 was my favorite year for Flyleaf music. The band released the EP “Remember to Live,” and it is my favorite piece of work they have put together to date. The songs “Justice and Mercy (Violent Love Version)”, “Okay”, and “Believe in Dreams” are among my most played Flyleaf songs. They inspire me. Also that year, they released a live version of the song “How He Loves,” which they use to close their shows. What a great song, and I don’t even care if the lyrics are very religious.
Not everything a band does can always be incredible. In 2012 I was so damn excited for Flyleaf’s new CD “New Horizons” to be released. I downloaded the entire album the moment it was available to the public. I listened to it, and…I figured it would grow on me. It didn’t. I know music is completely subjective, and I’m sure there are plenty of people who like it, but it wasn’t Flyleaf to me. In my mind, the CD sounded more like what I would hear on the radio, and I don’t like much that is played on the radio. To make matters worse, late in 2012, long time front woman Lacey Sturm abruptly announced she was leaving the band. I was crushed, and ready to write Flyleaf off as one of those good bands of the past. Lacey’s voice was so unique, and always my favorite part of what made Flyleaf great.
Before I continue, I just want to say….Lacey, we still love you. You have an amazing talent, and I only hope I can hear you perform again one day. Until then, I will just have to share one of my favorite videos of all time. The song is amazing, but the simplicity and visuals of this video makes me want to watch it over and over again, and I have. “All Around Me” by Flyleaf is easily a top 5 video for me.
I’ll be honest. after Lacey Sturm left. I didn’t pay much attention to Flyleaf. I heard they had found a replacement, but after the last CD, I didn’t have high expectations. You can lose a member of a band, but it is extremely difficult to replace your singer and continue to be successful. In walks Kristen May. It just may have been the change the band needed. I like their new album, “Between the Stars”. They have definitely stepped back towards rock again, and kinda sound a bit more like Paramore before Paramore turned more Pop. I can honestly say I am still a fan of Flyleaf, and I look forward to seeing what else this lineup can do. Here is their first released song off of their new album, “Set Me on Fire”.
Michael Jack 