Monday, September 9, 2024

PODCAST: Compilation for the Dead 2024 (September 2024 Episode)

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Welcome to the 2024 edition of the Out ov the Coffin "Compilation for the Dead" -- an annual tradition for nearly two decades, which currently stands in for the September episode each year, while I recover from Dragon Con and prepare for the Halloween season. But just what is a "Compilation for the Dead", you might ask?

"Wait! I can explain..."

It's a tribute to the golden age of compilation CDs, back in the pre-internet '90s, when the only way you were going to get new music was from a store (or a good friend). If you didn't already know what you wanted, you'd walk the aisles of the local record shop (or printed catalogue), searching for something to risk your money on. If you were lucky, you would find a compilation that promised a certain overall style, so you could sample a whole slate of fresh bands at once, as you took notes on the full albums you needed to hunt down next time.

These were the CDs that were so helpful to me, and many others like me, when we were first getting into this kind of music. Old school, yes, but if this compilation has that effect on you, I consider it a success.


Speaking of old school, here's a mock-up CD cover!
(click to expand)


Unlike most episodes, this one is designed to play through without talk breaks (once you get past the intro), so you can throw it on and focus on this season's crop of new and current dark bands that I think people should know about. It's also a good introduction to what the show is about for any newcomers -- or a nice, seasonal harvest of a playlist for longtime listeners.

I started the "Compilation for the Dead" series back in 2007, after attending Dragon Con for a couple of years, because I would always have conversations at the panels about the state of goth music, the health of the scene, and if there were any good bands still putting "this kind of music" out. My answer to the last question was always an emphatic "YES," but in order to put my money where my mouth was, I decided to create some proof.

"Here, I made you a mixtape..."

So, each year I chose an album's worth of strictly new and/or current music to represent my show, my DJing style, and, most importantly, the current state of goth & the wider dark music scene as I saw it -- and I started literally handing the CDs out to people. My days of hand-making physical compilations are behind me, so you get it streaming or as a podcast here -- but the notes are already made for you here, and the music can be shared infinitely this way, so it's a worthwhile trade-off, I hope.

As always, this year's mix features some never-before-featured music, including the infectious new single from Soror Dolorosa's forthcoming album Mond, a new face on a modern goth classic from Atlanta's Entertainment, a darkwave debut from Chicago's Lunar Paths, a new single from Nashville's own General Trust, new Ukrainian post-punk from Small Depo (feat. ДК Енергетик), the 'Coffin debut of Oakland's Yama Uba, new dark ambient from некрохолод and black metal from SVRM, plus fresh soundtrack work from Pilou's score to Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. And that's not even counting the deeper cuts from recent releases. This one's riddled with bangers!

Each artist's name in the playlist below links to a site for buying their music or learning more (usually a Bandcamp link), and next to each band name is their country of origin, for the curious.
 
If this is your first episode of Out ov the Coffin, the regular episodes happen once a month, taking the form of a traditional, hosted radio show, with an emphasis on new music -- but also including classics from the vault, episodic themes, and further cuts into current albums in the realms of: Goth, post-punk, deathrock, darkwave, coldwave, film scores, dark metal, and beyond. The next one in line will actually be another special edition, October's traditional Halloween Special, which is both a personal and listener favorite each year. Look for that one as the veil draws thinner...

Until then, if you're new here, I encourage you to check out some of the previous episodes (here or here), and to follow the show on Facebook and Instagram.

Thanks,
Ichabod


* Neither this podcast nor this compilation are endorsed or produced by Dragon Con.

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PLAYLIST BEGINS HERE
Format: Band Name [country of origin] - Song Title
             from Album Title (year of release)

(each band name is also a website link)



"Out ov the Coffin" w/ Ichabod
  Intro/outro recorded August 28th, 2024
  Mixed + compiled August 2024.

Intro track, which then plays backwards beneath the introductory and closing remarks:
Elliot Goldenthal - Libera Me  ["Interview with the Vampire" (soundtrack) 1994]


The "Out ov the Coffin" Compilation for the Dead, 2024:

  1. Pilou  [Canada]: "Transfiguration"
    from “Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person” (soundtrack, 2024)
  2. Past Self  [USA]: "Between the Marquees"
    from Die Cry Hate EP (2023)
  3. Entertainment  [USA]: "Flesh (New Voice, Club Mix)"
    single (2024)
  4. Date At Midnight  [Italy]: Another Grace
    from Another Grace (2024)
     
  5. Agnosia  [Finland]: "Kyyneleet"
    from Kun maailma palaa (2024)
  6. The Victoriana  [USA]: "These Sickly Flowers"
    from Violets Of Your Neck b/w These Sickly Flowers (2023)
  7. Soror Dolorosa  [France]: "Obsidian Museum"
    from Mond (2024)
  8. Nox Novacula  [USA]: "Stay"
    from Feed the Fire (2024)
  9. Yama Uba  [USA]: "Disappear"
    from Silhouettes (2024)
  10. Heimberg  [France]: "Crows"
    from Blind Eye EP (2024)

  11. Small Depo (feat. ДК Енергетик) (DK Energetyk)  [Ukraine]: "Черга" (Cherga)
    single (2024)
  12. Astari Nite  [USA]: "What a Rainbow Feels Like"
    from Resolution of Happiness (2024)
  13. General Trust  [USA]: "A Season of Wrath"
    from Hearses b/w A Season of Wrath (2024)
  14. Kælan Mikla & Bardi Johannsson  [Iceland]: "The Phantom Carriage"
    from The Phantom Carriage (2024)
  15. Lunar Paths  [USA]: "Lifesong"
    single (2024)
  16. DucTape  [Türkiye]: "Red Scar"
    from Echo Drama (2024)
  17. Peter Raeburn  [UK]: "Funeral Leftovers"
    from “Handling the Undead” (soundtrack, 2024)
  18. Final Gasp  [USA]: Mourning Moon
    from "Mourning Moon" (2023)
  19. некрохолод (Necroholod)  [Ukraine]: "Windswept Cross"
    from Fragments of Edward Munch's 'The Sick Girl' (2024)
  20. Délétère  [Canada]: "Chasse Obscène"
    from Songes dune Nuit Souillée (2023)
  21. SVRM  [Ukraine]: "Мовчання і смерть" (Silence and Death)
    from Мовчання і смерть (2024)

________________

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Wednesday, August 14, 2024

PODCAST: July-August 2024 Episode

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EPISODE NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS:

Welcome to the episode that just kept growing! What started out as a late-July episode, as expected, was delayed to add a few additional items, then expanded from there to become what we have here: An episode recorded in August, that picks up a bit from July, but also looks forward through September and even mid-October. You see, the next two episodes will be specialty formats -- first, the annual "Compilation for the Dead" in early September, followed by the annual Halloween Special at the end of October -- making this episode the last "regular" episode until November. In light of that, I have jammed this extended episode full of the usual new music, plus tour and event spotlights, anniversaries, and themes, resulting in an extra set's worth of music.

We begin by raising the trident early, setting the tone with a song from Ukrainian folk act DakhaBrakha's debut album, Yahudky, in honor of their upcoming US tour (which will begin at Oz Arts in Nashville on September 12th). You don't see a lot of acts from war-torn Ukraine on US soil, so it's a reason to celebrate, for me. Coming in right behind that, and perhaps carrying a bit of the same spirit, is new music from longtime Ukraine supporter ROME. The lead single "Eagle Wings" is taken from his ever-topical new EP World in Flames. Transitioning from that intro into the first talk break, we descend into some Ukrainian dark ambient/neo-classical music from the 2024 release Elegy of Faded Glass Eyes by relative newcomer некрохолод (Necroholod).
 
The first full set begins with the infectious third single (and great video!) from Nox Novacula's new album, Feed the Fire, which I have now been able to absorb enough to say it will certainly land in my "Best of" list for this year. And you can still catch them on tour across the northern half of the US right now. From there, we check out the latest from Soft Kill, a band that is always trying something new these days, yet remaining consistent in their own way. Escape Forever sees the band adopting a bit of street-punk and opting for brighter skies, but "Come Hang from the Rooftops" carries their post-punk roots into this new venture. 
 
We then dip into a second taste of the new album from The March Violets, which has the band sounding quite strong, before stepping back 40 years to mark the anniversary of The Cult's debut album, DreamtimeUrban Heat brings us back to the present with one of their (many) new singles, before we allow The Chameleons to show us all how it's done with my favorite b-side from their 1986 LP, Strange Times -- in honor of their current US tour, which will bring them to their first-ever Nashville show on October 22nd at Eastside Bowl! Yeah, I'm a bit proud to be presenting that one, but I digress...

Set two continues with mostly new music, starting with the invigorating lead single from
Soror Dolorosa's forthcoming album, Mond. Also on the verge of a peppy new album, but more in an '80s synthpop way, is California's Sacred Skin, who come in next with one of the advance singles from their Born in Fire LP. We then pause for a sad note, to mark the death of Paul Gilmartin, original drummer for The Danse Society, with the title track from their 1983 album, Heaven is Waiting. Rest in peace, Paul.
 
Paul Gilmartin (far left) of the Danse Society.

Clan of Xymox pulls us back to the present with the closing track from their latest album Exodus, before sliding into a new single from the ever-original Haujobb, taken from their forthcoming album, The Machine in the Ghost. And, finally, we allow Portishead the final word in this set, to honor the 30th anniversary of their debut album, Dummy -- an album that set the band apart from literally everybody else in the musical landscape of 1994. Plus, an additional rarity accompanies the subsequent talk break: The band's soundtrack music for their short film of the same year, To Kill a Dead Man.

Set three throws the spotlight on DRAGON CON 2024! Hard as it is to believe, it's almost that time of the year again, Spooky Nerds! For the uninitiated, Dragon Con is a massive convention held in Atlanta, Georgia each year on Labor Day weekend (August 29th - September 2nd this year), focusing on every aspect of fandom you can imagine -- sci-fi, fantasy, horror, comics, film, gaming, music, cosplay, art, etc. Full disclosure, I am the Assistant Director of The Horror Track at Dragon Con, (follow us on Facebook / Facebook Group / Instagram) where I handle and moderate the Goth related programming each year. Our home base is at The Westin, in Peachtree 1-2 on the 8th floor.


What to look forward to in Goth at Dragon Con this year? Well, first, our annual Goth Dance event, The Open Casket Party has been moved to a much larger space at a new time. You can find us on Sunday night, September 1st, from 10pm-2am in the Westin's Peachtree Ballroom! See the map here.  I'll be DJing that one, along with DJ Spider, and the boundless tag-team energy of Goth Dad (aka Dusty from Vision Video) & Twin Powers! Meanwhile, in panel-land, our annual Goth Panel (aka "Release the Bats," where we discuss the scene and its music with band members and DJs) is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 4pm in the Hyatt's Int'l South (new larger space!). But that's not all, we will also have a retrospective panel on The Cure on Friday night at 7pm in the Horror Track room. Times are always subject to change, so make sure to use the official Dragon Con App to shape your plans.

Back to the episode at hand here, we focus mostly on the bands who will be performing live at this year's Dragon Con, beginning with the latest single from Vision Video. From there, we hear from DC-fixture Aurelio Voltaire's recent Halloween EP, followed by
Audiomachine with the theme from the cult-hit TV show "Evil," in honor of lead actor Mike Colter's appearance at the con this year. We then dig for a deep cut from DC institution The Cruxshadows, landing on a 25th anniversary gem from their 1999 album, The Mystery of the Whisper. Pivoting a bit, we welcome the return of DC's master of strings, Paul Mercer, whom listeners may remember from his erstwhile band The Changelings, before closing this spotlight set with music from first-time DC performers HEALTH. In addition to many of these band members appearing at our Goth Panel, longtime performers like The Cruxshadows and Aurelio Voltaire typically have their own hour-long discussion panels as well. I will update this post when the schedule is released, but always check the app for official details, and I hope to see you at Dragon Con!

For those not going to Dragon Con, set four turns the spotlight on another event you might wish to attend: The third annual Dark Castle Fest in Louisville, KY! While a lot of current genre-based events focus on the more electro-leaning side of the dark music spectrum, Dark Castle Fest tends towards the roots and the romantic, specializing in gothic rock, darkwave, experimental, and southern gothic styles. This set covers some personal highlights, showcasing eight of the acts you'll see (counting the dungeon-synth/dark ambient stylings of Sombre Arcane in the preceding talk break), but you can check out the full line-up here



We begin the Dark Castle Fest set with more new music from Saturday night headliner Astari Nite, followed by a recent remix of legacy act, and surprise late addition to the fest, Attrition. We then hear a new remix of Mexican post-punk/goth act Blood Dance, which is followed by a brand new collaboration between festival founder Motuvius Rex and Louisville legends The Kentucky Vampires, on a cover of an obscure new wave song by the artist Black. You then get a taste of New England goth act Ghost Painted Sky, followed by a full piece from The Kentucky Vampires, before the spotlight rests on rising Knoxville darkwave/post-punk band Attic Eyes, who were just added to the Nashville Chameleons show, by the way, following an excellent live debut at Fascination Street. Speaking of FS, I will be bringing my DJ style to Dark Castle Fest again this year, where I will be sharing the Friday slots with DJ Creepy Crawly, whose work you may also like, if you're listening to this show. Check him out here.

Finally, we come to set five this month, where we return to the tradition of closing the show in the dark metal regions. Beginning with a taste of Chilean death/doom, we hear a song from the new Mourners Lament album,
A Grey Farewell, before marking the 25th anniversary of one of goth-metal's finest hours, Tristania's genre-perfecting 1999 album, Beyond the Veil. As long as you don't judge the album by its cover (in fact, just ignore that artwork, please), it's a great way to test whether you enjoy the combination of gothic rock elements and dark metal. From there, we return to Ukraine for another cut from the much more low-fi black metal approach of SVRM's initial 2024 release, Є т​і​л​ь​к​и с​м​е​р​т​ь​, є т​і​л​ь​к​и т​ь​м​а (There is only death, there is only darkness). That leads us into a debut from Australia's Krvna, taken from their early 2024 release The Rhythmus of Death Eternal, before closing the set with a deeper cut from LVME's Of Sinful Nature.

In closing the show, we shift gears to the more somber tones of The Keening, the Utah-based solo project of Rebecca Vernon of SubRosa, which was co-produced by Billy Anderson, who also played bass for the live incarnation of the band when they opened Pallbearer's recent US tour -- which is what led me to finally embrace their late-2023 release Little Bird on this episode.

All of that PLUS: New soundtrack work from Longlegs by Zilgi; Anniversray salutes to cult horror films; Selections from the vault; and more!

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PLAYLIST BEGINS HERE
Format: Band Name - Song Title [Album Title, Year]
(each band name is also a website link)
(sets and talk breaks separated by dashes)


"Out ov the Coffin" w/ Ichabod
  July-August 2024 Episode
  Show recorded August 13th, 2024

Opening Theme:
Elliot Goldenthal
- Libera Me ["Interview with the Vampire" (soundtrack) 1994]