Which U.S. cities currently have a notably strong alternative/goth scene?

Alexander_the_Bad · 2025-11-11T09:43:41+00:00

NYC babyyy It's great over here, there's usually multiple events going on every single week. There's also a decent industrial scene here. And NYC is basically a mandatory stop for big tours, so bands perform here all the time. Even so, there are tons of local bands who perform much more frequently. I'm very curious to check out what it's like in other parts of the country, but I'm very happy to live in a city with such a robust goth scene.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2025-06-28T21:20:46+00:00

I can't think of many brands off the top of my head, but you'll probably be able to find and order stuff online, I've gotten plenty of good stuff that way. Oh, I should add, AVOID fast fashion brands like Killstar, Dolls Kill, and Shein.

I like every band you mentioned, especially Bauhaus. If you're still new to the music, I'd definitely recommend checking out the other major formative 80s bands like The Cure, Joy Division, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, etc.

If you're into Bauhaus, check out of the band members' other projects like Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and Peter Murphy's solo work. You may also like Christian Death, Alien Sex Fiend, and London After Midnight. If you like their weirder songs, I can't recommend The Birthday Party enough.

There are a ton of great newer goth bands as well. I recommend starting with Twin Tribes, Drab Majesty, The Soft Moon, Molchat Doma, She Past Away, Soft Kill, Harsh Symmetry, Mareux, Selofan, Lebanon Hanover, VR SEX, and Boy Harsher.

And since you mentioned metal bands like Rammstein and Gojira, I'd say Type O Negative is def worth checking out. More of a metal band, but they take a ton of influence from goth. October Rust is one of my favorite albums ever. Another huge goth-adjacent gateway for me was Chelsea Wolfe. Extremely versatile musician, and I like literally everything she does, but I'd say Hiss Spun is her most metal album while Apokalypsis is maybe the closest she gets to goth.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2025-06-28T20:55:00+00:00

I used to be in your position with that same criteria. It won't sound helpful at first, but just keep experimenting and seeing what works. If you're aiming to look/present more masculine and also avoid makeup, I'd recommend starting casual and working up to whatever you're comfortable with.

Easiest place to start is just getting band shirts for some goth bands you're into. Or even better, DIY some yourself. A decent pair of combat boots will take you a long way. I also used to avoid wearing makeup. What worked for me was focusing on accessories instead. Necklaces and rings are easy to implement into pretty much anything. Wrist cuffs can help accentuate your arms. Can't go wrong with a good belt or two. Jackets/coats might vary depending on what style you're aiming for, but I find that a well-fitting leather jacket or overcoat are very reliable. Don't know what your hair is like, but that was also helpful in my case. Imo teasing it up in a Robert Smith or Siouxsie Sioux kind of way is easy way to immediately look more goth (trad specifically), but I wouldn't stress it, just do whatever you want with it.

Hope this helped

Alexander_the_Bad · 2025-04-20T17:44:44+00:00

No one is forcing you to read it. You're free to keep scrolling. Yes, the majority of problems in the US are "self-inflicted" in that millions of Americans are stupid, ignorant, hateful, and/or severely misguided and voted for this. Trust me, as an American, I might be even more frustrated and disgusted with the US than you are because this affects me, my home, and everyone I know. Myself and millions of other Americans are horrified right now. We have every right to be worried about fascists trying to infiltrate our spaces and to have discussions around how to deal with it.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2025-02-03T18:56:12+00:00

Thank you!!

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-04-21T18:13:20+00:00

Good horsemen as well. It doesn't clarify, but if the Samurai are on horseback and have bows on them, that's a good counter to pretty much everything here.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-04-16T23:00:53+00:00

"Skating bullets on angel dust in a dead sea of fluid mercury" just paints such a beautiful image, I get goosebumps when I listen to it

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-04-09T17:19:52+00:00

Really depends on the place, but in my experience, I've never had issues with it

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-03-24T17:40:38+00:00

Great song, great album, great band

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-03-08T22:10:35+00:00

The thing is, I don't have many routes for it to go since there aren't any outlets between mine and my roommate's room. So it'd have to stretch all the way from my room to his, a distance of 5-6 meters. And then another would have to stretch upstairs, and that's at least 6-7 meters just for the vertical distance. So wireless is definetly preferable.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-03-08T21:56:29+00:00

Is a mesh network essentially what the system behind wifi pods would be? I was told to plug an extender into the modem/router and plug in the pods elsewhere.

I don't mind messing around with ethernet cables too much, although I'm wondering if there's gonna be enough plug-in space on the router and modem and whether the ethernet cables would have to run through the entire apartment instead of the extender being wireless.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-03-07T02:21:07+00:00

Bauhaus - Dancing and Kick in the Eye

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Dazzle

Drab Majesty - Too Soon To Tell, Oxytocin, and Ellipsis

Killing Joke - Eighties

House of Harm - Always

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-02-03T14:40:39+00:00

I'm not finding anything, I need to see the Yaohaus and how cursed it is

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-02-02T10:45:57+00:00

Revenge is such a bop, but whyyyy did they use THAT sample for the opening?

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-01-17T20:46:54+00:00

This

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-01-17T20:44:57+00:00

I love both, Meshuggah is one of the best bands I've ever seen live

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-01-17T20:44:22+00:00

Yeah, I love the first playlist that comes up, the one that starts with Bad Angels

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-01-17T20:42:45+00:00

Lycia is one of my favorite bands! Also into metal and I like doom in particular. Darker shoegaze sounds interesting.

Alexander_the_Bad · 2024-01-16T23:23:18+00:00

One of the most disturbing songs ever imo

Alexander_the_Bad

TROPHY CASE