Gothy Links! (with some things involving me thrown in)

First up, on the oh-so-trendy end of the spectrum, where words like "hip" and "chic" do not send readers screaming in abject horror, is Haute Macabre. Although clearly designed for people who know the difference between Gucci and D&G, and actually own the latest issue of Vogue, some really nice things get posted on there once in a while. Whether it's links to cute Etsy shops and lacey things on sale in high street boutiques or scans of impossibly skinny models lounging around in artily lit studios, there's a fair bit of fun to be had: how about this faux pulp shoot, this sleazy party one, this neat piercing, or Dita Von Teese in outfits by Jean Paul Gaultier.

For something a bit less fashionable and far more silly, how about Goths in Hot Weather a daft little blog that does exactly what it says on the tin: pictures of goths in the sun. It's quite cleverly done actually: non-goths can see it as out-and-out ridicule if they so desire, while goths can see it as lampooning the goth stereotype. A lot of the photos are pretty cool, actually, there's a wonderful sense of irony threading through. I'm quite perterbed that Justin Timberlake likes it though. I'm fairly sure the irony is lost on him.

Also on my blogroll at the moment are useful link-blog Dark Side of the Net, slightly rambly but again full of useful things The Illustrated Memoirs of a Gothic Gentleman, and the sadly inactive The Black Veil which is full of free music downloads from all sorts of gothy acts from the popular to the obscure.

Next up is the site no goth can afford to be without, Gothic Charm School, where the lovely Lady of the Manners solves those ettiquette problems caused by wearing black and looking spooky. Witty and very, very useful. Do have a look at her equally lovely book too: Gothic Charm School: An Essential Guide for Goths and Those Who Love Them.

The next link is one I'm going to hate myself for posting because I really disapprove of tumblr as a website (for those unfamiliar with it, it hosts a mixture of photo blogs and twitter-style snippets but seems to be generally populated by people posting other people's photoghraphy with nothing but a link to explain it. To me it seems to sum up the laziness of the internet; quick fixes of images to skim over without any actual content of their own. It's not really a problem with tumblr itself, more the people that use it) but you can't go wrong with pictures of Helena Bonham Carter because she really is very stylish. Unfortunately it mostly seems to be pictures from the Harry Potter movies and suchlike and there are an awful lot of reposts (again, people are lazy: too lazy to flick through a couple more pages of pictures and notice that one's already there. *sighs*) but there you go.

Finally, here's something wonderful from the distant archives of something-or-other, a very fun interview with the Damned from 1977. Okay they're more punk than goth but shut up, there's pictures of Dave Vanian when he was young and wore too much eyeshadow! Yay!

Now, in things involving me: a review of the reissued bauhaus albums In the Flat Field and Mask, and a review of District 9. Also as of a few minutes ago, I have a job. Hurrah!