Late last year, Finnish singer Suzi Sabotage curated the first Goths for Palestine compilation, a 30-track collection featuring contributions from an international group of artists, including Belgrado, Zanias, Dancing Plague and Taleen Kali, and with proceeds benefiting long-running relief group Anera. Earlier this month, Goths for Palestine, Volume II hit Bandcamp.
In the time between the two compilations, the situation is Gaza has grown more dire as Israel continues its genocide of Palestinians in plain sight of anyone with access to social media. The most recent available information from the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reports that more than 66,000 people have been killed in the past two years, over 19,000 of which were children, and more than 168,000 have been injured. Of those people, more than 13,000 were killed, and over 56,000 injured, since Israel broke a ceasefire in March of this year. In mid-September, the United Nations independent international commission of inquiry found that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, echoing statements from various human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Médecins Sans Frontièrs/Doctors Without Borders and others.
Meanwhile, those who have used their platforms to advocate for Palestinians, from Kneecap to Ms. Rachel, have done so despite backlash. Here in the U.S.- a country that funds military assistance to Israel to the tune of billions and essentially practices genocide denial as unofficial, bipartisan policy- the growing pro-Palestinian sentiments of the public have been at the center of free speech crackdowns at universities, high-profile deportation cases and all the recent TikTok drama. All of this is to say that showing support for Palestinians does come with a risk. That there are now 60 artists willing to lend their music to a series titled Goths for Palestine is itself a strong statement from the underground.
Goths for Palestine Volume II is also just a good compilation. The collection includes songs and artists representing a wide range of dark, alternative music styles, from classic goth (Rubella Ballet, Two Witches) and EBM (Leæther Strip) to modern darkwave (Topographies), synthpop (Nuovo Testamento) and noise rock (A Place to Bury Strangers). It’s more than worth the $7 USD that it costs, plus, it’s for a more than worthy cause. Anera, the group that the compilation benefits, was founded over 50 years ago to provide aid to Palestinian refugees and works on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in Lebanon and Jordan. There is a log on Anera’s website detailing their Gaza efforts from this month.
Buy Goths for Palestine, Vol. II on Bandcamp
There are a few other recently released albums that I’ve been listening to often lately.
If you’ve been to my gigs recently, you might have heard “Highway Man” by The New Eves. The song, which is also on the latest September Beatique mix, is a really solid post-punk jam in the vein of Delta 5, but there’s so much more going on across their debut album, The New Eve Is Rising. I caught wind of the album thanks to a review on Bandcamp and it has quickly become a favorite. The punk-feminist vibe is strong throughout the album. If your music collection includes Crass Penis Envy and Huggy Bear Taking the Rough with the Smooch, you should check out The New Eves.
Get The New Eve Is Rising by The New Eves.
I should also mention that, this morning, The New Eves released a new single, “Red Brick/Whale Station,” which you can find on Bandcamp.
Allbarone,the new album from Baxter Dury, is a non-stop indie dance party. It’s one of those albums where selecting the club track is difficult. I’m particularly fond of “Return of the Sharp Heads,” which is on the September Beatique Mix, because it’s creepy af and I like the idea of referring to people as “soul fuckers.”
Ready for Heaven, the latest album from Deradoorian, has been out for a few months, but I didn’t give it a listen until a handful of weeks ago. It’s a terrific album from singer and musician Angel Deradoorian. I’m a fan of her project with Kate NV, Decisive Pink and some that Krautrock-meets-synthpop energy carries over to this solo album. However, on Ready for Heaven, Deradoorian pushes the music into a disco-not-disco direction, with hints of ESG, Lizzy Mercier Descloux and Arthur Russell mixed into the palette.
Get Ready for Heaven by Deradoorian.
Anamanaguchi is back with a new album, Anyway, that’s maybe a bit of a departure for the band, but a welcome one. The chiptune element is still there, but it seems to exist mostly as a way to augment what are very strong, vocal-driven rock songs. The effect is similar to the late ‘90s/early ‘00s synth-friendly rock that was coming out of the indie underground, think of bands like The Mae Shiand Trans Am.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram or Bluesky for more updates.
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