#late summer gothic aesthetic

[alyssalenko]

— late summer gothic aesthetics

Tagged by my dear @starsandskies ❤️ ages ago but I'm slow XD

Tagging: @illusivesoul @briarfox13 @badwolf626 @thefrostyshepard @kittynomsdeplume @thefathersbride @darth-salem-emperor-of-earth @redreart @wickedwitchofthewilds @commander-krios @hazelestelle @minilev @pathfinderlittleduck and anyone else who wants to play, but as always, there is no obligation! ❤️

bold - aplies always italic - sometimes crossed out - never

Phryne Tav

ROAD TRIP BURNOUT.

bloodshot eyes, flickering neon motel signs, aviator sunglasses, magic 8 balls, recurrent dreams of grey aliens, beaded curtains, dusty denim and incense smoke, sepia desert vistas, playlists of 1960s rock songs, coded messages in television static, comets in the night sky, fake ids, gas station snacks, jesus bobble heads, split lips, patchouli, paranoia between friends.

SOUTHERN CEMETERY.

magnolia blossoms,chipping white porch swings, spanish moss, suffocating humidity, faded photographs of lacy weddings, tire tracks in mud, mausoleum angels, family trees, the yellow-green eyes of alligators, repressed childhood memories bubbling to the surface, broken porcelain dolls, legs covered with mosquito bites, blood promises, crucifixes and barbed wire.

INTER-DIMENSIONAL PARK RANGER.

the yellow eye shine of an unseen animal, circling turkey vultures, unnatural fluctuations in the passage of time, daddy long legs in rotting logs, distorted backwards speech through a walkie-talkie, unexplainable antler shrines, coniferous mountain horizons, star-like bonfire sparks whirling in an indigo night, nests of infant barn owls, claw marks in tent fabric.

HAUNTED BOARDWALK.

rickety ferris wheels, carnival lights through fog, saltwater taffy and tarot card readings, childhood best-friends, thunderstorms over the sea, tear-streaked face paint, chipping animatronics partially submerged in brackish water,ill-fated games of truth or dare, vintage circus posters boasting mermaids and wolf men, underwater caves marked with a skull and crossbones.

[mother-lee]

bog goblin & fae

[kaansasblues]

agony

[shroudkeeper]

What aesthetic are you, Kikyo: Southern gothic

you feel like you're alone in the world, just you and whatever you can get your hands on to survive. other people might be friends or foes, and the heat of the summer prick at the back of your neck. your legs are scratched from overgrown weeds and grass. there is something peaceful in the absolute stillness of the world. the sun shines bright overhead, the birds chirp in the background, and the world has retaken what was once hers.

Got this from @archaiclumina and finally got around to it! The quiz is found here! Who am I tagging: everyone! I got to this pretty late but just in case you have not done it, know that I tagged you, love.

[lamaisongaga]

LADY GAGA PERFORMS "DISEASE" (THE ANTIDOTE LIVE) IN COLLINA STRADA SPRING/SUMMER 2025

We finally got our first live performance of Lady Gaga's new single "Disease" titled "The Antidote Live" which was filmed earlier this month in Malibu! She was styled by Sandra Amador. Watch the full performance here.

Gaga wore a strikingly gothic-infused black dress from Collina Strada’s Spring/Summer 2025 "Touch Grass" collection—a surprising choice given the brand’s usual bright, playful aesthetic.

The dress, a unique patchwork of satin and chantilly lace with asymmetrical layers, highlighted Gaga’s recent shift toward darker, more romantic fashion. Known for embracing edgy, goth-inspired looks lately, she brought a new level of emotional depth to the performance. This unexpected piece felt like a perfect match, adding a haunting elegance that intensified the atmosphere of the song.

[benkyoutobentou]

31 Days of Productivity Reading もう一回！: Day 10

Before: I don't have a proper before, since I didn't get to write anything before I started reading and I just needed to finish ポーの一族 today anyways. But I can still tell you about my day before I started reading! I usually run errands on Saturdays and thus don't usually read too much. In addition to my usual errands, I also went to the craft store to look at their Halloween decorations and get some yarn. My next door neighbor is pregnant and I'd like to crochet her a baby blanket as a present! And then for dinner I made myself some chickpea tikka masala that was delicious.

After: Now on to the good stuff. I finished the last 90 pages of ポーの一族 and it hit the spot tonight. I've been in my usual late summer Halloween mood lately and the aesthetic of ポーの一族 was perfect. It's not very gothic in story or plot line, but the aesthetic is wonderfully gothic and just feels perfect to read on a rainy October day. It was just what I needed! The language in this series so far isn't very difficult, but I do find myself getting lost in all the hiragana. Sometimes I have to really think to be able to parse the words and separate them from each other, whereas I wouldn't have an issue if it just used kanji. I also noticed this in BASARA, but it seems like older shoujo series don't use the 々 marking. So for example, 日々 was written as 日び. I think ベルサイユのばら did it too, I'll have to keep an eye out for it next time I read a volume. If anyone here is into older shounen manga, I would love to know if they do the same thing!

Now, you might be noticing that ninety pages does not fulfill my goal of reading 100 pages of manga per day. I didn't really want to start something new knowing that I wouldn't have the time to fully get into it, so I decided to just continue on with 憎らしい彼 (a novel) which is on my tbr for the month. Because I started it in March and still haven't finished it. Don't look at me. So here's my ridiculous math: if my goal was to read 100 pages of manga per day or 25 pages of a novel, then one page of a novel is worth four pages of a manga. Therefore, if I have ten manga pages left of my goal, then I could substitute that for 2.5 pages of a novel, in this case 憎らしい彼. So that's what I did. After a little brain break, though, because I don't usually like jumping immediately from one thing to the next.

In the end, I read 8 pages of 憎らしい彼 for a total of 98 pages across both manga and novels. I'd say that fulfills my goal nicely. I would have read more, but it's getting late and I really should be getting to bed. Also, I've noticed that Nagira Yuu's writing tends to be a bit harder for me to parse. It's never bothered me too much, given that certain authors have writing styles that are easier to read regardless of language and even in my native English, but I didn't really feel that with this little excerpt I read tonight. Hopefully this means good things for my Japanese and wasn't just a lucky break. I've been feeling pretty solid with my Japanese level during this challenge, I can't wait for a book to come along and prove me wrong this month.

[andiestrawberriees]

@morganshifts challenge for reality shifters

part one: my DR

- What is my DR? Stranger things!!

- Is my DR based on pre-existing media? Its based off the show but i’ve changed a few things. no one dies and i don’t have to kill anyone or anything cuz no thanks lmao

- what am i most excited to do when i shift? my first shift will be in the summer, so i’m excited to go to hawkins fair and spend my days off from work at the pier oh and smooching stevie🧍‍♀️

- how would i describe my DR’s aesthetic? the late 80’s meets midwest gothic

- what is my favourite place in my DR? Robin and I’s shared apartment. it’s a house thats been split in two. Robin and I have the upstairs apartment and Eddie lives in the bottom apartment

- what is my safeword? sourak spiral (a little inside joke between my best friend and i)

part two: my DR-self

- what is my name in my DR? alexandra “andie”carolyn hopper

- what do i look like in my DR? the same as i do in this reality, just slightly taller

- what’s an interesting fact about my DR self? I didn’t always live in Hawkins. I lived with my mom in Maine until I turned 12, when my dad got full custody of me. I’ve been living in hawkins for 9 years now.

part three: my shifting journey

- how did i first find out about shifting? early shiftok unfortunately, think dracotok lmao

- what was my first shifting attempt like? i still remember it vivedly. i did the raven method, and i had dreams within dreams until i woke up in my CR again.

- if i like using subliminals, which ones do i use? either rita kaminski’s self concept subliminal or slade’s shifting brew

- what is my favourite shifting method? i don’t have a favourite, but if i had to choose one(the one that got me to minishift) it would be the julia method and the intent method

- what is something that gives me motivation to shift? the shiftblr community. it is so positive compared to shiftok, people here are much more encouraging and don’t make you feel stupid. i love y’all

- what is one piece of advice i would give to other shifters? everything you need to do in order to shift is already within you. ask questions, be curious, do research if you need to. it’s okay to get discouraged, that’s human, but remember, you found out about shifting for a reason. i believe in you.

thank you @morganshifts for making this challenge, it was super fun<3

[rosiemarieyn]

Aesthetics. ||

Ocean Eyes.

Ultraviolence.

Cherries.

Dr. Crane.

I Love You Tenderly.

Tie Me.

Summer Of 72.

Heaven Is On Earth.

Born Too Late.

Religion.

Briar Rose.

Southern Gothic.

Jazz & Fun.

CA Summer.

Highest Star.

Shades Of Blue.

[theghoulboysblog]

you've learned about me, now i in turn must learn about you! give me the facts, baby!!

OMG ABSOLUTELY!!! I WILL GIVE YA ALL THE LAME FACTS ABOUT ME!!! :)

- i live in oklahoma, which is kinda sucky cause there is legit nothing to do here except go to walmart and hang out in empty parking lots haha! 😭 but it is a pretty little state, so who am i to complain! i have always wanted to live somewhere like illinois, oregon, or colorado! they just look so pretty 😭🫶

- my hobbies include playing guitar (usually acoustic because the sound is SO pretty and soft), drawing/painting, making pottery, playing piano, singing, writing poetry, writing songs, researching random topics (usually forensics, insects, anthropology. etc.), collecting things, and photography!

- i have really wanted to get into book binding and crocheting lately, but i have not had the time nor money for it! 😭 i also want to read more, so that is my goal for the summer!

- i collect anything related to butterflies, moths, bees, dragonflies, astronomy, anthropology, or flowers to the point that it is an ISSUE 😭 i also collect crystals, typewriters, and dnd dice! <3 (my favorite set of dice have flowers in them and they are SO CUTE!)

- i have a very lovely cat named nova and she is my baby! 🫶

- my favorite movie is juno, my favorite book is inkheart by cornelia funke, my favorite band is big thief, my favorite artist is phoebe bridgers, my favorite album is blue rev by alvvays, and my favorite song is velvet ring by big thief! :)

- my aesthetic is a mix between dark academia, cottage core, earthy, fairycore, cryptidcore, gothic, and indie 😭 it all works together somehow but it definitely is odd!

- i have always wanted to visit haunted buildings and travel the world, but doing all that alone sounds like a NIGHTMARE! an anxious girl like me needs a pal to explore this weird wonderful world with!

- i love plants, looking at the stars, all the creatures of the world (especially bears, fish, butterflies, cats, and birds) coffee and sweet tea, sweet little snacks, trains, museums, the smell of vanilla, and all the things in life that are a little bit odd! <3

OMG THIS WAS SO LONG WINDED BUT THAT IS WHO I AM AS A SUMMARY OKAY BYEEE!!! 💛💛💛

[nine-blessed-hero]

It's Fashion, Boss

Modern Oblivion AU, post-Crisis

"Griffiths, you're late." The Grey Fox stood outside the venue – a grand affair of gothic moulding in Portland stone – adjusting silver and topaz cufflinks which glittered in the clear September night. "And what the devil are you wearing?" "You," Aderyn wagged her finger at the Fox as she climbed out of a Black Cab, "didn't exactly give me a lot of notice about this job. So you don't get to bitch about what I managed to rustle up." "And which flea market did you 'rustle it up' from?" "Piss off," Aderyn said with a grin as she straightened the multicoloured, patchwork skirts of her dress. "You told me to get summint fashionable, so I did." The Fox's lips quirked under the grey kid-leather cowl. "In what universe is that fashionable? Perhaps a dropout student's failed project…" "'S from a proper House, meanie. By Marine Serre, innit. Right off the runway, few years back," Aderyn said as they walked towards the entrance. "I called in a big fucking favour from a dealer I know for this get-up. And it's going on expenses. Four hours – 'specially when I spent half of 'em driving – ain't nearly enough time to prep for a black tie gig. Where's 'Hels?" "Ms Kumar is inside. Be that as it may, you don't think it rather… garish for this kind of event?" Aderyn flicked an eye over the Fox's silver-grey Chinese silk suit, and the cream shirt and indigo cummerbund tucked under it. "It's a summer dress for a harvest event. No, I don't think it's too garish. Just cuz you're wedded to the aesthetic of a miserable winter's day don't mean the rest of us can't have fun at work." "A capital notion indeed," the Fox said, smiling as he handed over their invitations. "I'm glad you feel that way." The two entered the venue, into a vestibule of plush carpets and soft couches. "Now that you've finished lambasting me, it appears you're in finer humour. I think you'll need it for the job at hand," the Fox said as he swept Aderyn into a grand ballroom, filled with spangled lights and expensive tailoring.

--

The dress Aderyn is wearing is this one by Marine Serre S/S 2024 collection (photo from Vogue) (although, in my head I remembered it being more canary yellow than white)

[tr1n4thew1n]

My ancestors were goth

Theory

For context: I am goth. Southern gothic to be specific. I like Ethel Cain, Cocteau Twins, Nickcave and the Bad Seeds, Garth Brooks, and Dolly Parton. I grew up smelling wheat fields in the late summer, listening to cicadas sing, rolling down hills, and checking for ticks. I find myself fiddling with a guitar almost every day. I romanticize decay and rot. I think about the irony of love in worship. I wonder if we’re all doomed, and if we should actually be okay with that. I love Mary Shelly, baking with my mama, and fried chicken.

My dad is a bit of both, although more reflective of his generation. He tells me about how he pierced his ear as a teenager and would cut a “v” down his shirts. He likes bud light and watching football. He’s active in the clergy and a big fan of barbecue. He listens to metal and likes Depeche Mode. When he saw me in trad goth makeup for the first time he said “hell yea”

But my mom only really fits the southern part. She saw me pick out a black lipstick and said “please don’t do this.” She likes eggs and grits with lots of butter. She says y’all and goes to church every Sunday. She worries about going out without makeup on and is on top of your manners.

What I’m trying to say is: what did that make me and how? Was it always this way? Was one of my parent’s grandparents the edgy one while the other was on the straight and narrow? Was one the law breaker and the bay boy and the other the good girl with perfect hair, teeth, and grades?

With this thought process, I think I figured out how aesthetics emerge in basically all of our ancestors. Let me rephrase that, at the beginning of human civilization people were all of one group of people with one goal. One tribe or settlement or community. People all had sort of the same survival needs and interests because of those survival needs at that time and place. However, we were able to develop things like hobbies with the addition of spare time. And as those versions of spare time evolve, they continue to have people to evolve with those hobbies. Hobbies that are more to do with survival are more popular, so things like the Gothic movement which romanticizes decay can’t be that popular generally. Something like sports, which promotes physical fitness, willpower, and community rallying behind a cause seems more inclined to the continuation of a species this big.

I also think that what interests someone, what makes them happy, is something that keeps them alive. And that feeling of being alive for an interest was becoming all the more common. Being happy keeps you alive. What keeps you alive gets passed down. What makes someone happy gets passed down.

Therefore, certain interests and hobbies and alignments and cultural motifs get passed down. Therefore my ancestors were goth like me.

[into-the-sky-under-the-sea]

𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 & 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴

💠 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒂-𝒊𝒔𝒉

-inspired by Saltburn (2023) and the art it references (or reminded me of) 🏰🍾 ▪ Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh [a fav book of mine] ▪ Brideshead Revisited (1981) miniseries ▪ The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith ▪ and I have to mention Purple Noon (1960), my favorite film, just because it is the first adaptation of the first Ripley book ▪ The Secret History by Donna Tartt [another fav book] -rolledover from autumnal mood -books on my tbr 📚 ▪ Ticky by Stella Gibbons ▪ Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey ▪ Possession by A.S. Byatt, which can also connect to The Romantics below

💠 ℂ𝕒𝕡𝕠𝕥𝕖'𝕤 𝕊𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕤 & 𝕞𝕚𝕕-𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕪 𝕘𝕝𝕒𝕞𝕠𝕦𝕣

-currently reading Capote's Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era by Laurence Leamer, which I've had for a while but am now reading because it is the basis for the new season of Feud: Capote vs. The Swans (series on FX) -Answered Prayers by Truman Capote is now one of the next books I want to buy -I read a couple articles pertaining to the book and surrounding figures, which then lead me to watching the documentary Always at the Carlyle (2018)

💠 ƑคเгץՇคɭєร

-I am in my fairytale era 🧚🏼‍♀️✨️🦢⛲️🪷❄️🏹🍎🪞🥀🫧🪺 -seedlings were planted back in December with reading E.T.A. Hoffmann's and Alexandre Dumas' Nutcracker stories, and watching Frozen for the first time and then reading "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen -it was cemented with rewatching Donkey Skin (Peau d'ane) (1970) early in the month and then reading that fairytale 💍 -I've continued / am now I'm continuing to do that with other titles ▪ "The Red Shoes" 👠 ▪ "12 Dancing Princesses" 🩰 ▪ Up Next: "The Little Mermaid" 🧜🏼‍♀️ -specifically, watching (or rewatching) Czech and Soviet adaptations ▪ Снежная королева (The Snow Queen) (1957) ❄️ ▪ Three Wishes for Cinderella (1973) 🦉 ▪ Perinbaba (1985) 🌨 ▪ Up Next: Русалочка (1976) and Malá mořská víla (1976) (both are "The Little Mermaid") 🧜🏼‍♀️, and Двенадцать месяцев (The Twelve Months) (1973) -and on my immediate tbr is The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter 📕

💠 𝔐𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔶 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔈𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔩 𝔉𝔢𝔪𝔪𝔢

-this is the only way I can think of describing this mood/interest and it's not even a complete phrase, just adjectives of the aesthetic -I'm just listing movies and books that illustrate this to me ▪ Currently Reading: Brutes by Dizz Tate ▪ Currently Watching: Jean Rollin's vampire films: The Shiver of the Vampires (1971), Fascination (1979), The Living Dead Girl (1982), Two Orphan Vampires (1997) ⚰ ▪ on my book wishlist is Mine-Haha: or On the Bodily Education of Young Girls by Frank Wedekind, which was adapted into the film Innocence (2004) 🌳 ▪ I swear I had other things to put here, but I can always do updates posts later -taken from one of my Letterboxd tags "ethereal femme horror" which I started/came up with when I first watched a couple Jean Rollin films late last summer

🏹 [Also, Fairytale + Moody and Ethereal Femme = my "growing up in a land far far away" list on LB]

💘 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚜

-in October I watched Haunted Summer (1988) and rewatched Gothic (1986) and in doing so I realized I haven't read much from Lord Byron. I then bought his Selected Poems and Don Juan 📜 -reading his work is also likely to lead to finding a biography about him, and works by and about the other Lake Geneva attendees: Mary Wollstonecraft (Shelley), Percy Bysshe Shelley, Claire Clairmont, John Polidori (I have previously read Frankenstein and The Vampyre)

💘 ᑘᘉᕼᓰᘉᘜᘿᕲ ᘺᓍᘻᘿᘉ / ᖴᘿᘻᗩᒪᘿ ᖇᗩᘜᘿ

-at the beginning of January I really wanted to start reading Boy Parts by Eliza Clark, but soon afterwards I found out an internet booktube friend died suddenly, so I was a little out of it last month. Boy Parts was actually on her 2024 tbr, so I definitely want to get to it soon when the spur strikes again. 📷 -honestly, since finding out about her death, though it has taken me some time, I'm even more determined to get to books and movies I've been wanting to read and to watch for years! things I've put off because of high expectations or whatever. things I think will be new all-time favs, 5/5 stars, etc. I'm going to read them! and one of those is A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers 🍖🍇 -I'm now realizing, when you think about it, certain Jean Rollin films could probably be categorized here 🧛🏼‍♀️

[morningstargirl666]

17 Questions 17 People

Tagged by the lovely @galvanizedfriend

Nickname: My name is too short, so I don’t really have one. However, no one can ever pronounce it right half the time, so I did have one memorable science teacher in secondary school that called me Double A, like the battery, because that’s my initials and every register he got the name wrong without fail so one day he just declared, screw it, I’m calling you Double A. 

Sign: Gemini

Height: Honestly not a clue, I forget. I’m not short but I’m not tall, so probably something like 5′5, 5′6.

Last thing I googled: Literally just googled my sign to check it was Gemini because I was second-guessing myself.

Song stuck in my head: Songs don’t often get stuck in my head, and I don’t think one has today, but I have been listening to ‘Eight’ by ‘Sleeping at Last’ on a loop lately while writing?

Followers: 143

Amount of Sleep:  Anything from 8-10 hours usually. Though I can function on like 5 hours for about 48 hours before I crash. Like the crash never happens the first morning for me, it always comes in a day or two late. Same with hangovers, though those so far I just sleep off with no other consequences.

Lucky number: Don’t have one, but any even, rounded number works. Odd numbers scare me.

Dream Job: Filmmaker, specifically a Gaffer. They’re basically the heads of lighting, second only to the Cinematographer. Technically the director and producers too, but that’s not my department. Worked on a short film with someone who worked on Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon before Christmas, which was cool.

What I’m wearing: PJs & dressing gown. Normally I get changed before bed but eh, tonight I’m chillin’.

Movies/Books that summarise me: Books would be Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier, the Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy (truly the favourites of my childhood) and more recently the Nevernight series by Jay Kristoff. All of them are my exact vibes. Sass with a dash of the macabre and spooky. Sometimes a little murder. Movies - god do you even realise how many movies I’ve watched. Which ones summarise me? I appreciate anything with good filmmaking, and I’m not talking about weird arty stuff. I’m talking films that hit the bar of every note - fantastic production design, writing, performance, soundtracks, cinematography, like they gotta have it all. I want to be seduced by story. I’m also an incurable romantic. So I guess films like Se7en, Psycho, The Old Guard, Cyrano, A Monster Calls, Hacksaw Ridge, Knives Out, The Batman, Everything Everywhere All At Once. Like with books, I’ll go with gritty, dark spooky vibes any day, but I also dip my toes in every genre of every age, and the movies that summarise me would reflect that.

Favourite Song: I really love movie/show soundtracks. At the minute a favourite song of mine would be ‘I Need More’ from Cyrano.

Favourite Instrument: Piano. Gotta be. No competition. Though I love fully formed orchestras, the whole shebang, like classical covers are my secret love.

Aesthetic: The complete opposite of a sweet summer child, even though I was born in such a summery month. I prefer cold frosty winters, thick fog mornings and heavy rainy days over heat and sun. In fact I regularly hiss at sunlight when I open the curtains, often not opening til late morning/afternoon because I prefer the dark so much. Fall is probably my favourite season because of October and Halloween, but I also ADORE the sunrises and sunsets of winter, so like its a close tie. I’d probably move to somewhere like Canada or Norway just for the snow and ✨aesthetic✨. Ooooo also forests, I love forests, so you’ll always find me walking in them. Beaches are so overrated. I’m like Anakin I HATE SAND

Favourite book: Rebecca (1938) by Daphne du Maurier. I read it in a day while in the college library (it’s around 150k words) and still go back to read certain parts years later. Gothic novels overall are a favourite of mine, too.

Random fact: I have literally no self-preservation instincts when it comes to animals. I just want to pet them, even if they’re wild and want nothing to do with me. I caught a grass snake (maybe an adder, I was excited to find a snake, okay, I didn’t check if it was venomous) at a beach once. And like, 50-60 crabs (this was in the same day) by shoving my hand under a rock and letting them pinch me so I could drag them out. I let them all go, obviously. On a different day though while at the same beach, I found a flounder in the mussel beds. That was also pretty cool. Not as cool as the snake though.

Thank you for tagging me! ❤️

I tag @bellemorte180 @stars-and-darkness @purplesigebert @garglyswoof @heatherstyles @kirythestitchwitch @little-miss-sunny-daisy @destellolunar @helpless-in-sleep @enniec123 @frogs-are-bitchs @thetourguidebarbie @cupcakemolotov and literally anyone else I feel like I’m forgetting people, and I wanna get to know people more. Don’t need to participate though! I just thought it might be fun 😊

[audeamus-x]

types of academia:

☾ dark academia: an aesthetic characterised by a love of learning, reading (niche subjects, classic literature, and moody poetry especially), fall weather, languages (especially dead ones), melancholy music, dark neutral tones, vintage/antique decor, fall-inspired fashion, used bookstores, and gothic architecture

◖ darkest academia: dark academia to the more extreme; mostly black and greyscale fashion, memento mori, reading tragic and existential literature, winter weather, morbid fascination (including morbid hobbies like visiting cemetaries), and true crime shows/podcasts

☼ light academia: a similar but opposite aesthetic to dark academia, it's characterised by a love of reading (especially hopeful, lighthearted literature and poetry), spring weather, the brighter side of cottagecore, light/bright neutral tones, art museums, and warm, folky music

⁂ chaotic academia: characterised by scatterbrain mentality, disorganization with purpose, peculiar creativity, slightly disheveled appearance, an eclectic hodgepodge of interests and hobbies, unending curiosity, music where the instrumentals do not match the lyrics in the slightest, impulsivity, and a love of learning from some of the most unexpected places

❦ green academia: can be either dark or light, but is characterised by a love of plants, gardening, foraging, the forest, late summer and fall weather, plant stores, nature oases in the city, walks through naturenaturopathic remedies, and durable, sustainable fashion

♡ romantic academia: similar to light academia but with more of an emphasis on hopeful daydreams; it's characterised by a love of pastel tones (especially pinks), romance novels and poems, borderline-fairytale attire, flowers and spring weather, and beautiful, lyrical love songs

◷ modern academia: an aesthetic less focused on lessons learned from the past compared to discovering that which will lead us into the future. characterised by a love of classic styles with modern flair, mainstream music with pensive lyricism, the integration of technology into academia, podcasts/TEDtalks/online learning of all kinds, libgen, and the notes app on their phone

🜘 witchy academia: a type of dark academia focused on wicca/pagan religions, practices, and living. as with pagan religions, witchy academia can take many forms and have many characteristics, including but not limited to: spellcasting, fortune telling, tarot reading, astrology, incantations, foraging, traditional folk music, prayer, charms, candles, incense, and other rituals

[joanofarc]

ten songs from shuffle vs. five i actually listen to

i was tagged by the wonderful @kodachromism to participate in this game, and while i usually struggle doing these, i turned off my mind and had fun writing. the rules are self-explanatory. songs i don’t get to choose and then songs i do get to choose (somewhat)!

i shuffled my 2021-2023 listening log spotify playlist, which is 10,000 songs tall and full of songs on albums i’ve only heard once. i’m not tagging anyone, but if you see this and want to do it, do it. here we go.

1. q quarters (the associates)

kind of a bad start, since i don’t have a lot to say about this one. there’s a lot of aesthetic brilliance to adore the associates for, but i’m too twee to be a goth outright. there’s nothing that really grabs me here, unlike the following track ‘tell me easter’s on friday’, which i love.

2. the fast one (tindersticks)

actually literally fast, and not very stand-out. i really don’t remember this song from my first listen. sounds like fucked up spy music, with wailing violin, melodica and groove. pretty gothic lyrics, here, too. did i have a phase or something and didn’t realize it?

3. quicksand (hatchie)

this is apparently the most-listened tune on hatchie’s debut, which is crazy, given ‘this enchanted’ is strictly better. but while the album is based on various pop modes (some from the 90′s), ‘quicksand’ is basically the most literal application of current radio pop trends. it’s not a bad song but it’s really boring when you get to the meat of it.

4. wings of heaven (rose mcdowall)

the third track on rose’s post-strawberry switchblade solo release is sincere, really. it emphasizes moving to a place of freedom, and i really love that from her. it’s not packing the same punch as ‘crystal days (/nights)’, but i’d rather have a full 80′s rose mcdowall pop album than just a single and scattered tracks, so.

5. giuseppina my dear (papiro)

i love this album but i’m also kind of a sucker for certain kinds of lounge-influenced indietronica. super schmaltzy stuff on this tune, with a sneaky bit of morricone hiding in the main synth line. so, another interlude, but a cute one.

6. i remember when (k. hand)

one from the late and great kelli hand. as the penultimate track (and at nine minutes), it leaves a bit to be desired, but i remember this coming on at work and it instantly put me in the zone.

7. summer holiday holocaust (kalle j)

oh, fuck, what a song. kalle j was never part of the sincerely yours / labrador rosters, but this song deserves to be in the annals of swedish balearic pop next to hits by the embassy, air france, the tough alliance, etc. good vibes throughout, chillwave adjacent, certainly fuzzy. i recommend this one.

8. apricots (the high llamas)

the final track on 1992′s santa barbara. i think a lot about microdisney -> the high llamas, and i see the lineage well-represented, here. it’s a bit too cynical to be brian wilson, you know? it’s got that irish flair! i’m observant. it’s an okay tune.

9. wandering (oranger)

oh, interesting. this is the final track on the very-new 2023 oranger album. i remember this album being fairly hit or miss, but listening again, i’ve got this fondness for mike drake’s vocals that’ll always make oranger accessible for shuffle. speaking of shuffle, the interplay of acoustic guitar and drums really works here for me.

10. panic (sophie rimheden)

i remember not liking this album at all, which sucks. i tried so hard to get into sophie rimheden because i love early aughts glitch pop. there’s hooks here, but no chops, which is something i really appreciate from contemporary barbara morgenstern. this song is just one idea stretched out for five minutes with no real payoff. just a whole lot of keyboard slap bass.

vs.

1. no way down (air france)

cool, i mentioned this group earlier. ‘no way down’ follows the immense ‘no excuses’ with no desire to cruise to similar heights. during its main refrain, it’s still subdued and chill. handclaps, whistling and vocal samples. a hipster’s dream, yeah? but you can’t end on an absolute banger, so this song and ‘windmill wedding’ are perfect balearic pop breezers to close out the minialbum.

2. love theme (from the world that never was) (the secret history)

michael grace, jr.’s creative direction and lyricism pairs perfectly with lisa ronson (daughter of legendary mick), creating 80′s pastiche with indie pop trends of the 2000′s. you’ll want to hear this if you’re a fan of 80′s romance movies. or if you’re a goth that wears too much pink. i was super grateful to do an interview with mgjr for my radio program, i just wish i asked more about the secret history!

3. probleme (the feelings)

hey you! you’ve got a problem. i know because i’ve got that problem, too. this CD is really for the sillyheads out there, because the feelings aren’t really that serious about things, blending pop rock with sloppy indie raps and beep boops. ‘probleme’ is probably one of the less cringy tunes on the album, so it’s safe to recommend to you.

4. delete it (mspaint, militarie gun)

ah, you remember when this came out? post-american was like a shock to the system. the hattiesburg band really upped the production and came into that rap-rock catchiness they sought to revive. the song ends without anything truly explosive, but i bet it makes yr head buzz live.

5. the face of youth today (squire)

DID I TELL YOU I’M THE FACE OF TODAY? this band singlehandedly convinced me of mod revival... i don’t know why i was so late to it, but jesus, it’s just so catchy. i still maintain i wanna’ cover this song and make ‘indie modtronica’... my band name will be the contraptions. keep that in mind.

[hey-hey-its-magic]

@galeboettichergf tagged me in the late summer gothic aesthetic post so!!!! here i go with my stranger things oc because it seems we're all following the pattern here!!

bold = strong association, italicized = weak association, normal = neutral association, strikethrough = not this, not ever

nickey d'angelo

ROAD TRIP BURNOUT

bloodshot eyes, flickering neon motel signs, aviator sunglasses, magic 8 balls, recurrent dreams of grey aliens, beaded curtains, dusty denim and incense smoke, sepia desert vistas, playlists of 1960s rock songs, coded messages in television static, comets in the night sky, fake ids, gas station snacks, jesus bobble heads, split lips, patchouli, paranoia between friends.

SOUTHERN CEMETARY

magnolia blossoms, chipping white porch swings, spanish moss, suffocating humidity, faded photographs of lacy weddings, tire tracks in mud, mausoleum angels, family trees, the yellow-green eyes of alligators, repressed childhood memories bubbling to the surface, broken porcelain dolls, legs covered with mosquito bites, blood promises, crucifixes and barbed wire.

INTER-DIMENSIONAL PARK RANGER

the yellow eye shine of an unseen animal, circling turkey vultures, unnatural fluctuations in the passage of time, daddy long legs in rotting logs, distorted backwards speech through a walkie talkie, unexplainable antler shrines, coniferous mountain horizons, star-like bonfire sparks whirling in an indigo night, nests of infant barn owls, claw marks in tent fabric.

HAUNTED BOARDWALK

rickety ferris wheels, carnival lights through fog, saltwater taffy and tarot card readings, childhood best-friends, thunderstorms over the sea, tear-streaked face paint, chipping animatronics partially submerged in brackish water, ill-fated games of truth or dare, vintage circus posters boasting mermaids and wolf men, underwater caves marked with a skull and crossbones.