[Xelebes]

So Ontario Gothic is a literary style, made famous by the likes of the Nobel-prize winning Alice Munro, Robertson Davies and Margaret Atwood. This is distinct from Victorian Gothic (and musically inspired acts like the Cocteau Twins, Bauhaus, etc.) and Southern Gothic (Gothic Country bands and New Weird Americana groups specialise in this.)

But this thread is for music. Music in this mould. Whether that be country, rock or electronic. And if you can't think of a genre that specifically calls on it, post music that you think might capture the spirit of this genre as though it might exist.

One of the things that I suspect is that is going to be dominated by women. Because women prefer to read for some reason. Maybe it's boys who are the lazy ones. Anyways, let's go.

 

[butterknucket]

She was such a beautiful baby....

 

[Dorian2]

From a non Goth type of person, here is my initial impression of this song specifically. Artsy Circus music. And that isn't a negative.

EDIT: I think I mixed up the basis of the genre you posted calling it Goth. My bad. I should've known better as the authors you cited in the OP are all the type of books my wife loves. I'll just watch the thread and see what comes up.

 

[mister.zed]

Great idea for a thread! I'd never heard the term Ontario Gothic before. But I think I have a feeling for what is meant by your description and the fact that I've read a number of those authors.

The first thing that came to my mind for Ontario Gothic was the band Elliot Brood.

Here's an old favorite from Elliot Brood. In the mean time I'll try and think of some other bands.

 

[Xelebes]

To help a bit, I've always interpreted Victorian Gothic as concerning itself with the fright of the rustic. The rustic beliefs in ghosts, witchcraft and the sort as people from the British countryside were flooding the cities and quickly creeping their way into the middle classes. Southern Gothic concerned itself with the fright of the equal: the fear that society expressed when everything was pushing towards each other the same, ex-slave and ex-master. Ontario Gothic is the fright of the passions, where the tight-laced and secure must face the fear of the body, feelings and desires. Many bands don't go fullhog on this, they only touch upon this in a couple songs. But when they do, the songs don't make sense unless you put it through this lens.

An example of this is Metric's "Help, I'm Alive", I figure. I don't know if anyone else agrees.

 

[Dorian2]

It's not Ontario Gothic, but would something ike Enigma be considered along this line of thinking? I got into this back in the 90's because a couple of acquaintances were Goth.

Don't mean to sideline the thread, just curious about a style that's unfamiliar musically to my playing.

 

[Xelebes]

In some ways, it is gothic, and it is enjoyed by significant portions of the goth community in the same way that industrial music is..

Victorian (or classic) goth music from Canada: National Velvet, The Birthday Massacre, Grimes, Purity Ring, Crystal Castles

Southern goth music is harder to find from Canada. There are some acts that are influenced by it. Casualties of Cool (Devin Townsend, Che Aimee) pops to mind.

Ontario Goth is something else. Perhaps much harder to pin down although someone pointed out Elliot Brood and that was pretty on the mark.

 

[mister.zed]

How about God Decides by Hawksley Workman?

You'll have to go to Spotify if you want to hear it. Couldn't find it on Youtube.

 

[leftysg]

Great idea for a thread! I'd never heard the term Ontario Gothic before. But I think I have a feeling for what is meant by your description and the fact that I've read a number of those authors.

The first thing that came to my mind for Ontario Gothic was the band Elliot Brood.

Here's an old favorite from Elliot Brood. In the mean time I'll try and think of some other bands.

I really enjoyed this song and video and its connection to Windsor where I grew up! It reminded me of a storyline that might begin a Frankie Drake episode on the CBC. It's also curious how the plot echoes somewhat a new bridge deal in the works in Windsor and the land speculation dealings of a certain American businessman that caused neighbourhood blight in west end Windsor all in the chase of the almighty buck.

 

[leftysg]

Maybe the moods or themes of these Donovan Woods songs?

[video]

[video]