Thanks for all the interesting replies! Given the response, I decided to make a whole community around this, hope you’ll consider joining!
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If I love “unreliable shifting cities” narratives, like Dark City, Fallen London and the City of Saints and Madmen books, what similar kinds of settings might I like?
I’m not familiar with those, so this might be a bad suggestion, but the short description makes me think this may still fit, have you read The City & the City by China Miéville?
It’s set in two overlapping cities, whose inhabitants diligently disregard the other city’s until they formally cross the borders, and it’s a crime to do otherwise. It’s a pretty compelling read imo!
There was an okay-ish TV adaptation, it’s on Britbox or freevee with ads.
Trying to find some other suggestions, maybe the movie Vivarium?
Was sure somewhere in the back of my mind I had something that fit exactly
If an unreliable shifting house would work, House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. The writing is very much love it or hate it for a lot of people, but the idea fits.
Edit: Oh! And House of Windows by John Langan. No relation despite the similar titles.
I saw the tv series first (the book came later) and really enjoyed it. I think some of the special effects are dated and … I’m not sure but, like, when I read the book, the tv characters had already been established in my brain as canonical, so I saw and heard those characters as I read the book. In cases where I’ve read the book first, sometimes I have my own version of canonical characters in my brain and it can be hard for me to accept those characters if I really loved the book and the on-screen depiction is very different. And the opportunity for a disconnect (and disappointment) between versions just increases when you’re dealing with a world that varies (yet is so dependent) on our own.
tl;dr: you might find it disappointing because it doesn’t ‘match’ the world you read, or because of some of the effects. But I absolutely loved the series, both at the time and still now - I watched it again just over the summer.
There was a pilot of a series that was never developed, called Parallels. People travelling in parallel versions of earth through a building. Obviously it ends up on a cliffhanger, but I loved it.
Maybe Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente? Her Orphan’s Tales have some interesting cities too, but that’s a bit of a stretch.
Again, not just one city, but take a look at Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino - it was a direct inspiration for Fallen London.
China Miéville might be worth checking out - go for either the City and the City or for Perdido Street Station.
I love rock bands with women on the vocals. I like Dead Sara, The Pretty Reckless, Halestorm, The Beaches, The Warning, In This Moment, Metric, The Interrupters, Larkin Poe. Lots more but that’s a good sample.
What other bands/artists might I like?
Edit: thank you everyone for the recommendations! I have so much new stuff to listen to!
Have you tried venturing more towards the metal side like…
- Lacuna Coil
- After Forever
- A Sound of Thunder (probably more rock)
- Arch Enemy
- Epica
- Unleash the Archers
I’ve seen Epica live, unfortunately whoever was on sound that day really fucked it up.
I’ve seen Arch Enemy too, with good sound, but I would trade that experience to see Lacuna Coil… I know they are popular but I still feel like they are massively underappreciated.
I remember the first time I heard Arch Enemy and then was told they had a female singer.
The Birthday Massacre is the audible version of rocky road icecream. Try this, either with headphones or decent speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iOPS0X3pbk
Also, as already suggested, Lacuna Coil is delicious.
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I wonder if you’d like Sleigh Bells. Twee pop vocals over grungy guitar. A lot of fun
Bad cop bad cop
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Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.
I would like to ask a similar question:
I very much like the “the beauty and the beast” - styled metal. That’s at least what I read online sometime what it’s called.
The mix of a male voice growling and a female voice singing melodic kinda does it for me, but so far I had very little luck finding stuff that fits, actually just a few songs.
Any recommendations?
Tristania - World of Glass, and if you like that check out the two albums before it as well.
I’m sure Epica has that aspect, but I would instead recommend … The Project Hate MCMXCIX!!!
Pretty much all of it is exactly as described, aggressive male, melodic female. They are excellent.
Sorry, here’s a Spotify link, couldn’t find this track on youtube
https://open.spotify.com/track/5yKIKRcUAlSW6H1JFdZIF1?si=8d9c960d206e4820
Oh man, I had forgotten about these guys, they are freakin excellent. The track name is ‘At the Entrance of Hell’s Unholy Fire’
Theatre of Tragedy fits that style. They are older, but worth checking out.
Well, you’re in luck because we are living in basically the platinum age of women fronting cool rock bands.
Just off the top of my head:
Bones UK, Sniffany and the Nits, Cable Ties, Amyl and the Sniffers, Mod Con, Waax, Gutter Girls, Flagipanis, Panic Shack, Tiger Pussy, The Hellfreaks, The Darts, The Creepshow, The Spookshow, Zombina and the Skeletones, Bat Fangs, La Butcherettes, The Death Valley Girls, Sleater Kinney, The Veleteers, The Julie Ruin, The Bobby Lees, The Coathangers, The Regrettes, The Pink Slips, The Blushes, Bratmobile, LA Machina, Scrunchies, Skating Polly, and The Nova Twins.
I could dig up more if I start scrolling through my playlists, but there are tons of women out there right now making great music. Seems like every time I turn around there’s some cool new thing.
I really like more melodic stuff, and my favorites are Ad Infinitum, Dark side of the Moon, Enemy Inside, Beyond the Black, Scarlet Dorn
You might like some of the output of Elysian Fields (Jennifer Charles, Oren Bloedow). Maybe in particular their earlier stuff, like their Bleed Your Cedar (1996) album:
https://piped.video/watch?v=-x6w5DQ5sLM
They’ve made many a fantastic albums though, worth checking out.
I’m on a Tulip binge right now.
Her voice is amazing. Give a few songs a listen and you’ll be hooked!
Midnight in the Desert remastered, Bird set free and Dimensional Rift unplugged are great
You might enjoy Devilskin and Gin Wigmore.
If I like whimsical, visually-imaginative adventure films with lots of practical effects like ‘Baron Munchaesen’, ‘Brazil’, ‘Delicatassen’, and ‘City of Lost Children’, what other films might I like?
With The congress and Eternal sunshine of a spotless mind, you’re in for a treat. I think Tideland checks the box as well. They are not exactly a narrative happening in another world, but the feeling of strangeness is good enough imo.
Honorable mention to the french odd ball named “la planete sauvage”, though it is an animation film.
Merci beaucoup! Mes amis aiment les animations francaises, mais je ne trouvais pas les filmes interessantes sans leur assistance. Je suis vraiment excitee!
My pleasure, I’m also very fond of this genre :)
If you are curious of french animation films, I just remembered “Le roi et l’oiseau”. It was my favorite as a kid. And if you liked the city of lost children, it will feel familiar. Sort of the same melancholia.
https://m.imdb.com/video/vi896380441/?playlistId=tt0079820&ref_=tt_ov_vi
I assume it will be hard to find, sadly.
There is this version on archive.org, though, if you can understand french or spanish.
https://archive.org/details/LeRoiEtLOiseau_201709
I think these all merit a mention given what you’re looking for. Whether or not they hit square is up to you.
The Fall (2006) - A bit flat in the story department, but this was clearly a film focused on being a feast for the eyes. It succeeds in that handily.
The Great Yokai War - Ever wondered what would happen if Takashi Miike directed The Never Ending Story? This is something like that.
Tuvalu - Almost like if you smashed the aesthetics of Jean Pierre Jeunet and Guy Maddin together. The dialogue is hyper-minimal, but it you can get on board with the overall approach this film is a gem.
The movie Ravenous.
