Have you ever enjoyed the wonderfully wicked company of some of the world’s darkest thoughts? Have you ever explored the supposedly scandalous world of black and red eyeliner, dark clothing, pop, punk, rock and glam? Have you ever heard of FriendsOrEnemies (FOE)? If not, fail on your part. Just kidding! I normally consider myself to be fairly well-integrated into the world of all things emo and goth, and even I hadn’t heard about this site until maybe half a year ago. FOE is a blog-like social media website, a place for people to connect and discuss their favorite bands, upcoming events, etc. And okay, perhaps labeling FOE as dark and twisted is a bit of an exaggeration, but the site definitely taps into that same flourishing music genre. The site was created in 2006 so fans would be able to have a more in-depth experience with their favorite bands. Similar to the social media sites Buzznet and AbsolutePunk, FOE facilitates the interactions between bands and fans by forwarding messages to band members and giving fans immediate updates about the people they adore. Although a large number of these artists don’t go Robert Pattinson or Lady Gaga by replying to every piece of fan mail they receive, FOE minimizes the distance between these musicians and their followings by allowing fans to freely apply their stalker skills with aid from the musicians themselves. I mean, how many times have you wanted to say thanks to Brendon Urie (Panic! At the Disco) or ask Gabe Saporta (Cobra Starship) what his favorite color is?  As beautiful as they both are, they probably won’t answer your love notes, but when you see them live and they thank their fans, you know that they’re talking about you. And that’s a comforting thought, isn’t it?

Separated into sections for tours, contests, games, member-created forums and V.I.P. blogs — one for each resident band and accessible only to approved members — FOE quickly delivers news of upcoming events, channels artists’ Twitter feeds and spreads the inside word about over 30 different bands to its members. The artists involved include Boys Like Girls, Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (commonly known as D.R.U.G.S), The Cab and Never Shout Never. Sorry ladies, no Kanye or Justin, not even somebody remotely related to Nicki or Katy. But honestly, when I meet someone who didn’t like at least one Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance or Green Day song in her youth, I think I just might collapse in a state of complete and utter shock. So even though FOE doesn’t feature mainstream music, it’s my guilty pleasure because fast, aggressive harmonies, hair dye and shaggy haircuts are kind of awesome.