Steampunk

[Corabar Steve]

Being as it's not been done & has been mentioned a couple of times on the forum in the last year, here is a "Top 10ish" Steampunk list.

But first a bit of info. The term Steampunk was first coined with regard to retro style Sci-Fi set mainly in the Victorian / Edwardian eras. The music scene arose around fans of that genre. Steampunk music is one of the most eclectic genres I know of. Thought by a lot of folks to be music for goths who have discovered the colour brown, well that statement couldn't be further from the truth.

Steampunk music encompasses many influences from many genres. Yes there are goth influences in there, but you could just as easily be listening to straight ahead "Pistols style" punk as something with a waltz time signature. with influences ranging from classical to jazz, folk / world music to heavy metal, horror film soundtracks to vaudeville, country & blues. It's about a feel & / or subject matter (which quite often covers Steampunk fiction & Victoriana).

Good ones to go for (although I haven't done enough gigs to say categorically that they would work, that's what asking your client is for) are:

Abney Park = Sleep Isobella
Abney Park = Too far to turn back
Abney Park = Neobedouin
Abney Park = Victorian vigilante
Steam Powered Giraffe = Brass goggles
Steam Powered Giraffe = Captain Albert Alexander
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing = Brunel
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing = Doing it for the Whigs
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing = Steph(v)enson
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing = Goggles
The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing = Bedlam
Ghostfire = The last Steampunk waltz
Frenchy & the Punk = Confession of Jack Bonnie & Sally Clyde
Frenchy & the Punk = Steampunk pixie
Vernian Process = Something Wicked (that way went) *note, this is a great atmosphere setter for Halloween parties
Victor Sierra = The killer's kiss
Victor Sierra = Pale golden flecks
Peter Terrell & the Murdered Johns = Alabama Steampunk blues
Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows = 20,000 Leagues under the sea
The Cog Is Dead = Blood, Sweat and Tears
The Cog Is Dead = The Copper War

An offshoot of Steampunk is Dieselpunk (a 20th century version of Steampunk, set mainly in the 20s or 30s)which has spawned 2 sub genres Electro Swing (the origins of which start with the likes of Doop, Swing set, Get a move on & even We no speak Americano, the Dieselpunks have taken it up & claimed it as their own). Here's a few that can pass as DP:

the Electro Swingers = Clockwork
the Electro Swingers = Retro Electric Hoochie Coochie
the Electro Swingers = Depends On Cthulhu
Haferflocken Swingers - Old Yella
Caro Emerald = That man

& Chap-Hop (Hip-Hop in an upper class 1920s "BBC accent" usually with more period style backing (banjoleles & sousaphones etc) & covering subject matter straight out of a Wodehouse story & things "typically British"):

Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer = Just like a chap
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer = A Rummy Old Day
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer = Straight Out Of Surrey
Sir Reginald Pikedevant Esq = Just glue some gears on it (and call it Steampunk)
Professor Elemental = I'm British
Professor Elemental = Cup of brown joy
Professor Elemental = Great race
Professor Elemental = Everything stops for tea
Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer vs Professor Elemental = The duel