• I have a confession.

    I have a really odd taste in music. Both Eddie and Ragdoll will agree with me I'm sure. Those poor, poor souls who's ears bleed every time they get in my little blue jeep. It also helps that I play my music loud...very loud.

    So it comes as no surprise that I have a lot of Steampunk music. Specially considering that's the direction my art has taken. I fell into Steampunk accidentally, I always loved antiques, history, etc etc. (Though I admit to openly hating history class. Not for the content, but for the monotone professors that teach it. Those who know me, yeah I KNOW THAT'S HYPOCRITICAL.) Loved the old steam machines, old clocks with all their whirring gears and shiny bits. Then I found out there was a name for my love. Steampunk. And for music, I have quite a bit of it and there's always room for more.

    And yes. I am covering some of the same people that were covered earlier this week. Just because.


    Abney Park-
    http://www.abneypark.com

    Abney Park was the first band I stumbled upon when I first entered the Steampunk world. They are also one of my first recommendations for anyone new to Steampunk and the music. Abney Park is probably the most popular of the genre's bands, they're probably Steampunk's rock stars so to speak. You may or may not like them, but if you are into Steampunk you most certainly know who they are. (Personally, much love to them.)

    Airship Pirates was the first song I heard from them, then came the Secret Life of Doctor Calgori and so on so forth. I recently had the pleasure of seeing this group perform live at the Green Steam Circus in Austin and I must say it was bloody fantastic. My nerd meter was pegged to say the least. They were funny, friendly and most of all, fun. I still say it's such a shame everyone else who went with me left early, it was truly worth the wait and they don't know what they missed.

    Sleep Isabella:


    /Charleston

    Until the Day You Die:




    The Clockwork Dolls-
    http://www.theclockworkdolls.com/


    This is the second band I'd steer someone who doesn't know much about Steampunk into. Oh man do I love me some Clockwork Dolls. One of my favorite aspects of this bands is their music has some strong story-telling elements. Songs of airships, battles and chases through the skies, and even some songs made just for the fun of it. A violin is present in almost all of their songs, actually right off the top of my head I think there's a violin present in every single one. The Clockwork Dolls are a much different flavor of Steampunk than Abney Park but still Steampunk all the same.

    I often sit on the floor of my bedroom with the Clockwork Dolls blasting on my speakers when no one but me is home. There's something about them that just draws you in, it's nice.

    "A firefight to light the sky, the time for reckoning is nigh!"

    Much to my dismay, I cannot seem to dig up a video on youtube with decent sound quality, so unfortunately I have to post the same video the 59th sound used in his post. Sorry. :< Impartial (The Battle):

    White Ghost Shivers-
    http://www.whiteghostshivers.com/



    I'm going to throw these people into this post because there's a quite a bit of cabaret in the genre and well...I love these people. White Ghost Shivers were also at the Green Steam Circus, and are natives of Austin. Man was this group a fun group, walking about in their elaborate costumes and just dancing around on stage. There's two main singers in this group it seems, a guy and then a gal. They sort of switch off from song to song. White Ghost Shivers' music make you want to dance really. And I don't dance. Ever. No really.

    My brother watched this band with me, soon as they were off stage he turns to me and says, "You're getting their cd. No, I don't care if you don't have enough money, you're getting it. I'll give you some of my money, stop whining." I do not regret it one bit. NOT ONE BIT. Also got The Blue Hit while I was there, but I cannot cover them here. I can however put their name in totally not obvious blue letters that has a link.



    /Charleston

    Okay that doesn't mean I admit to dancing. It's more of a flail around like a crippled manatee.

    Humanwine-
    http://humanwine.org/



    Argh! I wish I had more of these people's stuff but alas, I'm poor, and I only have maybe three songs. I will get their cd EVENTUALLY THOUGH. And although I only have those three songs, those three songs are pretty good. Sadly, I still have Script Language by them stuck in my head.



    The Cog is Dead-
    http://www.johnmondelliproductions.com/thecogisdead/index.html




    The Cog is Dead is a fairly new Steampunk band, I've only got a few of their songs so I can't say much about them. But I can say I do like them, they reminded me a bit of Abney park in the beginning, but after listening to what little I have from them they may be slightly similar, but in a little square all their own.



    Emilie Autumn-
    http://www.emilieautumn.com/



    TECHNICALLY Neo-Victorian, if I had to put a single label, but I'm adding her in here because...well just because I can. Argue with me and I'll go get my bright orange snow shovel named Gordon Freeman. Neo-Victorian as a genre is a relative of Steampunk, so there. But really, she dabbles in quite a few genres and it can be hard to pick just one she should belong to. (...she does poems, stories, and electric violin solos just to name a few.) She is not for the light of heart. As it is I cannot play her music in my car while my brother is in it as she freaks him out. Yet, I have a friend who cautiously asked for music from me (Always a bad idea unless you like the idea of being music spammed), I tossed some of Miss Autumn's work in, and after the initial shock he grew to love her. This is another one I just sit on the floor and blast in my room. You always catch a new sound or something when you play her music loud. You never know what you're going to get.

    And yeah. She kind of just does whatever the bloody she wants. And she always does it well.

    Opheliac:


    And if you liked Emilie Autumn, I also recommend the Dresden Dolls. They're...not really alike but yeah.

    Vernian Process-
    http://www.vernianprocess.com/


    I used to have a lot of their stuff, then my hard drive failed and kissed it all goodbye. It made me so sad when I figured out it was all gone. Vernian Process is mainly instrumental, but in their most recent stuff there's vocals. They do well both ways, it makes for a nice variety. Sometimes I want to listen to a much more instrumental sort of music with no vocals, yet other times I want something with some vocals. Well there you go, Vernian Process gives you the best of both. Man I wish I still had my old collection. Favorite was 'Noir'...

    Behold the Machine:



    Others that I should note while I'm here (/nudge nudge, go check them out. No really, go. I wish I could just hijack the entire front page of Riddler Reviews but I already give Eddie enough headaches hitting witches and cars then hiding in a closet in Left4Dead.):

    -Saluki Regicide <--Atmospheric/Soundscapes

    -Life Toward Twilight <-- Atmospheric/Soundscapes, can be quite creepy at times. O_o; But I do love.

    -Sunday Driver <-- Much love! Specially 'Heroes'...."Stay home on my own counting up my braincells, one two skip a few..."

    -Clockwork Quartet <-- Needs moar music. And cowbells. So far they appear to be rather minimalist with music. But they seem to be going somewhere.

    -Deadly Nightshade Botanical Society <--Lovely. smile

    -Vangabond Opera <-The only reason I didn't make a statement about these guys is because I have none of their music and the most I can do is listen off the website...and it's lovely. -Tom Slatter <--I just found this guy, and I like what I hear.


    And many...many more I know I'll remember later.

    AND. YES LOOK HERE. If you desire more you can visit Gilded Age Records to see a bunch of bands I couldn't cover here. I do suggest you take a look if this sort of stuff strikes your fancy. I haunt this website quite a bit, and I always find something I like.