Is there a style of music that can be branded Steampunk? I'm new to the scene folks.

If there is throw some examples at me or feel free to post some clips.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Andi Autopsy on January 20, 2012 at 12:36pm

try abney park although they sort of started out as a goth band. they've definetly marketed themselves for the last few years as steampunk they even have there own RPG based on there steampunk songs.

could try vernian process. Or Clock work dolls or Clock work Quartet or unwomen. hell if your into hip hop you cold try DR steel or MR B or professor elemental.

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Permalink Reply by Burgess Shale on February 5, 2012 at 8:59am

The online radio station Radio Riel has a steampunk service. Give it a listen and see what you think. They play Abney Park fairly regularly.

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Permalink Reply by Liam Finnegan on February 5, 2012 at 10:11am

Try Google. Oh look 18,000,000 results for: Steampunk Music.

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Permalink Reply by Captain Jack Havock on February 5, 2012 at 1:30pm

No. Give me any genre of music, and I can give you a steampunk version. Not kidding, try me, I love doing this. I personally feel that the music is a combination of classic or cultural instrumentation and modern music.

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Permalink Reply by Dr. Fidelius on February 5, 2012 at 3:58pm

There is music made by Steampunks, there is music enjoyed by Steampunks, and there is music marketed as Steampunk. But I have not yet seen a standardized style of "Steampunk music." It is as diverse as we are.

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Permalink Reply by Saelia Bacon on February 23, 2012 at 10:11pm

There's Abney Park

Professor Elemental

Clockwork Quartet

Voltaire

... and more!!!

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Permalink Reply by Captain Jack Havock on February 24, 2012 at 9:58am

Check out my podcast if you want to hear steampunk music: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/airshipwrecked-captain-proctor/i...

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Permalink Reply by gordon vader on May 21, 2012 at 10:10am

Pretty decent list of Steam punk acts,,,

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Permalink Reply by gordon vader on May 22, 2012 at 4:35pm

You're Welcome

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Permalink Reply by John D. on May 23, 2012 at 9:02am

Yeah, I've seen that wiki.

Have you read that guy's critera of what qualifies as a "Steampunk" band?

This line in particular:

"If the male members wear top hats and the female members look as though they stepped out of the pages of a Victorian Era or an Edwardian Era catalogue, then they may be called steampunk no matter what sort of music they play. Steampunk is not about the music, it is about the overall style that a band portrays."

???

Hang on - full stop.

Say what?

So if a band is dressed in, say, jeans and plain shirts - or even worse - if you have no idea what they look like or how they dress - then they can't be qualified as a Steampunk band, even if they play music that sounds like something that was recorded 125 years ago?'

When you press "Play" on an ipod to listen to a band, are you listening to their costumes, or their props - or are you listening to their music?

He also removes bands like Frenchy and the Punk because he's "unconvinced that they're genuine?"

Well pardon my frenchy, but what in the nonsensical f*** is that supposed to mean? Boy I'm sure glad that wasn't a "genuine" band I saw at the Steampunk World's Fair this past weekend (yeah, Frenchy & the Punk were one of the musical acts).

Oh yeah, he also deleted The Peculiar Pretzelmen from the list because their music is 1920s or 1930s, and thus not Steampunk.

Um...rrrrright...but the vastly overrated (in my opinion) Abney Park, whose music would have sounded like indefinable noise to the Victorians (lyric content and intrusive sound effects notwithstanding)...ah, yeah, now that's some period music right there!

Pfft. The guy who runs that so-called Wikia should at the very least clarify it so that it is obvious that those are nothing more than HIS personal preferences, and they follow no cohesive set of parameters when it comes to inclusion on his list.

I say: stick with Wikipedia's entry, and use one's own judgement elsewhere.

That's the end of my rant :P

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Permalink Reply by Captain Jack Havock on May 23, 2012 at 11:06am

That is awful! You are totally correct. I have a system for determining this for my podcast. I added it to the wiki (Like that will be approved):

Steampunk music can be identified on a five point scale. Depending on how many of the criterian the band fills, the more steampunk it is. Bands on the list below should fill at least 2-3.

1. They call themselves steampunk

2. Old fashioned dress or style

3. Classical instrumentation elements

4. Fictional (preferably alternate history) backstory

5. Steampunk (sci-fi/historical) lyrics