It's a big week for steampunk enthusiasts.
First of all, today is the 287th birthday of Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot, the man who built the first self-propelled, steam-powered vehicle. He invented his three-wheeled fardier à vapeur in 1769, and went on to build progressively more complex and better models of steam-powered horseless carriages. The birth of the steam punk world received and even bigger boost near a hundred years later, when the first airship with a steam engine traveled from Paris to Trappes on September 24, 1852.
I know that a large portion of our readers feel that the steampunk movement, which re-imagines the modern with the elegance and inventiveness of the industrial revolution, is a tried, played-out phenomenon, but you didn't grow up thinking that Final Fantasy VI was loads better a religion than the Bible. The brass, the clockwork, and the dapper approach all serve to make something very timeless, and still very specific.
It's certainly made its mark on the world of music, for instance. Here are the top 10 ten steampunk songs or music videos.
10. Nicki Minaj, "Turn Me On": I like Nicki more as a peripheral than a feature artist, but you can't help but dig her clockwork rendition of Frankenstein. It falls just short of true steampunk, but is definitely one of the closest mainstream examples out there.
9. Professor Elemental and Mr. B, the Gentleman Rhymer Sir Reginald PikeDevant, Esq., "Just Glue Some Gears on it and Call it Steampunk": Now, I imagine that I'll get some flack in the comments over including Nicki Minaj in this list at all, since those who like to define what is steampunk and what is not are touchier than people who define what is and is not regular punk. Allow me to offer this comedic peace offering. After all, I could've put Justin Bieber there and I didn't.
Update: Due to an erroneous entry in the author's iPod this song was mistakenly credited to Professor Elemental and Mr. B, the Gentleman Rhymer initially. Thanks to reader Abelundercity for correcting the error, and apologies to Sir Reginald.
8. Ghostfire, "The Last Steampunk Waltz": This isn't the most original music video in the world, but for some reason the execution of it makes you feel that Ghostfire is actually what bar bands in a steampunk world would sound like. Good dress sense, a tight attention to the waltz form, and a sort of drunken brilliance turn a basic performance vid into a bald look at a completely fictional music scene.
