Crazy New Bands and Songs GO!!!

Right... so I finally remembered bout this thang, so let's get it started.

I'll start with two new Steampunk bands I've started listening to. The first being Abney Park, a steampunk band hailing from Seattle, WA. They have one of the coolest stage themes I've seen in a while *cough* Flaming Lips *cough*. They play as crew members of the airship HMS Ophelia, and their instruments truly show the influence of the Steampunk culture. Their keyboard has a Tesla Coil on the top, the guitar and bass contain pressure gauges and have a real Jules Verne vibe to them. They currently have 3 albums out now, but the one I recommend the most is their album, The Death of Tragedy. It contains the track Stigmata Martyr, which is one of my favourite songs recently. The other artist is a man named Dr. Steel. He is the closest thing to hip-hop Steampunk can get, with hissing and clanking industrial drum beats, he is the master of his art. Under the guise of a toy maker, Dr. Steel is secretly building a Toy Soldier Army to make the world a more fun place to be. Make sure you listen to his album People of Earth (Thanks, Brown Matt), which contains my personal favourite track, Fibonacci Sequence.

Another musician I've been listening to a lot of lately is Buckethead. Now, Buckethead is by no means new to the music scene, but he is still one of the best guitarists I've ever heard. The track Electric Tears (Off the album of the same name) is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and can evoke powerful feelings of sadness and sobriety. At the same time though, Buckethead shows a truly twisted and insane mind with the fake theme park he lives in, Bucketheadland, which contains rides such as John Merrick's Elephant Man Bones Explosion, and the Slaughter Zone. His back-story is harrowing and eventful, and yet explains very little. Tracks such as Nottingham Lace and Soothsayer bring together slow, meaningful rhythmic guitar work and fast-paced shredding the likes I've never seen before. His acoustic work is also a true work of art, with songs like Ghost, For Mom, and Lone Sal Bug rounding out Buckethead's repertoire. He is one of the most versatile and yet he is by no means a master of none of his styles. Everything he does, he does with emotion, skill, and meaning. Those interested in listening to more, I suggest his albums Giant Robot, Colma, Enter the Chicken (A collaboration album with the likes of Saul Williams and Serj Tankian), and Bucketheadland Vol.2 (For a look into the true insanity this man harbours)

The final band I've recently started listening to is the talented Flobots. They're a political hip-hop band from Denver, CO and they are a force to watch. Their songs have powerful meanings on both a political and personal level, with songs like Combat and Fight With Tools talking about the almost-constant war (be it physical or mental) between the different classes of the world. On the other hand though, there are songs like Handlebars and The Rhythm Method (Move!) which are simply songs about loving life and having fun doing whatever you do. Their most recent (and possibly first ,I need to look into it) album, Fight With Tools is out now and should be picked up immediately.


Recent songs to check out: Aesthetic by Between the Buried and Me, Mikhail Gorbachyov by the Russian metal band ANJ, Handlebars by Flobots, Three Fingers by Buckethead and Saul Williams, and Boten Anne by Basshunter.