Many of my friends really like a very talented and interesting singer by the name of Emilie Autumn. While I was quite clear about her talent as a singer, writer, and bizarrely wonderful performer, I found the connection to the Steampunk Community interesting, but puzzling to some degree. Yes, I am familiar with the concept of SteamGoth and have quite a few friends that still wear a lot of black on black, but this is a different matter, because we are talking music rather than clothing. Besides, Ms. Autumn has a marvelous love of color! Her sets, wardrobe, and makeup often remind me of a very stylish and sexy sort of circus look, rather like Cirque de Soleil.
Of course as a Steampunk Designer and writer that is generally classed a Steampunk "Lifestyler" myself, I could really relate to her feminist lyrics, the extreme "Punk" rebellion aspect of flouting her disdain of the beauty industry's Nazi Facist experiement to see how extremely neurotic they can possibly make American females, and the attitudes and behaviors of the average American Male toward women. I am not offended by how audacious, dark, violent, or macabre some of her lyrics become and in fact that is much of the spice in her work.
Just the same, I found limited connection to the newly forming music genre, so I took another hard look yesterday and found more than I expected to link Emilie's fascinating version of Goth Lolita Punk with the Steampunk Community, at least in the very fluid area of Steampunk Music.
Lets' see, neo-victorian attire such as corsets, garters, and striped stockings? Check! Occasional top hats? Check! Classical instruments blended with modern electronics? Check! Lyrics that tell adventurous or at least very emotional stories? check. An attitude of wild rebellion against anyone trying to classify and homogenize them into a single straight laced musical type? Check x 1000!
Hmmmm.... OK. I see the connection to Steampunk. Anyway, who cares? She is a fabulous artist doing what she likes, and telling both censors and control freaks to go ...well...I wouldn't use that language on this site, but Emilie certainly would! I love her work just for the sheer brassyness and attitude alone! You really like her or you don't, but you will never get bored!
For a sample of her extreme Punk like rebellion against things that are definitely wrong with how the mundane world see things, check out her website and her youtube channel! I think it rocks!
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