Steam Powered Giraffe

In one of my earlier music posts, I mentioned a massive library trade I did with a friend. Caro Emerald remains one of my favourite artists to this day. Another fantastic group that I was exposed to in this exchange is Steam Powered Giraffe. If you think the name is strange, you should see them perform. The group got together as a few people that were really interested in pantomime and music. They created stage personas, put on a ton of makeup to make themselves look like actual robots, and donned their best Victorian steampunk attire (Their website even has fictional histories about each stage character). Thus, the band was born.

Their music is incredibly complex musically, with nods to barbershop quartets, dubstep, electronic, ballads, and a number of other musical styles. They use a variety of instruments to add a robotic flavour to their sound, but the band really shines in its live performances. The robotic motion is retained even while singing, there is a ton of oddball comedy, and they banter with each other between songs.

In addition to being musically amazing, one of the members also does all of the art for the group, with a style that reminds me of Tim Burton. This band member is also interesting to me because they are openly transsexual. With my sibling being a member of a similar community, finding this out about a member of one of my favourite bands gave me a little swell of pride. With new laws being passed in the States that are giving the LGTB*A (I don't know them all off hand, sorry) community more rights, I'm proud of those who have been open about who they are and brave the storm of bigots before acceptance was more widely done.

If you're looking for a musically talented band, exceptional makeup artists, and genuinely funny people and performers, check out Steam Powered Giraffe. Their music is well worth a buy. 

Toodles!