SteamKu, is quite simply, “Droll Haiku on the subject of Steampunkery.”

Instead of being buoyed aloft in the Aethers purely by steam, it is ardently hoped that one is also capable of being uplifted by somewhat indecorous humour; fun-pokery, and on occasion, a certain lack of seriousity.

I beg you, Dear Reader, do not take it as a *personal* affront- this skewering of Steampunkery- for indeed, one intended to be as broadly offensive as possible, so as to insult the greatest number, with the least amount of verbiage.

One found refuge in the paradoxical form known as Haiku, which on the one hand, forces all its practioners to adhere uniformly & unfailingly, (come Hell, high water, or tentacles), to 17 syllables, whilst on the other, giving the air of minimal effort, lack of strain, and very little evidence of extended bouts of nail-biting & self-flagelation.

One deems this form of verse to be the perv-ect vehicle with which to leave a few tyre treads over certain inhospitable portions of a sub-culture- for the most part charming- that is threatened, every-once-in-a-great-while, by over-zealous adherents, who may have a tendency to froth over into waves of pomposity, at but the slightest provocation.

The, at times, lurid verbiage & retina-staining full-color illustrations contained in the missive “My Cog Is Bigger Than Your Cog: SteamKu & Other Verbstrocities” by Veronique Chevalier & Walter Sickert, is the maiden voyage of this new artform, which one can only hope, shall serve to defuse efforts by persons of especially steamful inclination, to pass judgement (or gas) upon their fellows & fellettes of aetheric-tendancies.

With great eSTEAM,

MADemoiselle Veronique & Monsieur Walter

* Officious Facebook Fan(g) Page-
http://www.facebook.com/MyCogIsBiggerSteamKuBook

* Twit * Twat * Twot-
http://twitter.com/SteamKu

* Future Aetheric Home-
http://SteamKu.com/

“Westways Magazine” published by The Auto Club of America named Pyrate Daze as one of their “5 Worth The Drive” Events for August, 2011. Add to that the perv-ormance of your very own MADemoiselle Veronique Chevalier at 5pm on both Saturday AND Sunday, August 27th & 28th, and vous have NO reason to stay home!

Also featuring:

Rillian & The Doxie Chicks

Zoe Boekbinder

The Pirates Charles

Moon-Mermaid

Aoha Nui Hula

Cirque Noir & MORE!!!

Here is a photo of page 68 of the August 2011 Issue of “Westways”:

Here is the promo video. (Try not to blink or vous won’t see my picture, jumbled in with other unnamed persons, at the very end. :-/ But, I shall “LIKE” it, since there is no such thing as bad publicity! 🙂

I hope to see my ‘fiends’ & fan(g)s in the Southern Califor Nation there!

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Yes, Virginia, there really is a show devoted exclusively to that elusive ODD-itory genre known as “Steampunk Music.”

To paraphrase some of the verbiage from their website http://www.clockworkcabaret.com says:

“The Clockwork Cabaret is a weekly radio show hosted by the darling Davenport sisters, Emmett & Klaude, on WCOM 103.5 FM-LP in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC, every Monday at 11pm. And, you can call in to the show via the telephone at 919.929.9601.

The sisters play the “Music o’ Gears” for Steampunk ears, an anachronistic style of music that will make you long for the days gone by. A wide assortment of jazz, blues, goth, folk, swing, gypsy punk, dark cabaret, classical and other related genres.”

(I might add that they have even had the excellent taste to play “Vampire Surprise,” by MADemoiselle Veronique on their Halloween Programme, entitled “Episode 92: Screaming Banshees of Halloween (aka It’s Spooktacular).”

http://clockworkcabaret.podbean.com/2009/10/26/episode-92-screaming-banshees-of-halloween-aka-its-spooktacular/

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

What’s more, in addition to the aforementioned wireless transmission, there is also a family business involved, Davenport & Winkleperry: Purveyors of Fine Art, Coffee, Tea & What-not

Imagine a space filled with art, coffee, books, live music and an in-house seamstress. Impossible? Located in quaint downtown Pittsboro, North Carolina, Davenport & Winkleperry, is a gallery and coffeehouse that offers all those extraordinary things along with other amusing oddities for your purchase, most with a hint of the Victorian aesthetic.

Address: 18A East Salisbury Street, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Phone: 919-533-6178
Website: http://www.davenportandwinkleperry.com

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There seem to be more and more debates floating through the aethers on the subject of “Steampunk Music,” so I wrote this piece from the viewpoint that I have as an artiste. Although I have performed at numerous Steampunk events, and shall continue to do so as long as the invitations keep coming my way, I don’t call myself a “Steampunk” artiste, per say.

I prefer the word “artiste” without any descriptors, because I create to please myself, and I appear at non-Steampunk events (Cabarets/Music Halls/Gay Venues/Burlesque Rooms) as well. I do feel very privileged and honoured that many fine folk in the community appreciate my special brand of ODDitory MADemoiselle-ness.

However, I know that people new to the Steampunk community, as well as long-time adherents, yearn for more musical choices, so that they might have a soundtrack, as it were, to complement the aesthetics and spirit that drew them to the community initially.

In the spirit of inclusiveness, I’d like to share a couple of invaluable resources for Steampunk-ish music. Incidentally, there is no universal agreement about what constitutes “Steampunk” music, since it commenced as a literary and aesthetic movement. However, it does seem to follow that numerous music artistes enjoyed by many Steampunks (and in whose ranks I am honoured to be included) are congregated in the following two websites:

The world’s only artist collective, founded by Joshua A. Pfeiffer of Vernian Process & Evelyn Kriete, focused on musician’s combining old world aesthetics and sounds with current genres of music. Steampunk/Cabaret/Swing/Ragtime/Gypsy-Punk/Darkwave/etc.

Founded by Jordan Bodewell, “Sepiachord is the “genre that doesn’t exist”. It is to music what “Steampunk” is to literature and cinema: something that looks back to the past to comment on the present while looking sideways at the future. A cubist aural experience. As goth & glam are the bastards of David Bowie, Sepiachord is the made from the genetic material sown by Tom Waits.

Sepiachord is assembled like a clockwork orchestra, from such elements of music Sinister Circus, Cabaret Macabre, Chamber Pop, Organic Goth, Celtic/Gypsy Punk, Mutant Americana, Ghost Town Country It is the music our grandparents or great-grandparents would have listened to, if they were as off-set as we are.”

“A Sepiachord Passport” released under the Projekt Records imprint, is a compilation with a generous selection of 20 tracks by as many artistes, and is an excellent way to dip one’s toe into the Steampunk Music pool. It may be ordered from the Projekt website:

Vous are cordially commanded to acquire this book when it is released in July! Edited by Joey Marsocci, aka Dr. Grymm, MADemoiselle Veronique Chevalier’s image, in which she is sporting “Valkyrie” Goggles by PH Factor, was shot by David Zentz Photography, and is found on page 176. Merci, & many congrats to the other 999 includees in this beautiful volume by Quarry Books.

NOTE:
If you wish to pre-purchase the book go to http://www.qbookshop.com and enter the promo code: DRGRYMM to receive 25% off this and ANY BOOK at Quarry Publications! (Offer ends at midnight on Thursday, June 30th, 2011.)

A sepia-toned version of this image appears in the book ©David Zentz

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The eSTEAMed blog “Steampunk Beauties” featured MAD Veronique as one of their models:

http://steampunk-beauties.tumblr.com/post/2961127477/mademoiselle-veronique-chevalier-mad-sonictist

Tagged: steampunk steampunk women steampunk woman steampunk beauty steampunk beauties steampunk girl steampunk girls submission

* Time: September 18, 2009 from 7pm to 11pm
* Location: Queen Bee’s (formerly the 8teen Center)
* Street: 3925 Ohio Street
* City/Town: San Diego, CA 92104
* Website: http://ChrononautClub.com
* Event Type: all ages, public entertainment & music
* Organized By: Professor J. S. Greyshade

Ladies, Gentlemen, Harlots, and Scoundrels,

The Machina Fatalis Steampunk Social Club presents an evening’s entertainment unlike any the fair city of San Diego has seen. Chrononaut: a night for temporal adventurers of all ages.

Your host, Prof. J. S. Greyshade, selects sounds from eclectic destinations throughout the space-time continuum such as steampunk, alternative folk, gypsy punk, dark cabaret, gothic, middle eastern, circus punk, and extremely mutated hip-hop.

There shall also be visions of monochromatic beauty from the amazing cinematagraph and a variety of special guests and entertainments.

Steampunk, neo-Victorian, dark cabaret and anachronistic dress is most warmly welcomed.

Friday, September 18th, 2double-ought9:
* Veronique Chevalier & Seth Bedford
* Eli August
Doors open at 7:00. Club closes at 11:00
(one block east of 30th Street and 1/2 block north of University Avenue)

Here is the write-up from the Chrononaut website (http://www.mindspring.com/~eandic/chrononaut/parties.htm):

Veronique Chevalier accompanied by Seth Bedford: In a class of her own, MADemoiselle Chevalier is a madly eccentric chanteuse known as the “Weird VAL” of Dark Cabaret, and has been described by some as a campy incarnation of Edith Piaf from a parallel universe.

A cross-section of her repertoire reveals such gems as her parody of “La Vie En Rose” re-imagined as “Escargots”, bemoaning her challenged relationship with the tiny French mollusks. Her unforgettable cover of Jim Morrison’s “People Are Strange” does solemn honor to a man who, “had the good taste to die and be buried in Paris.” She has also co-written and performs a number of originals with Seth.

Seth Bedford is a New York-based composer, arranger, lyricist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and visual artist Seth blends the musical idioms of Weimar kabarett, American jazz, Tin Pan Alley, French chanson, tango, New Wave and a variety of other musical sources to create a sound that defies categorization. As a composer, he’s written music for cabaret, theater, film and the symphonic concert hall, and he is also the artistic director and vocalist for Huxley Vertical Cabaret Nouveau, an 8-piece acoustic cabaret orchestra performing primarily in New York’s Greenwich and East Village