Keeping the trains chugging in Terminus Station (currently known as Atlanta, GA) the steampunk-themed and attired Extraordinary Contraptions blend motown-funk bass grooves with a driving guitar, chaotic drums, engagingly playful keys and accordion, and three part vocal harmonies to create their unstuck-in-space-time, steam-powered, danceable sound. Their 2009 self-produced debut album, Inappropriate on Purpose, touches on universal themes before careening into pieces about malevolent alien invasions and failed mathematical romances. A 2010 full-length release, Scratch the Aether, delves deeper into the characters' backstory and that of their nemesis, the scurrilous Captain Thorngauge, with bombastic explorations of betrayal, defiant organs. The Contraptions toured the Midwest to support this Scratch The Aether in 2010, and toured the East Coast with Frenchy and the Punk in summer 2011.
As the steampunk movement grows, The Extraordinary Contraptions offer their quirky, guitar-driven vision of this alternate reality to people who enjoy the concepts of genre-transcendence and aggressive waltzes. Fans agree as 2012 will see the release of their 3rd album, The Time Traveler's Constant, a project whose launch was aided by the support of steam-loving supporters through Kickstarter. The Time Traveler's Constant will feature percussion by both the original drummer Corbin Able Welsh, who left the band in September 2011, and new-to-the-project Teodore Bouchard.
The Extraordinary Contraptions have performed electric and acoustic shows at many SF/F conventions, including Dragon*Con (Atlanta, GA), MomoCon (Atlanta, GA), Tsubasacon (Huntington, WV), AnachroCon (Atlanta, GA), World Steam Expo (Dearborn, MI), Marcon (Columbus, OH) and Steampunk World's Fair (Piscataway, NJ).
The band continues to be loosely affiliated, and enjoys sharing the stage with a number of the fine artists involved with the worldwide steampunk musical collective Gilded Age Records, founded by Vernian Process.
Waves
The Extraordinary Contraptions Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wie geht's? Nicht so gut, 'til now
He picked my purse up from the soil
And pursed his lips against my brow
One look from you, and I can't breathe
Would you please spend your life with me
Tears escape as you look back
What's a girl supposed to do
I can't help but fall for you
Can a girl not have her dreams
Would that I were anything that you should need
For you I'd let go of everything, just
Open up your eyes and see
See...
See...
In the song "Waves" by The Extraordinary Contraptions, the lyrics tell the story of a chance encounter between two people. The first verse describes the moment when the two meet, with the singer commenting on the man picking up her purse and then pursing his lips against her brow. The second verse suggests that there is a deeper connection between the two, with the singer feeling unable to breathe when in his presence and asking him to spend his life with her. Despite her feelings, however, the man passes by without speaking, causing the singer to shed a tear. The chorus of the song suggests that the singer is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the man, including giving up everything she has. The song ends on the repeated refrain of "See," suggesting that the singer hopes the man will open his eyes to her feelings and come back to her.
Line by Line Meaning
Across a pool, a Straße vor
We met each other by a pool, on a street in Germany
Wie geht's? Nicht so gut, 'til now
I asked how he was doing, and he said he wasn't doing well until now that he met me
He picked my purse up from the soil
He picked up my purse that I had dropped on the ground
And pursed his lips against my brow
He kissed me on the forehead
One look from you, and I can't breathe
You have a powerful effect on me that takes my breath away
Would you please spend your life with me
I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I am asking you to consider the same
And though I speak not as you pass
I don't say anything as you walk by
Tears escape as you look back
I can't help but cry as you turn around and look at me
What's a girl supposed to do
What is expected of a girl in a situation like this?
I can't help but fall for you
I can't control myself from falling in love with you
Can a girl not have her dreams
Is it not okay for a girl to have her own dreams and desires?
Would that I were anything that you should need
I wish I could be whatever you need me to be
For you I'd let go of everything, just
I would give up anything and everything for you, if it meant being with you
Open up your eyes and see
I want you to see me for who I am and consider being with me
See...
I want you to see and understand my feelings for you
See...
I want you to truly see me and understand my love for you
Contributed by Aria K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.