This 12-piece bass outfit from Ghent plays what it calls "steampunk". Is this a real music thing (I'm well aware of literary and visual steampunk) or just a perfectly-coined description? Don't know and don't care. Take the spirit and drive of a New Orleans brass band, throw in more than little marching band formality and flair, season liberally with jazz, rock and more, and you're headed in the right direction.

Brazzmatazz Crank Up the Pressure (self-released)

Steampunk, generally, is the use of anachronistic elements to more fully flesh-out a not-quite-realistic setting. Could be the past (Poor Things) or the future (Brazil) or the not-exactly present (most William Gibson books). The idea is to mix futuristic and retro elements together to create a more "realistic" expression of ideas.

So, sure, Brazzmatazz is steampunk. This isn't Miles' fusion or anything like that. It's just a party album with some truly kick-ass horns. Whether the beats are blues, jazz, hip-hop, rock or a three-four march, they drive the horns to find newer and funkier ways to play. Admittedly, there is just enough formalism to keep these proceedings from devolving (that goes back to the steampunk ethos, to be fair), but just enough of a foundation is always a good way to keep a song moving in the right direction.

Crazy? No. Otherworldly? Not quite. But these folks are having one hell of a time, and it's hard not to dance along. Find the throb and give in. There are far worse things to inject into your brain. Play it loud and don't be afraid to move.

Jon Worley