Rob Masters

Straight out of the 80's and visualised by channelling Leiji Matsumoto, we've got an epic space fantasy this week. Except it is from 2019 and Canada. A truly delightful flashback, this has everything - including cameos from the band, and from their associated act. Prepare for battle alongside "Starlight Brigade" by TWRP, from 2019's Together Through Time.

I thought long and hard about including this one, but in the end I gave it the benefit of the doubt, largely because the band are so perfectly in character for the entire thing. The band's own description of the clip on YouTube is, in itself, a work of art - claiming it to have a vastly older history than it does, and referring to the band in the third person.  Featuring an early 80s or late 70s retrofuturistic take on the music industry, complete with cheesy 'computers', enjoy "Do It All The Time" by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME from the EP 1981 Extended Play from 2018. Now are you confused by this multitude of dates? I sure am!

So let's go for something a little simpler this week.  This time we get a simple silent movie, set in a circus. We've got a downtrodden hero, a damsel in distress, and a villain. Everything we need for a classic story. And yes, we get some real magic in it as well.  All in all, some simple entertainment. Enjoy "Magic" by Coldplay from Ghost Stories (2014).

Late again, I know! Once again, we are faced with the question of who or what the monster in this is. Amazingly evocative, and very thought provoking - but I will not say too much because spoilers. Be intrigued by "Monster" by Starset, from 2016's Vessels.

Let's watch this one before I talk about it. Here is "Only You" by Little Mix and Cheat Codes from 2018. This one seems a little sad on the surface (especially given the song is about after a break-up), but I choose to interpret it as a beginning, not an ending. I can see our heroine spending many more hours at beaches, around dusk, when most people have left, and spending quiet quality time with her partner. You can see that neither wants to be apart - but they must be, at least for a little while. Let's rewind a little though - what just happened there? Why do they need to be apart?  The way I see it, the chlorinated pool water could not have been good for something adapted to the sea, so it would have done quite some harm - and getting them out again would only have stopped things getting worse. You can see that they are in great pain after being lifted from the pool. To allow them to heal, actual seawater would be needed - and so our hero got them there, and is pr...

OK, first up this band has a  problematic  history to say the very least, although it appears nothing is actually proven. I do not support what therefore appear to be the values of the band in any way, and actively stand against racism and misogyny.   The video itself is so stupidly over the top, that it really needs no comments, except, perhaps, to reflect on what happens when power metal meets WH40K - and a certain wonder that there are not more videos like this.  So here is the band Gloryhammer, with the track "Hootsforce" from the 2019 album Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex.

Something unusual this time - the track is in French, although the intro is in English.  We have fun little time-travel story - this time in the form of an attempted fix-up. And what I really like about this one is the ending. I will not say much, because spoilers , but it is one that will make you think. And let's face it - how often do you need to be careful of spoilers in a music video? Enjoy and ponder the end of "Je te pardonne" by Maître Gims and featuring Sia, from the album 'Mon cœur avait raison' from 2015.

This week I have a simple story for you: one of a centaur and a mermaid; and also a pegasus, a kraken, and some giant scorpions. Simple, right? Well once again you can rely on metal to deliver a very cool music video, so rock out to this track from Coheed and Cambria, from 2011. It is "The Suffering".

This week marks the end of two years of videos! And there are plenty more to go.  When I started this, I thought I might get twenty or thirty posts out of it. Was I ever wrong! Along the way I have discovered a wealth of amazing creativity in the music world, and artists I had never heard of that are now some of my favourites. There have also been some real shockers, but even they have their place, and as a fan of MST3K, how could I not include the very worst along with the best?  So, to the handful of people who follow this, stay tuned for many more videos in the future, and thank-you for joining me on this journey.  I also have a special request - if anyone can find the official video for The Alan Parsons Project song "Pyramania", please let me know! Both Leece and I have seen it once, on ABC's Rock Arena, and never since!  On to this week, and to celebrate the anniversary, I have a double feature for you. Way back in the 1980's it all seemed so - no, wait, that...

 Well something a little more risque  than my usual fare. We've got Mezzo-american amazons, drugs, sex, a conquistador way out of his depth, and, as we all know... So, let's have a look at the plot-line. We've our lost conquistador explorer wandering the jungles, and encounters a flower that sprays him with a hallucinogenic and soporific burst of pollen. Rescued from being (presumably) digested by said plant by a group of amazons, he is feted and brought before their queen. Who apparently finds him worthy.  All hail the conquering hero! But who has been conquered?   So, after all that, are you somewhere nice and private, where no-one can unexpectedly see over your shoulder? Good. Go clicky on the link now. This is "Miracle" by Caravan Palace from the 2019 album "Chronologic".  https://youtu.be/QdabIfmcqSQ

Well, we've made it through 100 episodes of this little vanity project of mine. Next countdown is to the two-year anniversary! This week's first video was uncovered by Leece who described it as "unexpectedly uplifting". Despite being from an American band, this is full of the most wonderfully over the top Eurovision style costuming and vibes. It is great to see exactly who the competent one is in the team!  Then we get to move on to the sequel video, which takes us into the counterpoint world of magical martial arts fighting games. And, oh my goodness, the eyes ! You will see what I mean! All of this was shot in some of the most spectacular places in Mexico, so we get some great scenery porn as just to round things out. So, from the 2019 album "Swing" enjoy "Fantasy" and "Swing" by SOFI TUKKER.

So what is a film noir  fever-dream doing here? Well, there is a good reason - and it ties in with the whole Hammer Films vibe. The veteran British studio Hammer Films is most famous for their horror offerings (many of which remain some of the best horror movies ever made, in my opinion). These were supernatural mood horror works - you rarely had a full-on monster, instead you had people with strange powers. And rarely did they use these for the benefit of man. Be they someone inhabited by a long-dead spirit, an immortal magic user, or cursed renevant, they never looked terrible at first glance. But oh, what terrors they could unleash.  This captures that feeling with distorted camera angles, and an endless array of masks, mirrors, and strange characters. And then there is that brief moment where something truly unreal surfaces from the illusions - and it is that moment that brings this video here. Here is Ladytron's "White Elephant", from 2011's "Gravity the Sed...

I'm always on the lookout for something a little different, and the Scandinavians never fail to deliver on that front. Iceland, in particular, can produce some wonderfully off-beat creations. This is one of them. Synchronised swimming, old-school musical theatre-style film-making, and a twist. One that fits perfectly with the rest of the genre, but takes it all into a magical place. And then twists it again to leave you wondering. Enjoy 2017's "Stardust", by Ásgeir, from the album Afterglow.

Running somewhat late this week, but here we are. Time for some more Lindsey Stirling, and a dramatic fairytale that  echoes back to an earlier video from one of her earlier albums.  Here is "Lost Girls" from the 2017 album "Artemis" by Lindsey Stirling. 

Some Symphonic Metal this week, with an awesome post-apocalypse theme running. Two survivors in a world blasted by nuclear war working on a way to bring life back. Great music (and remember that I am not really a fan of metal), and a fantastically uplifting story combine to make this a great entry in this list. For bonus coolness points, the band-clip sections respond and relate to the story-line as well.  Hold onto your seats for "Paradise (What About Us?)" by Within Temptation from their 2014 album "Hydra".

This week's offering is one that I really have trouble explaining. What just happened? I'm keen to hear what others think, because I understand all the bits, but the whole eludes me. Meantime, there is a wonderful abandoned fun park, and look out for the old-school HP calculator! From a technical aspect, this is by the same production company that brought us the "Macher Institute of Bio-Aural Epidermal De-Speakering" from the Seasons track "Of Our Discontent" ( Week 9 ), Wasted Potential Productions (who are now mostly a concert production company).  It features singer Miya Folick , as 'Clara'. She the one with the camera, and who get woken up by 'Paisley' (Emily Whetstone) in the opening scene. Neither are in the band performing, though. So, from 2011, here are Thrushes with "Trees" from their album "Night Falls". And please do tell me what you think happened!

This week we've got another entry in the list of "Scientists messing with things they shouldn't, and without proper precautions".  On top of that, I suspect the Ethics Committee would not approve. So, here is 2012's "Dance" by Uppermost, from the album One.

We're on a bit of a fantasy journey again this week, following a little girl through some magical landscapes, complete with mermaid, magic mirrors, and a mystical door of vines. "Feral Hearts" from 2016, by the Estonian artist Kerli, and the video appears to have been shot (in part) as a tourism promo for Estonia. As far as I can tell, though, this is simply Kerli's love for her own country, and not a sponsorship deal. Which makes the whole thing several levels of awesome better.

Late again, I know. It has been a hectic time post-New Year. Today we have a wonderful group of neophyte telekenetics and their friend. The four of them naturally represent the band and the guest singer. Animated by noted cartoonist and animator Jamie McKelvie, the sheer joy of this video is infectious - from playing with a hat, to the popped out toast, everything is an expression of joy.  Some discussions on the song meaning sites interpret this as an end-of-relationship song, but I disagree - especially in the light of video. It is all about embracing abilities and emotions that had been hidden. It is a song of self-empowerment and joy. So take in the 2016 sounds of Chvches, featuring Haley Williams, bringing you "Bury It".

I really don't know where to begin with this one! Let's see now. This is possibly one of the most 60's video the 2010's produced. Embracing the alternate meaning of the band's name, we enter a fantasy world of bright primary colours, and people just wanting to make friends, no matter the differences. And that's a fantasy I can really relate to.  Bright, fun, and utterly adorable, I hope you all enjoy the little bit of pure joy that is "No New Friends", by LSD (Labrinth, Sia, Diplo), from 2019.