Rob Masters

Cosmetic surgery for anthropomorphic dogs. With Alison Goldfrapp as the end product. Really, I cannot say anything more about this - except that Alison is the Kate Bush of the 2000s.  Here is 2005's "Number 1" by Goldfrapp, from Black Cherry. 

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...

Last weekend was Eurovision, that wonderfully  insane and over the top celebration of music. 36 countries joining together to throw a huge party. It is silly, and bright, and a perfect antidote to the current times. All the tracks performed have to be sung live on stage, with strict time limits, and all sorts of rules. So how does Eurovision turn up here? Well, it is not the first time.  This time it is the fabulously geeky Daði og Gagnamagnið who make the grade with their #4 ranking entry "10 Years", from 2021. Enjoy your adventure in Icelandic daikaiju super sentai land!

Counting down to the 100th edition of this silliness!  Returning to that rich feeding ground for me, the 1980s, and the inimitable Thomas Dolby. This time with the making of a music video. At first. And then things get just a little odd . We've got animated static pictures, a magic camera, a sleezeball, and a heroic rescue.  This has it all! Here is 1988's "Airhead" from "Aliens Ate My Buick", by Thomas Dolby.

Let's say hello to Miike Snow again. This time we get all the great Bond tropes. Until things take a very fabulous turn. SFF? Well, we've got death rays, so let's say 'Yes'. Keep your eyes open for the guards with an amazing sense of rhythm, and some of the greatest dance moves you'll never see in a Bond movie. Also stick around for The Return of the Spurned Partner! With no further ado, here is 2016's "Genghis Khan" from Miike Snow.

For us this was another gem discovered on Aunty ABC's Rage. The video almost defies explanation.  You could almost ascribe a Quatermass level of spookiness to it, and it delivers something quite unexpected. Electropop duo Sylvan Esso lead us to ... something either very cool, or very scary, depending on your interpretation. So take in the odd little story told in the video for 2014's enigmatic "Dreamy Bruises".

Billie Eilish is a remarkable person. Musically gifted in ways that alter the musical landscape, and having a fierce independence that defies the music industry norms, she hit the music scene like a bomb. This track from 2019 is a fantastic reflection of that - confronting climate change head-on, and pulling no punches in any way, she also manages to create a superbly Dantesque visual story in just under four minutes. So, with no further ado, here is Billie Eilish and "all the good girls go to hell".

English/Bulgarian electronic/pop group Ladytron frequently feature SFF elements in their videos, and this is one of their best. Starring the band in two roles, with amazing mythic imagery and wonderful stop-motion critters, this must have been hell for the band to produce! So wrap yourself around some hot chocolate, and enjoy to snowy mountains of "Destroy Everything You Touch".

M83 with "Claudia Lewis", starring Lily Collins and Israel Broussard. A fun highschool romance featuring a sweet alien girl ('Claudia Lewis') and a couple of very accepting humans.

This week we have a look at a triptych of videos from the Swedish/US band Miike Snow. Telling a tale of alien abduction, involuntary surgery and genetic modification, displacement, and a search for acceptance, this is a surreal and powerful series of videos. Our ... err ... hero has a name, by the way - "Jean Noel". There will be more from Miike Snow in later releases. First up is Paddling Out Followed by The Wave And lastly Pretender