Rob Masters

Back to that rich vein of videos, the 80s this time, and one of the musical greats the the era produced.  Our video is a stop-motion paper-cut surrealist dream-sequence, and that by itself would not gain it an entry to this series. What gets it in is the way it mirrors the song in a very literal way. This is someone who has achieved flight and is never returning to the ground. It might be an acid-fuelled vision of the narrative, but it is clearly what is going on.  I do wonder about the flippers and the slippers, though. Anyway, here is 1985's classic hit "And She Was" by Talking Heads from Little Creatures.

A simple one  this week - imagine a world where letters go missing!  With such a disaster possible, there would have to be an agency to help out, right? Here is "The Alphabet Lost and Found", by They Might Be Giants and featuring Marty Beller, from their 2005 album "Here Come the ABCs". (And look out for someone who is going to have a Damn Good Time !)

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 have a look at something that could well be a scene from The Quatermass Conclusion - post apocalyptic, and drained of population. Indeed, other than Jael, the singer, the only people we see are frozen figures spinning in the sky.  Here is Delerium's collaboration with Jael, from 2003's album Chimera  - "After All". 

Back to the 80s and a bit of Blake's 7 inspired dystopia. It has a narrative ... but an explanation is less forthcoming. In any event, we've got big hair and cheesy effects. What more do you need? Welcome back to 1984, and "The Body Electric" by Rush.

So this week we are back with another Lindsey Stirling effort, with vocals by Dia Frampton (no relation to Peter).  This time we go full animation and down the daikaiju alleyway in a delightful little romp that is a healthy antidote to the current times. There are tropes a-plenty, and many of them averted, inverted, or otherwise played with, and, when it comes down to it, it is just plain fun. Enjoy "We Are Giants" by Lindsey Stirling (featuring Dia Frampton) from 2015.

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.

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. 

There was something of a temptation to keep this one for April, but in the end I decided there were better candidates for that occasion. I really don't have much to say about this, except that the clip is so out of keeping with the song that it becomes almost a pastiche of itself.  Anyway, here is 2004's "Oops... I Did It Again", performed by Britney Spears. 

Another of the classics - here's a band going the full Alice. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with a bonus of Dave Stewart from Eurythmics, bringing you 1985's "Don't Come Around Here No More". Fun fact - 'Alice' was also the original 'Joanie' in the series pilot for "Happy Days". 

The duo that is behind this video  I first ran into  on the sadly missed Amie Street. These days Bandcamp fills a similar role.   This is a particularly cool animation for one of their earlier tracks, featuring a wonderful story, and an amazing transition between the walls of reality. I hope you all enjoy "Stay in My Memory", by BIM from 2007. 

Skipping back to the near-present, let's turn our attention to a little number from Greece. This was going to be the Greek entry into the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest - but then The 19 happened. Still, it did produce this fun and telling little video.  Super powers, (implied) segregation, xenophobia, and a couple of kids who might just make it right. Heady stuff for a Eurovision entry! I hope you enjoy "Supergirl" by Stefania, from 2020.

Back to 1999, and one that I am sure is going to have some folks convinced that I've gone even further off the deep end. Let's take on the music first - it is a fairly basic boy-band dance track (technically R&B - believe it or not), typical of the late 90s.  Very slick sound production, but could pretty much be a drop in replacement for any number of other tunes. The  surprisingly clever lyrics are another kettle of fish. The song itself is essentially a fan shout-out - a thank-you note from the band itself. The central message being that the music industry is a major drag, but that the fans are the ones who make it worthwhile. (More recently Lady Gaga recorded a similar sentiment in "Applause".) The video is (to say the least) over the top. Giant spaceship, synchrodancing robots, hoverboard dodgeball against a holographic opponent, space fighter battles, and the obligatory mass dance scene. And yet, it still somehow makes a story out of it all (mostly), and the ...

Let's kick off the new year (almost a week late, but, hey...) with a track that is so 80's it hurts.  Here is 1983's "Human Touch" by Rick Springfield. Complete with shoulder pads, silver suits, named computers, alien sax players, and more. Pity we did not get any of that for 2016.  (And if the embed fails, try popping it out to youtube.)

Well, this brings us to a full year of videos, with 52 posts. I think I have covered everything from the 70s to the present day, and I have much more to come. There some real downers I have not shared yet, but they can wait until after The 19. For now, I am going to try to be a little more upbeat, so get ready for some fun. What does this anniversary bear? A track from the 80's, and one of the iconic SF-themed videos from the era. An human-looking alien, trapped on Earth, and slowly losing control of his powers, finally gets a message from space. Now all he has to do is get away from the humans who are now becoming obsessed with him. Featuring what was, for the time, cutting-edge special effects for a music video, this track carried the singer to stardom. Here is Nik Kershaw performing in "Wouldn't It Be Good" from 1984.

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.

Let's get one thing out of the way straight up. The 80's were an awesome breeding ground for genre music videos, and I believe that it was not until the late 2000's that we saw that level of greatness return. That's about 20 years. So here we have the one band playing the mid 40s, 60s, and 80s. About 20 years apart. And all in the same bar, with the same waitress ... and no one seems to notice that they don't fit in. Would they be playing the 2000's as well? And what are they? Time-travellers? Immortals? Either way they have some sort of SEP field going on. Let's take a look at our mysterious band and waiter, shall we? Here's Kajagoogoo, and 1983's "Too Shy".

An unexpected find, thanks to Leece. 80s pop with mer-dudes, a mer-kiddy, and fine cinematography by a photographer. Pretty darn fine mer-folk, too! Here is some classic Madonna, and "Cherish" from 1989, featuring the amazing photographer-turned-cinematographer-in-a-weekend Herb Ritts.

So, 80's hair meets public schoolboy fantasy dream sequence with a touch The Midwitch Cuckoos, and the odd passing ninja. Yeah, this passes the litmus test! So, with no further ado, here is 1983's "Total Eclipse of the Heart", by the incomparable Bonnie Tyler.

Another amazing Australian artist this week - and we get a cool daikaiju teddybear as a bonus. This is an amazing video, and a stunning song, apparently prompted by those niggling little fights where someone says that 'it's fine', when it manifestly is not. In one of those things where the audience projects more into a work than the artist intended, I have another interpretation. I think it also serves as powerful warning of the power of depression, and the importance of friends in helping fight it - even when it becomes the great monster that takes over someone's life. With that, take a look a G Flip's 2020 song "Hyperfine".