Hump Day Hot Ticket: Thrillkiller “The King of 1984”

Photo credit: Brent Seward

For those of us old enough to remember, do you recall the days when a new music video was a social event? How you and your friends talked about it at school all week, and then gathered together at the nearest television with access to MTV to watch the “world premiere”? How many of us who grew up in that time would listen to a song and dream up what that music video would look like, and then were let down whenever the video looked nothing at all the way you had imagined? How many times have we held a crystallized image of the perfect music video in our minds, and only hoped that someday, what we saw in our heads would come to life on the screen?

Because now, someone has made such a video, and it is Thrillkiller's latest tune, “The King of 1984”. With a title like that, it immediately conjures up certain imagery, and at least for me, I can finally see a music video play out almost exactly how I pictured it to be. From the moment those synths open up the track, a rush of ’80s nostalgia hits all the sweet spots in your brain, and you are transported back to a simpler time when Aqua Net could solve any problem, and a man could wear hot-pink spandex, purple eyeshadow and blue eyeliner, yet still be considered a hunk of red-blooded masculinity.

From the start, the video for “The King of 1984” fits right in with all that ’80s aesthetic; even the opening credits are in that space-age, futuristic-looking font that was used in nearly every sci-fi movie back then. As soon as vocalist Rob Bradley makes his entrance wearing a red leather jacket, it is a throwback to the classic Michael Jackson videos from the era, and as the video progresses, the references don't stop there. 

As Rob makes his way into a dim, smoky bar, we meet other characters that could very easily time-warp back to 1984 and look as though they belong there. We see punk rock girls dressed in black with closely-cropped hair; guys wearing skintight one-piece jumpsuits, big sunglasses, and an outfit that looks like a space suit designed by the Village People. It's so damn fabulous, and we aren't even a minute into the video yet.

While alternating with onstage shots of the band, we start getting into the video's concept, which in itself is a complete homage to ’80s videos. Looking like a cross between the “Beat It” video and Mad Max, the basic premise is of a bar fight gone bad...but there is much more to it than that! While Rob is chilling at the bar and minding his business, a cute blonde decides to buy him a drink. We also see that she hasn't been the only one in the bar who has been eyeing him; no sooner than another girl pulls the blonde away than the other guys in the bar (played by the other members of Thrillkiller)—including the space-age Village People guy, credited as the motorcycle punk—start to crowd around him.

Then as the funky bass solo begins, all hell breaks loose! Fists fly, bottles are broken...Rob manages to get a breather long enough to have another drink, and then back to fighting. As he delivers the final blow that leaves the motorcycle punk on his back, Rob yanks the sunglasses off his face, kisses the blonde, and struts out into the street, where the ultimate ’80s ride is waiting for him: a DeLorean, of course!

As Rob revs up and races off, the motorcycle punk is hot on his trail, and an epic chase begins. At this point, the video is pure tribute to Back to the Future (Easter egg: try reading the car's license plate!), and on a more subtle level, to Kung Fury (i.e., the greatest short film of the 21st century). As the motorcycle punk moves closer, Rob puts the pedal to the metal and gives us one last ’80s reference for the ages.

I have seen the future, and it is 1984.

For more information on Thrillkiller, visit their official website.

Hump Day Hot Ticket: Britta Phillips “Drive”

Photo courtesy of Luz Gallardo

As the singing voice of Jem from the iconic ’80s cartoon Jem & The Holograms, Britta Phillips has had a unique advantage in that her audience has grown up with her as her musical journey continued to evolve. From her various projects such as Luna, Dean & Britta, and movie soundtrack work, Britta has come a long way since her “truly outrageous” days as the pink-haired superwoman that inspired young girls and boys alike to follow their dreams. But her fans are just as devoted to her now as adults as they were back when they were little kids parked in front of the TV, waiting every week to hear her voice and sing along to those catchy Jem tunes. Now Britta has released the very first solo album of her storied career: Luck or Magic, a balanced mix of original material coupled with cover tunes from the ’70s and ’80s that her Jem fanbase are sure to recognize.

Much as Britta has embraced her past and does not try to deny her Jem affiliation, it is also safe to say that, musically, she as is far removed from the synth-driven ’80s pop that was the signature sound of the fictional band she fronted. Her singing style is completely her own now, and sounds nothing at all like her “Jem voice”. But her unique vocal delivery is still very identifiable, and if Britta Phillips really was Jem, one could say that her music on Luck or Magic is exactly what Jem might actually be doing in the year 2016; as a grown-up, mature woman who knows herself, knows her musical message, and knows how to utilize those talents to the fullest. With her throwback covers of past hits combined with her own current music, Luck or Magic speaks to the heart of every ’80s kid who are at that age where we are still young enough to approach newer music with an open mind (even if not with the same enthusiasm as in our teens and ’20s), but also reaching the age where childhood nostalgia kicks in, and the music from our past becomes as important to us as it ever did.

So then, perhaps Britta's choices of cover tunes on this album couldn't be more perfect, especially the choice for the video I'm going to share with you now: a cover of the classic tune from The Cars, “Drive”. If you grew up in the ’80s, you know this song. Britta does a fantastic job of conveying the sad and tragic lyrics; the juxtaposition of her morose vocals heard over a retro-style video of seemingly happy home videos that belie the tension just beneath the surface. Between these images are clips of Britta in black-and-white, either singing or driving around in her car. The music is minimalistic, drawing attention to the lyrical content; making it more powerful of a delivery. The comments on Britta's YouTube channel compare this tune to Lana Del Rey, so for those of you younger readers who don't know anything about the ’80s or don't get the references I have made, then consider those comments and take it from there! It's a worthy cover tune of a timeless classic from a super-talented singer. Need I say more?

Luck or Magic is now available on Double Feature Records.