Last Updated on September 27, 2022, 9:24 PM | Published: September 27, 2022
The 80s have been back for a while. That’s nothing new. But it’s taken a long time for that decade’s influence to rise above synthy, saccharine pastiche and to expand into all the other styles and sounds that the era gave us.
Sure, the synths, drum machines, day-glo paint, and eyeliner were all en vogue and inescapable back then, but that was far from the only thing going on in music at the time. What we think of as the “80s sound” so often ignores the jangly minimalism of college rock, the herky-jerky experimentation of post-punk, the washy, sweeping amble of dreampop, and of course the leather-clad screech and soaring guitars of perhaps the best ever period of heavy metal.
Fortunately, a handful of acts around OKC are carrying the torches proudly and paying wholehearted tribute to many of those influences, sometimes all in the same song.
Let’s take a look at and a listen to some of the best new and upcoming local singles that look both back and forward at the same time.
Big Weather – “Breakfast Club”
Right out of the gate, the 80s influence is obvious here, with the title an open homage to John Hughes’ legendary and quintessential teen drama, but musically, the brand new Big Weather aren’t reaching for any tired throwback with their debut single.
“Breakfast Club” opens with a shimmering, arpeggiated guitar to rival any 80s radio mainstay, but once it’s grabbed you, it shifts seamlessly – and smartly – into a driving, wistful indie-rock fist-pumper, less a reference to any one period and more a culmination of 40+ years of power-pop history.
And yet, the lyrics seem to intentionally betray the nostalgia-soaked sheen of the song’s namesake. The subject here isn’t the melodrama of youth, but the very adult wish for more time, more understanding, and more of the lost passion that fades with maturity and familiarity. The nostalgia of the title is almost weaponized, designed to evoke a rose-colored memory of fiery youth before even the first note is played and before you’re pulled into an earnest lament of the way time speeds up with age.
The honesty is palpable, and Big Weather’s tightness as a unit should have everyone excited for their debut show at this year’s Plaza Fest.
Listen to “Breakfast Club” now exclusively on Instagram at @bigweatherokc.
Dion Warlocke – “One Fell Tree”
Dion Warlocke (their name even an obvious mash of soul-superstar Dionne Warwick and the kind of 80s metal iconography you’d find airbrushed on a van) runs a wide gamut of wild hard rock stylings, but here they jump headlong into the very best elements of post-punk.
Like genre tentpoles Siouxsie and the Banshees or the early, manic output of The Cure, Dion Warlocke know that “goth rock” was never strictly about languid tempos or textural darkness, rather it was bursting with a frantic, anxious energy, tightening up punk beats but retaining the sneer.
“One Fell Tree” hits like an evil Elvis Costello, with a popping, almost hand-clapping snare and a dissonant, insistent guitar propelling the beat behind an extended “tree falling in the forest” metaphor. You’re the tree, and there’s no one around to hear you scream.
“One Fell Tree” by Dion Warlocke is available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Blueprint Tokyo – “Say Anything” – October 7th
Another title openly referencing a classic 80s teen movie, but this time, that’s not where the allusions end.
“’Say Anything’ has a subtext of all the scary movies we watched growing up and while hanging out with friends,” Blueprint Tokyo’s Andy Hale told me. “It’s driven by nostalgia.”
That nostalgia oozes throughout the production in a track that might be simultaneously the most obvious 80s throwback and the most modern or current sounding song here.
Kicking off with a plucky synth riff that sounds like it’s coming from a worn-out VHS, things kick in quickly, opening up to a rolling, propulsive beat and a glistening double-croon. When the chorus arrives, it comes with the bombast of a more sentimental Killers or some of the best of mid-period Coldplay.
“Musically, it came together pretty quickly,” Hale said. “We love the juxtaposition of catchy hooks, bombastic sounds, and lyrics that say one thing and mean another.”
“Say Anything” by Blueprint Tokyo releases on streaming platforms October 7th.
Blue Morrison – “Paul & the Devil” – October 7th
As if walking straight out of Talking Heads’ groundbreaking “Stop Making Sense,” newcomers Blue Morrison announce themselves with all the syncopated weirdness they can muster on debut single “Paul & the Devil.”
Sounding like Vampire Weekend sloughed off the Ivy League shackles entirely and decided to get down and dirty with early DEVO, Blue Morrison are fully embracing all the late-night, public access wackiness that you could find in the 80s.
Bursting through the door with the an Oingo Boingo level of playful, funky, high-register guitar and chaotic, fitful drumming, the band teases with what threatens to be a straightforward, big-chorded chorus before abruptly pulling the rug and replacing it with a frenetic dual-guitar breakdown.
Just when you feel like you’re getting your bearings in the song, it all cuts a sharp left turn into a kind of smooth New Wave R&B section that spends just enough time exploring Prince’s domain before crashing back home just in time for the finish line.
This song covers a lot of ground in just three-and-a-half minutes, and makes a remarkably strong case for Blue Morrison as one of the most interesting new bands to watch in OKC.
“Paul & the Devil” by Blue Morrison releases on streaming platforms October 7th.
Feature photo credit: Blue Morrison performing at Ponyboy (photo by Lauren Makay Smith)
Brett Fieldcamp has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, writing for several local and state publications. He’s also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
