1983
John Mayer gets nostalgic with “83” off of his Room for Squares album. While a huge part of Mayer’s fanbase wasn’t born yet in 1983, he had everyone singing along, wanting to get back to those early childhood days when life seemed simpler. I was playing with Star Wars figures in 1983 but already discovering that music could save my soul. Sort of. While Mayer’s social life drives me away, he still can write great songs and play some mean guitar. Meanwhile, could it be that this song launched the rest of these mid-80’s shout outs?
1984
Shellshag offer up their song “1984” as the lead track from their 2010 album, Rumors in Disguise. It’s a fuzzed out tribute to the year that punk was born. A debatable claim since punk has been around since the late 70’s, but the song rings true with DIY sound, deadpan gang vocals, and a certain sneer present. Elsewhere, Shellshag probably is most akin to the late 80’s/early 90’s sound as present on compilation albums of indie artists from the times, including the exquisite . This makes sense since this is when Johnny “Shellhead” and Jen Shag got their start around that time. Grab Rumors in Disguise, drive around in an old Econoline van, fix your jeans with duct tape, and keep the radio cranked to 10.
1985
It’s two years later, but Crash Kings are just as sentimental for “1985” as Mayer is for 1983. The song is a ramped up 80’s Billy Joel—piano-driven with Tony Beliveau’s vocals soaring above the rhythm section. It starts out with an urgent piano, has these hyped-up piano runs, and then breaks down into another urgent mess. The chorus and bridge is where you get the most 80’s out of the song, and otherwise, we’re stuck in the present. “1985/You couldn’t be there if you tried.”
Crash Kings
Full review at Music Spectrum
1986
Here the group is named for one of the mid-80’s years. Giorgio Angelini and Cully Symington are 1986, a noise-punk group that owes as much to the 80’s DIY scene as it does to the current times. The group is helped out by Swervedriver’s Adam Franklin and the Jesus Lizard’s Duane Denison. You can hear X, Sonic Youth, Mother May I, and of course, the Jesus Lizard. The pounding “Jesus (Is On the Phone)” leads into the deadpan vocal. It’s a song crying out for use in a youth Bible study in discussing why someone might not feel like Jesus is our friend.
