New Wave
 

Honestly, I could've posted this thread in either the punk or electronica forums since it draws elements from both genres, but enough about that.

Anyone here a fan of new wave music? This genre just keeps growing on me. The first bands I got into were Duran Duran and Animotion, but I'm really starting to get into a **** load of other bands as well, especially The Cars who in my opinion are one of the best in the genre. Other bands I like are A Flock of Seagulls, a-Ha, Depeche Mode, Devo, Pet Shop Boys, Eurythmics, and Kajagoogoo. Sure, this music is pretty much the pop-punk of the 80s, but damn is it good. I like it mainly, because of the nice groove and cheesy but fun synths, and because it's rock music that you can dance to.

Kind of funny how you asked for my input on where to put this and then ignored it. Anyway, there's a lot of directions a conversation about new wave can go so I'll wait and see what bands we're talking about before I move the thread.

Eh, it is a rock sub-genre after all, so I figured it should go here, but if you feel as if it doesn't belong here, then proceed to move it.

Like I said, we'll see where the conversation goes. New wave most likely won't fit in with the metal and modern rock threads that normally make up this forum.

Yeah you got a point there.

Anyway, I like a lot of new wave myself, though I tend to like it most when it's leaning close to being post-punk. Speaking of which, I was just watching a documentary last night from 1987 that was about the music scene in Athens, Georgia back then. Just served to remind me how great early B-52s and REM were, and also reminded me of another band I've been meaning to check out forever: Pylon. Are you familiar with them at all?

Not really as I kind of lean more towards the poppier new wave bands, but I'll check them out. What album should I start with?

Yeah, I like my New Wave the same way, Devo, Depeche Mode, The Human League, The Cars, etc.

It's a great genre, very diverse, has led to a lot of different stuff that we have now, I love it.

With Pylon? I don't really know. Like I said I had never gotten around to giving them a listen. This thread just inspired me to go download their album Chomp! though, which is supposed to be one of their better ones. I'm listening to it right now and it seems pretty good. They don't really sound like anyone else I can think of, that's always refreshing. The woman's voice is about halfway between Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux. Musically they're kind of hard to describe, a bit like ESG I guess but more of a full sound somehow.

Haven't really heard The Human League yet. What do you think they're best album is?

It depends what you want

If you want poptastic hits get 'Dare'

If you want ultra-hip experimental electronica before they became commercially successful get 'Reproduction'

I think I'll go for Dare and then see what Reproduction sounds like.

If you want New Wave so far to the pop side that it's more like Pop leaning towards New Wave, you could try Cyndi Lauper.

Then on the opposite of the extreme hard to even call it new wave spectrum, you have someone like the Talking Heads.

I'm already into Cyndi Lauper and even 80s Madonna. Both I kinda consider guilty pleasures though.

Pop section surely?

Now that Cindi Lauper and Madonna have been mentioned, absolutely. I'll move it...

no, the best place to put it is definitely the pop section. yes, it is influenced by punk, post-punk, electronica and so forth but at its heart most of it is good old-fashioned pop music with the focus on melody, and not on trying to be clever or excessively arty.

it really irritates me actually just how much music is put in the punk section that really does NOT belong there. sure, punk was really influential and is the basic thought behind the main body of alternative music that emerged from the early 80s up to the present day; that does NOT qualify all that music as punk.

This thread was in the rock & metal forum not the punk forum.

It there like a lot of music in there that would really be like pop-punk or something?

I think your taste might lie more with Pop or New Romantic than New Wave, but here are a few suggestions which might broaden your scope a bit-

New Order
Joy Division
Scritti Politti
Heaven 17
Siouxie And the Banshees

This is Joy Division at their Best



And New Order, Blue Monday

Joy Division sounds pretty good.

IWP- Joy Division formed in 1976 and their lead vocalist was Ian Curtis. They're described as Post-Punk which is what New Wave is really. In 1980 Ian Curtis committed suicide and the 3 remaining members re-named themselves New Order,so it might be worth your while looking at them if you liked the Joy Division track. You might also like to check out Talk-Talk and XTC. They both produced some excellent stuff

Well, aside from the fact David Byrne's a god, anything by XTC, Talk Talk (as mentioned by barbarella), the Flying Lizards or 80's King Crimson could be appealing to folks looking for some of the more interesting stuff being done in and around New Wave. :love:

King Crimson wasn't new wave, not in any sense. they were the antithesis of new wave, right through the eighties. Talk Talk were more on the proggier side of the fence as well. that's not to say they're bad (Mark Hollis is awesome), just not really new wave.

I agree that Talk-Talk aren't exactly New Wave but they're a step closer than Kajagoogoo ;) And they sound pretty good too!

I never said KC were New Wave, just that the direction they took from Discipline through Three of a Perfect Pair had some of that New Wave luster to it, so hence my recommendation. :afro:

Which XTC album should I get first? I've heard of them, but never really bothered to listne to them yet.

Talking Heads ruled in the early 80's. Only band I ever saw that played the same song twice at a concert. They opened with burning down the house and encored with it. Believe me, no one minded.

XTC- Nonsuch is very good. Got it when it came out and still listen to it.
There's a song on there called "Peter Pumpkinhead". It's about JFK. Some cool vids on YouTube.

A couple more New Wave Suggestions for you- Paul Weller and The Jam, and The Police.

:) I've just been mooching through the "Great Bands You've Forgotten About" thread and both of these have had a mention. :)

The Police are awesome! Their earlier albums kind of remind me of a new wave/reggae hybird, but my favorite album by them by far is Syncronicity. Though yet again, it's probably their most popular.

Have You Heard These Yet?



Blue Monday-New Order. Moving Into Electro-pop, But Sheer Brillance!

All great bands......nothing "cheesy" about them. Back in the '80s, alot of those so called "cheesy bands" had some definite musical talent, and some huge hits. I doubt as many would be as big today, as they were back then, had they come out now?

I continue to find it funny, that so many here(and elsewhere) continually trash the genre's/decade, yet, ALOT of the stuff on the radio currently, is some sort of knock off/cover/ etc of something that was huge in the '80s? So many groups from then have been sampled, and alot of the artists from back then, are laughing all the way to the bank.

Many will slog off a group like Duran Duran, but no one can deny(and most of these ****ty bands today) would kill for the success, record sales/mag covers/etc that DD received in the '80s.

Do you permanently live in the 80's as you seem to slag off every other form of music in every other decade except the 80's? I grew up in the 80's and there was just as much crap as there was good. Just about the same for every other decade in modern music and that's why I refuse to be stuck in one decade.

Being a great band rarely equates to album sales and mag covers etc. I generally try to listen to bands who are the opposite because they are more interesting and being a music fan to me is continuingly looking for new sounds and bands to keep my interest going whilst still appreciating my roots and favourites.

As pretty much EVERYONE else here does about everyone else's music? I've been trashed a few times about diggin the 80s.

No arguement there, but ther wre also alot more successful bands IMO, then today? I'm not "stuck in the 80s", I just dont find today's music that interesting, or groundbreaking/entertaining. I grew up in the 80s as well, and I enjoy the music alot, so what?

Again no arguement. I like a little bit of stuff from say 92-on...just dont go shouting from rooftops about it, as so many here do. I like a handful of bands/songs, and you'd probably "slag off" the stuff I do like currently? that's your right to do so.

Not many know this, but here's some stuff "currently" that I do like: I'm a huge Ice Cube fan, I love System of a Down, Rage Against The Machine, NIN, Jazz, Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Carrie Underwood, Vertical Horizon, Daughtry, Heaven & Hell, Pearl Jam(some), Chris Cornell/Velvet Revolver, Counting Crows, Boys II Men, The Beastie Boys, R&B, Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, Kaiser Chiefs, and a few others I cant think of.

Great point...I was simply using DD as an example.

Probably not new wave, but more synthpoppy, but Axel F. is the ****ing ****! =D

Oh and DJ Pheonix, I agree, the 80s does have the best music in my opinion (even though I missed being born in the 80s by a ****ing week). Sure not every band that came out in the 80s was good, but hell there sure were a hell of a lot better bands/groups in the mainstream then there are today. I sure as hell would rather here a-Ha's Take Me On or Animotion's Obsession being blasted out of a car than Lil Wayne's Lollipop any day.

Just listened to The Human League's Dare album. I'm digging it alot. Probably not my favorite new wave album, but it's definently up there.

Do these guys classify as new wave?

If Muse is New Wave, then I hate New Wave. If the Talking Heads are new wave, then I love New Wave. Either way, I'm confused.

Trust me, Muse is NOT new wave.