Tagged: 80snewwave

I'm going to let you all in on a secret. For a few months now I have been conducting a social experiment. This experiment requires asking people the question "Do you like Devo ?", and then recording their answers. Analyzing the collected data has allowed me to separate the population into two distinct categories. We'll call them Categories A and B just to keep things simple. Category A consists of the people who seem almost offended by my question. They refuse to respond with a concise answer such as yes, instead going [...]

Tigger Clarkson – The Balance EP Pulling this EP from the stack and reading the artist name immediately conjured up some joke about Winnie the Pooh, but all humor was thrown out the window as I listened to this guys soulful approach on this four song mini epic. The first thing to know is that Tigger Clarkson can't be pigeonholed into any particular genre. He uses elements of soulful R&B in his particular brand [...]

Check out the song Fantastic Break-up by Eryn Woods . Woods combines 80's wave synthesizers with hard rock guitars and hip hop beats. She is reminiscent of the pop-like, playful vocals of Cyndi Lauper over up-tempo tunes and the rock-like sounds of Pat Benatar. Contact: eryn.woods@gmail.com

Sometimes it's amazing how much damage a name can do. Back in the heady early days of punk and new wave, any number of bands emerged sporting names like Doug and the Slugs, Ian Drury and the Blockheads , or Eddie and the Hot Rods . It's no surprise then that when Sniff 'n' the Tears made their way to the American shores they were immediately tossed in with that crowd and labeled a new wave act. I've even seen them referred to as one of the great [...]

Over the last several years, much love has been showered upon the groundbreaking post-punk creation of Manchester's Joy Division . Profoundly influential, their heritage can be found running through any number of modern hitmakers from the Killers to Interpol. I'm certainly someone who's affection could be carved into the Joy Division bedpost like a lover's conquest, having spent many a night lost in their intimate embrace. But my immersion in their intense moodiness didn't die with the passing of Ian Curtis. Like a lover on the rebound, I found just as much [...]

Let's face it. There really aren't too many '80's pop songs as fun as M's "Pop Muzik." Well now, Union Square Music announces a 30th anniversary compilation celebrating a classic new wave anthem. Pop Muzik - The Remix Album compiles original versions, demos, and remixes, like Perfecto's Steve Osbourne mix, one of several commissioned by U2 (all of which are featured on this album) as the opening anthem of their Pop Mart tour. Other tracks come from dance artists including Junior Vasquez and Dub Pistols , brand new [...]

Last month, my esteemed Ripple colleague, the Pope, started a new column titled "Flashback to Tomorrow," to drop some praise on a couple of bands that were bringing familiar sounds from the past kicking and screaming into the present day. Loving the idea, I decided to jump on board with two more bands, steeped in the sensibilities of days of yore, but updated with a modern edge for 2009. Shark Speed - Sea Sick Music As soon as I popped Shark Speed [...]

In recent months it seems that there's been a bit of a movement, conscious or not, of music being produced that has been steeped in the finest brews of the past, yet at the same time, music that's brimming with a modern flair and sensibility. Now, I have no idea if the following artists have any intention on changing the complexion of the musical landscape by fusing the sounds of two eras together, but if that is their goal, they've made some very huge steps. It's almost like those old Reese's Peanut Butter Cup commercials . . . two great [...]

Sometimes there's something beautiful about a piece of music so deliciously dark. It may seem like a somewhat odd thing to say in that so many of us have been born and bred to believe darkness equals bad. But the truth of the matter is that there can be beauty in all things not just that which society deems acceptable. Enter War Tapes . Now, I don't want you Waveriders thinking that these guys are some morbidly dark, simmering evil cavalcade of church burning metalheads. Far from it! These guys harness the dark arts much the way bands like [...]

There is no justice in this world. If there was, then I wouldn't be writing this review, because everyone on the planet would already know about the absolutely wonderful, frenetic, powerpop of the The Beat . But last I checked, they're still a few people unaware, so that means I got work to do. In [...]

There comes a time when the regular stuff just doesn't work anymore. So-called " extreme music " seems pretentious and boring. Hard rock all sounds like a rehash. The droney and ambient is just a modern take on parachute pants. Indie rock is COCTEAU TWINS with ironic moustaches and so on. Slowly, the mind of the [...]

The Fixx should be the poster child for The Ripple Effect . This is one of those bands that has been around and garnered some popularity through the years, but they've never been on the fore front of anyone's best of list. I could never quite understand that. Making their rise in the music world during the '80's, being plastered all over Mtv, and being mentioned in the same breath as The Police , U2 , and Duran Duran , The Fixx were poised for a long and healthy run to super stardom. [...]