Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 7)

Continued from Part 6

By the 1980's new wave as a style was beginning to fade as it became quite hard to distinguish it from other styles.

This was especially the case with the arrival of genres such as synth pop and new romantic, which although had direct links to new wave, were not new wave.

In its place rose synth pop, with bands like New Order, OMD and Soft Cell proving very successful.

People confused new romantic with new wave. The simple fact though was that it wasn't, and was really just a genre where record labels capitalized on the success of new wave by promoting bands they thought were "similar", as record companies tend to do.

Because of this, bands like Flock of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran became very popular and pretty much just wiped out new wave.

And of course like the death of all musical movements and styles, pop has to take some of the blame. But in this case there was some actually good pop, which also in fact had links to new wave.

I am of course talking about bands such as the Eurythmics and Human League, both of whom took the visual and quirky aspects of new wave and put them to good use.

And that then is your New Wave week. New wave peaked between 1977 and 1981 before being overtaken and overrun by the commercial side of the industry.

Its legacy can be seen in that it was one of the first independent music scenes and directly went on to influence the alternative and indie scenes that came after it. It was also a refreshing and quirky music scene for a time where the music industry was a money-making zenith. Some of the best music of the late-70's and early-80's came out of this scene.

Its influence on modern indie and alt rock is also clearly evident, with bands such as the Strokes, Interpol, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala and Arcade Fire all owing a massive debt musically to new wave. The term "new new wave" has also been used in recent years to describe scenes.

And with that it seems fitting to go out with a new wave anthem written by Nick Lowe and performed by Elvis Costello.

 - Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave

#GenreoftheWeek New Wave 

This week has been New Wave week at Nowhere Bros. I have been posting daily about New Wave, its history, its artists and its legacy. 

Below is a list of the songs I posted. Although it is not a definitive playlist, it is a starting point for getting into New Wave, or re-familiarizing yourself with New Wave, yes it has been a while since it was a thing. There are of course plenty more tracks out there as well. 

It has been a wonderful week posting about New Wave, what a great movement it was for music. Karl is back this coming week with a new genre. Should be good... in the mean time that is me, peace out. 

Check us out and like our page on Facebook. www.facebook.com/nowherebros 

There is also a Spotify Playlist for your listening pleasure - NewWave/NowhereBros

Nowhere Bros New Wave Week Playlist 

Kilburn & the High Roads – “Patience (So What)” (Handsome, 1975)

Dr Feelgood – “Roxette (Live)” (Stupidity, 1976)

Graham Parker & The Rumour – “Hold Back The Night” (Single, 1977)

Television – “See No Evil” (Marquee Moon, 1977)

Elvis Costello – “Watching The Detectives” (My Aims Is True, 1977)

The Stranglers – “Peaches” (Rattus Norvegicus, 1977)

Split Enz – “My Mistake” (Dizrythmia, 1977)

Blondie – “Picture This” (Parallel Lines, 1978)

Nick Lowe – “Cruel To Be Kind’ (Jesus of Cool, 1978)

Devo – “Satisfaction” (Q: Are We Not Men?: A: We Are Devo!, 1978)

The Cars – “Just What I Needed” (The Cars, 1978)

The Police – “Can’t Stand losing You’ (Outlandos d’Amour, 1978)

The B-52’s – “Rock Lobster” (The B-52’s, 1979)

XTC – “Making Plans For Nigel” (Drums and Wires, 1979)

Ian Dury – “There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards” (Single, 1979)

Gary Numan – “Cars” (The Pleasure Principle, 1979)

Joy Division – “Disorder” (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

Talking Heads – “Heaven” (Fear of Music, 1979)

Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding” (Armed Forces, 1979)

The Cure – “Boys Don’t Cry” (Boys Don’t Cry, 1980)

The Jam – “Dreams Of Children” (Single, 1980)

The Specials – “Friday Night, Saturday Morning” (More Specials, 1981)

Madness – “It Must Be Love” (Single, 1981)

Duran Duran – ‘Planet Earth” (Duran Duran, 1981)

Human League – “Love Action” (Dare, 1981)

Dexy’s Midnight Runners – “Let’s Make This Precious’ (Too-Rye-Ay, 1982)

New Order – “Age Of Consent” (Power, Corruption and Lies, 1983)

The Pretenders – “Middle Of the Road” (learning to Crawl, 1983)

Psychedelic Furs – “The Ghost In You” (Mirror Moves, 1984)

Echo & The Bunnymen – ‘Lips Like Sugar” (Echo & The Bunnymen, 1987)

- Sam 

Fat Freddy's Drop - Bays (2015)

Fat Freddy’s Drop are a musical national treasure that deserve wider recognition but do not generally receive it. They tour Europe every year, sell out every gig and have a massive cult following overseas. Here, in New Zealand they are popular, don’t get me wrong, but it seems they should be more popular than they are. Is it because of the style of music they play? Reggae/dub/roots music seems to be snubbed by the mainstream even though it has a massive legacy in New Zealand going back to the Herbs and other similar artists. Is it because they tend to stay out of the media spotlight? Or, is it because they tend to take long breaks between releasing new material? Who really knows.

The thing that makes the Freddy’s so good, is that they are master musicians, whether it is Toby, Joe and Scott on horns or DJ Fitchie on the decks. They also do things on their terms, they release their music independently, they book their own gigs, they do their own promotion and they release music when they want to. This is hard to do in a music scene the size of New Zealand, but the Freddy’s have made a career out of it and a successful career at that. Musically, they are also a great example of a modern-day fusion act. People call their music roots music, a term I hate. And, yeah there is some roots/reggae in their no doubt, but there is also dub, funk, jazz, soul and techno influences, and it is these influences that have been brought out especially on their previous album “Blackbird”, as well as their latest release “Bays”.

“Bays”, named after the groups studio in Wellington is Fat Freddy’s fouth studio album and second in three years, a record of sorts for a band who take long breaks between albums. Their previous album “Blackbird” was arguably their best, meaning “Bays” had a lot to live up to. However, I can safely say afte a few listens it achieves this, continuing on with the fusion sound that “Blackbird” explored and doing it very, very well.

The album kicks off with the funk blues of “Wairunga Blues”. This track is driven by a real funky guitar riff and has a bit of a Stevie wonder and Meters feel to it. A great start to the album and a good sign of things to come. Next up is “Slings And Arrows”, this is classic Freddy’s with reggae coming to the fore with loud horns and a driving reggae beat. This track is the most roots-sounding track on the album and is bound to be a crowd pleaser. “10 Feet Tall” has a laid-back summer feel to it and harks back to the bands first album, combining elements of techno, dub and reggae. To my mind this track also has a 70’s soul feel to it in places. “Wheels” for mine is the weakest track on the album and is a bit of an experimental techno piece which doesn’t really go anywhere. The Freddy’s are at their best when their songs are a bit like musical journeys which go off in different directions and take unexpected turns, something this track doesn’t really do. Thankfully, the next track “Razor” brings the level up again with its sick groove in a style that I would describe as dark industrial techno. This track allows DJ Fitchie to showcase his skills as a beatmatcher and selector and is one of the album centrepieces. I am pretty sure if remixed this would be well-received on the club circuit.

The second half of the album kicks off with the soulful “Makkan”. This one starts with a very nice jazzy sax riff and some quite delicate guitar licks that just shimmer down through the speakers. It then continues on with some interesting percussive beats that hold down the track aided by some very soulful vocals from Joe Dukie. All in all, a nice laid-back alt-jazz track. This is followed by “Fish in the Sea”, another one of the centrepieces of the album. This track builds and builds in the first half before reaching a massive climax in the middle of the song in the form of an all out funky jam of quite epic proportions, before descending again. For me one of the songs of the year. And, then if that wasn’t enough, the next track “Cortina Motors” continues in the same vain. This is a real dance floor banger that kicks off with some booming beats from Fitchie before transitioning into a sort of techno funk track with a massive horn sound and some fantastic rhythms. Another album highlight for sure. Finally, the album ends with ‘Novak” and after the previous two tracks is a bit like a come down after a massive high, but a good come down at that. This track has a slow funky blues quality to it with some very bluesy guitar licks, a thumping backbeat and some New Orleans-style horns. A nice way for the album to end on.

So in conclusion, “Bays” for me reinforces how the Freddy’s are masters of fusing different styles of music together and in the process allowing them to showcase their collective talents as musicians. The production on this album is fantastic, the horns sound so fresh and clean, while the beats and rhythms give a great foundation to all of the tracks, allowing the vocals, guitar and horns to sit on top and at times jam out as seen on the longer tracks. I see “Bays” as being the second part of a two part trilogy that began with “Blackbird”. Music critics have spoken of how The Beatles “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” were a bit like part one and two because of their musical similarities, well to me, “Blackbird” and “Bays” are Fat Freddy’s “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver” and help secure their legacy as one of the great New Zealand bands of all time. “Bays” has to be one of the albums of the year and is a must listen. If you can get to a Freddy’s show this summer I highly recommend you do, because they are an excellent live band and I reckon these tracks will go down a treat live. 

A

- Sam 

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 6)

Continued from Part 5

Today we are gonna look at how new wave branched out into the mainstream and internationally.

One of the first bands to do this was The Cars. Formed in Boston, The Cars new wave style combined a 70's guitar rock sound with a more 80's synth-driven pop sound.

All in all, they combined the best bits of the past and present, and did it very well.

The Pretenders were another band who had mainstream success with their brand of new wave. Their sound had a harder, punkier edge to it than a lot of new wave. However, at other times they also explored jangle pop.

Apart from a couple of hits in the States, the band did better commercially in the UK, but were generally hailed critically by both American and British critics.

The Police were probably the most commercially successful new wave band, if you can call them new wave. Technically they were, but they quickly transitioned into the classic rock/stadium rock goldfish bowl by the time the 80's came along, and in turn were subsequently hated by a lot of their music contemporaries.

But, in saying that, their early material was very much influenced by reggae and punk and you can certainly see this in tracks such as "Roxanne", "So Lonely" and...this track.

New Wave wasn't just a UK-US thing, it also went international, even reaching New Zealand.

Although they formed before new wave, Split Enz quickly developed a quirky-pop sound that combined with a very unique visual look.

Their style and sound was eclectic and it was hard to really pin point them to a particular style, but hey they fitted very well within new wave, because new wave as a movement was eclectic also.

Continued in Part 7!

- Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 5)

Continued from Part 4

There was a tendency for new wave to take inspiration from punk but move forward musically. However, in England a few bands decided to look back, drawing inspiration from movements and genres long gone.

One of these scenes was Two Tone, a musical movement that looked to Ska and reggae for inspiration. The prime group in this scene was The Specials, and their socially conscious, ska-influenced sound was commercially and critically successful.

Madness were another band that formed part of the Two Tone movement, and, like The Specials at the time, they also had routes in ska.

Dexy's Midnight Runners also looked back, but not to reggae. Instead, they took influence from soul and R&B.

Their horn-driven new wave soul sound combined well with lyrics which explored the social climate of late-70's England.

The last of the British new wave bands which looked back were The Jam. They were part of what was labelled the mod-revival.

They dressed like mods, rode scooters and drew musical inspiration from 60's R&B and pop.

Paul Weller was also a master song-writer and took up the challenge of being a spokesman for his generation, writing for the working class and taking aim against Thatcher England.

 Continued in Part 6!

 - Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 4)

Continued from Part 3

Day Four of New Wave week, and today we are looking at some of the more quirkier/poppy acts to come from this movement.

I am going to start in the US with Devo, one of the most prominent new wave bands to come out of the states with their discordant take on new wave moving all over the shop sound-wise.

They were also a music video pioneer, with their video of "Whip It" gaining a lot of airplay in the early days of MTV.

Much like Devo, the B-52's were also quite a quirky and visual-oriented group that mixed it up musically with rock and roll, pop and post-punk.

Interestingly, the group is also notable for the fact that four of the original five members were openly gay.

The B-52's also had a very famous fan in one John Lennon, who cited the song "Rock Lobster" as influencing his decision to come back into music.

Heading over to the UK, and like the US they also had some quirky new wave acts, acts that included a band from Swindon in Wiltshire called XTC.

And there was also the Psychedelic Furs, who had more of a synth-oriented new wave sound.

Echo & The Bunnymen were one of the more critically acclaimed new wave bands, while four of their 80's albums made it into the top ten in the UK charts.

Originally from Liverpool, the Echo's had quite a melodic sound post-punk/new wave sound that garnered quite a cult following at the time, and that has also ensured that they continue to be held in high regard to this day.

Continued in Part 5!

- Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 3)

Continued from Part 2

While new wave was emerging out of the CBGB scene in New York, in the UK, at the same time some new wave artists were staying true to their musical roots.

One of these was Elvis Costello, who with his band the Attractions bought a rock and roll feel to this supposed "new" "underground" music. Costello was hard to box into a genre and during the time was called both pub rock and punk.

In reality though, he didn't fit into either of those scenes and pretty much just relied on good songwriting and a good musical knowledge to produce some of the best new wave music of the time.

Nick Lowe had a massive influence on British new wave and his foot print is all over the scene. He produced Elvis Costello's first five albums and also had success himself as a solo artist in a similar vein musically to Costello.

This was good old fashioned song-writing that was based on melody and staying true to one's routes. His song "Cruel To Be Kind" was an early new wave anthem.

The Stranglers had closer links to both pub rock and punk than a lot of their contemporaries, and in many ways sprang out of those scenes.

The band were also very successful commercially for a new wave band, garnering 14 top 40 singles between 1977 and 1983.

And last but not least on day three of new wave week, Ian Dury is back, but this time he had his own band called Ian Dury & The Blockheads.

Now Dury was not your typical front man in that he had polio which prohibited his movement. But he was one of the most charismatic performers and gifted songwriters of the new wave scene.

His songwriting in many respects was continuing on from Ray Davies work with the Kinks, with Dury's lyrics a mix of lyrical poetry, word play, observations of British everyday life, character sketches, and sexual humour. This can be seen in this song from 1979 "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards".

Continued in Part 4!

 - Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1

Now initially new wave was connected to punk before it began branching out as a more distinctly identifiable genre on its own. 

This is when small sub-genres or movements within new wave were born, starting with a darker form of post-punk in England of which Joy Division were at the heart of.

The Cure also emerged along with Joy Division in embracing a darker and at times Gothic feel to new wave.

Gary Numan's synth-based new wave hinted at where things would go with synth pop. But, at the time this was part of the underground new wave scene that was emerging independently in the UK.

Britain was not alone when it came to the emergence of new wave, and in fact this new underground music was also taking off in New York.

Talking Heads were one of the bands that came out of a scene at a club called CBGB. If ever there was one place where new wave emerged Stateside it was here.

And although Talking Heads would go on to have superstar mainstream success in the 80's, at this early stage they were just another emerging act on the new wave scene.

Television also emerged out of CBGB, but with their twin lead guitar attack took on a more classic rock feel compared to other bands on the scene. 

Their debut album Marquee Moon is considered a classic guitar album and one of the greatest new wave records.

And finally, rapping up the early-New York new wave scene there was Blondie.

Fronted by Debbie Harry, Blondie had a pop feel musically and also placed more emphasis on rhythm than other New York acts on the scene at the time.

This led to some great Billboard success for the band, who were probably the first US new wave band to break the mainstream.

Continued in Part 3!

- Sam

Genre of the Week 5: New Wave (Part 1)

Genre of the Week is back again this week. In this edition I am looking at New Wave, a musical genre of pop/rock which began in the late-1970s and had strong ties to 1970s punk rock.

The wide range of bands categorized under this term has been a source of confusion and controversy, and as a term new wave perhaps represents yet another genre label which musically speaking is quite meaningless.

The term originated in New York in the early-70s and was used to describe bands such as the Velvet Underground. However, it wasn't until 1976 that it began gaining wider currency, and by 1977 "new wave' as a term was replacing punk as the way of describing new "underground" music in both the UK and US.

Music historian Vernon Joynson said that new wave emerged in 1976 when many bands began to disassociate themselves from the punk rock scene, branching out artistically and musically.

From my perspective, musically speaking, new wave was used to label the bands that were outside the classic rock mainstream and that came in the aftermath of punk.

The new wave sound moved away from the more traditional blues and rock & roll sounds of mainstream rock to create music with a more agitated feel, complete with choppy rhythm guitars and fast tempos.

Common characteristics of new wave music, aside from its punk influences, include the use of synthesizers and electronic productions, the importance of styling and the arts, as well as a great amount of musical and stylistic diversity.

 

The actual musical origins of new wave came before the term was even invented, as well as before punk rock.

New wave actually began with pub rock in the UK during the early-70s. Pub rock was a working class music scene that saw bands playing rhythm and blues and rock and roll-styled music in pubs and clubs, a lot of the time to audiences loaded up on beer.

Now this may sound a bit grim, but this scene actually produced some very good music starting with a band called Dr. Feelgood whose high-energy rhythm and blues was a big influence on later British punk and new wave bands.

Kilburn & the High Roads was Ian Dury's first band (later of the Blockheads) and like Dr. Feelgood they played a uniquely British style of rhythm and blues but with a quirky tongue and cheeky feel. The presence of a sax in their music was also not the norm in rock music at the time let alone pub rock.

Completing the trifecta of influential pub rock bands is Graham Parker & The Rumour.

Again like the other two groups I have mentioned, they had a very classic rhythm and blues/rock and roll sound, and really just wanted to play good old fashioned music that was set apart from what pub rock bands considered the over the top pretentious nature of progressive rock. Yes I am looking at you Rick Wakeman.

Continued in Part 2!

- Sam