Friday, February 20, 2015

The Ultimate New Wave Experience (vol. 3)

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Here is volume THREE of the compilation series that I started to illustrate the development and existence of what many music enthusiasts regard now as New Wave music. Some of the songs included in this series may not necessarily be New Wave proper, but their sonic characteristics qualify them to be considered closely related to or extensions or offshoots of the broad genre. After all, many artists regarded as New Wave may fall also under other genres or subgenres, especially those who have released so many albums and have explored different musical styles. Furthermore, their respective music has sonic similarities with their predecessors or was most likely offshoots, albeit in a musical sense, of the Art Rock, Baroque Pop, or even Psychedelic Rock of the earlier decades.

At the end of the music appreciation, genres are but mere guidelines made available by music reviewers like me to help listeners make their music listening experience more organized, focused, and enjoyable. I am not imposing anything here; I am the type of music reviewer who is just merely describing, guiding, and suggesting; and most of all, sharing my musical taste and keenness for sound details with fellow enthusiasts.


01 David Bowie - 'Heroes' (1977)
02 The Records - Starry Eyes (1979)
03 Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club - Video Killed the Radio Star (1979)
04 The Go-Betweens - Head Full of Steam (1986)
05 Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat (1986)
06 The Bolshoi - T.V. Man (1987)
07 Immaculate Fools - Tragic Comedy (1987)
08 The Jesus & Mary Chain - Darklands (1987)
09 Railway Children - Over and Over (1988)
10 The Church - Metropolis (1990)
11 Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1993)
12 Love Spit Love - Am I Wrong? (1994)
13 The Mission U.K. - Happy (2001)
14 The Cure - Taking Off (2004)
15 Echo & the Bunnymen - Everlasting Neverendless (2009)
16 The Cars - Blue Tip (2011)
17 Ultravox - Brilliant (2012)
18 Robyn Hitchcock - Strawberries Dress (2013)

Notes:
1) The sonically observant would notice the similarity in the vocal melody of The Jesus & Mary Chain's "Darklands" with David Bowie's "'Heroes'," especially the introductory part.

2) Stan Ridgway was the original vocalist of the band Wall of Voodoo; I noticed a vocal similarity in his voice and musical approach with that of The Bolshoi's Trevor Tanner.

3) Many music enthusiasts think that The Buggles' version of "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the original; while the song was actually written collaboratively by Bruce Woolley with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, both of whom eventually formed The Buggles, it was Woolley who first released a recording of it (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) via the debut album (English Garden, 1979) of his own band. The Buggles' version was released already in 1980, as part of the album The Age of Plastic.

4) Love Spit Love was a band formed in the 1990s by Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs.

5) I used the genre "New Wave" only as an umbrella to cover almost everything from Synthpop, Gothic, Post-punk, to Indie Pop and even Britpop and some melodic Alternative Rock. Nothing imposing; just merely suggesting.

Enjoy the New Wave music experience!


Sample the compilation; if you liked the songs, hunt for the albums where the individual songs came from.

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