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New Wave, a vibrant and influential genre that emerged in the late 1970s and peaked in the 1980s, represented a departure from the prevailing sounds of the time. Defined by its eclectic fusion of punk energy, electronic elements, and pop sensibilities, New Wave was a musical and cultural catalyst. Bands like The Cure, Talking Heads, and Devo epitomized the genre’s embrace of experimentation and synthesizers. The visual aspect was as crucial as the music, with artists exploring avant-garde fashion and quirky aesthetics. New Wave not only reshaped the sonic landscape but also played a pivotal role in the integration of music videos into popular culture. Its legacy can be heard in the continued experimentation within alternative and indie music, making New Wave a transformative force in the evolution of contemporary sound and style.
INXS started with the Farris Brothers (guitarist Tim, keyboardist Andrew and drummer Jon) in ’79. School friends, bassist Gary Beers, guitarist/sax player Kirk Pengilly and vocalist Michael Hutchence soon came on board. Interestingly, this line-up remained intact through the band’s lengthy history (’79 to ’97). Honing their act, INXS (in excess) set out on a…
Was Robert Smith ever happy? At age fourteen, The Cure frontman, stated his ambition was to “sit on a mountain and die.” Don’t set the bar too high there, Robert. Just a scant seven years later (after failing to locate a suitable mountain) he was quoted saying he “didn’t see that there was much point…
There are some groups so “on trend” it’s scary. MTV, launched in the early ’80s, was initially in dire need of content. Equally important, they needed to find musicians who “got it.” Artists who understood making a video was more than standing in front of a camera lip-synching. Enter Duran Duran from Birmingham, England. Duran…
A sharp, nervy evolution, This Is Why blends post-punk bite with emotional clarity. Hayley Williams channels frustration and vulnerability into taut, danceable anthems. It’s Paramore’s most mature and stylistically adventurous album yet.
The New Abnormal is dreamy detachment meets existential burnout. These songs drift, shimmer, and ache—less rebellion, more reckoning. Aging cool turned inside out, trading swagger for slow-motion honesty and the strange comfort of not faking it.
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Phoenix had already spent years as the slick French underdogs of indie pop—always the bridesmaids in a genre full of cooler kids and louder bands. But Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix flipped that script with a sound so clean, so self-assured, it practically grinned at you through the speakers. It wasn’t a…
Peter Gabriel’s So redefined rock with bold production and emotional depth. From the groove-heavy “Sledgehammer” to the haunting “Don’t Give Up,” it fused ambition with accessibility, proving rock could be innovative, powerful, and deeply human.
*Let’s Dance* saw Bowie transform into a global pop icon without losing his edge. Teaming with Nile Rodgers, he fused new wave, dance, and rock into a sleek, radio-dominating force. Polished yet sharp, it was a bold, calculated takeover of the mainstream.
Eliminator isn’t just a rock album—it’s a full-throttle, chrome-plated, synth-dusted ride through neon highways and dive bars that never close. The guitars still snarl, the rhythm section still swings like a barroom door.
Avalon is Roxy Music refined—lush, hypnotic, and effortlessly elegant. Bryan Ferry trades flamboyance for late-night longing, while shimmering guitars and ghostly sax float through a dreamlike haze. A graceful farewell, not just to a band, but to an era.