Fritz's New Wave Relics

[Fritz]

Comateens "The Munster's Theme" from Comateens (1981)




One for Halloween... 

[Fritz]

Espionage "The Sound Of Breaking Hearts" from Espionage (1983)




I really don't know much about this group. They released a couple of albums, but like so many others, commercial success eluded them and they quickly disappeared.

[montana]

New wave ? I look up the meaning and it really didn't mean much to me   I guess I'm dumb   what I think new wave is - is Edgar Winter getting some balls and strapping an organ around his neck   

[montana]

new wave to me can be a female  DJ  getting some balls and          

[Fritz]

Nov 4, 2016 18:33:01 GMT -6 montana said:

New wave ? I look up the meaning and it really didn't mean much to me   I guess I'm dumb   

Nah, New Wave is one of those musical genre terms that is often difficult to define and many people have different definitions of what it is.

As someone who grew up with it in formative years, I have a fairly broad definition of New Wave.  Essentially, it was the "Alternative" music of the late 70s and early 80s.  If you remember back to that time, there were the mainstream guitar-oriented rock bands that are now pretty much referred to as "Classic Rock".  While that was going on, there was this whole other musical movement going on, which was much more minimalist and stripped down.  While some mainstream rock acts like Boston actually prided themselves on rejecting synthesizers, the New Wave bands truly embraced such new technologies.  They often experimented with different sounds and rhythms, like Reggae back-beats.  All of this was very counter to what the mainstream rock was doing at the time.

[Fritz]

Bette Bright "All Girls Lie" from Rhythm Breaks The Ice (1981)




In the 70s, Bette Bright was a singer for the Art Rock band Deaf School. When Deaf School disbanded, Bright went solo with her backing band, The Illuminations, releasing one album. She later married Madness' singer Suggs and retired from the music business.

[Fritz]

Pete Shelley "XL1" from XL1 (1983)




The title track of the second solo album from former lead singer and co-founder of the Buzzcocks.

[Fritz]

B-Movie "Remembrance Day" - Single (1981)




One for Veterans Day (or Remembrance Day as it's called in the British Commonwealth)...

Originally formed in 1980, this British New Wave/Synthpop band released a number of singles in the UK with little success. When they finally put out the full-length LP Forever Running in 1985, it flopped and they soon broke up.

[Fritz]

Rubber Rodeo "Anywhere With You" from Scenic Views (1984)




Boston-based Rubber Rodeo was founded in Rhode Island in 1980, mostly with students from Rhode Island School of Design. An usual blend of New Wave and Country & Western, guitarist Bob Holmes later described the band as "a cross between Gene Autry and Devo". They were known for dressing in 1950's-style C&W clothing on stage.

A long-form video they made for Scenic Views was actually nominated for a Grammy in 1984.

[montana]

I like the name "Rubber Rodeo" it sounds like a product that you'd find in a sex store   a cross between Gene Autry and Devo is cute and great 

[Fritz]

Sussex "Friends And Lovers" from Ends And Means (1981)




I don't know much about this obscure British New Wave band. They released a single album, Ends And Means, in 1981, produced by Andy Scott of Sweet.

[Fritz]

Positive Noise "Change Of Heart" from Change Of Heart (1982)




Positive Noise was a Scottish New Wave/Synthpop band. They were modestly successful for an indie label act, but are not well known today. This is the title track from their second LP.

[Fritz]

Split Enz "History Never Repeats" from Waiata (aka Corroboree in NZ) (1981)




Although most American New Wave fans would be hard pressed to name more than a couple of songs by Split Enz, like the quirky hit "I Got You", they were hugely popular in their native New Zealand and released 9 albums between 1975 and 1984.

[Fritz]

Mark Andrews & The Gents "Say It's All Right" from Big Boy (1980)




British Power Pop vocalist/guitarist Mark Andrews was a early bandmate of Joe Jackson. While Jackson went on to achieve commercial success, Andrews never did. He released just the one album Big Boy (1980). According to Jackson, Andrews is apparently now a chef.

[Fritz]

Frōzen Ghōst "Should I See" from Frōzen Ghōst (1987)




Frōzen Ghōst was a Canadian duo, Arnold Lanni and Wolf Hassel, who were previously with the band Sheriff. "Should I See" was a minor hit in 1987 and the M/V was nominated for "Best Video of the Year" at the 1987 Juno Awards.