From New Wave to the 'NOW', experience the thrill of NEW WAVE from it's beginnings in the late '70s to the modern bands so obviously influenced by it! So, if you grew up in the '80s and still enjoy discovering new sounds as well as rediscovering old favorites, then read on!
PUNK! POWER POP! SYNTH POP! NEW WAVE! POST-PUNK!
Many of you know him only for his '80s hits ("Rock Me Amadeus", "Der Kommissar" and "Vienna Calling") but there was so much more great music from Falco, the Austrian Pop sensation. In 2008, there was a biopic released in Europe based on Falco's life and now that film is finally getting a release stateside via Strand Releasing. This is going to be an interesting movie, folks!
"The Mod scene in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s was and exciting movement in the UK.Spearheaded by The Jam, the scene may not have lasted as long as it should have, but it left behind some amazing music.From Squire and The Lambrettas to The Chords and Purple Hearts, the Mods played short and sweet guitar pop laced with hook-laden melodies and plenty of attitude.One of the most consistent bands on the scene was Secret Affair.Although they only recorded three albums during their brief time together, that was one or two more albums than most of their contemporaries.And 30 years on, those albums still stand up today. Their singles, all of which are collected here, are some of the best Pop singles of the era and are still as exciting as the day they were released.
From “Time For Action” to “Lost In The Night (Mack The Knife)”, Secret Affair’s string of singles didn’t follow The Jam’s Who/Kinks influenced formula like many of the bands of the era. Instead, songwriters Ian Page and Dave Cairns created epic pop tunes that mixed edgy guitars with soaring melodies, Motown beats and plenty of self-confidence.Their style was wholly unique and it’s difficult to detect a single influence in their sound: Secret Affair sounded like Secret Affair and no one else.Every A-side they released remains a classic, although worthy of owning, their B-sides were not always as gratifying.
The Mod Singles Collection not only features their six singles (A’s and B’s), but also U.S. mixes of three of the singles (“My World” remains their finest moment, both in the original and U.S. mix), four tracks by Page and Cairns’ pre-Secret Affair band New Hearts and two songs recorded by the reunited Secret Affair. If you are a fan of the band, then this is an excellent addition to your collection.For casual listeners, it’s a great reminder of the band’s sheer Pop genius. And for those who are intrigued, start here but you should also buy Captain Mod’s reissues of the band’s three albums.That’s the only way to paint a complete picture of this under-rated band."-Stephen SPAZ Schnee/All Music Guide
"While The Cortinas had released a handful of fiery Punk singles, my first introduction to them was on the low-priced compilation album Permanent Wave alongside bands such as The Only Ones, After The Fire, Masterswitch and The Spikes.The song in question, “Heartache”, was a delicious slice of Rock ‘n’ Roll with New Wave attitude but worlds away from the Punk tag that had been thrown at them just a year or so before.It wasn’t until later that I went back and found the “Fascist Dictator” single and realized that the band had changed considerably from their indie Punk singles and their 1978 major label debut album, True Romances (from which “Heartache” was taken).
While their early fans were thrown off by the band’s cleaner, ‘wimpier’ sound on True Romances, those who heard the album first were less impressed by the vaguely melodic and rough early singles.Then again, there are those of us who enthusiastically embraced both sides of the band. For whatever reason, The Cortinas refused to remain a one dimensional Punk band and lost fans in the process of becoming a major label New Wave act. In the end, it didn’t matter because the band split up around the time of the album’s release.
In hindsight, the band’s early Punk outings were perfect little slices of aggression, but they already seemed confined by Punk’s limitations.The True Romances album expanded the band’s sound and allowed more space for the band to create little slices of sharp British Pop. Not exactly Power Pop, the album is filled with memorable tracks that may not have changed the world, but they certainly deserved much more attention than they actually got.
The Punk Rock Anthology tells The Cortinas’ whole musical story, beginning with their Punk singles, adding some Peel Sessions recordings and then concluding with the entire True Romances album (and a single edit of “Heartache”). It’s a fascinating and fun journey in the very short life of a young British band that came, saw and almost conquered."-Stephen SPAZ Schnee/All Music Guide
Every once in a great while, a band comes along and takes your breath away. It might be their melodies that attract you or it could be the way their harmonies gently float above the music. In some cases, it might be the warmth of the production or the emotional depth of the songwriting. Whatever the reason may be, it connects with you in a way that you wouldn’t have expected. The Civil Wars, a duo consisting of Joy Williams and John Paul White, are one of those bands.
Meeting at a songwriting camp, Joy and John Paul were initially focused on pursuing their individual solo careers. Once they began collaborating, both of them realized that there was something special in the way they worked together. With their solo careers on hold, the duo became The Civil Wars and began creating a body of work that is thoroughly modern yet embraces the rustic and weather-beaten sounds of traditional Folk and Country.
In an age when perfectly-coiffed manufactured bands and auto-tuned teen sensations wrestle for a spot at the top of the charts, The Civil Wars are a joy to behold. Unpretentious and intimate, their debut studio album, Barton Hollow, is a stripped down, stirring effort that offers up its own unique spin on Americana. Here, the songs and the harmonies are the main attraction. Magnificent in its simplicity, Barton Hollow contains a plethora of spine-tingling moments that will have you revisiting the album on a regular basis.
Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to catch up with Joy and John Paul to discuss Barton Hollow and all things Civil Wars…
SPAZ: Your debut album, Barton Hollow, is just about ready to hit the streets. How are you feeling about the album and about your career so far?
JOY WILLIAMS: We are thrilled about the full length releasing soon. John Paul and I put a lot of heart, sweat and soul into this record. We wanted to keep the guts of what we do intact - to keep it honest, raw, emotional, - and to truly create a listening experience out of that. I could not be more proud of this project, from front to back. As far as our career goes, we’ve been working hard, building - steadily, organically, without the red tape of record labels. We believe every show, every person, every song matters. And to watch the momentum build organically and exponentially - via online, word of mouth, or sold out shows - has been nothing short of thrilling. We are in this for the long haul...
SPAZ: You both met at a songwriting camp. What inspired each of you to attend and, apart from meeting each other, did you walk away with a better understanding of your craft?
JW: In Music City, professional writer gatherings are organized by labels or producers, and it is often an invite-only event. The term “camp” is just a colloquialism. The objective is for writers to concoct radio singles for a particular act, and that was where I was when I met John Paul. I’d never been to a gathering like that, and my publisher (at the time) encouraged me to go...because the invite list had some heavy-hitter names on it. I thought it would be a good idea to get in rooms and collaborate. I had no idea that I was about to meet my future duo partner there...
JOHN PAUL WHITE: …a partner who was looking for every possible way NOT to go. Thankfully, I did.
SPAZ: Once you began writing together, how long did it take to realize that there was something special in your collaboration?
JW: The connection was almost instantaneous, but I kept that realization close to the vest initially. It took a few more co-writes before we started talking about the strange, somewhat cosmic connection that happened when we wrote songs together.
SPAZ: Do each of you bring similar influences into The Civil Wars or do you feel that the songs feed off of your musical differences?
JW: Are you familiar with the term Yin and Yang? (smiles) We are very different in many ways, including our musical backgrounds. But I think it adds to the way we create.
JPW: I think that’s what has been the most surprising part of all of this. Two people from so widely disparate backgrounds creating this type of music doesn’t really make a lot of sense. So we don’t try to make any out of it.
SPAZ: With both of you pursuing a solo career, were you initially hesitant about beginning a new venture as one-half of a duo?
JW: The thought of collaborating, or starting a band with somebody else had truly never, ever crossed my mind. That is, until I met John Paul. With him, quite simply... it just made sense. I’m now slowly rethinking that as we keep going, though - JP is such a diva. Talks funny, too...I can hardly understand him, poor guy.
JPW: But she puts up with it and rides my coattails anyway.
SPAZ: How did you come about choosing Grammy winner Charlie Peacock to produce you?
JPW: Charlie's someone I met through Joy and Nate (Yetton, Joy’s husband and manager) . They had some history, but I met him for the first time at our debut performance in Nashville. Another of those relationships in your life that just make sense from the beginning, and continue to this day. We knew in our early conversations about general production brushstrokes that Charlie understood what we were after. So we went with our gut, and were rewarded.
SPAZ: The record is a beautiful but sparse picture of you and your music --- What did Charlie bring to the production for you that you didn’t already have in mind?
JPW: Too many things to mention. All from the same nebula we started with, but from the unique perspective of someone that has been on both sides of the desk. Also, he soon developed the mantra of: less of Joy, more of me. He’s a genius.
SPAZ: With technology at your fingertips, you still chose to keep things simple and warm on Barton Hollow. Were you ever tempted to ‘modernize’ your timeless sound?
JPW: Anything we were tempted to do, we did. If it worked for us, it stayed that way. We had absolutely no criteria in that regard. That’s something we’re extremely adamant about – whatever feels right, is right. And time after time, it seemed we just naturally leaned toward the “less is more” approach. But not necessarily by design.
SPAZ: Do you feel like the album contains the same magic that you experienced when you first began collaborating?
JPW: It contains a slightly less awkward, more knowing, developed version of that magic. We will always try to hold on to that initial spark if we possibly can – just like any healthy relationship.
SPAZ: You’ve received plenty of great press already but one of the best was a ‘tweet’ from Taylor Swift pronouncing “Poison & Wine” as her favorite duet. How unexpected was this and did you notice a new influx of fans due to her ‘endorsement’?
JPW: We’ve been consistently surprised, flattered, and humbled by the gracious press/feedback we’ve gotten so far. It’s amazing to us that we can be so focused on pleasing ourselves, and have that be something that is pleasing to others. We’re truly fortunate.
SPAZ: What’s next for The Civil Wars?
JW: Sky is the limit. We are going to keep writing, keep playing out, going to keep doing what we love. We will be touring nationally and internationally as much as possible, and we already have around 100 shows scheduled in the next 6 months alone.
SPAZ: What do you currently have spinning on your CD, DVD and record players?
JW : CD - Laura Veirs - July Flame; DVD - Feist - Look What The Light Did Now ; Vinyl - Karen Dalton - It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You Best
JPW: CD – Dylan LeBlanc – Pauper’s Field; DVD – The Orphanage (Guillermo Del Toro); Vinyl – broken. Sigh.
Thanks to Joy Williams and John Paul White
Special thanks to Shawn Fowler, Nate Yetton, Tony Moyers and Jocelynn Pryor
2011 sophomore album from the British Alt-Rock outfit. Produced by Alan Moulder, Ritual is the perfect epic and roaring follow up taking us on a sonic journey through dancefloor beats meets raging guitars and everything in between, fused together perfectly, and all at an incredibly melodic breakneck speed. Ritual teems with distorted anthems for the modern age. British critics have given White Lies accolades as successors to the likes of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Teardrop Explodes, Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs and Magazine and have called lyricist Charles Cave a 'classic doom-rock dreamweaver, Nick Cave meeting Edgar Allen Poe'.
Well, 2010 has come and gone. Wow. It doesn't feel like a year just passed by, does it? I'm feeling like it was only 365 days...but that's just me. Anyway, I usually don't like to put together lists of my fave albums of any given year because I always forget certain albums. Even though this last year is pretty fresh in my mind, I still have the feeling that I'm forgetting something. And one of the worst things is that I know that there are plenty of great albums that were released in 2010 that I haven't heard yet!
So, with that being said, these are the albums that made my list as of January 1st, 2011. The first 5 or 10 are definite top picks but everything after that are all pretty much tied, so please feel free to mix and match...
While his first album was your typical singer/songwriter fodder, this is something entirely different. With producer Bernard Butler at the controls, Love Will Find You sees Findlay creating an album that sounds like one Roy Orbison would have recorded in England in the early to mid ‘60s. Every song is a worthy addition to a mix tape (and I should know because I’ve made plenty of them!).
I love music that is both melodic, hypnotic and atmospheric (although not too dark or pretentious). This album sounds like it was influenced by the more melodic side of Cocteau Twins mixed with a folky edge. The melodies are beautiful and this album won me over on the 2nd listen.
It’s been 20 years since their last album, but Red Box have lost none of their pop smarts. Although they are no longer quirky and infused with World Music rhythms, the melodies are stronger than ever. Leader Simon Toulson Clake has always had a way with his melodies and this time, they are more mature and focused. He’s not a young pop star anymore and he knows it. So he just does what he does best and writes some wonderful songs. Pop and folky at the same time, but still based in classic British songwriting.
I was extremely worried when I heard this the first time. On their debut, they sounded very much like The Wombles and The Kooks, but on this sophomore album, they come out sounding like a completely different band altogether. Very produced, very clean and very commercial, the songs won me over and I cannot get enough of this album. Britpop with a healthy dose of modern Alt-Rock…
While I’m not entirely convinced that the album title was a good choice, it does speak the truth. For over 30 years, Paul Collins has not been the most prolific of artists but his albums are filled to the brim with great melodic guitar Pop. None of his contemporaries have stayed as true to the Power Pop genre as Paul Collins.
Finally, a new OMD album featuring the original line-up. Sounding as if they never went away, this is a fresh approach to the classic OMD sound. Using their classic Architecture & Morality album as a template, this really is the sound of a band that has plenty more to say, musically. Synthpop has rarely sounded this good in the new millennium
This one came out of left field for me. The new British Electro Pop brigade intrigues me, but most of the acts leave me cold. Dan Black, the most under-rated of them all, really sunk in deep and grabbed hold of my attention. While this album may not scream ‘POP’ like the over-rated La Roux, Dan Black mixes classic Synth Pop with a bit of Hip Hop and modern Electro and creates a sound that should have shifted quite a few more copies than it did…
While Eli Paperboy Reed may be a young white boy, this album is as hot and explosive as James Brown trapped in a microwave! Sharon Jones, Amy Winehouse and Duffy have traveled similar roads, but Eli takes the neo-Soul genre and shakes it on it’s head. While the production if far cleaner than purists may prefer, the songs and performances are top notch. This sizzles with excitement.
OK, so when the Pipettes’ debut album came out, it seemed as if they had stepped out of the ‘60s and straight into the millennium. Their girl-group sound was a pop dream come true. But then 2/3rds of the trio left (with only one replacement brought in) and they disappeared for a while. Finally, they have re-emerged with an entirely new sound (welcome to the ‘80s, girls!), great songs and a fresh, new lease on life. Let’s just hope that the public accepts their delicious new direction… Perhaps the pretentious Pitchfork crew may not go for it, but I'm certain Pop music lovers will drool over this one!
When Cirque du Soleil announced they were going to do an Elvis show, I was excited and hesitant. How would they treat the actual MUSIC? Would they try to create something new and exciting like they did for The Beatles’ Love? Well, they had plenty to work with… And Viva Elvis not only updates the King’s music, it does manage to be both new AND exciting. With all new musical backing and arrangements, Viva Elvis takes even the most overplayed Elvis tunes (“That’s Allright, Mama”) and makes them interesting again. The tracks may not replace the original recordings, but it’s fun nonetheless.
When the original Prog/Rock supergroup reunited with all four original members, it was cause for celebration. Their Phoenix album from 2008 was a stupendous return to form. While Omega doesn’t scale the same heights, it’s proof positive that John Wetton, Steve Howe, Geoffrey Downes and Carl Palmer haven’t lost their knack for creating wonderful music.
While Status Quo have barely caused a ripple in the U.S., they remain a Rock ‘n’ Roll institution in the UK, Europe and Australia. With One Step At A Time, Francis doesn’t move away from the winning Quo formula but offers up a platter of great tunes that, while Quo-like, didn’t make it onto any of the band’s albums. Well, apart from the new arrangement of their classic “Caroline”. Rock ‘n’ Roll, yes. But melodic pop tunes galore. And even some Country fans might take a liking to it!
Ever since Reg Mombassa and Peter O’Doherty left Mental As Anything, they’ve been creating low-key Pop/Rock/Folk albums that feature all the right elements including melody, humor and a love of making music. While River Of Flowers may not contain a song that would make the Top 40, it does feature a glorious batch of quirky songs that should appeal to real music fans looking for something intelligent and unique.
Many of my friends are at a loss when I tell them I love the new generation of AOR bands. Sure, the songs are filled with Rock clichés (musically and lyrically) but that’s what makes it FUN. Shame that some of the bands take it far too seriously. Not Wig Wam, though. They have fun and that is what it is all about. Imagine Poison, Def Leppard and classic ‘70s Glam all rolled into one tortilla… and you’ve got one heck of a meal!
Probably the only album on my list that will appear on many other ‘best of’ lists this year. Electronic Pop outfit Hot Chip are experimental yet melodic as sin. They don’t create music for the masses: the masses come to them (and that is pretty damn cool if you ask me). Mixing Kraftwerk, OMD and The Korgis might not sound like a recipe for success, but that is what I hear in their sound. And it works extremely well.
There are very few artists who have worked in the business for over 30 years and still have plenty to say: Jackie Leven is one of them. From his days fronting the British band Doll By Doll to his prolific solo output during the ‘90s and ‘00s, Leven takes Folk music and turns it on it’s head. He’s truly an original, capable of knocking out some amazing melodies and lyrics. While Gothic Road is not his best, it’s loads better than most other singer/songwriter crap out there.
Yet another truly original singer/songwriter….. Justin Currie used to front Del Amitri (but I’m not sure if they are defunct or on hiatus). His lyrics are amazing, his vocal performances stunning and his sideburns are to die for. Currie is probably the best lyricist since Chris Difford (Squeeze) and Elvis Costello. And this album really should have been embraced by all who love a great melody and a witty turn of phrase…
What? Spaz listens to Country Music? Let’s get him to an E.R. quick because there must be something wrong!!! In all seriousness, this album hit me on first listen, which is a rarity in any genre. Many folks have complained that he sounds too much like George Strait, but I don’t care. Badfinger sounded ‘too much’ like the Beatles and that didn’t stop me from loving them, right? C’mon, I’m a little more Country than that!
I love hook-filled Pop music and Lucky Soul know their way around a snappy little tune. This female-fronted outfit faintly recalls other great Chick Pop bands like The Primitives, but they mix so many influences (from the ‘60s to the ‘90s) that they end up sounding unique. I cannot wait to see what they have up their sleeves. Such a wonderful slice of Pop Heaven…
So, you only know them from “I Melt With You”? I don’t blame you. They had a pair of great albums (After The Snow and Ricochet Days) and spent the next 20+ years in the wilderness, occasionally releasing an album that didn’t measure up to their past work. Well, Soundtrack is the absolute best thing they’ve done since their heyday and should be heard by all of their old fans and anyone into British Rock/Pop…
