Who’s on Tour?

Posted: February 9, 2015 in Tour Dates
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The Church – through March: http://thechurchband.net/calendar/

Ministry – through June: http://al-jourgensen.squarespace.com/new-events-1/

The Jesus and Mary Chain – through July: http://www.songkick.com/artists/129156-jesus-and-mary-chain/calendar

U2 – through November: http://www.u2.com/tour

Paul Weller – through December: http://www.songkick.com/artists/398255-paul-weller/calendar

The Replacements – through June (Milwaukee, WI, May 2nd): http://thereplacementsofficial.com/pages/concerts

Smithereens – through April: http://officialsmithereens.com/shows/

The B-52s – through August (Milwaukee, WI, February 13th): http://theb52s.com/tour/

Midge Ure – through November (Milwaukee, WI, March 6th): http://www.midgeure.co.uk/shows.html

The English Beat – through August: http://englishbeat.net/shows/

Lene Lovich – through October: http://www.lenelovich.net/tour.htm

Gang of Four – through March: http://www.gangoffour.co.uk/2015/01/20/north-america-tour-announced/

Spandau Ballet – through September: http://www.spandauballetstore.com/spandauballet/Tour-Tickets/

The Dead Milkmen: through April: http://www.deadmilkmen.com/

Howard Jones – through July (Milwaukee, WI, March 12th): http://www.howardjones.com/tour_dates.html

Elvis Costello – through June: http://www.elviscostello.com/dance-card

Billy Idol – through July: http://billyidol.net/tour/

Wire – through June: http://www.pinkflag.com/#gigs

Agent Orange – through June (Madison, WI, May 5th): http://www.songkick.com/artists/140282-agent-orange/calendar

Berlin – through July: http://berlinpage.com/tour

Robyn Hitchcock – through June (Milwaukee, WI, February 24th): http://www.robynhitchcock.com/tourdates/

Movie Soundtracks: Smithereens

Posted: January 16, 2015 in Alternative, New Wave, Post-Punk, Soundtracks
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Back in the early ‘80s, the USA network featured a show called Night Flight on Friday and Saturday nights. The show focused on alternative music (showing videos that were censored on MTV or banned on other programs), cult movies, and documentaries, among other topics. This was in the relatively early days of cable and networks were on the lookout for original and unique material to lure the younger demographic. This is where I saw many music documentaries and cult and B movies, and where I came across a movie called Smithereens (directed by Susan Seidelman years before Desperately Seeking Susan). Released in 1982, it’s a gritty movie about the dwindling New York City punk scene and doing whatever it takes for that “15 minutes of fame.”

The film follows a narcissistic young girl named Wren (played by Susan Berman) on her quest to find celebrity in the NYC punk music scene (only to find the scene has moved to L.A.), and all the toxic relationships and misadventures that go with it. Wren doesn’t necessarily have any talent but doesn’t let that get in the way of ruthless ambition. The film also stars punk legend Richard Hell as a musician in a one hit wonder band (Smithereens) that she desperately wants to hook up with in order to get her ticket to L.A. The film, which had an original $20,000 budget, didn’t fare well with critics upon its release. Despite this, it was the first American independent movie invited to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival. It has also gone on to be praised for its realistic look at the slums of the Lower East Village, its portrayal of the early ‘80s music scene, and its great soundtrack.

The soundtrack is a mix of new wave, pop, and post-punk and features several songs from the New Jersey group The Feelies. Other artists who contributed to the soundtrack include Richard Hell & The Voidoids (“Another World,” “The Kid with the Replaceable Head”), The Raybeats, Dave Weckerman, and a gem by ESG called “Moody.” Although the movie doesn’t quite live up to its soundtrack, it’s worth checking out as a great time capsule of the period and, of course, the music.

The opening scene of the movie features The Feelies’ “The Boy with the Perpetual Nervousness.” It also shows how Wren illegally supplements her accessories.

 

Wren dancing in slow motion to The Feelies’ “Original Love.”

 

The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Darklands

Posted: January 6, 2015 in Albums, Alternative, Shoegazing
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I’ve recently succumbed to the vinyl trend, which means I’ll be spending way too much money on music I already own. Fortunately, I stumbled upon a stash of albums from my teen years that my mother had the good judgment to not throw away. Unfortunately, I soon realized I’d need to start expanding my collection. After purchasing a new turntable, the first “new” albums I bought were Echo & the Bunnymen’s Ocean Rain and The Jesus and Mary Chain’s Darklands. Bypassing the temptation to purchase JaMC’s Psychocandy, I opted for their sophomore effort. After playing the album from front to back, the decision was a good one. From the opening guitar strums of “Darklands” to the haunting “About You,” the album still holds up.

The first song I heard from Darklands was “Happy When it Rains.” It was featured on MTV’s 120 minutes and was soon captured on video tape, and found lots of play on my cassette player. Tired of the electronic synth music of the mid-eighties, the Reid brothers decided to bring back guitar-based music. Moving away from the feedback and noise pop of their debut effort, Darklands was more melodic and was oddly simultaneously dark and optimistic. The album, recorded by the brothers with the aid of a drum machine, was a critical success. I’m sure it’s the first of many JaMC albums I’ll be purchasing in the near future.

One of my favorite songs from the album, “Happy When it Rains.” The video features the Reids at their moping best.

 

“April Skies” was the first single released from the album and reached #8 on the UK charts. The only single by the group to break the top ten.

 

Band Profile: Kitchens of Distinction

Posted: January 4, 2015 in Alternative, Band Profiles, Shoegazing
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The English trio Kitchens of Distinction were considered a precursor to the shoegaze movement of the late ‘80s. Formed in London in 1986, they were often compared to The Chameleons and Cocteau Twins, due to their swirling, psychedelic sound. The group was also known for their blunt lyrics and outspoken views, which most likely contributed to their lack of mainstream success. Taking their name from a home décor company that specialized in kitchens and plumbing fixtures (guitar player Julian Swales saw the ad on the side of a bus), the group was active for ten years before disbanding in 1996. During that time, they released four albums and several EPs and singles.

The group’s first single, 1987’s “The Last Gasp Death Shuffle” was named single of the week by NME and got the band signed to One Little Indian Records. This led singer Patrick Fitzgerald to put his career as a medical doctor on hold and devote his full attention to the band. Their first two singles for the label, “Prize” and “The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule,” made it on “NME Writers’ 100 Best Indie Singles Ever” list. Although the future looked promising, the mainstream music industry didn’t embrace the band, largely due to lyrical content. (The song “Margaret’s Injection” was a fantasy about killing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.) Also complicating matters was that Fitzgerald was openly gay and the lyrics often reflected this, which didn’t sit too well with the general public. Although finding moderate success on US college radio in the early ‘90s, the group faltered in the mid ‘90s. They were dropped by their record label during that time and decided to disband. They reformed in 2012 and released an album, Folly, in 2013.

“The Last Gasp Death Shuffle” was the band’s first single and sounds like a combination of early Echo & the Bunnymen and Talking Heads.

 

The group’s debut album, 1989’s Love is Hell, produced the single “”The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule.” It found the group moving towards a more psychedelic sound and is considered “a perfect Kitchens moment.”

 

MTV Christmas ’81

Posted: December 25, 2014 in Rock
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Merry Christmas from Billy Squier. “Christmas is the Time to say ‘I Love You'” performed in the MTV studio in December of ’81.

 

Classic Video: Fun Boy Three

Posted: December 16, 2014 in Classic Videos, New Wave
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“Our Lips Are Sealed” has the distinction of being a hit by two different artists within two years. The song was first recorded by the Go-Go’s for their 1981 debut album Beauty and the Beat, and then by Fun Boy Three two years later for their second album Waiting. The Go-Go’s version reached the top 20 in the US, while the Fun Boy Three version made the top 10 in the UK. The song was co-written by Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s and Terry Hall from Fun Boy Three. It arose out of a brief affair between Wiedlin and Hall while the Go-Go’s were supporting Fun Boy Three on a US tour. Hall had a girlfriend at the time and sent the unfinished lyrics to Wiedlin who finished the song and wrote the music. Quite different from the upbeat Go-Go’s version, the Fun Boy Three version is gloomy and dark with an almost ominous feel. The video has Hall at his morose best while amongst an audience of bopping club goers.

 

More Cold War Videos

Posted: December 14, 2014 in Alternative, Cold War Videos, New Wave, Synthpop
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It’s time to post more cold war videos. As I had mentioned in a previous post on the subject, the ‘80s were filled with videos of nuclear war, nuclear bombs, and world annihilation. During the early ‘80s, the threat of war was an integral part of our lives. We saw it on TV, read about it in the papers, heard about it in songs – and there was no shortage of songs on the topic. So here are a few more videos about the dreaded destruction of the planet that poured out of our television sets at the time.

“Stand or Fall” is the first single off the The Fixx’s 1982 debut album Shuttered Room. Singer Cy Cumin wrote the song out of frustration over decisions being made by Ronnie and Margaret. The video, directed by Rupert Hine, was banned by some UK shows due to what some considered a violent depiction of a horse falling to the ground. The horse in question had been in several movies and was trained to fall on command. As luck would have it, on the day the video was shot the horse would not comply with the command to fall and was brought down by a rope. In the early days of pre-MTV Europe, most videos were shown on kids’ TV shows and this was deemed too graphic, as they felt the horse looked as if it was dying. The song charted both in the US and the UK but was particularly successful in Canada, reaching the top 40.

 

The video for the 1983 Men at Work song “It’s a Mistake” doesn’t ponder the question of whether or not war will take place but a matter of when and how. Meant as a parody of Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, the video takes place in an underground bunker as the future of the world is considered. The song was the third single from the album Cargo and reached #6 in the US but only reached #34 in their native Australia. In the video, Colin Hay portrays an officer wondering whether or not his men will be called to go to war. The video ends with Hay accidentally pushing the “button” by stubbing out a cigarette in an ashtray unfortunately placed next to the button.

 

Although the OMD song “Enola Gay” references the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, it was meant to bring attention to the cold war of the ‘80s. The song was the only single released from the 1980 album Organisation, the group’s second album. Upon its release, “Enola Gay” received critical praise. Critic Dave Thompson called the track a “perfect synth-dance-pop extravaganza” and NME listed it as one of the best 100 songs of the ‘80s. The song also caused controversy as some who were unfamiliar with the bombing of Hiroshima thought it had a pro-homosexual meaning. As a result, the song was banned on some radio stations in the UK. Regardless, the song was a huge international success and became the group’s first top 10 UK hit.

 

New Wave Holiday Party Playlist

Posted: December 9, 2014 in New Wave, Playlists, Synthpop
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The first weekend in December is when we host our annual holiday party. This year we decided on a theme near and dear to my heart – ‘80s new wave music (with a dash of ‘70s). So with plenty of hairspray and makeup on hand, my husband and I prepared for the night. The drinks consisted of Sex on the Beach, Kamikazes, Fuzzy Navels, and wine coolers. In the weeks leading up to the party, I went back and forth on what to play. Should the playlist be filled with popular classics or should I pull out the deep cuts? In the end, the playlist consisted of what I hope was a good balance of popular and a bit of the obscure. The dance floor was active all night; it helps to have guests who love ‘80s music. Below is the party playlist.

1. So Long – Fischer-Z (1980) 30. Kids In America – Kim Wilde (1981) 59. Everything Counts – Depeche Mode (1983)
2. Big In Japan – Alphaville (1984) 31. Lucky Number – Lene Lovich (1978) 60. Just Like Heaven – The Cure (1987)
3. Here Comes The Rain Again – Eurythmics (1984) 32. 99 Luftballons – Nena (1983) 61. Pop Muzik – M (1979)
4. Doctor! Doctor! – The Thompson Twins (1984) 33. Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream) – Icicle Works (1983) 62. Fashion – David Bowie (1980)
5. Love My Way – The Psychedelic Furs (1982) 34. I Will Follow – U2 (1980) 63. Girls On Film – Duran Duran (1981)
6. Dance Hall Days   – Wang Chung (1984) 35. In a Big Country – Big Country (1983) 64. Politics Of Dancing – Re-Flex (1982)
7. Things Can Only Get Better – Howard Jones (1985) 36. Church Of The Poison Mind – Culture Club (1983) 65. Lips Like Sugar – Echo & The Bunnymen (1987)
8. Who Can It Be Now? – Men At Work (1981) 37. Lover Come Back (To Me) – Dead or Alive (1985) 66. Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid (1984)
9. Save It For Later – The English Beat (1982) 38. China – The Red Rockers (1983) 67. Mad World – Tears for Fears (1982)
10.  Senses Working Overtime – XTC (1982) 39. Heaven – The Psychedelic Furs (1984) 68. It’s My Life – Talk Talk (1984)
11. One Thing Leads To Another – Fixx (1983) 40. Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat (1984) 69. The Look of Love, Pt. 1 – ABC (1982)
12. I Got You – Split Enz (1980) 41. A Little Respect- Erasure (1988) 70. The Walk – The Cure (1983)
13. Oh L’amour – Erasure (1986) 42. Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode (1981) 71. Ahead – Wire (1987)
14. Johnny and Mary – Robert Palmer (1980) 43. The Safety Dance – Men Without Hats (1983) 72. Channel Z – The B-52’s (1989)
15. She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby (1982) 44. Messages (Single Version) – OMD (1980) 73. Beautiful World- Devo (1981)
16. Der Kommissar – After the Fire (1982) 45. Peek-A-Boo – Siouxsie & The Banshees (1988) 74. Living On Video – Trans-X (1983)
17. The One Thing – INXS (1982) 46. Revenge – Ministry (1983) 75. Digital – Joy Division (1978)
18. (Keep Feeling) Fascination – The Human League (1983) 47. Lucretia My Reflection – The Sisters Of Mercy (1988) 76. Dreaming – Blondie (1979)
19. Promised You A Miracle – Simple Minds (1982) 48. Nemesis – Shriekback (1985) 77. Never Say Never – Romeo Void (1982)
20. Do You Want To Hold Me? – Bow Wow Wow (1983) 49. Obsession – Animotion (1984) 78. Age of Consent – New Order (1983)
21. Always Something There to Remind Me – Naked Eyes (1982) 50. Destination Unknown – Missing Persons (1982) 79. Electricity – OMD (1979)
22. Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You) – A Flock Of Seagulls (1983) 51. Tainted Love – Soft Cell (1981) 80. People Are People – Depeche Mode (1984)
23. Shout – Tears for Fears (1984) 52. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses (1981) 81. Planet Earth – Duran Duran (1981)
24. West End Girls – Pet Shop Boys (1986) 53. Let Me Go – Heaven 17 (1982) 82. Dancing With Tears In My Eyes – Ultravox (1984)
25. Goodbye Horses (Clerks II Remix) – Garvey (feat. Q Lazzarus) (1988) 54. How Soon Is Now? – The Smiths (1985) 83. Send Me An Angel – Real Life (1983)
26. The Dead Heart – Midnight Oil (1986) 55. Legal Tender (Album Version) – The B-52’s (1983) 84. The Promise (Studio Version) – When In Rome (1987)
27. The Cutter – Echo & The Bunnymen (1983) 56. Nowhere Girl – B-Movie (1982) 85. Space Age Love Song – A Flock Of Seagulls (1982)
28. I Die: You Die (Video Version) – Gary Numan (1980) 57. The Metro – Berlin (1982) 86. It’s A Sin – Pet Shop Boys (1987)
29. Lawnchairs – Our Daughter’s Wedding (1980) 58. Cars – Gary Numan (1979) 87. Don’t Go – Yaz (1982)

 

Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Posted: November 28, 2014 in Benefit Songs, Classic Videos, New Wave, Synthpop
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Thirty years ago today, the single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was released. For a child of the eighties, and a British new wave music fan, it was an amazing moment in history. The biggest names on the UK music scene coming together to record one song, on one day, for Ethiopian famine relief. I recall the buzz around the release of the song and, of course, the video. I waited patiently for MTV to finally play the world premiere of the video and it didn’t disappoint. Besides being made for a good cause, the song was also catchy and embodied the spirit of new wave music at the time – plenty of drum machines and synth. Written by Bob Geldof with Midge Ure of Ultravox providing the music, it was also unlike any charity single before with intentionally dark lyrics made to grab attention.

Originally inspired by a BBC documentary on the famine plight in Ethiopia, Geldof felt compelled to do something to combat what he was witnessing. With the help of Ure, he quickly put together a plan for a charity single. (Although Geldof received most of the credit for the undertaking, it was Ure that recorded, mixed, and ensured that the actual session went smoothly). The song was recorded in one day at Sarm West Studios and released four days later. It was the biggest selling single in UK at the time and reached #1 and stayed there for five weeks. The song didn’t reach #1 in the US, only peaking at #13 on the Billboard charts.

With media in place, the artists began arriving at 9am that morning – Duran Duran, George Michael, Paul Young, Phil Collins, Spandau Ballet, members of U2, Status Quo, Ultravox, Culture Club, Heaven 17, Marilyn (although not having been invited), among several others. After noticing that Boy George was absent, Geldof had to quickly arrange for a Concorde transatlantic flight to get him from New York. In order to get all members involved, the chorus was recorded first and then Ure had to have someone volunteer to sing the body of the song. Tony Hadley of Spandau Ballet bravely took the challenge and was followed by singers that had already been assigned lyrics.

Although appearing cheery in disposition, many of the musicians arrived with hangovers and many a drug and alcohol were consumed to keep the musicians going through the all-day session. There were small feuds that were put aside – Boy George continually trying to out George Michael and rivalries amongst some of the bands. There were also some who questioned the lyrics. Bono had some concerns over the line “Tonight thank god it’s them instead of you” and was convinced by Geldof that the lyrics had to be brutal in order to be effective.

Other musicians who were not able to make it to the session but contributed to the b-side were David Bowie, Paul McCartney, members of Big Country and Holly Johnson of Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The opening lines of the song sung by Paul Young were originally intended for Bowie. Since the original recording, the song has been rerecorded several times with different musicians and for different causes, the latest the fight against Ebola, but in my opinion nothing comes close to the original.

 

In Praise of Early Pretenders

Posted: November 3, 2014 in Albums, Alternative, New Wave, Post-Punk, Rock
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I’ve been a fan of the Pretenders since I saw the video for the song “Message of Love” back in the very early days of MTV (it was the 19th song played on the channel’s debut). Their videos were in heavy rotation back then, and I looked forward to seeing every one of them. Though they would go on to greater fame later in the decade, my favorite period from the band is the early eighties (before the drug-related deaths of guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon). There was something quite magical about the original line-up of Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers, Honeyman-Scott, and Farndon that the mid-eighties lineup lacked.

My favorite album from the group is their self-titled debut, released in 1980. The album is a mix of hard rock, punk, and pop, and the songs move seamlessly from raw rock to lyrical beauty. Although “Brass in Pocket” was the most successful single, I preferred other songs such as “Kid,” “Stop Your Sobbing,”and “Tattooed Love Boys.” The album debuted at #1 on UK album charts and made the top 10 on the US charts. Rolling Stone ranked the album as the 155th best album of all time, and 20th best album of the ‘80s (Slate Magazine has it at #64 of the ‘80s).

One of the best songs off the album is “Tattooed Love Boys.” It’s three minutes of pure energetic rock, and has a great guitar riff by Honeyman-Scott. The video is smoky and sweaty and fits perfectly with the song.

 

“Kid,” the second single from the album, shows Hynde’s emotional range as a singer. It reached #33 on the UK charts and music critic Stewart Mason stated that it was “probably the Pretenders’ masterpiece.”

 

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