How would you define this playlist

[J. Dan]

I know, for somebody who doesn't like putting things in a box with a label, I've had an increasing number of these "what would you call this" and "where can I find more of this" type threads. Maybe because I struggle with labels, but at the same time, I like to try to identify exactly what elements of certain styles attract me to them - even though they may stretch across genres and time.

 

So forget about the artists and what other things they may have done, focus strictly on THIS specific set of songs - ignoring who they are by, when they came out, what other works may have been done by the artist, etc.

 

Elvis Costello - Pump it Up

[video:youtube]3KI9eN-AY1s

 

The Humans - I Live in the City

[video:youtube]oHFzrQodS1M

 

The Police - Next to You

[video:youtube]YGbnSW5VPlc

 

Missing Persons - Walking in LA

[video:youtube]R_UpLtGEWoY

 

The Cars - You're All I've Got Tonight

[video:youtube]_YbqNaXbmTs

 

The Kings - This Beat Goes On/Switchin to Glide

[video:youtube]sxkjvKBPQjo

 

Now, I understand that all of the ones I've selected are late 70s through early 80s. But there's a different quality, maybe punk, maybe west coast - surf even? not sure how to define it. There's kind of an upbeat energy to it and an attitude. What elements would you say bind things songs if you had to describe the style without giving examples?

 

[nickd]

I'm not familiar with most of those songs, but in the UK we would have called that style "new wave" (well, I would have done at the time, anyway).

 

Another option would be "post-punk", but to me that's always been things that are less pop, more avant-garde/highbrow.

[Dr Nursers]

Yep new wave

[CowboyNQ]

Another vote for "new wave" here. We do a couple of new wave songs in one of my bands (including the above mentioned Pump It Up) and I must say they go over well.

[Synthoid]

Don't forget the keytar...

 

 

 

[Bobby Simons]

I'd say that a capable band with this sort of setlist could get some steady work in the clubs. It's fun stuff.

[Outkaster]

You'd also be playing to a white middle aged audience.

[Bill H.]

^ Yeah. Maybe new wave songs remembered by people mostly over 50?

 

It's a different sort of list than the Romantics, Talking Heads, Human League, B-52s, etc. that's remembered by people of all ages.

 

I was in a new wave-ish band back then that used to close with Walking In LA... just a killer track with that bit of a lull in the middle that just builds to a slamming ending.

 

I forgot how much of a debt Elvis Costello owed to Blonde on Blonde Dylan - but wow what a great track Pump It Up was at the time.

 

You mentioned surf and punk Dan. I think most of the new wave bands got some of their inspiration from surf and punk - as well as garage bands of the 60s like Tacoma's The Sonics. Great list though... brought back a lot of memories.

 

[synthizen2]

This group of songs is about a half-decade offset from the type of setlist I do with a classic rock covers band (we cover the period "late 60s through mid-to-late 70s", with a few late 70s and early 80s gems thrown in for good measure).

 

I really love that period of music for its diversity and no real emphasis on a particular style or attitude. Particularly '69 through '73. I like to call them "The Artsy/Rootsy Years" of Classic Rock.

[Delaware Dave]

"old wave": put another way, music I would not play....

[EricBarker]

"Post Punk".

 

I know, pretty close to New Wave, but for me "New Wave" implies heavy synths. Many of these songs lean more electro-acoustic, maybe with heavy keys, but less synthesizers. A lot of New Wave songs have synth hooks, where-as Post Punk is more guitar/piano/organ centric with some pads or simple synth lines that are largely secondary.

 

Elvis and Police are definitely PP, I don't think most people would call them New Wave. Cars are definitely debatable, though they have a very strong electro-acoustic foundation. The Cure, Eurythmics, Talking Heads, Tears for Fears, Devo, etc would be your mainline New Wave.

 

BTW: I think "Post Punk" is a terrible and confusing genre term. I used to think it was "punk outside of the 70s", but it's practically the opposite. It's pretty much a reaction against the stifling limitations of the punk rock scene. It's punk rockers that embraced a bit of prog... which I think by definition makes it ABSOLUTELY not Punk.

[J. Dan]

Yeah, this is not what I think of as new wave with maybe the exception of the missing persons track. When I think new wave, I'm thinking human league, devo, new order, etc. I would certainly not call Elvis Costello new wave. Post punk is maybe a good description.

[CowboyNQ]

I would certainly not call Elvis Costello new wave. Post punk is maybe a good description.

 

Elvis and Police are definitely PP, I don't think most people would call them New Wave.

 

The Washington Post and I beg to differ.

 

Washington Post 1979

 

Although frankly arguments like this are fruitless - we can call music whatever we like. Only answering because you asked, Dan.

 

Labelling music genres is pretty arbitrary and often subject to revisionism.

[J. Dan]

Yeah, I actually displike labels. But what I AM interested in doing is exploring what the elements and influences are that draw me to certain music and see if others perceive the music the same way.

[CowboyNQ]

But what I AM interested in doing is exploring what the elements and influences are that draw me to certain music and see if others perceive the music the same way.

This for a music project or listening pleasure?

[RABid]

Esoteric 80's?

[J. Dan]

But what I AM interested in doing is exploring what the elements and influences are that draw me to certain music and see if others perceive the music the same way.

This for a music project or listening pleasure?

 

Mostly for listening pleasure but it never hurts to nderstand your influences when writing as well.

[p19978]

I've played the Elvis and Kings tunes in cover bands (but on guitar).

 

Love those songs!

[MotiDave]

Early new wave, which carried elements of calmed-down post-punk and unvarnished 3-chord rock - before new wave became the ridiculous one finger synth player / one hit pop wonders that killed it.

 

My early 80s band was focused on that early rock-infused "3-chord rock" new wave style before it became pop. We played some of these, plus others mentioned like Romantics, Kinks, early Who (Can't Explain, of course), early Joe Jackson, etc etc ...

 

We wrote alot originals in that same vibe - which coincided with the emergence of big hair rock and made us irrelevant just as we became pretty good lol. Ironic as I was always much more of a hard (non-metal) rocker more aligned to big hair rock style than new wave - but that was my band and I didn't leave.

[J. Dan]

Maybe the reason I disagree with the answers given is because of the generic nature of the band's and time compared to the specific elements,

 

Examples: Police: King of Paim and Every Little Thing are far different. The song I posted had the elements I'm seeking. Elvis Costello: Allison and sing of the lime are NOTHING like what I posted.

 

Some folks mentioned Kimks which ABSOLUTELY fit, but were 60's......NOT new wave.

[EricBarker]

Yeah, I dunno why Kinks fit, but they do. Though they lasted a while, sort of like The Who ("Who Are You" is definitely New Waveish), got a bit more synth hooks and have individual songs that could be labeled "New Wave". We're playing "Father Christmas" starting around this time of year, and that's got some keyboard lines that I could hear people describe as new wave (even though lot of it is acoustic glockenspiel).

[J. Dan]

And I guess I'm trying to get away from labels like "new wave". So instead of trying to find bands from the 60s that sound "new wave" which is a term that came much later, I'm more interested in trying to identify the elements that draw us to that label. And more specifically, not the broad new wave label, but specifically the style that is encompassed by the songs I posted.

[MathOfInsects]

That's the thing with genre conversations: there's the stuff "the people who know stuff" know, and the stuff everyone else knows. I think "New Wave" would tell most people what's on this list. We can all quibble over the nuances of it, but out in the Muggle world, nuance is not exactly in style.

[J. Dan]

But I'm not talking to everyone else, I'm talking to you folks.

[MathOfInsects]

I go with "New Wave" as the closest imperfect definition for it.

[synthizen2]

If you're drawn to that kind of music/attitude, then it says something about YOU specifically. Your tastes, your preferences, and your accumulated listening history all play a role.

 

It has nothing to do with a specific time period, or even specific bands.

 

If there's something "bugging" you about this (i.e. what this style of music is labelled as), I don't think there's much any of us can do to help. We're musicians, but we're humans all the same. We tend to categorize things, and then place things into those categories. It can't be helped.

[RABid]

We used to play music like this and I was always surprised at how well some lesser known songs went over in the club setting. Two examples are below. The crowd loved them. I'm not sure why. But, I enjoyed playing them. The bass player REALLY enjoyed them.

 

[video:youtube]

 

[video:youtube]

[Theo Verelst]

Now, I often prefer 70s music, and I was generally probably a New Wave believer.

 

To me the subject of the songs is probably "The Winds of Aquarius ".

 

Technically the similarities (I've listened to the above minus the Kings (which wouldn't play) and also one alternate version, on my big system, mostly through a Lexicon effect I happened to have on, and sometimes with the Lex on Bypass) are some sort of dynomite mid frequencies, which makes for small transistor radio suitable mixes.

 

Mainly my vibe was "New wave without the pogo stick" as sort of a tangent on what I was and am a fan of in the genre of New Wave:

 

Joe Jackson - I'm The Man (1979)

[video:youtube]fSEUlh-UGdo

 

T.V.

 

 

[SteveCoscia]

What elements would you say bind things songs if you had to describe the style without giving examples?

My opinion:

 

Regarding Elvis Costello, The Police, Missing Persons and The Cars; the binding factor is twofold: good songwriting and production quality (I'm less familiar with the other two artists).

 

Missing Persons' Frank Zappa mystique was a bonus.

[TommyRude]

I listened to all the songs. The only thread I can connect between the songs is the time period they were released, less about the genre. There was a lot of genre busting and experimentation going on back then.

 

Singling out Missing Persons, they had two songs that really stood out for me.. Words and Destination Unknown. The songwriting, production and musicianship was top notch.