Positive Noise were a new wave and synthpop band from Scotland who had a number of indie hits in the 1980s. They released three albums and several singles and were together for over five years. The band was formed in 1979 by Ross Middleton (vocals), his brothers Graham Middleton (keyboards, vocals) and Fraser Middleton (bass guitar, vocals), Russell Blackstock (guitar, vocals), and Les Gaff (drums). Their first released material was two tracks ("Refugees" and "The Long March") on the Statik label compilation EP "Second City Statik" in 1980, and they followed this with two singles on Statik in 1981, both of which were top-ten hits on the UK Independent Chart. Début album 'Heart of Darkness' was released in May 1981, after which Ross left to form the short-lived Leisure Process, with Blackstock taking over on lead vocals. 'Heart of Darkness' peaked at number four on the independent chart, and the band's second album, 'Change of Heart' (1982), also charted, reaching number 21. They released a third and final album, 'Distant Fires', in 1985, now with John Telford on drums and John Coletta on guitar, but their earlier success was not repeated and they split up shortly afterwards. Ross Middleton had earlier worked as a music journalist, writing for Sounds under the pen name Maxwell Park. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Art students Marc Almond and Dave Ball formed Soft Cell, a synth pop duo famed for its uniquely sleazy electronic sound, in Leeds, England in 1980. Originally, vocalist Almond and synth player Ball teamed to compose music for theatrical productions, and as Soft Cell, their live performances continued to draw heavily on the pair's background in drama and the visual arts. A self-financed EP titled 'Mutant Moments' brought the duo to the attention of Some Bizzare label head Stevo, who enlisted Daniel Miller to produce their underground hit single 'Memorabilia' the following year.
It was the next Soft Cell effort, 1981's "Tainted Love," that brought the duo to international prominence; written by The Four Preps' Ed Cobb and already a cult favorite thanks to Gloria Jones' soulful reading, the song was reinvented as a hypnotic electronic dirge and became the year's best-selling British single, as well as a major hit abroad. The group's debut LP, 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret', was also enormously successful, and was followed by the 1982 remix collection 'Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing'.
While 1983's 'The Art of Falling Apart' proved as popular as its predecessors, the LP's title broadly hinted at the internal problems plaguing the duo; prior to the release of 1984's 'This Last Night in Sodom', Soft Cell had already broken up. Almond immediately formed the electro-soul unit Marc & the Mambas; another group, Marc Almond & the Willing Sinners, followed before the singer finally embarked on a solo career in the late '80s that continued well into the 21st century. Ball worked with Psychic TV, Jack the Tab, and other groups before forming the electronic outfit The Grid in the '90s and Nitewreckage in 2011. Soft Cell briefly reunited in 2001. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Femme rock band became quite popular on Toronto's Queen Street circuit. Features future Jane Siberry/Drastic Measures bassist Bryant Didier and former Diodes drummer John Hamilton.They released a single on Bomb Records in 1979, and after several line-up changes they managed a self-titled album which was produced by Greg Warren (Twitch).
Arguably the most infamously named band in the annals of popular music -for years, radio found their moniker unspeakable, and the press deemed it unprintable- Butthole Surfers long reigned among the most twisted and depraved acts ever to bubble up from the American underground. Masters of calculated outrage, the group fused the sicko antics of shock rock with a distinct and chaotic mishmash of avant-garde, hardcore, and Texas psychedelia; sleazy, confrontational, and spiteful, songs like "The Revenge of Anus Presley," "Bar-B-Q Pope," and "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey Oswald's Grave" seemed destined to guarantee the Butthole Surfers little more than a lifetime of cultdom. Yet, by the mid-'90s, they were left-field Top 40 hitmakers, success perhaps their ultimate subversion of mainstream ideals.
The seeds of their formation dated back to 1977, when future frontman Gibby Haynes, the son of the Dallas-based children's TV host known as "Mr. Peppermint," met guitarist Paul Leary while attending college in San Antonio. Four years later, Haynes -then completing his graduate work in accounting- and Leary formed The Ashtray Baby Heads, later dubbed Nine Foot Worm Makes Home Food; they became Butthole Surfers only after a radio announcer mistakenly took the title of an early song to be the group's name. In 1981, they signed to Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra's label Alternative Tentacles, and two years later issued their hallucinatory eponymous debut, also issued on colored vinyl under the name 'Brown Reason to Live'.
After a number of bassists and drummers, the Butthole Surfers' lineup fell into place in 1983 with the addition of drummers King Coffey (formerly of the Hugh Beaumont Experience) and Theresa Nervosa; at the same time, their bizarre live gigs -a traveling freak show combining nude dancers, film clips of sex-change operations, and Haynes' pyromaniacal behavior- began to win a devout cult following, and in 1984 they issued the concert set 'Live PCPPEP'. A move to the Chicago-based indie Touch & Go precipitated a turn toward even greater thematic offensiveness, as evidenced by tracks like "Concubine" and "Lady Sniff" from 1985's 'Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac'.
After the EP 'Cream Corn From the Socket of Davis', the Butthole Surfers resurfaced in 1986 with 'Rembrandt Pussyhorse', a twisted trip into neo-psychedelia featuring a brutal deconstruction of The Guess Who's "American Woman," as well as new bassist Jeff "Tooter" Pinkus. The introduction of Haynes' "Gibbytronix" vocal effects unit increased the level of dementia for 1987's 'Locust Abortion Technician', an extremist fusion of punk, metal, art rock, and worldbeat rhythms. Following 1988's faux-Zeppelin rant 'Hairway to Steven', the group issued 'Double Live', a mock bootleg released through their own Latino Bugger Veil imprint; after a pair of EPs, 1989's 'Widowermaker!' and 1990's 'The Hurdy Gurdy Man', they remained uncharacteristically silent until 1991's uneven 'Pioughd', recorded for the Rough Trade label.
For many observers, the biggest shock in a career built on outrageous behavior arrived in 1992, when the Butthole Surfers signed with major label Capitol, which promptly reissued 'Pioughd' following the demise of Rough Trade. After entering the studio with producer and former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, they emerged in 1993 with the LP 'Independent Worm Saloon'; the first single and video, "Who Was in My Room Last Night?," both garnered a surprising amount of airplay, much to the chagrin of the many media outlets which begrudgingly referred to the group as "BH Surfers." Following a series of side projects -most notoriously Haynes' group P, which also featured movie star Johnny Depp- the band (now a trio consisting of Haynes, Leary, and Coffey) returned in 1996 with 'Electriclarryland', scoring a major chart hit with the trip-hop-flavored "Pepper." In 1998, they recorded a follow-up, 'After the Astronaut', but disputes between the Butthole Surfers and Capitol prevented the album from being released, though advance copies were sent to reviewers. Three years later, Butthole Surfers emerged with their first for Hollywood/Surfdog Records, 'Weird Revolution', which recycled some of the songs from 'After the Astronaut', but in new recordings. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Known to the world as the new wave one-hit wonder M, Robin Scott scored one of the first commercially successful electro-pop/dance singles with 1979's international number one smash "Pop Muzik." Scott attended Croydon Art College in the late '60s, where his classmates included Malcolm McLaren, and began performing topical folk songs in area clubs. This led to the release of an early LP, 1969's "Woman from the Green Grass", on Head Records. The label quickly went bankrupt, however, and Scott worked on a variety of musical projects during the early '70s, hoping to break through. He eventually became manager and producer for the pub rock band Roogalator and produced their "Cincinnati Fatback," one of the first singles released by the pioneering U.K. indie Stiff Records. Scott's label, Do-It, also released the first Adam & the Ants LP, "Dirk Wears White Sox". Scott moved to Paris in 1978, where he produced the punk rock band The Slits, and a previously recorded single was issued under the name Comic Romance.
Around the same time, Scott christened himself M and recorded the single "Moderne Man," which flopped. However, his next release, "Pop Muzik," was an instant classic; it featured support from Roogalator bassist Julian Scott (Robin's brother), keyboardist Wally Badarou, programmer John Lewis, and vocalist Brigit Novik (Scott's wife). Demand for an LP was met by 'New York-London-Paris-Munich', which added woodwind player Gary Barnacle and drummer Phil Gould to M's backing band. The follow-ups to "Pop Muzik," "Moonlight and Muzak" and "That's the Way the Money Goes," were minor hits in the U.K., although Scott had seen the last of his singles chart successes in the U.S. 'The Official Secrets Act' (1980) was less successful commercially, a trend continued on 1982's 'Famous Last Words' (which Scott's U.K. label MCA refused to release). In the meantime, Scott worked with Yellow Magic Orchestra keyboardist and budding solo artist Ryuichi Sakamoto. Scott later dabbled in African music collaborations, especially Kenyan music, but most of the material languished in the vaults as Scott faded from sight as a solo artist. Assorted reissues, as well as remix projects, followed through the 2000s and 2010s. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
A New York-based post-punk band, The Del-Byzanteens comprised Don Braun (percussion), Josh Braun (percussion as well), Philippe Hagen (bass), Phil Kline (guitar and vocals), and a budding director by the name of Jim Jarmusch (vocals and keyboards). Author Luc Sante wrote some of the band's lyrics, and artist James Nares (who also played guitar with The Contortions) contributed occasional percussion. The Del-Byzanteens made their recorded debut in 1981 with the 12" single 'Girl's Imagination', which featured a B-side called "My Hands Are Yellow (From the Job That I Do)." The full-length 'Lies to Live By' followed the next year, and their final release, the 7" 'Draft Riot' single, was also out by the end of 1982. Despite being from the U.S., all of the band's releases were through Don't Fall Off the Mountain (or DFOTM), which -at the time- was one of the three affiliates of the U.K.-based Beggars Banquet shop and label (Situation 2 and 4AD were the other offshoots). After The Del-Byzanteens broke up, the Braun brothers (who had previously played with Swans leader Michael Gira in Circus Mort) formed Deep Six. Kline became further immersed in the New York art scene, and Jarmusch became a deeply admired independent movie director ("Stranger Than Paradise", "Mystery Train", "Dead Man", etc.). Though The Del-Byzanteens' records haven't been reissued on CD, "Girl's Imagination" reappeared on Beggars Banquet's 1999 compilation "Pspyched". [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The trailblazing force behind the emergence of the Japanese techno-pop sound of the late '70s, Yellow Magic Orchestra remains a seminal influence on contemporary electronic music -hugely popular both at home and abroad, their pioneering use of synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines places them second only to Kraftwerk as innovators of today's electronic culture. Yellow Magic Orchestra was formed in Tokyo in 1978 by keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto, who at the time was working on his debut solo LP; among his collaborators was drummer Yukihiro Takahashi, himself also a solo performer as well as a member of the art rock group the Sadistic Mika Band. The third member, bassist Haruomi Hosono, boasted an even more impressive discography, including four solo records as well as a number of production credits.
Agreeing to join forces as Yellow Magic Orchestra, the trio soon debuted with a self-titled LP influenced largely by the robotic iconography of Germany's Kraftwerk; 1979's 'Solid State Survivor' heralded a quantum leap in their sound, with stronger songs and a more focused use of electronic tools, complete with English lyrics by Chris Mosdell. While 1980's 'Xoo Multiplies' was at best a mixed bag including comedy skits and two different covers of the Archie Bell & the Drells classic "Tighten Up," 'Public Pressure' captured Yellow Magic Orchestra performing live. Their two 1981 releases, 'BGM' and 'Technodelic', both delved deeper into synth pop, exploring new stylistic territory anticipating the individual musicians' subsequent solo projects. 'Service', from 1983, again offered skits, this time courtesy of the theatrical troupe S.E.T.
Following the ambitious 'Naughty Boys' and another live record, 'After Service', Yellow Magic Orchestra disbanded at the peak of their popularity, with its members wishing to revive their respective solo careers. Sakamoto enjoyed the highest visibility of the Yellow Magic Orchestra alumni -a noted film composer, he gained his greatest exposure co-writing the Academy Award-winning score to the 1987 film "The Last Emperor". Hosono also pursued film music as well as ambient projects, while Takahashi enjoyed an eclectic and experimental return to his rock roots. By the 1990s, Yellow Magic Orchestra was cited regularly as a pioneer of ambient house music, resulting in the release of the remix album 'Hi-Tech/No Crime'. The original trio then reunited in 1993, recording the LP 'Technodon' before again going their separate ways. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Part performance art piece, part synth pop/post-punk/new wave innovators, the Units practically ruled the San Francisco scene in the late '70s and early '80s before flirting with unlikely mainstream success in 1983. Often cited as one of the pioneers of synth punk along with mythical Los Angeles-based group The Screamers, the Units built swirling prog rock-esque keyboards and frenetic electronic blips around politically and sociologically charged chants that echoed elements of what bands like Devo and Gang of Four were discovering elsewhere.
The band mainly consisted of Rachel Webber and Scott Ryser, but held true to the spirit of a collective as members of the Bay Area avant-garde scene flitted in and out. After a spate of 7"s and dozens of high-profile opening slots (including gigs with the Dead Kennedys, XTC, and The Psychedelic Furs), the Units released 'Digital Stimulation' on local new wave label 415 Records in 1980. The album earned critical raves and is considered one of the earliest new wave records. By the end of the year, the group toured with labelmates Romeo Void and moved on to playing shows in arenas and theaters opening for The Police, Iggy Pop, and Gary Numan.
In 1982, peppy single 'The Right Man' (released by the small independent label Up Roar Records) scaled the dance charts and helped earn the band a contract with Epic Records. While the soundtrack-ready single 'A Girl Like You' found its way into medium rotation on the nascent MTV, its parent mini-album, 'New Way to Move', was not commercially successful. Bill Nelson worked with the Units, producing what were to be their second and third records for Epic, but neither saw the light of the day. In 1984, Ryser and Webber moved on, relocating to New York, and the band dissolved.
Over time, the Units' legend grew, and their tracks began cropping up in DJ sets and mix compilations during the mid-2000s. In 2009, the dormant band earned a new audience when the Portland, Oregon indie label Community Library issued 'History of the Units', a compilation of the group's pre-Epic work. Numerous DJs and producers subsequently remixed the Units' songs, including Todd Terje, Alexander Robotnick, and Klein & MBO, and Italian label Opilec Music released the triple-CD remix collection 'Connections' in 2011, along with several 12"s and digital EPs of further mixes. U.K. new wave reissue label Futurismo finally brought 'Digital Stimulation' back into circulation in 2015, 35 years after its initial pressing. The following year, Futurismo issued the Units' previously unreleased second album, 'Animals They Dream About', which had been shelved since 1982 due to label issues. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Taking their name from a type of cooked pudding, the electronic duo Blancmange interlaced the arty, exotic dance rhythms of Talking Heads with the quirky melodrama of early-'80s British synth pop. Consisting of Neil Arthur (vocals, guitar) and Stephen Luscombe (keyboards), Blancmange formed in London, England in the late '70s. Originally called L360, Blancmange received immediate recognition when they sent the song "Sad Day" to DJ Stevo, who added it to a compilation LP of then-unsigned new wave groups, including future alternative icons like Depeche Mode and Soft Cell. Drummer Laurence Stevens was a member of the band for a short while, but they eventually replaced him with a drum machine.
Signed to London Records, Blancmange released their first two singles, 'God's Kitchen' and 'Feel Me', in 1982. Both records were moderate hits in the U.K., the latter barely missing the Top 40 charts. Later that year, Blancmange's debut album, 'Happy Families', sold well on the strength of their first Top Ten hit, "Living on the Ceiling," which peaked at number seven in Britain. "Living on the Ceiling" captured Blancmange's unique take on synth pop, throwing heavy Middle Eastern flavors into their very European style of club music. "Living on the Ceiling" was the beginning of a string of U.K. smashes; "Blind Vision" and "Don't Tell Me" both reached the Top Ten in England. Their cover of ABBA's "The Day Before You Came" was actually even more successful than the original, peaking at number 22. Blancmange's 1984 LP, 'Mange Tout', further established the group as one of Britain's most popular electronic artists; however, unlike many of their peers, Blancmange weren't afraid of experimenting with real instruments, incorporating sitars, strings, woodwinds, and horns into their synthesized sound.
But Blancmange's third album, 1985's 'Believe You Me', was a flop. The group broke up a year later. Arthur went solo while Luscombe formed the West India Company. They reunited in 2011 and released the album 'Blanc Burn' on the Proper label. A 2013 tour of the U.K. found them performing their debut album in its entirety. These updated versions were released in 2014 as 'Happy Families Too...', an album that featured bonus remixes from Erasure's Vince Clark plus the synth group Komputer. Luscombe departed from the group after he suffered an abdominal aneurysm, leaving Arthur as the sole member for the dark 2015 album 'Semi Detached'. An instrumental album titled 'Nil by Mouth' was released through Blancmange's website shortly after. This was followed by 2016's 'Commuter 23', a mixture of proper songs and instrumentals. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Silicon Teens was a fictional United Kingdom based pop group in a similar vein to The Archies, and Gorillaz. The project was the creation of Mute Records founder Daniel Miller. The "group" was publicised as a quartet named Darryl, Jacki, Paul and Diane, but in reality these individuals did not exist and for media interviews their parts were played by actors. The project was launched in 1980 with an album called 'Music For Parties', a collection of (mainly) old rock n roll classics played in a somewhat cheesy pop synthesiser style. There were three original compositions on the album, those being "TV Playtime", " and the instrumentals "Chip 'n' Roll" and "State of Shock (Part 2)".
Despite considerable media interest as a novelty, neither the album nor offshoot singles 'Memphis Tennessee' and 'Judy in Disguise' were ever hits, though their third (double-A side) single '"Just Like Eddie" b/w "Sun Flight"' did manage some UK Chart success. Film director John Hughes was so taken with it that their rendition of "Red River Rock" can be heard in the movie soundtrack of the Steve Martin/John Candy movie "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". Additionally their version of "You Really Got Me" featured on a compilation album of New Wave songs put out by French covers band Nouvelle Vague. [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Yazoo, known in the U.S. as Yaz, were a short-lived but quite successful '80s synth pop duo. They formed in 1981, after synthesizer player Vince Clarke left Depeche Mode; Clarke had penned almost all of the band's debut album, "Speak & Spell", including the Top Ten U.K. hit "I Just Can't Get Enough." Alison Moyet, who previously played in an assortment of bands, had recently exited The Screamin' Ab Dabs and placed an ad in Melody Maker seeking new creative partners. The lone response came from Clarke. The duo scored a hit right off the bat with the ballad "Only You," which hit number two on the U.K. chart in April 1982. Shortly thereafter, they scored other big hits with "Don't Go" and "Situation," two singles that topped Billboard's U.S. club chart. Yazoo's commercial winning streak continued with their debut full-length, 'Upstairs at Eric's', which hit number two on the U.K. album chart and went platinum. Despite a promising future, Clarke and Moyet opted to call it a day after one more album, 1983's 'You and Me Both', the source of one more hit, "Nobody's Diary." Moyet launched a solo career and scored a major hit with her solo debut, 1984's "Alf", while Clarke formed The Assembly and later Erasure, the latter of which with singer Andy Bell. The comprehensive box set 'In Your Room' appeared in 2008 and was supported by a reunion tour that visited the U.K., Europe, and North America. Recordings from the tour were released in 2010 on 'Reconnected: Live'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
When they released their first album in 1988, the Boston-based trio Buffalo Tom were written off as Dinosaur Jr. junior. Admittedly, their debut was in debt to J Mascis' thundering guitar and folk-tinged songs and it didn't help that Mascis produced the record, either. Over time, Buffalo Tom stripped away their grungier influences and developed into a straight-ahead rock group of the early '90s, capable of throttling rockers and beautiful ballads. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Bill Janovitz, bassist/vocalist Chris Colbourn, and drummer Tom Maginnis, Buffalo Tom began to develop their own style with their second album, 1990's 'Birdbrain', which featured a noticeable improvement in songwriting. In 1992, Buffalo Tom released 'Let Me Come Over', a gritty set of driving rock and achingly melancholy ballads; several of its tracks became alternative radio staples, including the gorgeous ballad "Taillights Fade." Despite an increased amount of critical praise and some radio airplay, the album didn't sell. The follow-up, 1993's 'Big Red Letter Day', featured a more polished, radio-ready production, but the album received only a small push from radio and MTV. "Soda Jerk," the first single from the album, became a minor alternative radio and MTV hit. After a yearlong tour, the group returned in the summer of 1995 with 'Sleepy Eyed', a return to the more direct sound of 'Let Me Come Over'. 'Smitten' followed in 1998, and two years later a best-of, 'Asides from Buffalo Tom', arrived. Almost a decade of inactivity followed, but things weren't over for Buffalo Tom; they returned in 2007 with an appearance at SXSW and a new full-length album on the New West label, 'Three Easy Pieces'. 'Skins', the band’s eighth studio album, arrived in early 2011 through their own Scrawny Records label. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Even in the often strange and incestuous history of New Zealand rock, few bands enjoyed a more bizarre career than Mi-Sex; led by onetime cabaret singer Steve Gilpin, the group emerged from art-rock beginnings to later reinvent themselves in the style of the new wave. The Mi-Sex story begins with Gilpin, who rocketed to national fame in 1972 as the winner of the "New Faces" television talent contest; in the years to follow he became a fixture of the provincial hotel circuit, providing cabaret entertainment to lounge patrons. Taking a much different path were the members of Father Thyme, a hippified prog rock band comprised of vocalist Steve Grant, guitarist Don Begdegood, keyboardist Alan Moon, bassist Don Martin, and drummer Lindsay Brook; a frustrated rocker himself, Gilpin saw them play in 1976, and befriended Moon and Martin, whom he felt had considerable potential.
When Father Thyme split a year later, Moon and Martin contacted Gilpin, and the trio decided to form a band. Enlisting guitarist Kevin Stanton and drummer Don Smart, they first christened themselves Fragments of Time, quickly building a fan base thanks in large part to Gilpin's past TV fame. Moon soon exited, however, and Smart was then let go as well; with the addition of keyboardist Murray Burns and drummer Richard Hodgkinson came not only a new name -Mi-Sex- but also a new image. Clad in tank tops and leather pants, the group immersed themselves completely in the music and style of the new wave, adding songs by the likes of Elvis Costello, Mink DeVille, and Graham Parker to their repertoire; however, with their laser light shows and tight choreography, Mi-Sex seemed to belong to the pre-punk era, missing the point of the post-punk era entirely. Still, when EMI came looking for a local new wave band, Mi-Sex was the group they selected, and in 1978 they issued their debut single, "Straight Laddie".
The record sank without a trace, and although they maintained a strong fan following, Mi-Sex was viewed with derision by their local new wave compatriots; however, a move to Australia proved highly successful, and in 1979 they issued their debut LP, 'Graffiti Crimes'. A single, 'Computer Games', topped the Australian charts, and the group made a triumphant return to New Zealand. A second album, 1980's 'Space Race', was also a hit, but when a planned American tour fell through, Mi-Sex's momentum took a serious blow; even at home, audiences were dwindling, and 1981's 'Shanghaied' made little impact. Hodgkinson soon exited, to be replaced by ex-Coup D'Etat drummer Paul Dunningham; a few minor hits followed, including "Castaway" and "Blue Day," but after 1984's 'Where Do They Go?' failed to crack the charts, Mi-Sex disbanded. Steve Gilpin died in 1991. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Although they were pegged to be the post-punk era's next big thing, Boston's Human Sexual Response did the opposite, and crashed and burned after four years and two albums. But during their short existence, they created a substantial buzz in their hometown and on the East Coast for their arty and energetic live shows and their sophisticated postmodern pop. Fronted by four singers and backed by a power trio that featured the excellent guitar work of Rich Gilbert, Human Sexual Response combined a punk rock ethos with a camp sensibility reminiscent of early Blondie. Prominent vocalist Larry Bangor offered songs like "What Does Sex Mean to Me" and the irreverent "Jackie Onassis" in a jittery tenor voice that conjured up sex, outrage, and comedy in one neat package. Never eschewing controversy (Bangor was refreshingly outspoken about his homosexuality), Human Sexual Response is the only band in the annals of American rock & roll to perform a song entitled "Buttfuck" on television. After a promising debut record, Human Sexual Response's second record was a comparatively dour affair, loaded down with art rock pretensions and lifeless arrangements. After an almost unanimous critical drubbing, Human Sexual Response played the New England circuit for another year and split in 1982. Rich Gilbert formed the cool (and loud) combo The Zulus, while drummer Malcolm Travis went on to beats skins for Bob Mould in Sugar. The ensuing decades spawned the occasional reunion, resulting in sporadic, yet well attended live shows that found the group's fan base, both the seasoned and the newly smitten, largely intact. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Sinceros were a new wave and power pop band from London, England, who recorded two albums for Epic Records, 'The Sound of Sunbathing' (1979) and 'Pet Rock' (1981). Both albums were released worldwide and achieved moderate commercial success. Mark Kjeldsen, Bobby Irwin and Ron François first played together in a London R&B band called The Strutters. The Sinceros were primarily a vehicle for Kjeldsen's composing talents. He sang lead vocals on most of the band's material although François contributed more songs on their later albums. Prior to signing their Epic Records recording contract, the rhythm section, Irwin and François, participated in the recording of Stiff Records' recording artist Lene Lovich's "Stateless" album. Don Snow joined them in support of the record on the 1978 "Be Stiff" Tour.
Their first album, 'The Sound of Sunbathing', was produced by Joe Wissert and recorded at Wessex Studios in London. The band achieved considerable radio play with its first single, "Take Me to Your Leader". They toured extensively after the release of the album, riding on the heels of the then thriving new wave music scene, though not as extensively as was originally planned due to band management and record company squabbles over financing. Undeterred, the band continued to accept studio session work with other artists, with Irwin and Snow particularly in demand. An attempt at a follow-up album entitled, '2nd Debut', produced by Paul Riley was shelved by Epic Records and was essentially reworked into 'Pet Rock', under the guidance of producer Gus Dudgeon.
Several FM radio recordings of the band circulate, notably one from 13 December 1979 at The Palladium in New York, that was broadcast by WNEW-FM. Dubbed the "$5 Rock and Roll Show", the bill also featured Bruce Woolley, Paul Collins' Beat and 20/20 and was attended by Mick Jagger. The band also made appearances at Hurrah in New York. Kjeldsen wears a T-shirt featuring this club's logo on the 'Pet Rock' album cover. The Sinceros disbanded in 1981. After their demise, Kjeldsen performed with The Danny Adler Band (ex-Roogalator). A live album featuring Kjeldsen on rhythm guitar was recorded at the Winterthur, Switzerland, on 10 August 1982 and released in 1983. In the 1990s, Kjeldsen became a social worker in London. He died of AIDS in 1992.
Snow joined Squeeze as a replacement for Paul Carrack. François joined The Teardrop Explodes and stayed with Epic Records releasing a solo single, "If You Love Me", in 1982 before departing to live in Australia where he has worked with local artists such as James Reyne, Wendy Matthews and The Eurogliders. Irwin resumed working with Nick Lowe before departing in 1985 to live and work in San Antonio, Texas. Since his return to the UK in 1992, he has worked with Nick Lowe and Van Morrison amongst others. Irwin died in 2015. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Bongos are a power pop band from Hoboken, New Jersey, primarily active in the 1980s. With their unique musical style, they were major progenitors of the Hoboken pop scene, college radio favorites, and made the leap to national recognition with the advent of MTV. Their breakthrough song "Numbers With Wings" garnered the group a major cult following and was nominated at the first MTV Video Music Award presentations. The Bongos grew out of a band called, "a", which had included the three original Bongos and Glenn Morrow, who later formed The Individuals and helped found Bar/None Records. "a" was the first band to play Maxwell's, a rock and roll club in Hoboken.
The group was led by Richard Barone on vocals and guitar and included Rob Norris, formerly of The Zantees on bass and Frank Giannini on drums. James Mastro, later of The Health & Happiness Show, joined the band as a guitarist after the release of their first LP. The group played extensively in Hoboken and New York City and toured the U.K. and Europe before touring in the U.S. The Bongos emerged from Hoboken, and Manhattan's new wave and no wave venues such as Tier 3 and the Mudd Club, with a guitar-driven pop that belied a strong influence of the avant-garde. Well-reviewed shows at Hurrah, Danceteria, and later The Ritz established them as particularly effective live performers. What set them apart from other such groups of the era were their sudden guitar outbursts or saxophone improvisations that echoed the work of Lou Reed, Ornette Coleman, or Captain Beefheart within the context of a pure, melodic pop song. In addition, unlike many of their peers, the group explored unabashedly sensuous dance rhythms that made their recordings dance-floor favorites.
While in London performing at The Rainbow Theatre, Dingwall's, and trendy Cabaret Futura, The Bongos recorded their early singles and their well-received debut EP 'Time and the River' for UK-based Fetish Records. Cover designs for their Fetish releases were created by acclaimed graphic artist Neville Brody. Their debut U.S. album, 'Drums Along The Hudson', compiled from the band's British singles, was released in 1982 to widely favorable reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. While Trouser Press suggested that the group "may trade a certain amount of substance for easy appeal," it added that "there's no better musical equivalent of whipped cream anywhere." Writing in the Village Voice, Robert Christgau dryly commented that "for all their jumpy originality [the songs are] still slight, and Richard Barone's lyrics are so oblique you have to wonder what his angle is." In 2007 however, Jim DeRegotis wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times: "The initial impression of naivete is offset by deceptively simple lyrics that actually hint at deep, dark mysteries and unfathomed mystical enigmas." The group's cover of T. Rex's "Mambo Sun" reached No. 22 on the Billboard Dance Chart. A thriving Hoboken pop scene emerged, triggered by The Bongos and Maxwell's, which gained national media attention, and drew many bands and fans to the city. An August 1, 1982 article in the New York Times Real Estate section hinted at the scene's popularity as an influence on increasing rents and property values.
In 1983, the group was signed to RCA Records, which subsequently released the album, 'Numbers With Wings'. New York Times' critic Robert Palmer —himself a former Hoboken-based musician with The Insect Trust— marked this as the beginning of The Bongos' creative decline, lamenting the "slick, overproduced records which vitiated the raw vitality the group had originally displayed." Regardless, the album spawned a popular and inventive MTV video of the title song (nominated for 'Best Direction' on the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards, and the song itself remained at the number one spot on the College Music Journal (CMJ) chart for six consecutive weeks). The album also included the tribal, dance-floor hit "Barbarella." A hectic tour schedule of over 300 shows a year sustained support at radio and MTV. Their Brazilian-influenced follow-up album, 'Beat Hotel', along with relentless touring (now with a further-expanded lineup including percussionist Steve Scales from the Talking Heads), raised The Bongos' profile further and continued to increase their devoted cult following. It was in the midst of recording 'The Phantom Train' album in Compass Point, Bahamas for Island Records that the band split up in 1987, with each member pursuing solo interests. The album was to remain unfinished and unreleased until 2013. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
Combining light funk with frothy pop, Haircut 100 was one of the cleanest and most accessible new wave groups. Formed in 1980, the British band's core members were vocalist Nick Heyward, bassist Les Nemes, and guitarist Graham Jones; the following year, drummer Memphis Blair Cunningham, saxophonist Phil Smith, and percussionist Mark Fox joined the group. Once the band was signed to Arista Records, they were put under the direction of producer Bob Sargeant, who helped them polish their stylish pop. Released in late 1981, Haircut 100's first single, 'Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)', managed to reach number four in the U.K., establishing the group's widespread appeal. The band released their debut album, 'Pelican West', in early 1982. Their next single, 'Love Plus One', was a bigger hit, making the band one of the hottest British pop groups of the year. However, their momentum crashed to a halt when Heyward decided to pursue a solo career. Fox became the lead vocalist in early 1983, yet Haircut 100 could not replicate their previous success; they broke up after the release of their second album, 1984's 'Paint and Paint'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
New York City-based new wave outfit Nervus Rex was founded in 1976 by singers/guitarists Shawn Brighton and Lauren Agnelli, the latter a respected rock critic who wrote for Creem magazine under the punk alias Trixie A. Balm. Agnelli's friend, and former Cramps drummer, Miriam Linna, along with bassist Lew Eklund completed the lineup, which made its debut at the legendary CBGB's. With their boy/girl harmonies, acid-surf guitar sound, and twitchy rhythms, Nervus Rex quickly earned a significant fan following, although Brighton's angular pop craft proved too much for Linna, who soon handed in her resignation and joined rockabilly revivalists, The Zantees. Soundman Jonathan Gildersleeve, who played drums in an incarnation of bubblegum hitmakers Ohio Express, was tapped as Linna's replacement in time for the 1978 release of Nervus Rex's debut effort 'Don't Look'. Issued on the quartet's own Cleverly Named Record Co., the single was an underground smash on both sides of the Atlantic. It even won "Best Independent Single of the Year" honors from Britain's New Musical Express. East Coast tours in support of The Pretenders and Squeeze followed, but in 1979 Eklund left the lineup, citing creative differences. With new bassist Dianne Athey, Nervus Rex signed to producer Mike Chapman's Dreamland label. Their eponymous 1980 debut LP suffered under the weight of Chapman's dance-pop production aesthetic, however, and reviews were negative. Worse, a tour with fellow Dreamland act Spider was abruptly scrapped when Spider's guitarist fell ill with typhoid fever, which forced both bands into quarantine. With Dreamland's finances in shambles, Nervus Rex dissolved in 1981. Brighton later formed synth-pop group, The Puppets, while Agnelli resurfaced in beatnik satirists, The Washington Squares. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Brilliant Corners were one of many British jangle pop acts in the '80s that never managed to corral a mainstream audience. It wasn't for a lack of trying, either. The Brilliant Corners injected many of their early records with finger-snapping hooks, but they were mainly applauded by a cult of devotees. The Brilliant Corners were formed by David Woodward (vocals, guitars), Chris Calvin (bass), and Bob Morris (drums) in Bristol, England, in 1984. The group released their first album, 'Growing up Absurd', on SS20 Records in September 1985. In 1988, The Brilliant Corners released their most critically acclaimed LP, 'Somebody up There Likes Me', on McQueen Records. Despite hummable tunes such as "Brian Rix" and "Your Feet Never Touch the Ground," The Brilliant Corners were denied a commercial breakthrough. In 1990, the band veered from its buoyant mix of jangling guitars and trumpet for the album 'Hooked', instead directing its sound toward the shoegazer movement. The record disappointed many of The Brilliant Corners' fans with its creative shift. The group returned to their original formula on 'A History of White Trash' in 1993; however, it was their last album as The Brilliant Corners called it quits. Woodward later joined Experimental Pop Band. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Atlanta's Swimming Pool Q's were one of the first Southern new wave bands to gain nationwide recognition in the early '80s after the breakthrough of The B-52's made folks aware that there was more to Southern rock than what Q's leader Jeff Calder called "the Boogie Establishment." However, while most of their Georgia brethren were famous for serving up light, off-kilter pop, Swimming Pool Q's music had a darker and more challenging undercurrent, balancing twisted guitar patterns against lyrics that played on Southern Gothic archetypes in a manner that was often witty, and sometimes ominous.
Born and raised in Lakeland, FL, as a teenager Jeff Calder developed a fondness for both the eccentricities of Southern literature (he would study writing at the University of Florida with acclaimed novelist Harry Crews) and the sonic fragmentation of Captain Beefheart. When he discovered the music of warped Georgia visionaries Hampton Grease Band, Calder found a group of kindred spirits, and in 1973, after the band broke up, he struck up a friendship with HGB guitarist Glenn Phillips. Through Phillips, Calder met Bob Esley, a gifted Atlanta guitar player with a passion for Jimi Hendrix and a taste for left-of-center rock.
Eager to form a band and believing Atlanta was a more conducive venue for his ideas than anywhere else in the South, Calder moved to the Peach state, picked up a guitar, and began writing songs with Esley. In 1978, Calder and Esley had formed Swimming Pool Q's (the name came for mishearing someone talking about a redneck "swinging pool cues" is a fight), fusing the energy of the nascent new wave scene with the musical adventure of Beefheart and Hampton Grease Band. With Esley playing lead guitar and Calder handling rhythm and taking most of the lead vocals, the Q's were rounded out by percussionist Robert Schmid, bassist Billy Jones, and Anne Richmond Boston, who sang lead on several numbers, played occasional keyboards, and brought samples from her impressive toy collection to shows.
In 1979, the band self-released their first single, 'Rat Bait' b/w 'The A-Bomb Woke Me Up', which generated enthusiastic press and sold well enough to gain the band spots opening for the likes of Devo and The Police. The band hit the road on their own, touring well before a Southern new wave club circuit had been established, and they developed enough of a following that Danny Beard signed them to his trail-blazing DB Records label. In 1981, the band released their first album, 'The Deep End'; by this time, Pete Jarkunas had taken over on bass from the departing Billy Jones. More touring and positive press followed, with the album eventually moving close to 20,000 copies, and before long the band signed to A&M Records.
In 1984, the group released their first major label album, simply entitled 'The Swimming Pool Q's'; by this time the rhythm section had shifted again, with the addition of new bassist J.E. Garnett and drummer Billy Burton, and the band's sound had become a bit more streamlined, with Anne Richmond Boston handling a greater number of lead vocals and adding more keyboard textures to the songs. A third album, 'Blue Tomorrow', followed in 1986, but despite college radio airplay and continued touring (including a high-profile slot opening for Lou Reed on his New Sensations tour), the band seemed to have hit a commercial plateau, and they were dropped by A&M. Undaunted, the band soldiered on, releasing an EP for DB in 1987, 'The Firing Squad for God', and an album for Capitol in 1989, 'World War Two Point Five'; Anne Richmond Boston appeared on neither of the band's post-A&M albums, opting for a low-key solo career and a day job in publishing and design, though she did create the cover for 'World War Two Point Five'. By 1992, Swimming Pool Q's had tired of life on the road, and the band took an extended break. However, Calder and Esley never broke up the Q's, and they continued to perform live on occasion, while Calder pursued a career as a writer and performed with old friend Glenn Phillips in his band The Supreme Court. In 1998, a new lineup of the band began working together. A remastered edition of 'The Deep End' appeared in 2001, boasting 12 bonus tracks and a lengthy historical essay by Calder. The band played a number of shows throughout the South in support of the reissue, with Anne Richmond Boston returning to the band's lineup, and in 2003, a new album which Calder and Esley had been working on since 1993, the elaborate and ambitious 'The Royal Academy of Reality', was released. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Bram Tchaikovsky (born Peter Bramall) began playing in local pub rock bands in Lincolnshire, England, in the late '60s. He joined The Motors in 1977 and was relegated to mere sideman status by the nucleus of the band, songwriters Andy McMaster and Nick Garvey. While waiting on pre-production work for the second Motors album, Tchaikovsky took the opportunity to do some recording of his own. The resulting single, "Sarah Smiles," drew enough interest for him to leave The Motors and form his own band. In addition to its leader, the band Bram Tchaikovsky consisted of Mike Broadbent (bass, keyboards) and Keith Boyce (drums). They signed to the new Radar label in 1978 along with Stiff expatriates Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello. The band showed a great deal of promise with their first album, 'Strange Man Changed Man', fitting in nicely with the growing power pop movement. The unforgettable "Girl of My Dreams," a true high point of the time, became a minor hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Tchaikovsky continued on through rapid personnel changes for two more albums, 'The Russians Are Coming' (released in the U.S. as 'Pressure') in 1980 and 'Funland' in 1981. A considerable drop in sales prompted Tchaikovsky to dissolve the band and retire from the music business. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Despite their ghoulish name the Comateens were actually more of a party band. Taking their name from a lurid headline in the New York Post, the Comateens carried the monster-mash torch originally lit by The Cramps and The Fleshtones. Toss in the demented energy of The B-52's and the Comateens' sound is complete. The Comateens were formed in New York in 1980 by Ramona Jan (guitar), Nik North (bass, vocals), and a drum machine. After Lyn Byrd (synthesizer, vocals) and Oliver North (guitar, vocals) joined the group, they recorded their self-titled debut LP in 1981. The album became a cult favorite among college hipsters, especially the band's remake of "The Munsters Theme". However, the Comateens actually gained a larger following in Europe, wherein the group's quirks –such as the necrophilia tale "Cool Chick"– were more easily digested. The band released two more LPs –1983's 'Pictures on a String' and 1984's 'Deal With It'– and then split up in 1985. Byrd and Oliver North eventually reunited in North and Byrd, but North passed away soon thereafter. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
The Telefones are a musical group based in Dallas, Texas. A regular act at the notable punk venue the Hot Klub in the 1980s, they are generally considered a pioneer Texas punk band, but have also been called “Dallas' first—and best—new wave band,” and yet also "[n]either punk nor new-wave." Their sound is a blend of many different styles and eras of rock and pop music.
The band was originally formed in 1979 under the name E=MC2, by three brothers: Jerry Dirkx on lead guitar and vocals, Chris Dirkx on drums, and Steve Dirkx on bass guitar. The January 1980 issue of Texas Monthly took note of the Dirkx brothers, calling them "an economical trio oozing juvenile enthusiasm." Will Clay became the fourth member of the band in the fall of 1979, playing saxophone and synthesizer. The name of the group was changed to The Telefones at about this same time. The band's first single, 'The Ballad of Jerry Godzilla', was released in May 1980 on VVV Records, a Dallas label formed in 1979 by Neal Caldwell that also recorded other noted local acts like Bobby Soxx and The Fort Worth Cats. Six months later, their first LP, 'Vibration Change', was issued on the VVV label. Clay left the group and was replaced by trumpet player/vocalist/keyboardist Mark Griffin, who was featured along with the Dirkx brothers on 'Rock-Ola!', the group's second full-length LP, released in mid-1981. Griffin subsequently left the group as well, and later gained national attention as MC 900 Ft. Jesus.
Over the years, The Telefones have shared the bill with numerous notable musical acts, including The B-52's, The Bangles, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Go-Go's, Oingo Boingo, Split Enz, Stevie Ray Vaughan and The Toadies. On August 6, 1982, the band R.E.M., still unknown in Dallas, opened for The Telefones at the Hot Klub.
The Telefones spent part of the 1980s in Los Angeles, then returned to Dallas in 1990. While in L.A., other musicians involved included Ken Wallman (keyboards and saxophone), Gary Eaton (guitar and vocals), Colin Marsh (bass), Eddie Dunbar (bass), Jeff Jones (keyboards and trumpet). Josh Diamond played keyboards in a late 1980s Dallas lineup. After a long hiatus, the band reformed and began playing dates in Dallas again in 2010, with original members Jerry Dirkx and Chris Dirkx in the lineup, along with John Painter on keyboards, and Dave Prez on bass guitar. Their set list consists of songs from all three decades of their existence, and pulls from multiple rock and pop music genres. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
The Urban Verbs was an American new wave band from Washington, D.C. The band was fronted by Roddy Frantz, brother of Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. In 1977, the Urban Verbs rehearsed in the Atlantic Building at 930 F Street in NW Washington, D.C. Robert Goldstein (December 6, 1949-October 7, 2016) began to book bands in a derelict bar in the Atlantis Club, which was where the Urban Verbs played their first shows and became a nexus of the DC new wave and punk rock scene. In 1980, the Atlantis became the 9:30 Club. The Urban Verbs played at the CBGB club in 1978 with The Cramps. Producer Brian Eno was in the audience. Eno offered to record several of the band’s songs (“The Next Question” and “Pensive Lives”) which have never been officially released.
The band received numerous positive reviews in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the City Paper among others. Urban Verbs became the darlings of the DC avante garde art scene playing numerous shows at the Washington Project for the Arts, DC Space, the Pension Building and the Corcoran School of Art. In late 1978, Urban Verbs returned to CBGB to perform with Cleveland band Pere Ubu. Urban Verbs played the Peppermint Lounge and various NY clubs as well as numerous DC shows. In early 1979, the Urban Verbs shared the stage with The B-52's at the Corcoran School of Art. Warner Brothers executive Bob Krasnow signed the band to a two-record contract. The band's eponymous first album was recorded with Mike Thorne (producer of Wire, Soft Cell and Bronski Beat) in 1979 and released in early 1980. The cover of the album pictures single photos of each band member in plastic bags partially filled with a clear liquid, presumably water.
Urban Verbs were scheduled to tour with Joy Division in May 1980. Arriving in Toronto for the first show, the band found the tour was canceled due to the suicide of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis. The Urban Verbs second album for Warner Bros., 'Early Damage', was recorded in Atlanta with producers Jeff Glixman and Steve Lillywhite. After touring in 1980, Robin Rose and Linda France left the band. France was replaced by bassist Billy Swann. The band toured the United States and Italy until 1981.
In 1995, Urban Verbs reunited to perform at the closing celebration for the 930 "F" street location of the 930 club. Urban Verbs reformed in 2008 to play a show at the 930 Club which was featured on NPR’S "All Songs Considered". From NPR, 8 October 2016, "For 20 years, Robert Goldstein was NPR's music librarian. He went on to become a manager in our research and archives division, and shared his love of music with our audience in stories he wrote for broadcast and online. He was also an accomplished guitarist, whose work made an impression on a young Bob Boilen decades ago, sparking a friendship that continued when they began working together. We lost Robert on Friday night {7 October 2016} after a prolonged battle with cancer. He was just 66 years old." [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
As well-known for their bizarrely teased haircuts as their hit single "I Ran (So Far Away)," A Flock of Seagulls were one of the infamous one-hit wonders of the new wave era. Growing out of the synth-heavy and ruthlessly stylish new romantic movement, A Flock of Seagulls were a little too robotic and arrived a little too late to be true new romantics, but their sleek dance-pop was forever indebted to the short-lived movement. The group benefitted considerably from MTV's heavy rotation of the "I Ran" video in the summer of 1982, but they were unable to capitalize on their sudden success and disappeared nearly as quickly as they rocketed up the charts.
Hairdresser Mike Score (lead vocals, keyboards) formed A Flock of Seagulls with his brother Ali (drums) and fellow hairdresser Frank Maudsley (bass) in 1980, adding guitarist Paul Reynolds several months later. The group released its debut EP on Cocteau Records early in 1981, and while the record failed to chart, its lead track, "Telecommunication," became an underground hit in Euro-disco and new wave clubs. The band signed a major-label contract with Jive by the end of the year, and their eponymous debut album appeared in the spring of 1982. "I Ran (So Far Away)" was released as the first single from the album, and MTV quickly picked up on its icily attractive video, which featured long shots of Mike Score and his distinctive, cascading hair. The single climbed into the American Top Ten, taking the album along with it. In the U.K., "I Ran" didn't make the Top 40, but "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" reached number ten later that year; in America, that single became a Top 40 hit in 1983, after "Space Age Love Song" peaked at number 30. "Wishing" was taken from the group's second album, 'Listen' (1983), which was moderately successful.
However, the band's fortunes crashed shortly after the release of 'Listen' as 1984's 'The Story of a Young Heart' failed to produce any hit singles. Reynolds left after the album and was replaced by Gary Steadnin; the band also added keyboardist Chris Chryssaphis. The new lineup was showcased on 1986's 'Dream Come True', which failed to chart. Shortly after its release, the band broke up. Mike Score assembled a new lineup of A Flock of Seagulls in 1989, releasing the single 'Magic' and touring the U.S.A. The band failed to make any impact and most of the members left by the end of the year. The band continued to tour worldwide, although with major changes to its members, and in 1996 released a new album, 'The Light at the End of the World'. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
