New Wave Music

[queequeg]

No Wave is a kind of obscure (and pretentious) off-shoot of punk. It's basically a load of distorted, atonal noise. It's definitely an aquired taste and, in punk terms, is kind of the musical opposite of New Wave.

Oh and, starskin, I understand what you're saying and I totally agree about the 'Old Wave' thing too.

[slanderous]

I wouldn't say that all No Wave is pretentious! But maybe that's because I love a lot of No Wave and its descendents. (Though I agree that it can go too far --which in my book means completely undanceable-- and become too much like free jazz with guitars and keyboards.) If you want to hear good No Wave, try finding (on Soulseek, maybe) the 2003 compilation "N.Y. No Wave." A current No Wave-y band might be the Angry Angles or the A-Frames. Not melodic, but not completely atonal either.

[queequeg]

Ah, sorry slanderous, and you're right, there is definitely some good No Wave music out there. It's also inspired some excellent bands (Sonic Youth etc) but it's not really my kind of thing. I guess I feel the same way about it as I do about My Bloody Valentine - I have respect for the music but it's not neccessarily something I'd choose to listen to.

[starskin]

I always get No Wave and Electroclash confused in my head, since they are two genres of music that I'm disgustingly underinformed about (other than my friend's raging love of Sonic Youth, who have a lot of No Wave elements). Could someone explain the difference to me?

Another label that annoys me, though not as deeply as "Old Wave", is "Darkwave". I mean, yes, I suppose it is somewhat useful in defining the sound of bands who straddle the line between the New Wave and Goth/Industrial sound. I just wish it didn't sound so----pretentious. Like, 14 year old Goth pretentious. I'm weird about this stuff, I know.

[gimmeshelter]

starskin said:

I always get No Wave and Electroclash confused in my head, since they are two genres of music that I'm disgustingly underinformed about (other than my friend's raging love of Sonic Youth, who have a lot of No Wave elements). Could someone explain the difference to me?

I don't know anything about No Wave. But electroclash is essentially, dance music with a promient (sp?) guitars and synth. Mostly, it's updated 80s early synth. Electroclash would be Rachel Stevens' "Some Girls" & "Crazy Boys" and Goldfrapp's "Oh La La."

[starskin]

Huh, imagine my surprise when I did a wikipedia search under "electroclash" and discovered that I recognized several of the artists. I always assumed Peaches was a rapper. But nope, apparently she's electroclash. Fischerspooner? Miss Kittin? Interesting. I can tell I'm going to have to work this into my thesis, too....I just have no idea how yet! Meep.

ETA: Goldfrapp is considered electroclash too, gimmieshelter? HUH. This thread is amazing. I learn something every day from it.

[gimmeshelter]

Starskin, Goldfrapp's latest album "Supernature" falls into the electroclash category. Their first album is more chillout, ambient sort of music. I'm not sure about their second, though. It reminds me a lot of dark house but that's a guess.

[dwanollah]

"Fuck the pain away... fuck the pain away...."

[slanderous]

Starskin, most of the so-christened "darkwave" bands I've heard seem to straddle the goth and no wave line rather than goth and new wave. But I only know of, like, one or two (Lost Sounds and Black Sunday). Alicja Trout, who is in both, is a musical prodigy or something. She's in a MILLION bands.

Aren't Le Tigre and Yeah Yeah Yeahs also considered "electroclash"? And about five years before them, there were bands like Sta-Prest who were doing that sound.

[starskin]

See, the only bands I've ever heard described as "Darkwave" are Depeche Mode and Sisters of Mercy, and they seem like Goth-New Wave hybrids (at least, DM did during Music For the Masses and Black Celebration). That's why I said I thought it was a label between the two. What are some other Darkwave bands---I haven't heard of the two you named, because I'm sorely under educated in this area.

And I was going to mention Le Tigre! When I read the description of Electroclash, they were the first band I thought of, and I"m not even a fan. I do like Peaches, though. And Miss Kittin. Reading the wikipedia article kept bringing up images of Party Monster. Heh.