Tag: New Wave

Power pop was (is?) a strange phenomenon. Despite the big hooks, melodic overtones and just enough of a punk edge to keep things interesting, it never really caught on in a huge way. Although it’s made inroads into new wave and, more recently, indie pop, the leaders of the subgenre still remain fairly underground, with a few notable exceptions (Cheap Trick and The Romantics are among the few artists with major radio hits). It should be no surprise then, that in Christian circles, artists in the style were even fewer.… Continued →

Mad at the World went through at least three distinct phases throughout their history, which impressively spans across 4 decades: synth-pop/new wave, hard alternative rock/metal, and retro rock/alternative. We’ve already featured a song from their synth-pop era, and here’s one from their hard alternative phase, but one that interestingly enough hints at their retro phase that would be unleashed in 2 more albums’ time. Both of the songs I’ve chosen from the Rose brothers have spoken words of encouragement to me when I needed them. Let’s face it: 2020 has largely been crap.… Continued →

My song for the day is from a newer indie-pop artist by the name of Teddy At Night. Teddy (Boldt) played drums for bands like Wavorly, Family Force 5, and more recently For King & Country, as well as many others. On his first solo endeavor as singer/songwriter, his songs take on more of a pop sheen, sprinkled with a heavy dose of 80’s like synth driven new wave. These are songs for the broken-hearted, the lovers, and the seekers. These beautifully composed pop inspired takes are interwoven with a certain level of professionalism mixed with Teddy’s unforgettable vocal delivery.… Continued →

Alt-Rock/Indie band known as KIDS. just dropped 2 new songs via their new label home Tooth & Nail Records. Check out the songs below in lyric video form or find them via your favorite digital network. The songs are titled “All Smoke, No Fire”, and “Pale Horse”. FFO: Foster The People, Cold War Kids, Walk the Moon, Two Door Cinema Club, The Killers, One Republic, and good music. Love the sax on “All Smoke, No Fire”. The synth and piano are on fire throughout these 2 tracks.… Continued →

Mad at the World has had a very interesting and diverse career as a band. They started out doing somewhat dark synth-pop on their self-titled debut (in the vein of Depeche Mode, New Order, Clan of Xymox), then added guitars to their new wave sound for Flowers in the Rain. By their third album, they ditched the synths and morphed into a full-fledged alternative rock band with metallic influences. This carried on for three albums (Seasons of Love, Boomerang, and Through the Forest).… Continued →

The artist “Teddy at Night” which is actually Teddy Boldt former drummer of bands like Wavorly, Family Force 5, and For King & Country, has dropped 3 new songs in 2020 and they are a beautiful representation of a talented solo artist trying to convey inner emotion. This synth driven, newwave like 80’s revival project is actually really good. Not everyone will dig it but those that do know what’s up. Check out the new song, “Happiness”, below along with a music video for the song “Not Who I’m Not Anymore” and the previous track “Little Ones”, below.… Continued →

After releasing last year’s opus Young in My Head, Starflyer 59 are already back. The veteran indie rock band have just released a new single, “This Recliner” and boy oh boy is it good! Fueled by inspiration from the best of his 80s new wave AND shoegaze influences (The Church, Psychedelic Furs, Jesus and Mary Chain, et. al.), the man truly knows how to write a pop song. Sometimes I think his skill lies in brevity. Rather than dragging stuff out, founder Jason Martin always leaves you wanting just a little bit more.… Continued →

Another great example of early Christian punk/post-punk/new wave from the UK is Writz. They released one album in 1979 that would rival anything from the early CBGB’s scene, or even the stuff coming out of London or Manchester at the time. The band would later morph into the alter-egos of Techno Twins, The Techno Orchestra and the Technos, all of which pursued a sophisticated synth-pop sound. For my money though, Writz is where it’s at. Check out “Night Nurse” here. The song can often be found on 7″ for a reasonable price via online sales venues.… Continued →

Over the past 2-3 years, I’ve been discovering a bunch of old Christian punk, post-punk, and new wave that I didn’t know existed. One of the best examples is a short-lived band from the south coast of England called Crowd Control. I only know of one track they recorded, which can be found on the excellent “Shots in the Dark” compilation. The album features other UK-based punk, new wave, and ska tracks. “There are Houses” is brilliant. It’s dark, brooding, true post-punk with enough keyboards to keep things interesting.… Continued →

Matt Shelton formerly of Letter Kills, The Wedding, and his solo work IS BACK with brand new project titled Panther City Riots. Check out their debut song titled “Desire” below. Awesome band name a song full of new wave-like alt-pop ambiance. It’s like The Cure meets Blaq Audio meets Depeche Mode walking into a room with U2 and Head Automatica. Good stuff and I think a lot of people are going to dig this new sound/direction. Check out his kickstarter campaign to fund the new album.… Continued →

I don’t suspect many of our readers will be familiar with What of the Night, which is a shame. This Irish & English punk band released only one album in 1979 (yes, you read that right!) making them the earliest Christian punk band (if we don’t include Death, which is a discussion for another time). The LP features post-punk, mod, and garage rock sounds and would be at home next to the likes of The Undertones, The Jam, Buzzcocks and so many others. It’s super rare and hard to come by, but I managed to track down a copy for myself a couple of years ago.… Continued →

Instrumental indie rock/post-rock supergroup Unwed Sailor have just released a new single, and for a very limited time it’s a “pay what you want” download. The band had this to say about the track: “Gone Jungle is a stand-alone single that we recorded shortly after mixing our latest record, Heavy Age. It’s a nice mid-point between Heavy Age and what’s to come musically from Unwed Sailor.” Download the track here, and throw ’em a buck or two if you can afford it: www.unwedsailor.bandcamp.com… Continued →

Eager Seas, the group formerly known as Lakes and featuring a few members of Watashi Wa including frontman/guitarist Seth Roberts, have just released their new full length release titled “Mine As Well”. Pick up the album on Vinyl or Tape right here.… Continued →

Family Force 5 have returned to the music scene with a vengeance and are here to take over the pop spectrum with their heavy dose of HOT 80’s dance like anthems with modern sensibilities. That’s not all though because the group is now a duo of the brothers Josh and Jacob Olds under the name FF5. This new EP “El Compadre” combines the best elements of their “Dance Or Die” record and turns it up to 11. Everything you loved about past Family Force 5 material is now clearly evident in this new creation.… Continued →

Fine China has released a fabulous new 3 song single titled “You Are Not The Future”. The single is available now wherever fine digital music is sold/streamed (see below). The band’s new album and first in 12 years, titled “Not Thrilled” is out February 23rd via Velvet Blue Music. Purchase this single on 7″ right here. You can also pre-order the full 12″ vinyl for the new album right here. In case you are unfamiliar with the group, their sound falls in line with all the greats in 80’s New Wave while also incorporating modern sounds.… Continued →

I highly encourage you to check out the new music video for “Dimensions” by New Wave Indie Pop group, We Are Leo. Their newest album “The Rush & The Roar” is pure adrenaline fueled sing-a-long pop anthems with a strong spiritual core. Their songs will have you singing and dancing for days with true joy. You can check out the music video below and also a stream of their new “REMIX” of the track “61/Twenty-Three” by Unikron. … Continued →

I want to encourage all of you to check out this new laid back indie rock/pop band called LOWERCASE committee. They are from Las Vegas, feature 3 brothers (and their friend on Drums), and would please fans of Walk The Moon, Two Door Cinema Club, Foster the People, and Coldplay. I’m loving their new song titled “I Know” that you can see the lyric video for below. The band was formerly known as Three Cord. You can also hear their beautiful take on the Coldplay song, “The Scientist” after the bump.… Continued →

Recently on Twitter, Joshua Porter not only announced that he is in a new band called Church of Agony, but that they have already released a short Christmas EP entitled O Come, All Ye Faithful. The EP includes new wave renditions of the following Christmas classics: “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “O Holy Night,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” You can stream it or download it for $3 on Bandcamp; you can also follow them on Twitter.… Continued →

Hip hop artist S.O. has released his new music video for the track “New Wave” (ft. Canon). Check out the song below. You can pre-order the new Ep “These Things Take Time” on iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon (links below). … Continued →

Jerry Fee has released a lyric video for the track “Mystery”. Check it out below. His music can be described as “lush, synth-pop and new wave sounds of his childhood.” His new EP will be released soon.… Continued →

The dream of the 80’s is alive in Nashville. That’s what the new Hawk In Paris album would lead me to believe anyway. Creating a fusion between his Jars of Clay tunes, Depeche Mode, and some Mutemath flair, Dan Haseltine forms a sound that is currently unmatched in the music industry. It is true that many music critics say that the 80’s were a bad decade for music, however, The Hawk In Paris show us that this influence can be beneficial.