Tell Me What I Want To Hear. (In the car on the way to work.)
July 16, 2012 6:00 PM   Subscribe

Another Tell-Me-What-Music-To-Listen-To Question!

I have always been a huge fan of 80s/new wave music, and am equally nuts about nearly anything with a synthesizer. I am not very musically educated though, so I bet I just called everything by the wrong name. It seems like 80s is now new again, and a lot of new-ish bands have the sound I love. Can you tell me more stuff I'd like? New or old is fine, bonus points for stuff I don't have to dig up on vinyl or cassette.

I am really into:
Craft Spells
Thieves Like Us
Memory Tapes
Chromatics
Starfucker
Black Kids
Chromeo

And actually 80s stuff like:
Duran Duran
Tears for Fears
New Order
Human League

Thank you!
posted by masquesoporfavor to Media & Arts (22 answers total) 18 users marked this as a favorite
 
Check out Metronomy's English Riviera and Hot Chip's In Our Heads. Maybe even Of Montreal (albums from 2004-2007).
posted by kdern at 6:28 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


You must check out Joy Division, if you haven't. They are like the prototype for all the bands you mentioned, and New Order was fomed by the members of Joy Division after singer Ian Curtis died.
posted by 6550 at 6:29 PM on July 16, 2012


The label Italians Do It Better is right up your alley. Look into the genre coldwave. It's basically French new wave, but with a different name to avoid confusion with film. Check out the songs "Fire" by Lizzy Mercier Desclox and "Roman Photo" by Ruth. Also, vaguely similar to Memory Tapes is Neon Indian. You might like Grimes too.

Sorry for the lack of links; I'm still trying to figure out this phone.
posted by Pope Xanax IV at 6:30 PM on July 16, 2012


Response by poster: I do like Hot Chip and have all their albums, but they're hit or miss for me. Re: Of Montreal; I live in Atlanta and visit Athens a lot so I feel like I have to like them but they're too...experimental for me? I like "Disconnect the Dots" and almost nothing else.

I love Joy Division. Craft Spells sounds a lot like them, only not as dark, which is weird since the darkness seems inherent.

Thanks so far and keep it up y'all! :)
posted by masquesoporfavor at 6:34 PM on July 16, 2012


Music from and inspired by the film Drive (Spotify playlist) might introduce you to some new artists. Also... M83?
posted by acidic at 7:11 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


OK on preview someone beat me to M83 but that was the first one that popped into my head when you mentioned 'new' new wave.

I like a lot of the same artists as you, and while I am a chronic single-lover and can't recommend whole albums to you, below are some artists/tracks that I've been turned on to through my various (awesome, well-honed) Pandora stations, so I'll throw some out and it might lead you to something you'll like.

Newer: Cagedbaby, Cut Copy, Jori Hulkkonen, M83, Junior Boys

80's: Gary Numan, Pet Shop Boys

Oh and Daft Punk of course, how could I forget.

Finally, you may want to check out AllMusic--that's another way I've discovered new (to me) good stuff. You find the artist you like and under the "Related" tab, there's a list of related artists as well as artists your selected artist is 'influenced by'. That may steer you in the right direction too.
posted by lovableiago at 7:22 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Newer:
Mirrors - Ways To An End
Holy Ghost - Hold On
Diamond Rings - Something Else
Cut Copy - Need You Now
The Juan Maclean - Find A Way
Violens - Totally True
The Mary Onettes - Void
We Have Band - Divisive
Die Sterne - Life In Quiz
Poni Hoax - Antibodies
Mystery Jets - Serotonin
The Hundred In The Hands - Commotion

Older:
Japan - The Quiet Life
Blancmange - Blind Vision
OMD - Messages
Ultravox - Reap the Wild Wind
Visage - Fade to Grey
Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
posted by otters walk among us at 7:55 PM on July 16, 2012 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: RIGHT ON!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 8:02 PM on July 16, 2012




A favorite topic of mine...

Fischerspooner - Never Win
Blouse - Time Travel
The Organ - Brother
The Rosebuds - Get Up Get Out
Bag Raiders - Sunlight
St. Lucia - We Got It Wrong
Penguin Prison - A Funny Thing
Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl
Geographer - Verona
Wild Nothing - Chinatown
Stars - Elevator Love Letter
Future Conditional - The Switchboard Girl
Hockey - Song Away
posted by tdstone at 11:15 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


dang...posted too quick. Fixed bad links in post above.

Blouse - Time Travel
The Organ - Brother
The Rosebuds - Get Up Get Out
posted by tdstone at 11:28 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


Also, this approaches the 80's more broadly, but lots of good stuff in this thread...here
posted by tdstone at 11:35 PM on July 16, 2012 [1 favorite]


A few more originals:
Julian Cope: Tiny Children
Howard Devoto: Rainy Season
Simple Minds: The American
Sparks: The Number one Song in Heaven
Shriekback: This big Hush
Tom Club: Genius of Love
Love and Rockets: Haunted when the Minutes Drag
Romeo Void: Never Say Never
Duran Duran: Careless Memories
posted by rongorongo at 3:13 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]


You might like British band The Horrors. New Order/Joy Division are definite influences.

Still Life by the Horrors
posted by TheOtherGuy at 4:35 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]


More:
Altered Images: Don't Talk to me about Love
The Associates: Breakfast
Squeeze: Take me I'm yours
China Chrisis: Christian
The Vapors: Here Comes the Judge
Win: Super Popoid Groove
Torch Song: Don't Look Now
The The: Giant
M: Pop Muzik
Thomas Dolby: I scare myself
The Normal: TVOD
Soft Cell: Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
posted by rongorongo at 7:12 AM on July 17, 2012


Man, you really need to get the new Twin Shadow album "Confess". It is the most 80's sounding thing I've heard in awhile (in a good way). Check out the first single "Five Seconds" on youtube for a sample. I'm confident this will fit the bill!
posted by noboru_wataya at 10:21 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]


This question is WAY outside my area of expertise, but you might like the Antlers. They're guitar, keyboard and drums and not synthesizers, but they do have a bit of an 80's sound.
posted by cnc at 12:15 PM on July 17, 2012


Lots of good answers here! You might also like Psychobuildings.
posted by dizziest at 3:05 PM on July 17, 2012


Along with a lot of the other stuff recommended here (particularly M83 & Cut Copy, whose last album but one my husband and I tend to think of as Depeche Mode lite), I really groove to La Roux and Class Actress.

Also, a lot of artists from back in the day are releasing current music, which should not be discounted. I love the new OMD and the new Ultravox, and commend them to your attention.
posted by immlass at 3:09 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]


No one's yet mentioned Blondie, Talking Heads, Joe Jackson, Elvis Costello, Adam and the Ants, the Police, the Cars, Boomtown Rats?
posted by at at 7:29 AM on July 18, 2012


Response by poster: Lest you all thing I'm a total neo maxi zoom dweebie, I have indeed heard lots of these bands before, but there are some new ones and I look forward to listening to them all, thank you!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:47 PM on July 18, 2012


Response by poster: thing=think...ugh
posted by masquesoporfavor at 2:47 PM on July 18, 2012


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