My class is discussing a book on new wave tomorrow, so I'm checking out some early videos by some of the bands. Jesus Christ but early B-52s were visually compelling. This is equal parts arty craziness and playfully cool. It's such a fuck-you to rock seriousness, including punk anger. More and more, I can't help but think that what was happening on the American side of early punk was so much more interesting and thought-provoking, even if it's the UK stuff that changed my life.
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty
We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
"Grab some wood, bub.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
Swell Maps/Mekons/The Television Personalities/Crass ...all spring to mind.
Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty
We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
Swell Maps/Mekons/The Television Personalities/Crass ...all spring to mind.
I'm not suggesting a binary, where one side had it all, only that the American side produced more conceptually interesting groups. Clearly, ymmv, but I find the US side is more intellectually stimulating, even tho more often than not my ears are drawn to the UK.
"Grab some wood, bub.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
Swell Maps/Mekons/The Television Personalities/Crass ...all spring to mind.
I'm not suggesting a binary, where one side had it all, only that the American side produced more conceptually interesting groups. Clearly, ymmv, but I find the US side is more intellectually stimulating, even tho more often than not my ears are drawn to the UK.
Yeah sure I get that it's not a competition only that groups both sides of the pond were producing thought provoking stuff. Bands like Throbbing Gristle surely fit this description.
Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty
We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.
Fantastic band fantastic track. But no way do I agree with your assessment that the USA was making more interesting and thought provoking stuff. Rock Lobster was released in 1978 and there was a shit ton of great thought provoking bands making new wave/punk music.
Magazine/PiL/The Only Ones/X-ray Spex/The Slits/Echo & The Bunnymen/Siouxsie & The Banshees/Teardrop Explodes ...to name just a few as the list is endless.
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
Swell Maps/Mekons/The Television Personalities/Crass ...all spring to mind.
I'm not suggesting a binary, where one side had it all, only that the American side produced more conceptually interesting groups. Clearly, ymmv, but I find the US side is more intellectually stimulating, even tho more often than not my ears are drawn to the UK.
Yeah sure I get that it's not a competition only that groups both sides of the pond were producing thought provoking stuff. Bands like Throbbing Gristle surely fit this description.
Yup, TG (along with CabVol) fit the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Speaking of, I see Cabaret Voltaire released a new record. Haven't heard it, tho.
"Grab some wood, bub.'" - Richard Nixon, Checkers Speech, abandoned early draft
That's all aesthetics, and I agree that they're great bands, most of whom I'd rather listen to. What I mean is that the US was producing more interesting bands that were operating on full concepts, such as Devo, B-52's, Suicide, or Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. They weren't just making music, but engaged in deliberate critiques of music, contemporary life, and consumption. UK bands, with a few examples (Cabaret Voltaire comes to mind), may have done so on particular songs, but they weren't performing that kind of conceptual work. That's what I mean about the US being more interesting to me—there's a greater sense that many of those bands existed for reasons beyond just music.
Swell Maps/Mekons/The Television Personalities/Crass ...all spring to mind.
I'm not suggesting a binary, where one side had it all, only that the American side produced more conceptually interesting groups. Clearly, ymmv, but I find the US side is more intellectually stimulating, even tho more often than not my ears are drawn to the UK.
Yeah sure I get that it's not a competition only that groups both sides of the pond were producing thought provoking stuff. Bands like Throbbing Gristle surely fit this description.
Yup, TG (along with CabVol) fit the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Speaking of, I see Cabaret Voltaire released a new record. Haven't heard it, tho.
Yeah there's a magazine over here called Electronic Sound that comes out monthly this months single was the Cabs. Not heard it though either. Looking forward to hearing the album I hope it isn't like their dance stuff though. It's on order.
Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty
We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.
