Let’s Boogie on down to the Boogie Café

It was a cold, rainy November Friday evening when my Japanese friend, rock and roll and tattoo brother Kenny Shangrila took me to the Boogie Café in Yokohama. On my way from Bangkok to Chicago via Japan, I had a three-day layover in Japan where I would be hanging out with Kenny. After he had [...]

Read Full Post »

The Band’s “The Weight” from The Last Waltz

The first time I heard The Band’s “The Weight,” at least the first time I can remember hearing it was in 1983’s The Big Chill. I might have heard it before, but it didn’t, if you can excuse the pun, touch a chord as much until that movie. It just wasn’t [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave One Hit Wonders

If you are a big fan of New Wave music, then you will enjoy these classic videos and one hit wonders
I really think so!

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “Local Girls” — Graham Parker & The Rumour

There are some songs that just emanate or ooze “new wave” whether it’s the songs catchy lyrics or hard rocking sound that was attuned to the energy of the post punk and early new wave period. If you are much of a musicologist, and you’ve listened to music of the 70s [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “A Message to you Rudy” — The Specials

One of the defining moments of the ska music revival, at least in the UK, was the release of the album Specials by the group The Specials. Formed in 1977, the band was first called The Automatics and then The Coventry Automatics and finally, after calling themselves The Special AKA The [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “Life During Wartime” – Talking Heads

If you are one of those music aficionados who prefers their lyrics to be on the cerebral side of things without compromising too much foot-stomping danceability, you could also count on the Talking Heads to deliver both.
And you never had to worry about them not making sense.
Take their 1979 hit, “Life [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “Oliver’s Army” — Elvis Costello

New Wave music had it’s share of high energy, danceable rock and roll with snappy, fun lyrics, but not all songs were about turning Japanese, whipping it good, or getting back to Echo Beach. On the contrary, there were some songs that were political in nature—like Elvis Costello’s “Oliver’s Army” [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “Video Killed the Radio Star” — The Buggles

“We hear the playback and it seems so long ago. And you remember the jingles used to go…”
I suppose the playback does seem so long ago when you think about some of the music that characterized the New Wave scene back in 1979. When you listen to some of the music [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “Cruel to be Kind” — Nick Lowe

There are some songs that just seem to have the “new wave” stamp all over them—whether it’s a jangly guitar sound with catchy riffs, a Farfisa organ, or some snappy lyrics.
Some bands and artists were one-hit wonders like The Vapors and their hit “Turning Japanese” while others like Nick Lowe had [...]

Read Full Post »

New Wave Class of 1979: “One Step Beyond” — Madness

I was jamming to some tunes on my iPod today when “One Step Beyond” by Madness comes on, and I think, if someone asked me what songs best characterized the new wave sound, this one would be one of them.
Although some music purists and musicologists might beg to differ with my [...]

Read Full Post »