Synth & Swagger

Which New Waver Are You? Three Archetypes to Explore

Discover which New Wave archetype fits you: from punchy Power Pop & Skinny Tie Brigade to quirky Art-Pop Eccentrics and glamorous New Romantic Synthpop stars.

The Howard Jones Sutras (Synthpop Meets Zen)

Discover four “sutras” in Howard Jones’s music that blend synthpop warmth with mindfulness and optimism, showing how his songs offer emotional insight and calm

Full Moon on Monday - Halloween and New Wave

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Explore New Wave’s spooky side with eerie tracks by Duran Duran, The Cure, Oingo Boingo, and more: perfect songs to soundtrack your Halloween dancefloor.

New Wave Empowerment: How the Pretenders, Go-Go’s, and Eurythmics Redefined It

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Explore how the Pretenders, the Go-Go’s, and the Eurythmics redefined female empowerment in New Wave: from Chrissie Hynde’s grit to Annie Lennox’s command.

Friend and Foe: Adam Ant's Media War

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Explore how Adam Ant’s early career became a battlefield with the British press. From Goody Two Shoes to Friend or Foe, his music turned media conflict into art.

Post-Punk vs New Wave: Shadows and Shimmers

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Explore the contrast between post-punk’s brooding mood and mainstream New Wave’s glamour by comparing bands like The Cure, Joy Division, New Order, Duran Duran, and Blondie.

Canada Rides the New Wave

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Discover Canada’s vibrant New Wave scene: from Toronto clubs to Montreal art basements, through influential acts like Martha and the Muffins and Men Without Hats.

Squeeze: New Wave’s Literate Hitmakers

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Explore how Squeeze’s Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook turned sharp, witty narratives and melodic hooks into some of New Wave’s most literate and enduring songs.

One-Hit Wonders - You Can Dance If You Want To

Explore New Wave one-hit wonders like The Safety Dance, Break My Stride, and Tarzan Boy, unpacking why these dance-ready tracks became timeless singles.

New Wave's Headscratchers

Some New Wave songs are catchy. Others make you wonder what was in the studio air. Revisit the genre’s greatest head-scratchers—opera rap, pirate hip-hop, crying guitars, and more.

Australia and New Zealand New Wave Neon: Split Enz, Men at Work & INXS

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Explore how Australasia’s new wave scene - from Split Enz and Men at Work to INXS - turned regional swagger into global synth-pop style and memorable hooks.

5 Songs That Secretly Echo New Wave

Explore five modern pop songs — from Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack to Dua Lipa’s Break My Heart - that secretly echo ’80s New Wave melodies, rhythms, or riffs.

New Wave’s Secret Ancestry

Discover how minority voices shaped New Wave’s sound and spirit: from Adam Ant’s Romani roots to Lene Lovich and Oingo Boingo’s Latino rhythms and cultural depth.

Thomas Dolby Didn’t Just Do Science

Discover how Thomas Dolby’s first four albums go beyond quirky synthpop, blending satire, sorrow, and sci-fi noir to reveal the depth behind his pioneering sound.

When New Wave Veterans Took the 2000s Revival Personally

Explore the mid-2000s new wave comebacks — how bands like Franz Ferdinand brought the sound back into fashion and helped icons like Duran Duran reconnect with their roots.

New Wave Hits and Their Evil Twins

Discover New Wave hit songs like Don’t You Want Me and Tainted Love, alongside their darker, evil twin B-sides that twist mood, theme, and sound in unsettling ways.

New Wave in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis – Regional Scenes and Hidden Gems

Uncover six under-the-radar regional new wave bands from Chicago, LA, and Minneapolis whose underground sounds captured the genre’s quirky DIY spirit and inventiveness.

Gay & Queer in New Wave

Explore the LGBTQ+ influence in New Wave music, from queer icons and club culture to songs like Johnny Are You Queer? that reshaped identity and expression in the ’80s.

New Wave Does the Summer

Explore New Wave’s sun-soaked side through hits like Katrina & The Waves’ Walking on Sunshine” and Bananarama’s Cruel Summer, where synths meet summer vibes.

Synthpop - How's It Different From Other New Wave?

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Learn how synthpop’s electronic-first sound and hypnotic rhythms set it apart from broader New Wave styles like Blondie and The Cars in this deep genre comparison.

Under-the-Radar New Wave Songs

Unearth under-the-radar new wave tracks from 1979–1981. Think deep cuts by the Cars, Depeche Mode, Human League, and more that go beyond the hits.

New Wave Hits That Are Actually Covers

Discover New Wave hits that were actually cover songs. Like Soft Cell’s Tainted Love and Blondie’s The Tide Is High, and how they became ’80s classics.

New Wave’s Second Wind: A Revivalist’s Guide

Explore how bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and The Bravery helped revive New Wave’s synth-infused sound in the 2000s and keep its spirit alive.

More Talking, More Head - An Artist Spotlight

Explore the influence of Talking Heads in New Wave music — from quirky art-rock beginnings to iconic tracks like Psycho Killer and Once in a Lifetime.

Falco: Vienna in a Tux

Discover Austrian New Wave pioneer Falco: from Der Kommissar to Rock Me Amadeus, his quirky synth-pop fusion and place in ’80s music history.

Countdowns and Synth Sounds: How New Wave Captured the Cold War’s Anxious Pulse

Explore how New Wave’s synth sound captured Cold War anxiety, with tracks like Nena’s 99 Luftballons and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Two Tribes echoing nuclear tension.

Devo vs Oingo Boingo: Two Paths to the Weird

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A head-to-head look at Oingo Boingo and Devo — two distinct New Wave innovators — exploring their styles, influences, and contributions to the genre