What Is 'Next Wave'?

[rotator]

This question may have been asked before, and I also posted this on the 'Next Wave' video section--but I thought Id ask the question here:

...what is "Next Wave" mean exactly?...I thought it to mean current acts, aping , well...New Wave...
I kind of get the vibe you mean by 'next wave' is "Indie Pop" or just 'Indie', for example everyone on this site seems to love (for reasons I dont get) British Sea Power....not new wave...just trying to get the definition straight...The Miss Kitten video I put up is a perfect example of what I consider "Next Wave"...80% of the "sound", production and vibe harkening back to the halcyon days of 'New Wave'
--I dont have any problem with new music...just trying to figure out why people are connecting 'New Wave' to Modest Mouse or Of Montreal or British Sea Power....that being said, I consider 'Interpol' "next wave"...I believe this is purely a semantic problem...

[Frau_Blucher]

So you're looking to better define a pseudo-genre that's derivative of a previous genre for which nobody had a really good definition for either? [;)]

I think that's the problem. I don't think there is a definition, but the forum subtitle seems to say it most simply: "Discussions about the new generations of bands [i]influenced[/i] by new wave and 80's postpunk." That's all they are, influenced in some way, and I think that's pretty undeniable, even by the bands' own words.

When I opened your vids in the "next wave vid" thread, they seemed unarguably "next wave" to me for some reason. But I also noted that they were of the more synthy variety, ala Kraftwerk. I think there's lots of folks here who also lean toward more guitar-driven sounds like Echo & the Bunnymen or Gang of Four (though not to the exclusion of OMD etc either). The latter would seem to be a greater influence today.

As for BSP, I think they have a distinctly Echo & the Bunnymen influence, maybe less so on the recent album. But I don't think [i]everyone[/i] loves them. I think it's just one particularly annoying and prolific poster who keeps blathering on and on about them...ahem. [B)]

Also, note that I'd already posted about there being way too many boring white boy guitar bands that I wanna rip my ears out over. The distinction between some of these bands might seem subtle or even incomprehensible, but they're there depending on the listener. I really can't stand the Bravery or Killers anymore for example, but I quite like Office or The Fratellis. Even I can't explain why.

[djcraig]

"New Wave" being hard to define because it encompassed so many genres and had so many influences, incorporating elements of punk, disco, ska, 60s, girl groups, psychedelia, garage and funk. The addition of electronics like synthesizers helping to create sounds that hadn't been heard before.

Next Wave could be called "music that expresses the sense of experimentation embodied by New Wave". That's a pretty flexible definition but it has to be.

When I listen to BSP I hear a lot of "wall of echoing guitar" that reminds me of bands like U2, The Chameleons and Big Country. Modest Mouse, with their quirky sound, has me drawing comparisons to Sparks.

<a href="http://www.djcraig.net/los_angeles_dj">DJ Craig</a>

[rotator]

Blir -- thanks for the clarification, of course , I understand almost every 'Indie' band is "influenced" by punk and post-punk (read: New Wave) bands. I guess I was being a little too strict in needing to connect the 'New Wave' sound with what was being described as 'Next Wave'..probably a little closed minded of me. ...and yes, whereas bands like The Killers, the Bravery (and again Interpol, really) wear their influences on their foreheads --- others like, The Editors have it buried a little. again semantic difficulty, 'Next Wave' implies something a little different to me...and yes, I suppose it's easier to connect some newer 'Electroclash'(Tiga,Ladytron, Kitten et al) sound with the David Ball/kraftwerk sound , than an angular guitar sound (Gang Of 4, Wire, The Pop Group) to current acts "borrowing" the afforementioneds artistic sensibility....Ok...bang-on.

but... I dont want to live in a world where Snow Patrol 'Next Wave'

[Frau_Blucher]

Heheh...last summer in Montreal, I caught two "next wave" acts back-to-back. The Dears were holding their homecoming concert to a packed and rollicking house. After that, Tiga was doing an after party down the street. They could not have been more different, but I enjoyed them equally and compartmentalized both somehow as sorta "next wave". Weird. But I'd take a bunch of polar opposites together...Goldfrapp/BSP, Ladytron/stellastar*, M83/Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Weird though.

[i_like_lectric_motors]

[quote][i]Originally posted by rotator[/i]
Electroclash'(Tiga,Ladytron, Kitten et al) sound with the David Ball/kraftwerk sound [/quote]

This is what is known as "gentle next wave".

[quote]

than an angular guitar sound (Gang Of 4, Wire, The Pop Group)

[/quote]

Otherwise known as "power next wave".