New Wave Outpost Forum

I would say New Wave ran from 1977-1991

Most often I see the NW era defined as "late 70s to mid 80s," which I take to mean 1977-86.

86-91 was a transitional phase before grunge. The bands I listened to during those years were all guitar-based college rock bands. We called them postpunk or underground bands. In '92 the word "alternative" became popular. That's my memory, anyway.

What about those late-coming synth bands like Anything Box and Info Society? that would be new wave still right?

July 1977 article from Time magazine. http://www.bostongroupienews.com/TimeMagazine.html

The term "new wave" is used several times.

^yes i would put the dawn at '77, maybe even '76.

I remember the term "Alternative" coming into vogue around 1986. I think I heard it first on 120 Minutes. It just seemed like a new way to brand the same stuff for the next generation of teens. By 1992 Alternative still meant The Cure, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, but it also meant something else Nirvana, Pixies, Sonic Youth.

I think the term Alternative died around 1996 and then major label acts just became "rock" while everything else went under the catch-all of "Indie".

"You can't say 'them'. You have to tell me which one of 'them'." - Lenny Bruce

[quote][i]Originally posted by ghosty[/i]
<br>I remember the term "Alternative" coming into vogue around 1986. I think I heard it first on 120 Minutes. It just seemed like a new way to brand the same stuff for the next generation of teens. By 1992 Alternative still meant The Cure, Morrissey, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, but it also meant something else Nirvana, Pixies, Sonic Youth.

I think the term Alternative died around 1996 and then major label acts just became "rock" while everything else went under the catch-all of "Indie".
[/quote]

In my town alternative came into vogue later, maybe '91. Before that we used the term underground. Some writer said metal and indie rock killed off new wave in the mid 80s, with REM and the smiths as examples of indie. Bands I listened to in 84-88 were all indie (on this def): REM, husker du, replacements, meatpuppets, bad brains, minutemen.

to me it gets confusing because the classic NW bands kept making music, and are still making music. so is a 1991 song by the cure NW or not? yes and no.

[quote][i]Originally posted by tileboy[/i]
<br>July 1977 article from Time magazine. http://www.bostongroupienews.com/TimeMagazine.html

The term "new wave" is used several times.
[/quote]

thanks for that article. the term new wave seems to mean 'the punk bands that are now getting a lot of attention'.

1976-1983 for the USA, 1977-1981 for the UK.

There was still New Wave music for a few years after this, but the music at this point could go either way being labeled Alternative or Indie or Dance just as well. The years above are the periods of New Wave as a "movement" where it was still, I guess, new.

Around 1976-1977, new wave and punk were more or less synonyms, but from 1978 on, the press started to treat new wave and punk as separate things.

Where I lived (The Netherlands), the term new wave was popular until 1985-1986 after which terms like alternative and indie music became en vogue.

The meaning of new wave had significantly narrowed at the end of the 1980s, and by then many saw it as a synonym for gothic music.

I'm thinking 1979-1986. More narrow time frame than some of the previous posts. To me New Wave in synonymous with the rise in the keyboard-based catchy pop tunes. 1976-1978 tended to focus more on retro guitar riffs and punk.

I look at groups such as Flash & the Pan, New Muzik, OMD, Visage and the Buggles as the pioneers that helped bring it out into the open more.

[quote] To me New Wave in synonymous with the rise in the keyboard-based catchy pop tunes [/quote]

Seems you're thinking of Synthpop, which to be honest is merely a branch and subgenre of New Wave, not the definition of it. Said bands brought an important electronic/dance face to New Wave but they didn't necessarily redefine the term. Guitar driven bands were always associated with NW, whether in '77 or in '84.

The earliest new wave song that I know of is from '75, being Mi-Sex's "Computer Games", though I don't think there were that many new wave songs being made until later in the 70's. I definitely think the end of the new wave era was '89. By 1990, a lot more of the music played on stations like KROQ, WLIR, etc started having the pre-grunge indie sound. There wasn't as much synth pop or college rock being made anymore in the beginning of the 90's and onward.