Description
The Encyclopedia Of New Wave – Paperback Book
ISBN – 9781402784729
Softcover
302 Pages
The Encyclopedia of New Wave is a comprehensive guidebook that delves into the vibrant and eclectic world of New Wave, a genre that emerged in the late 1970s and flourished throughout the 1980s. Written by Daniel Bukszpan and published in 2022, the book captures the essence of this multifaceted musical movement, which blended punk rock, post-punk, synth-pop, and art rock to create a sound that was both innovative and commercially accessible. The Encyclopedia serves as an essential resource for both casual listeners and dedicated fans, offering detailed profiles of key artists, albums, and songs that defined New Wave, as well as exploring its cultural impact.
New Wave is notable for its fusion of styles, combining the raw energy of punk with a polished, often experimental approach that incorporated synthesizers, electronic instruments, and unconventional songwriting. The book explores how New Wave borrowed elements from various genres, including disco, funk, and reggae, while also pushing the boundaries of pop music with avant-garde and minimalist influences.
New Wave is as much about aesthetics as it is about sound. The genre is associated with a distinctive visual style, featuring bold colors, angular fashion, and quirky, futuristic visuals often seen in music videos and album artwork. The book emphasizes the role of MTV in the rise of New Wave, which was one of the first genres to fully embrace the music video format.
Lyrically, New Wave often dealt with themes of alienation, technological anxieties, romantic disillusionment, and escapism, reflecting the cultural landscape of the late 20th century. The Encyclopedia covers these recurring themes, showing how New Wave artists captured the spirit of an era marked by rapid technological change and social upheaval.
Key Artists and Bands
The Encyclopedia of New Wave provides in-depth profiles of the most influential artists who shaped the movement, as well as lesser-known acts that contributed to its diversity. Some of the essential figures covered include:
Talking Heads: Known for their quirky, cerebral approach to music, Talking Heads combined punk, art rock, and world music influences to become one of New Wave’s most innovative bands. The book highlights albums like Fear of Music (1979) and Remain in Light (1980), which pushed the boundaries of rhythm and sound.
Blondie: With their blend of punk attitude and pop sensibility, Blondie became one of the first New Wave bands to achieve mainstream success. The Encyclopedia details how hits like “Heart of Glass” and “Call Me” helped define the genre’s fusion of danceable rhythms and edgy cool.
Depeche Mode: One of the most enduring acts to come out of the New Wave era, Depeche Mode’s shift from early synth-pop to darker, more atmospheric music is thoroughly explored. Their transition from albums like Speak & Spell (1981) to Violator (1990) is presented as a key example of New Wave’s evolving sound.
The Cure: Although they are often associated with gothic rock, The Cure’s early albums were quintessential New Wave, combining introspective lyrics with shimmering guitars and minimalist arrangements. The book highlights their influence on both New Wave and alternative rock.
Duran Duran: Known for their sleek, polished sound and iconic music videos, Duran Duran embodied the visual and commercial appeal of New Wave. The Encyclopedia examines how the band capitalized on MTV to reach global stardom with tracks like “Hungry Like the Wolf” and “Rio.”
The book also covers a wide array of other influential acts like Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Human League, Elvis Costello, Gary Numan, Talking Heads, and more, painting a full picture of the genre’s diversity.
The Encyclopedia identifies key albums that shaped the sound and culture of New Wave, analyzing their significance both musically and culturally. Essential albums like David Bowie’s Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) (1980), Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures (1979), and New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies (1983) are explored in detail, illustrating the genre’s diverse sonic landscape.
Iconic singles such as The B-52’s “Rock Lobster”, The Clash’s “Rock the Casbah,” and A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran (So Far Away)” are dissected for their innovation and enduring influence. The book highlights how these tracks were instrumental in bringing New Wave to mainstream audiences and how their unique sounds set them apart from traditional pop and rock music.
The book delves into the origins of New Wave, tracing its roots back to the post-punk movement that emerged in the late 1970s as a response to the nihilism of punk. Artists like Joy Division, Wire, and Television are credited with laying the groundwork for New Wave’s more experimental and art-driven approach.
The launch of MTV in 1981 played a crucial role in the rise of New Wave, as many of the genre’s artists embraced the visual medium of music videos. The book explains how New Wave became the perfect genre for MTV’s early years, with its colorful, avant-garde videos capturing the imagination of young viewers. Bands like Duran Duran, A-Ha, and The Talking Heads are cited as examples of how video became a critical aspect of New Wave’s success.
While centered in the U.K. and the U.S., New Wave’s impact extended globally, influencing music scenes across Europe, Australia, and Japan. The Encyclopedia discusses the genre’s international reach, showing how bands from different countries contributed to and were shaped by the New Wave movement.
The Encyclopedia of New Wave shows how the genre’s experimental use of electronics and synthesizers paved the way for 1980s pop music, with artists like Prince, Madonna, and Tears for Fears building on its foundations. The genre’s impact extended well into the 1990s with the rise of Britpop and indie rock, genres that borrowed heavily from New Wave’s ethos of innovation and boundary-pushing.
The book also explores the genre’s revival in the early 2000s, when bands like The Strokes, The Killers, and Franz Ferdinand drew inspiration from New Wave’s sound and aesthetics. The resurgence of interest in analog synthesizers, retro fashion, and danceable post-punk rhythms demonstrates New Wave’s lasting cultural appeal.
The Encyclopedia of New Wave is an indispensable guide for anyone interested in the music and culture of the late 70s and 80s. Covering everything from the biggest bands and albums to obscure tracks and movements, this book provides a rich, detailed look at one of the most influential and visually distinct genres of modern music. Through its exploration of New Wave’s sonic experimentation, its bold aesthetics, and its lasting legacy, the Encyclopedia offers an essential resource for both dedicated fans and newcomers eager to understand the genre’s place in music history.
https://www.roundflat.com/shop/books-and-magazines/the-encyclopedia-of-new-wave-paperback-book/https://i0.wp.com/www.roundflat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The-Encyclopedia-of-New-Wave.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/www.roundflat.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/The-Encyclopedia-of-New-Wave.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1The Encyclopedia Of New Wave - Paperback Book ISBN - 9781402784729 Softcover 302 Pages The Encyclopedia of New Wave is a comprehensive guidebook that delves into the vibrant and eclectic world of New Wave, a genre that emerged in the late 1970s and flourished throughout the 1980s. Written by Daniel Bukszpan and published...roundflat webmaster@roundflat.comAdministratorRound Flat Records
