Because sometimes you need '80s New Wave music

So the other day I'm driving in the car with the spouse and the teenager when I realize we're listening to New Wave music from the 1980s.

'Are we listening to Pandora?' I asked. 'Nope,' they said, 'It's 1st Wave on Sirius XM.'

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I chortled in my joy. FINALLY, a replacement for WLIR!

And since that fateful day, I have had my car radio tuned to Sirius XM Channel 33 -- and have heard many old gems I had forgotten about, like...

"Start!" from The Jam...



And "Cool Places" sung by Sparks and Jane Wiedlin...



Gotta love those '80s New Wave videos.

And "Legal Tender" from the B-52s...



And speaking of legal tender, remember the Pet Shop Boys' song "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)"?



Some days I miss the 1980s, at least the music.

It's a Throwback Thursday '80s New Wave Dance Party!

For some reason, I've been hearing a lot of 1980s New Wave music recently -- at restaurants and in shops. And it gets me all nostalgic, it does. (I remember when MTV FINALLY came to Manhattan in 1982 or 1983. My dad had just bought a big projection TV, and I would camp out in his living room, with a bunch of my friends from school, watching videos FOR HOURS. Video not only killed the radio star but my desire to do homework.)

So, it being Throwback Thursday, I thought I'd share a few more of my favorite '80s New Wave songs and videos, like...

"Situation" from Yaz (or Yazoo)...



(Alison Moyet, Adele before there was Adele. Am I right?)

And the Thompson Twins' "Doctor! Doctor!"



I've also been hearing The Cars' "Magic" played a lot.



And I don't know if you heard but Duran Duran has a new album out -- and the group was seemingly everywhere this summer, performing classics, like "Rio," as well as some new tunes.




And how could I (almost) forget Robert Palmer?! Though I have no idea what his "Looking for clues" video is about.



I could go on (and on) -- The Go-Gos! The Bangles! Roxy Music! Howard Jones! The Pet Shop Boys! -- but I will save those artists for another post.

Good dancing to you all!

And now for some more '80s dance music

Sometimes I miss the 1980s, or at least the dance music.

Remember WLIR? Remember all the great alternative music they played, all the New Wave and Techno stuff coming out of the UK (and the US)?

Remember "Lawn Chairs" from Our Daughters Wedding?



Lawn chairs are everywhere
They're everywhere
My mind describes them to me
Only to me-ee

And Lene Lovich singing "New Toy"?



I want a new toy (oh-ee-oh)
To keep my head expanding.
I want a new toy (oh-ee-oh)
Nothing too demanding.

And I just loved "Soft Core" from Maurice and the Cliches.



She's got a birthmark that looks just like a staple.
She's from New Jersey.
She wants to be an actress.

And does anyone else remember the Hilary song "Drop Your Pants"?



Don't leave me for another.
You've got no plan to live with mother.
Don't take your feet from my basket.
My peaches are pleasing and always in season.

Now it's your turn. What somewhat obscure 1980s Techno or New Wave song do you fondly remember?

P.S. Click on the "1980s" label (below) to hear more great '80s songs.

And now for some New Wave '80s dance music

As you all know, I have a penchant for 1980s New Wave music, especially dance music. And it's been ages since I shared some of my favorite '80s tracks. So here goes. (You're welcome.)

Earlier this week I wrote about fashion, which reminded me of the classic David Bowie song "Fashion."



Brings back memories, it does. (David Bowie's Serious Moonlight concert, to promote his album Let's Dance, was one of the best concerts I ever attended. And yes, I know, "Fashion" was on his Scary Monsters album, but he sang it at MSG.)

Next up, "Turning Japanese," sung by The Vapors. Politically incorrect, I know. But it's got a good beat and I can dance to it.



Speaking of not drinking or smoking... I give you Adam Ant's "Goody Two Shoes."



(I cannot get my brain around the fact that Adam Ant will be 60 -- 60! -- in November. Shudder.)

Another great 1980's dance track was (and is) "Don't Go" from Yazoo, or Yaz.



I am equally fond of their song "Situation."

For more great '80s New Wave hits, check out this page -- or click on the 1980s label at the end of this post.

And feel free to share your favorite '80s dance tracks in the Comments.

Because sometimes you need '80s music

Ever have a moment when something out of the blue suddenly reminded you of a favorite song or band? A moment when suddenly you remembered, with a smile, that song that had you dancing in your PJs in your bedroom, or singing out loud in your high school senior lounge or in your college dorm room? A song, and a memory, that made you a little happier, or a little less sad?

That just happened to me recently while working on an article. While doing research, I came across a web design agency with the name New Haircut, which has an amusing Home page -- and made me immediately think of the 1980s New Wave band Haircut 100.

Remember Haircut 100's "Favorite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl)"?



Man, I loved that song.

Next thing I knew, "Blue Monday" by New Order popped into my head. (WARNING: Do NOT click on that link unless you have seven minutes to spare.)

And how many of you spun 'round your room (like a record, baby) to Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)"?



Guilty.

And you couldn't walk into the Senior Lounge of my little all-girls high school without hearing Boy George and Culture Club. (I can still hear Kim G singing "I'll Tumble 4 Ya.")



Ah, the 1980s. I miss your music, though not your big hair or shoulder pads.

So, what were some of your favorite 1980s groups or songs? Please leave me a comment. And to hear and see more 1980s New Wave classics, click the 1980s label below.

Best in-flight safety video ever? Like totally.

For those of you who haven't flown on Delta recently, the airline has been trying to endear itself to passengers -- and get more people to pay attention to in-flight safety protocol -- by producing whimsical in-flight safety videos, like this one which we saw multiple times as our plane had to make an emergency landing at JFK after burning off fuel for two hours and then being held at the gate for several more hours:



Now Delta has released a new safety video that pays homage to the 1980s, titled "Delta's 80's In-Flight Safety Video" (seriously, couldn't they have come up with a more creative title?), because "being safe never felt so Rad." (Gag me with a spoon.)



Clearly, Delta is making a play to old (or middle-aged) farts like myself, people who "came of age" or were "totally awesome" in the 1980s. But if Delta and the other airlines really want to endear themselves to customers, they should provide better service and stop nickel-and-diming customers with fees.

Also, Delta really should have used "Safety Dance" as the backing track.

S-s-s-s-A-a-a-a-F-f-f-f-E-e-e-e-e-T-t-t-t-Y-y-y-y....

Apparently '80s New Wave music is cool again

I know I wrote about this a few years ago, but apparently the trend of current day musicians and bands channeling 1980s New Wave music has not gone away. (Not that I am complaining.)

Just check out this video for "Out of My League" by a band called Fitz and the Tantrums and tell me he/they don't remind you of ABC, or Spandau Ballet.



And I can't be the only who has noticed a striking resemblance between Lady Gaga (seen here in her "Applause" video) and Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons (seen here in the Missing Persons video for "Destination Unknown").





So anyone else notice any striking similarities between current bands or singers and 1980s New Wave groups? If so, please let me know via a Comment.

I'd also be interested to know people's thoughts on Volkswagen's riff on A-ha's "Take on me."

He Deafened Me with Science

I love Thomas Dolby. I love astronomy and space exploration. But astronaut Buzz Aldrin singing "She Blinded Me with Science" with Thomas Dolby? Not so much.



That's okay, Buzz. Not every astronaut can be as musical as Chris Hadfield. (Click on the link to see Hadfield's brilliant cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity.") And I'm pretty sure Thomas Dolby has never walked on the Moon (though I heard aliens ate his Buick).

Personally, I'm hoping NASA launches another Moon mission, if only so some (musical) astronaut covers The Police's "Walking on the Moon."

Pardon me...

So the spouse and I were watching something or other the other night and happened to catch the new Grey Poupon commercial, "The Lost Footage," which purportedly reveals the aftermath of that famous original Rolls-Royce to Rolls-Royce Grey Poupon exchange, which pretty much put Grey Poupon mustard on the map (or, in this case, table).



Our immediate reaction? WTF?! That has got to be one of the strangest -- or weirdest or most out there -- ads we've ever seen. Which is saying a lot.

And the really weird thing? Grey Poupon isn't the only brand that had re-edited an old commercial, or gone retro. Check out this new retro ad for Herbal Essences.



(Here's the original Herbal Essences airplane ad, for those who are interested.)

Did someone bring back the 1980s and forget to tell me?

It's time for another '80s music blog post!

One of the blogs I follow has a habit of using lyrics from 1980s technopop songs as post titles. And earlier this evening I saw the title/lyric "Riding on the range, I've got my hat on," which any '80s New Wave music aficionado knows is from "I wanna be a cowboy" sung by Boys Don't Cry.

Of course, that got me to head on over to YouTube, so I could watch the video. Which led me to The Vapors' "Turning Japanese."



No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women, no fun, no sin, no you, no wonder it's dark.

That led me to the Pet Shop Boys' "Opportunities (Let's make lots of money)."



I've got the brains, you've got the looks, let's make lots of money.

Which got me thinking about the Kinks' "Destroyer," which holds a special place in my heart (which only my friend T. would understand).



Feelin' guilty, feelin' scared, hidden cameras everywhere! Stop. Hold on. Stay in control.

Which naturally led to "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.



I could go on, but instead I'll save it for another 1980s music blog post.

(To see past '80s music blog posts, click on the "1980s" label, below.)

Yet another '80s new wave music video Friday

Anyone else notice the increased use of 1980s new wave music in commercials the last few months? And I'm not just talking about those Target back-to-school ads. Then this morning, in the space of less than half an hour, I heard "It ain't what you do (it's the way that you do it)" sung by Bananarama and Fun Boy Three, three times -- as it was featured in the new HP Officejet Pro printer ad that is everywhere.



Which, of course, got me thinking about 1980s new wave music, which got me thinking, for some reason, about "AEIOU sometimes Y" by EBN OZN...



I seriously loved that song back in the day. Though I do not miss '80s hair and clothing. WTF were we thinking, people?

Anyway... EBN OZN (though the power -- or algorithms -- of YouTube) led me to Romeo Void and "A girl in trouble (is a temporary thing)"...



another great song. Which led me to Bow Wow Wow's "I want candy."



I want candy! Actually, I just want breakfast. Probably an apple with peanut butter, which is like candy. Anyway, I am off. But feel free to share some of your favorite '80s songs in the comments section -- and let me know what '80s songs you've heard in commercials recently.

Lies, lies, lies, yeah (they're gonna get you)

I am so sick of all the lies that the Republican presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney and his sidekick, vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan, have been spouting -- and repeating even after nonpartisan fact-checking organizations have called them on their lies -- I want to scream. The only time I want to hear lies is in the lyrics of a song, preferably one with a beat that I can dance to.

So, as I have been told that wiring the presidential and vice-presidential candidates to a lie detector (and an independent fact checker) during the debates and having the moderator administer an electric shock every time one of them lies, the bigger the lie, the bigger the shock, would probably kill them, I propose playing a snippet from one of the following songs each time a candidate lies.

So which song should it be? The Thompson Twins' "Lies"?



The Eurythmics' "Would I lie to you?"



Or Depeche Mode's "Policy of Truth"?



Or do you have another suggestion?

Back-to-school ads? In July?

While the teenager is already pining to go back to school (strange girl), I am still enjoying summer. And I was totally unprepared to see back-to-school ads in the middle of July. School just ended June 22! But I have to admit these back-to-school ads from Target, which all feature parodies of some of my favorite 1980s songs, are pretty awesome.

First up Target's "Science Teacher" ad featuring Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science":



Next, Target's "English Teacher" ad featuring The Go-Go's "We Got Beat":



And finally Target's back-to-school ad titled "Music Teacher," which does a riff on Cameo's "Word Up!":



Makes me wish we had a Target close by (though I am so not ready to go back-to-school shopping).

UPDATED: And this just in from Staples, a commercial titled "It's back to school time!" featuring  Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get Enough":



Seriously, what is with all the 1980s new wave music in these back-to-school ads? (Not that I'm complaining.)

1987 in music

Twenty-five years ago (OMG, it's been 25 years?!) The Bangles' "Walk Like an Egyptian" topped the Billboard 100.



Also quite popular, Jody Watley's "Looking for a New Love":



And there were those Jackson siblings, Michael Jackson, with "Bad"...



and Janet Jackson's "Control."
 
Madonna, Genesis, Bon Jovi, Peter Gabriel, and Huey Lewis and the News were also big that year, as were Tiffany and Debbie Gibson. (I am so ashamed.)

1987 was the year that gave us "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung and Bruce Willis singing "Respect Yourself." (Shudder.)

And you could not go to a frat party without hearing Billy Idol's "Mony Mony." ("I said yeah, YEAH, yeah, YEAH, yeah, YEAH, yeah, YEAH, yeah." Keg!)



Yup, hard to believe it's been 25 years.

Want to know what other songs topped the Billboard 100 in 1987? Click here. I need a beer.

Time for another '80s music blog post

It's been a long day, and I could use a little 1980s new wave music. You?

First up, Duran Duran "Girls on Film"...



Followed by a little George Michael singing "Faith"...



Anyone "Wanna Be a Cowboy"?



And finally, anyone else fancy a little Adam Ant -- and "Goody Two Shoes"?



Don't drink, don't smoke. What do you do?

ZZ Top or Madonna?

Whose "Lovin'" (or "Luvin'") do you prefer, ZZ Top's "Gimme All Your Lovin'"...


ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin' by Warner-Music

or Madonna's "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (featuring Nicki Minaj and infamous Super Bowl half-time bird-flipper M.I.A.)?



Btw, anyone else reminded of Avril Lagigne's "Girlfriend" when they hear or see Madonna's "Give Me All Your Luvin'"?



Well, now you will.

Also, much as I like Madonna, and I do like her music, that video -- more specifically, seeing Madonna dress and act like a teenager -- makes me cringe. So I guess my answer to the question "Whose 'Lovin'' (or 'Luvin'') do you prefer?' is ZZ Top's.

What about all of you?

The heart of rock 'n' roll is still beating

I don't know why, but I've been thinking a lot about Huey Lewis (and the News) lately. (Midlife crisis/1980s nostalgia? Or perhaps it was seeing him on Hot in Cleveland the other day, if only for a minute.) Anyway, do you really need a reason to listen to Huey Lewis and the News?

[One of my favorite 1980s memories is going to see/hear Huey Lewis and the News in concert, outside, on the Miller High Life pier, one summer. I don't remember much about the concert as I probably had one Miller High Life too many, and I have a vague memory of having to go see a doctor the next day as I couldn't hear anything, having sat way too close to the speakers or something. Anyway...]

Following are video clips of some of my Huey Lewis and the News favorites (presented in no particular order).

First up, "I Want a New Drug." Words to live by.



Next up, "If This Is It."



[Seriously, what is with all the chicks in skimpy swimsuits in these videos? Though at least they don't look like they've had liposuction, breast enlargements, and Botox.]

And last, but in no way least, "The Heart of Rock & Roll."



[Sigh, remember when videos actually had something to do with the lyrics?]

So what was (or is) your favorite Huey Lewis and the News song?

On a (somewhat) related note, against my better judgement, I'm going to attempt to watch American Idol tonight. Here's hoping they finally "discover" an actual rock/pop star.

Yet another '80s music blog post

Some people have comfort food. I have comfort music.

And what could be a nicer way to end the week than some classic 1980s alternative/new wave music? (That would be a rhetorical question, by the way.)

First up: "Make a circuit with me," from the Polecats, which has been playing on the mental jukebox ever since Steve Jobs died.



That led me to the (English) Beat's "Mirror in the bathroom" (technically from 1979 but I didn't hear it until the 1980s).



Which led me to "Save it for later" and pretty much the whole General Public oeuvre. (God, I miss WLIR.) Sadly, I could not find a video for "Hot you're cool." Bummer.

Then I got into this whole Talking Heads thing.


Talking Heads Girlfriend is Better by Celtiemama

(Loved Stop Making Sense. Great concert movie.)

Which led me to the Tom Tom Club and "Wordy rappinghood":



What are words worth? Also, that Tina Weymouth is lookin' good!

I don't know about all of you, but I feel ready for the weekend now.

[For more great '80s music, click on the "1980s" tag, below.]

You be the judge

So I just got back from taking J-THREE-O shopping for spring clothes at Justice, Aeropostale, and Hollister. And unlike the spouse, I actually went into each store, helped my daughter find clothes, waited while she tried them on, and fetched her different sizes. I know: I deserve a medal.

I actually didn't mind. In fact I kind of enjoyed it. But don't tell her that. The reason: I love the music they play in those stores. (Also, I have better luck finding stuff that fits me in those stores than in the stores supposedly geared to women my age. But that's another story.) But getting back to the music, did you guys know that those 1980s classic new wave songs "Don't You Want Me Baby" by the Human League and Peter Schilling's "Major Tom" had recently been remade?

It's true. Though they are not nearly as good, IMHO, as the originals. But you judge for yourselves -- and let me know what you think.

First up, the Human League's "Don't You Want Me Baby":



And now Atomic Tom's version:



And here's Peter Schilling's "Major Tom":



And Shiny Toy Guns' remake:



Which versions do you like better? Let me know via the Comments.

Another '80s music flashback blog post

All these flashbacks to Prince Charles and Lady Diana's wedding and videos of the royal couple with a little Prince William have gotten me thinking about the 1980s again, particularly the music I listened to back then (which, if you follow this blog, was a lot of British New Wave and techno pop). My favorite radio station? WLIR, 92.7. And these were some of my favorite bands and singers (all of which, I believe, were British or Scottish... hmm...).

First up, Thomas Dolby, whose song "Europa and the Pirate Twins" made me a huge Thomas Dolby fan...



I was also a big fan of the Eurythmics. Interestingly, I was driving with my daughter the other day and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" was on the radio and she wanted to know who this cool new band was (I am paraphrasing). Proof that everything old or 1980s is new again.



And look what I just stumbled on on YouTube, Blancmange's "Living on the Ceiling"! I'm so small, I'm so small...



Which led me to Bananarama's "Really Saying Something."



Which led me to.... I could go on and on, but I think that's enough 1980s music for one blog post. If you want to see and hear more, check out my other 1980s music posts (by clicking on the link). And as always, please share some of your favorite 1980s musical memories in the Comments.

Seriously, what did we do before YouTube? (Also, I miss my MTV -- the MTV that used to only play music videos not show these crappy "reality" shows.)