The Cars

Easily one of my favorite singles from that decade. I love the way they carried those late seventies post-punk guitars with them into the 80’s and still embraced keyboards along the way. What a run they had beginning in ‘78 — just in time for MTV. Their music videos were always clever and funny. And this is one of the best. So sad to see the mover’s come and take everything away. 😅 😢

Since you’re gone, the moonlight aint so great.

Petracovich

A 2009 track has hit me again today (also with gorgeous keyboards) from a terrific album called CREPUSCULO. A masterful song that I think of every Memorial Day. It just makes you cry and celebrate life. Those little moments of joy we get to have now and then. I love the feeling this song evokes and Jessica’s quiet vocals. Her soft humming during the bridge and at the end just kills me. Take three minutes and listen to her sing and watch the music video which is a profound work of art. Remembering those today who lost their lives in war. 💔

Bronski Beat

When it comes to meaningful, influential 80’s synth pop, this is one of my favorite tracks in electronic music. Another great Scottish band. For me, it’s easy to draw a line from this early groundbreaking song to Sigur Rós. Like Jónsi, Jimmy Sommerville’s vocals soar in falsetto with passion. And this one’s a sad story. Sommerville gave so many young, marginalized gay men a voice and a spotlight and even starred in this video. It really kills me and has stayed with me for so long — since ‘84 on MTV — those family photos, the awkward friends, the judgmental parents, the bullies. The train ride and these lyrics. 😭

Split Enz

Love how these post-punk guitars and creative synths & keys combine to create pop perfection. Those guitars and that bouncy Beatlesque chorus keep the song timeless. It’s still great after all these years. At times I can hear THE CARS influence— especially in the verses and the echoes on “sometimes we SHOUT…”. 😆 THE CARS already had three albums and some big hit singles when TRUE COLOURS came out in 1980. This early Neil Finn song was composed at 22 for his brother Tim’s band. Four years later, Neil formed CROWDED HOUSE. Seeing Neil looking so eager, young and fresh at 22 in this video kills me.

The Cure

I love the breathy vocals and unusual lyrics — those horns on this singles version. Since I’m still thinking about 80’s synth-pop that isn’t trapped in the 80’s, it’s worth noting The Cure embraced and used synths better and more timelessly than most 80’s bands. Ironic because Robert Smith could shred on the electric guitar. Go back and listen to some of their records and see. 😉

Joy Division

Is this the most New Order sounding Joy Division song? That’s still Ian’s unmistakable voice though. Originally a B-side released after Ian Curtis took his own life…this gorgeous, haunting track feels profound this morning. Somehow the light in this song eclipses the dark shadow cast by suicide.

Don’t walk away in silence.

Depeche Mode

Continuing down the rabbit hole of great 80’s synth pop tracks that still sound amazing and transcend the decade. I think of this terrific single whenever capitalism gets me down. What a career this band has had — all after losing mastermind Vince Clarke. But there was another genius lurking in co-founder Martin Gore who has been their primary songwriter ever since. This prophetic track in ‘83 may always stay relevant, as the gap between the haves and have-nots continues growing at an alarming pace. Economic disparity and greed is at the heart of just about every human problem. The root of all evil indeed.

Book of Love

Another synth pop band who followed their own path, writing songs that transcended 80’s trends. They have a European feel, but were from Philadelphia. This track is a revelation, named after the tragic French painter who died at 35 and only had posthumous fame and success with his unusual portraits. (You can see his style on display in the band portraits on stage in this amazing live performance) The band even had his short bio written on the sleeve of their single. I love the electronic strings at the beginning and those big crashing electronic snares coming in. And the last bit of spoken Italian which translates…

Amadeo, Amadeo, I fell in love with you when I saw your eyes.

New Order

My God, this video just fires me up with emotion. What a band. After Ian Curtis took his own life, the rest of JOY DIVISION grieved in the studio and made the first NEW ORDER record MOVEMENT. What I love about this track, is that it feels like one foot’s still firmly planted in the past, but the other is already in the future. You can literally feel JOY DIVISION disappearing and NEW ORDER being born — it’s quite remarkable. What a perfect storm of great artists in this band — trading vocals now that Ian isn’t here to sing. 😟 But they’re already figuring out what the next chapter will be.

Yaz

More 80’s pop perfection performed on an analog synthesizer. This isn’t just timeless because the great Alison Moyet is singing — most of the credit goes to Vince Clarke — who not only wrote it, but his sensibilities made the music timeless and transcendent.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark

In celebration of 80’s keyboard pop that trancended the decade? I see myself going down a little rabbit of hole of some the greatest keyboard songs of the decade. Songs that still sound great today. They have aged, but like fine wine. They have avoided sounding outdated. This OMD track SOUVENIR is a from their early masterpiece ARCHITECTURE & MORALITY. It’s from ‘81 and these keyboards sound great with full vocals and an analog mix. Poetic, pop perfection years before their song SECRET made OMD famous.

The Hold Steady

Very hard to pick a favorite HOLD STEADY record because they’re all exciting to me — especially the swagger of those early story songs from ALMOST KILLED ME, SEPARATION SUNDAY and BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA. But today, even as Craig Finn’s great new solo record A LEGACY OF RENTALS drops, I found myself drawn to play HEAVEN IS WHENEVER. And this track just kills me — heaven for the college kid I once was. So love the final chorus that takes us out. And the number of great “heaven” songs Craig Finn name drops? 😁 Songs by PAVEMENT, MEATLOAF, PSYCHEDELIC FURS and even the great Sarah Records band HEAVENLY gets a verse.

Concrete Blonde

I knew nothing about this band because it was their first tour and they were opening for the Alarm — both on I.R.S. Johnette Napolitano looked like she was in high school at the time. Probably 25, but I was blown away by her. As much as I loved the Alarm, I don’t remember their set that night, but I still remember Johnette’s confidence, her voice and her bass playing.

The Antlers

My first Antlers experience was HOSPICE — a masterpiece about death and grief. I’ve followed this band ever since and often reach for their UNDERSEA EP with ZELDA being the closing track. I love the instrumentation on this one and the mood it sets. It makes me think of Twin Peaks season three. “We live inside a dream.”

Zelda, you asked me to wake you
If I woke up before you
And you were still stuck inside
I'm here to tell you
We're not awake yet

White Ring

I’ve been thinking about Witch House music and how much I’d love to include some in my next film ABOVE THE TREES. This song is so haunting, dark and beautiful — so much emotion in it. Kendra passed away in 2020 at just 37. The band lives on now with Brian and Adina. After GATE OF GRIEF they released the excellent SHOW ME HEAVEN in 2021. RIP Kendra Malia.

Dry Cleaning

After Mike Skinner’s EMPTY CANS yesterday, I was thinking of certain British accents I really dig in music — like Billy Bragg, The Beatles, Robert Smith — off the top of my head, it’s a pretty long list. But then I thought of Florence Shaw who brought her beautiful speaking voice to DRY CLEANING. I have to laugh, because it reminds me a bit of Peter Cook singing BEDAZZLED as Drimble Wedge & The Vegetations 😂. The thing about Dry Cleaning though, is they are just a great sounding band — the guitar and bass riffs in this one are incredible. And their debut record NEW LONG LEG was a 2021 favorite of mine.