I’d been hearing about it for years, the return of ’80s sounds to popular music, but due to my relative disconnect from new music, it took a while to hear it for myself. But, well, it’s definitely there (Which I’m sure you already know).
And you know what? I don’t mind in the slightest.
Essentially the vibe I get is that a bunch of people took the good sounds/tones/effects from the mainstream ’80s and left behind all the cheesiness while applying them to interesting, late ’80s early ’90s alternative rock songwriting, with a dash of thoroughly proliferated electronic touches.
Not that things were all bad in the ’80s by any means either. Plenty of gold to be mined there if you know what to look for.
Abe Vigoda: “Repeating Angel” (Crush, 2010)
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The Smiths: “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” (The Queen Is Dead, 1986)
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Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: “Can’t Hear My Eyes” (Before Today, 2010)
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Fine Young Cannibals: “I’m Not The Man I Used To Be” (The Raw And The Cooked, 1989)
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Cut Copy: “Take Me Over” (Zonoscope, 2011)
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Talking Heads: “(Nothing But) Flowers” (Naked, 1988)
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Gemini: “Chinatown” (Wild Nothing, 2010)
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Roxy Music: “The Main Thing” (Avalon, 1982)
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Emeralds: “Does It Look Like I’m Here?” (Does It Look Like I’m Here?, 2010)
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Vangelis: “Blade Runner (End Titles)” (Blade Runner Soundtrack, 1982)
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