Splintering of the Genres

The rise of new wave can be described as a splintering of the punk genre. Throughout the 1970s “the new wave label continued to appear as a point of differentiation, distinguishing more melodic, pop-oriented groups” (Cateforis, 2011, p.25). At the same time, “new wave’s heightened presence must also be understood within the more complicated context of a desperate American music industry that was facing its worst financial crisis in decades” (Cateforis, 2011, p.35). Faced with declining punk record sales, the recording labels were pushed to find a refreshing genre that would appeal to a wider punk style inclined audience. New wave’s efforts to polish punk made it the ideal candidate and thus new wave became an anti-punk genre seeking a more refined, pop-like style. In addition to its refinement of punk styles, new wave music was considerably cheaper than their punk counterparts as “a new wave group on an independent label could record an album for $2,000 to $4,000” (Cateforis, 2011, p.37). New Wave is characterized by its aesthetics and low quality production, where its main differentiation was its more “positive” and refined style (Dougherty, 1981, p.1). 

The Man Behind the Curtain

During the late 1970s as punk was increasingly associated with violence and vulgar behavior, Seymour Stein, head of Sire Records, made a wise business decision to stray away from the negative stereotypes and ride the new wave. Iain Ellis’s article “New Wave: Turning Rebellion into Money” details the roadblocks Stein and others faced when trying to advertise their punk bands, who were guilty by association, which provided all the motivation Stein needed to disassociate from the punk genre (2019). Stein reached out to radio stations to request they drop the marker of punk, which he argued was an offensive label, and petitioned for them to use “New Wave” to categorize his bands (2019). While the musical, visual, and cultural aesthetics of American new wave music did not largely differ from its punk roots, an idea we will be further exploring later, this simple rebranding grouped a number of bands into a more commercially available cohort and successfully accomplished Stein’s goal. The irony in this situation, of course, is that new wave music, which for many still stood for anti-establishment and nonconformity, was the result of an intelligent marketing trick.

Seymour Stein photographed for Rolling Stone, circa 1977. ^[1]Fields, Danny. “Seymour Stein photographed for Rolling Stone”. Rolling Stone. c. 1977. … Continue reading

New Wave of Camp and Trash 

Following themes of anti-establishment, the new wave genre has roots in a camp and nonconforming subculture. Steve Dougherty, music journalist, discussed new wave’s audience’s search for a return to teenage innocence and optimism which they thought the punk genre had lost (1981, p.1). New wave presented a means for youth to resonate with an anti-establishment sentiment in a less controversial way. New wave music was also considered by youth to be more than “just a preference for a particular kind of music”. The subculture was described as “sick” and “kinky” by respondents to a study conducted by James Lull (1982, p.128). These descriptions follow identifiers of “camp” and “kitsch” which aim to align new wave to a nonconforming and unique style. From Theodore Cateforis’ book Are We Not New Wave?, “the recognition of a trash aesthetic linked new wave as a whole with punk, which critics had been heralding in the late 1970s for rupturing and mocking rock’s staid adult conformity” (2011, p.107). In effect, the genre was seen as a medium that challenged social ideals of conformity through its visuals and punk influences that could be described as camp, kinky, and positive. This refinement of the genre came at a time when the Sex Pistols and other punk bands were facing controversy over obscene appearances (Ellis 2019). This aesthetic provided followers with a polished subculture focused on individuality and antagonism.

Citation: Polly, Stephen. “Bow Wow Wow – Do You Wanna Hold Me?/Aphrodisiac – AB 1983” YouTube, 4 Sep. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odF38lYWWHI.