MUSC 1800: Popular Music Punk and New Wave Dr. Matthew C. Saunders Lakeland Community College C-1078 Punk and New Wave • • • • • International movements “Back to basics” rock Nihilistic approach What is New Wave? What is punk? Big Idea • When a dominant style enters its “decadent” phase, a possible reaction is to strip it to its bones in search of meaning. Protopunk • Musical, philosophical and fashion models for later groups • The Velvet Underground – “I’m Waiting for the Man,” 1966 • Iggy Pop & The Stooges – “Search and Destroy,” 1973 • The New York Dolls – “Jet Boy,” 1973 Punk • CBGB: Center of early punk scene in New York • Television – “Double Exposure,” (live, 1974) • The Ramones – “I Wanna Be Sedated,” (1978) • The Sex Pistols – “Anarchy in the UK,” 1976 New Wave • More polished version of punk, developed ca. 1976 in both US and UK New Wave Musicians • Elvis Costello (b. 1954) – “Radio, Radio,” BBC, 1978 • Other bands tended toward a pop sound – The Cars: “Just What I Needed,” 1978 (live 1979) – Blondie: “Call Me,” 1980 The Music Video • Song-length film with images tied to the music • “soundies,” 1940s • “promotional clips,” late-1960s and 1970s • New Wave bands were early adopters in the mid-1970s • MTV (Music Television) Watching a Music Video: The Talking Heads • Things to consider: – Diegetic vs. non-diegetic – Representational vs. non-representational – Visual techniques and composition – Symbolism – Performance, narrative, or conceptual? – Postmodernism • “Once in a Lifetime” (1981) – Music and Lyrics by David Byrne and Brian Eno – Played on MTV during its first day of programming