¶ Welcome/Intro
Welcome to the Album Nerds podcast with your hosts, Andy, Don, and Dude. No clever quips this time. I don't have anything new, Wavish. I mean, I could wave, but no one would see it. I'm waving right now. I'm about to podcast, so sorry. This is the Album Nerds podcast. I'm Dude. I got Andy and Don with me. Eddie, how the hell you doing, my friend? Doing pretty freaking well, man. Glad to be talking about our, seems to be our favorite time on podcast here, that 70s to 80s period.
Sorry, sorry, sweet spot. That's when people started waving differently. I think that's like when the kind of the half knuckle thing. Are you coming around to it being a new wave? Yes. Yeah. So that's what I was trying to avoid, this is of course the Album Nerds podcast. We love albums, the album format, talking about them and making terrible jokes. We've got a great show for you this week. We're each going to present a new wave album from the classic new wave era, late 70s, early 80s.
Don's going to ask us a deep question. Then we're going to have some shout outs to some other albums and album related items we're digging. And then of course we'll spin that wheel of musical discovery to find out what we'll talk about on the next show. But this time it's all about that new wave. That's what I'm talking about. New wave music emerged in the late 1970s as a diverse and eclectic genre, blending elements of punk, pop and electronic music with a distinctive visual aesthetic.
Many influential new wave albums not only shaped the sound of a generation, but also had a lasting impact on popular music and culture. Today, each of us will present a new wave album. Yeah, I think the challenge here is the synth pop, new wave, post-punk, all have very similar DNA. I mean, they're, I would say they're brothers and sisters of each other. You can tell they're related. They look related, but they don't look like twins or triplets. They're the same family though.
That's probably a distinction that only matters to podcast hosts and marketers. Yeah, true. So through your travels through new wave albums and trying to straddle those lines, what other albums did you consider before you made your final choice? Well, there's lots of good stuff in the space. I enjoyed some stuff from Joe Jackson and X-Ray Specs. But the one that struck out to me the most was from an artist or band called Japan, an album in 1981 called Tindrum.
They're from South London, kind of like elements of like glam rock and art rock, but there's some like really like weird kind of avant-garde sounds in there, in their music as well. It's kind of like very weird sort of Bowie style vocal. And yeah, that was really interesting. It's an interesting record if you haven't heard it. I did not cross paths with that. I'll check that out. How about you Don? Why do I sound so confrontational there? How about you Don? How'd you do?
Well, I wanted to just bring attention to one that was kind of under the radar, the Soft Boys, right? Good name. Oh, it's kind of like the Viagra Boys, right? Yeah. It's like they're evil. But their second album, Underwater Moonlight from 1980, is really a solid record. But the Soft Boys features Robin Hitchcock, who we've talked about on the show multiple times. Also Kimberly Roo from Katrina and the Waves, who is not the girl from Katrina and the Waves.
It's a guy named Kimberly, which is interesting. Oh, well, all right then. All right, dude. So, I mean, I consider things like Elvis Costello and the Attractions, but I felt like that was a little more post-punk than New Wave. Again, a tough line to draw. But I really considered one of the most obvious things I think that people think of is a Flock of Seagulls self-titled album. Although that's more synth pop, really. But the crazy hairstyle that is like a hallmark of goofy 80s trends.
The album was released in 1982. It's distinctive, synth driven, atmospheric, and hits like I Ran and Space Age Love Song. And the album really did help to find 80s New Wave movement. But MTV, I think, is part of the reason that they had such success. Yeah, I like that. But it also has that like guitar that is like so like echoed and just so much effect on it. So much reverb. Yeah. Yeah, they definitely carved out a unique sound all their own. All right. So enough about what we almost chose.
Let's get to our actual choices. You choo choo choose me?
¶ Blondie - Parallel Lines
Right from a New Wave selection, we are talking about Blondie and their 1978 album Parallel Lines. It's the third studio album for the sixth piece from New York City. New York City. Thank you. So first with new producer Mike Chapman, who is from Australia. He worked with groups like The Knack. Let's see. The album went on to place number one on UK charts, number six in the US and six total singles on it over its lifetime. Wow. Yeah, pretty successful for them. Let's jump in and play the big hit.
This is One Way or Another. This is about Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie there. One of her ex-boyfriends who had turned into a stalker and was trying to get her to get her. My clickbait headline for Parallel Lines is Blondie draws a line in the New Wave sand and asks, are you feeling lucky punk? Well, do you punk? Debbie Harry jokes. That's good. I like it. Thank you. Man, I've been waiting for a while to talk about this record.
It's been on my short list of albums for many, many episodes in the past here. It's such a lively kind of like, I mean, it's pop rock really. I mean, there's elements of punk and I guess, you know, this kind of falls into that New Wave bucket. But I think they really kind of straddle the line here of like that space between punk, pop, and rock, I guess. It's so hooky. Each track is like super quick. Everything's like, you know, two or three minutes long, super fun.
But it's got a real professionalism to it, I guess I would say. Everything sounds kind of polished and put in the right place. I think a lot of that ties back to the production there of Mike Chapman. So the album title Parallel Lines, does that have anything to do with the styles that they incorporate into their sound that are all equal and parallel to each other? Everything bounds just in the right spot. I thought you were going to say cocaine. Yes, well, Studio 54 and whatnot.
Yeah. It's got a lot of great, just iconic tracks on it. A lot of good singles too, but I think it really holds up well as an album as a whole. Why don't we dig in here and play? Another cut from the album was the other big single, Heart of Glass. I think that's my favorite disco song of all time, if you could officially call it a disco track. It's got a disco feel. So that's written by Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.
Harry said that the song, it was actually one of the first ones they ever wrote, but they just tried it so many different times in different styles. They had it as a ballad and then like as a reggae tune. And then it finally worked with this kind of Euro disco treatment. Actually, it uses a Roland CR 78 drum machine synchronized with real drums. So you're actually hearing both the electronic and the real drums, which I think sort of is symbolic of who they are.
They're sort of merging that humanity with the digital, with the electronic. I kind of like some of those more subtle guitar parts out there that don't get the attention, but it's just – it's an important part of the song and you don't even really notice it. Yeah, you love a good guitar lick, especially if it's got a good rhythm to it. Yeah. According to Harry, the lyrics aren't about anyone specific. She said she called it a plaintive moan about lost love.
Anyway, my clickbait headline for Parallel Lines is Blondie Serves Dagwood a Giant Bubblegum and Punk Sandwich. So for our younger listeners, I don't know if they know Blondie, the cartoon, the comic strip. But yeah, the guy – it was about a husband and wife and the guy liked eating these really piled high sandwiches. Yeah. So it was a really hilarious joke. I enjoyed it. You're welcome. Actually, in some parts of the country, they'll call sandwiches dagwoods.
Yeah. I used to try to make those when I was a kid all the time. The key was at the top, you had to take a toothpick with an olive on the top of the sandwich. I don't know why, but that's the way it was. Anyway, back to the music. So yeah, there is kind of like a bubblegum pop sound to some of the songs, which kind of works. But I feel like it's almost ironic or something.
Yeah. Well, yeah. But I mean, if you look at it, I feel like this and many New Wave albums, their foundations come from 60s garage rock and 60s pop, which then was eaten and shut out as punk. And then as we came into this New Wave, they reincorporated some of those sounds and influences of their childhood. Right? So it's bound to happen. It's all connected. Big pile of shit. The cool thing about art is that you can be ironic and so you can sort of do lame things, but call it.
Right. You can do something you really secretly love and want to do, and then you can pretend that it's some sort of statement. I mean, yeah. I think about New York City's art scene in that period, Andy Warhol. I guess Debbie was kind of close with that. It's kind of like what they did. I mean, they're kind of making fun of pop culture. Yeah. Here's different colored cans of soup. Oh, how brilliant. So, you know, Debbie Harry is, I think, an interesting vocalist.
I mean, she doesn't have like a traditionally beautiful voice or anything, but it has a lot of attitude and a lot of character. Yeah. And confidence. Yeah. She's sort of like a more palatable Patti Smith, I think, in some ways. Yeah. Her voice is more palatable. Yeah. Her whole vibe is more inviting. Patti Smith is kind of like shut up and listen. Yeah. You know? That's a good point. In my opinion.
Yeah. Yeah. Also, I just want to mention the rest of the band. Some, I think, underrated drumming by Clem Burke. Yeah. I think some really good post-punk drums going on there. And also, again, the guitar parts, that's Stein and Infante. They have a lot of sort of jangly guitar going on. But then, you know, some more like edgier punk riffs. Yeah. I think the guitar parts especially work really well when they do get to those more angular punk adjacent sounds there.
I had read that producer Mike Chapman said that the band was the worst group of technically proficient musicians he had ever worked with prior to this recording. All right. So let's hear another one from the record here. And this is, towards the end, this is Sunday Girl. There's that bubble gum sound that came up earlier. So Debbie Harry wrote that song about a cat that belonged to her then boyfriend guitarist Chris Stein, who was also in the band.
The cat often went missing on Sundays, sparking the melancholic upbeat vibe of the track. A blend of 60s girl group influences and then that new wave flair. It's catchy and very polished sounding, but it's upbeat and wistful and just kind of fun to listen to. Explores themes of love and longing and nostalgia in a very cute package. I like the idea of a cat that runs off on Sundays.
My clickbait headline to describe Parallel Lines, the album that made disco, punk and new wave play nice and took Blondie to the top. And I think this album is so varied. I mean, the two big hits, you know, it's worth the price of admission. And then some of these other songs are like experiments in playing with rock and roll sounds. As I mentioned, those splashes of 60s garage rock, but then there's also disco influence. So it sounds very timely at the same time.
But it's cool enough that I think a person who hated disco would gladly do the hustle or whatever to heart of glass and be fine. You know, feel like they were they were still cool. It feels like throughout the album, they didn't lean one way or the other. They just kind of found the sound that felt nice. Right down the middle, sort of. I think it's a very interesting record. It's a quick listen coming under 40 minutes. Each track, I think, accomplishes a lot. And it sounds it sounds great.
Even after all these years, if you have not heard Blondie's Parallel Lines, please, please do so. Before we get into our next new wave album selection, why don't we hear from our friends over at the Polyphonic Press? Do you love music? Do you want to explore classic albums? If you answered yes, then check out Polyphonic Press. I'm Jeremy. And along with my co-host, John, we rely on the patented random album generator to pick an album for us to review.
At the top of each show, we have no idea what album we're going to be listening to. That's what keeps it really exciting. We dig real deep into these albums. So if this sounds interesting, come along with us on this journey because you never know what you might find. We release a new episode every Tuesday morning. That's Polyphonic Press, and we're available on every podcast platform. I did answer both of those questions. Yes. I don't know about you fellas, but. Yeah, actually. How did you know?
So yeah, go check out Polyphonic Press. It's a real nice list. So we're crossing the Atlantic now to England where it's New Wive.
¶ The Psychedelic Furs - Forever Now
New Wive. So my pick is The Psychedelic Furs, their album from 1982 called Forever Now. It's the third studio album by the band formed in London in 1977 by vocalist Richard Butler and his brother bassist Tim Butler. The lineup for Forever Now also includes guitarist John Ashton and Vince Eli on drums. They had previously had six members. So that would be what, a sextet. But they had lost saxophonist Duncan Kilburn and guitarist Roger Morris after their previous album Talk Talk Talk.
They also were without their producer, Steve Lilly White, who was too busy. They ended up working with Todd Rundgren. Interesting pivot. Yeah. And actually they had wanted to work with David Bowie, but they would have had to wait for him like several months. You wait. You wait for Bowie. I feel like that's a no-brainer. Well, I think ultimately they didn't like that they were being compared to Bowie all the time. So they wanted to distance themselves.
But yeah, so they worked with Rundgren in Woodstock, New York. And yeah, then we have Forever Now. So here's a cut called Only You and I. I think that's probably my favorite psychedelic for a song. I just like that intense, like the whole song. It just feels really intense. Also features some cello by Anne Sheldon. And the lyrics, I'm not sure about, maybe obsession, suicide. I don't know. There's a bang bang in there. So I don't know if it's metaphorical.
Yeah, I do have trouble sort of figuring out what his lyrics mean sometimes. And maybe it's the kind of thing where it's stream of consciousness or something, and they're not really meant to mean anything literally. But yeah, so I mean, Butler, I mean, he doesn't have, I guess just like Debbie Harry, he doesn't have like a traditionally great singing voice. I don't think he would have sung solos in the choir, but he just has a lot of charisma.
I mean, he's got that raspy or I don't know, like he smokes. I think he is a smoker. There's a sadness in it, which I think helps keep in check the new wave poppiness where it's there, but his vocals have a way of kind of keeping it from getting out of control. Yeah, yeah, that's true. But he has kind of that aggressive sound at times, almost like a Johnny Rotten kind of thing. Yeah, a little snarl.
And then he gets these like soft spoken phrases like, you don't get a vote, you know, which I don't know if that's a Bowie thing kind of, maybe it is. I also hear like, I just think maybe it's just the era and the part of the world that they all come from. But there's also like, it's kind of Smithsy, Morrissey-y. Yeah, there's just, there's a sad wistfulness through all three of their voices when Bowie is doing straight singing and not the theatrical stuff anyway.
All right, well, my clickbait headline for Forever Now is psychedelic furs provide timeless heartbreak beat. So later in their career, they have a – actually their biggest American hit was called Heartbreak Beat. So that's what I'm talking about there. But I do think they capture sort of this romantic thing of like heartbreak, even though it still sort of has like a punk rock attitude. And there's just this weird balance between that punk rock attitude and that romantic spirit.
Anyway, let's hear more. This is actually their first US charting song. This is Love My Way. I heard that song many times over the years. I didn't really know it was psychedelic furs. So it was a pleasant surprise while checking this album out. It's a marimba-driven track. Yeah, hallmark of the new wave. I think they just kind of do whatever they want and there's nowhere else to put them but new wave when people are trying to categorize them, you know.
Written by frontman Richard Butler, initially aimed at addressing issues of sexuality, particularly for those struggling with their identity. I'm not 100% sure. I mean, I read what I read, but that fits. Kind of marked the shift in their sound and it's a little more polished and dreamy. I think that's why it fits into the new wave style. Todd Rundgren played the marimba on that from what I read. And finally got his shot for years. That's why he wanted to produce.
He's like, I got to get some marimba in. I got the marimba time. Better than cowbell, man. I got to have more cowbell. My clickbait headline to describe the album, From post-punk to new wave, Forever Now explores love, alienation and identity with psychedelic furs, bold blended sound. It is a smorgasbord of sounds, but they all have that common thread of his haunting, captivating voice that takes on soaring moments.
And like Todd said, the growly moments, his delivery helps hold this thing all together for me. So yeah, I mean, obviously it was informed by punk, but also glam rock. And, you know, the little xylophone or whatever and funky guitar riff on Only You and I is another example of just being innovative and doing weird stuff that somehow sounds good. So yeah, I really did enjoy this record a lot and I'll probably go check out some more psychedelic furs.
I mean, I know Pretty in Pink, obviously, but a lot of people have spoken highly of them over the years. And I'm finally at the point where I'm ready to buy in. So thank you, Todd. You're welcome. It's also a very English album, I think, just the way he sings is English and the vibe and everything. Yeah. All right. Well, let's hear some more Englishness. Here's a song called Danger. I hear so much of like 90s British pop music in a track like that. Such a good synth line, got the horns in there.
It's just kind of like a wall of sound, if you will, from this record kind of hitting you in the face. My clickbait headline for forever now is the furs ride the new wave over a new wall of sound. I think just gets you with like the old kitchen sink, man. There's so many things happening sonically throughout and it does shift a good amount from track to track. You know, mostly pretty bright and shiny, kind of fitting in with that new wave sound.
But there is a stretch we kind of talked about in the middle of the record that's a little bit darker, a little bit more moody, a little got that British feel to it. It feels like a rainy British night sort of in the middle of the record there. But there's some good high energy moments too. I really enjoyed President Gas was a pretty upbeat track there that I wasn't expecting. Yeah. And lyrically, I think he just is so obtuse. Like what is he talking about?
I'm never really sure. And lyrics even seem to shift like from verse to verse. Like words are a little bit different than they were previously. So it's like, is the meaning even important? Is it more just the sound we're getting out here? Which I think does work really well in the mix and his voice just like fits perfectly with all these other kind of sounds that are happening around him.
And yeah, the whole thing works really well. I enjoyed it. I was not too familiar with them previously, but I think I would come back to them again and give them the opportunity. Sounds like you guys enjoyed it. So I'm glad about that. I'll just say, you know, I think the other two albums we discuss are probably more important in the grand scheme of music and stuff. But I think this is the one I enjoy listening to the most, maybe a bit more melodic and sappy. I don't know.
Well, it's also I think it's a little less intentionally pop. And I think Blondie and the next album we're going to talk about, Devo, I think they were intentionally popping it up for radio and record sales and stuff. I don't think the Furs were doing that. All right. Well, for a wonderfully English album that balances post-punk passion with mainstream pop sensibilities, check out the Psychedelic Furs Forever Now from 1982.
¶ Deep Questions - What 80s fad did you participate in?
Excuse me. I'd like to ask you a few questions. Now it's time for Deep Questions by Don. So here we are again, kind of talking about music from the from the 80s. In what 80s fads did you participate? Yeah, I made a lot of questionable clothing decisions in the 80s. I needed. Well, the worst ones are the ones your parents allowed you to do. Yeah, they helped spur along some of these, unfortunately. I think the most egregious one that I still cannot live down to this day.
I had I wore glasses. I was, you know, like in first, second grade. And I had these Flesen green Flesen was like a big, big thing in the 80s. Everything super bright. I had these Flesen green like eyeglass holders. I went around my glasses like if the glasses fell out, they would catch them. I wore those for like two or three years every day. I don't know why I thought they were cool. Gym class just like all the time. Never really took my glasses off, but I had them there just in case.
It was like my cool little cool Flesen color. Yeah, I'm cool. 80s, 80s Andy. I thought you were going to say more of the sunglasses that were like window blinds or window. I had those. Yeah, those were around a lot too. The disappointing part of those sunglasses, you couldn't close the blinds. No, I was open. Yeah, but you did. Oh, God. I mean, the list is so long because I grew up as a, you know, primarily throughout the 80s and as a kid making the worst choices possible.
But, you know, parachute pants and anything break dancing related was was bad. But late in the 80s, I fell victim to the mullet. Nice. The spiky kind and shaved up high over my ears. So I'd like white walls. It didn't work for me, guys. I got to be honest. It didn't work for anybody really. I looked like Jack Skellington with a mullet. Not cool. Well, when I, I'm not sure how old I was. I might have been like seven or eight, but I actually bought one of those leather like spike bracelets.
I remember those trips. My mom used to take me to the SMM store too. No, this was this was JCPenney, I think. Yeah, I think they were right next to the Michael Jackson gloves and the Boy George hat and stuff. Oh, yeah. Right. It was that kind of thing. I also remember, do you remember those like rubbery bracelets? They'd be like a solid color and then you could like attach two together. The jelly bracelets. Is that what they're called? Jelly bracelets? Yeah. Yeah, I did those too.
Used to be able to get them out of gumball machines. Oh, gumball machines. I once got a purple rabbit's foot out of a gumball machine. Nice. Wow. That's a lucky day. Yeah. Poor purple rabbit. Somewhere out there. It's a good purple rabbit. All right. Well, what 80s fad did you participate in? Let us know on Instagram and Facebook or leave a comment on our website, AltheNerds.com. When a problem comes along, we all know it's you must whip it.
So I went with Devo, formed in Akron, Ohio in 1973 by Gerald Casale. I don't know. And Mark Mothersbaugh. Great name. Influenced by 1970s political turmoil and societal decay. Going with their third studio album, Freedom of Choice from 1980. Why don't we jump in with a little bit of Whip It. Whip it good. So Freedom of Choice arrived at a critical moment for new wave music.
Synthesizers were starting to be more prominent and Devo fully embraced that transition from guitar driven post-punk to more electronic danceable sound. Apparently their record contract was on the line. Their first album did pretty well and it's highly loved among Devo fans. Are We Not Men? We Are Devo. But this one is the most, when I was growing up, the flower pot head energy helmet or whatever they called them. That whole look was so iconic.
The video for this was so what I thought New Wave was as a youngster. So yeah, Whip It is a deceptively upbeat anthem. Pretty nonsensical, but I took it as kind of like whatever you're doing to your utmost. Like give it your best sort of? Yeah. Kick its ass, you know? Whip it. Whip it good. Of course there were rumors that that was about something more personal and bedroomy, but we won't get into that.
Produced by Robert Maguleff, known for his work with Stevie Wonder and helped them refine that electronic sound. Mike Lick made headlines to describe the album from whip cracks to synth stacks. Devo's Freedom of Choice helped define New Wave and made weird cool. So yeah, the nerd glasses, the synchronized dance moves they would do on stage, the whole kind of we're so uncool, we're cool. They're the kings of that. And this album was their coming out party in that regard, as far as I'm concerned.
All right, so why don't we jump into a little bit of Gates of Steel. Man is real. I love that track. Yeah. Such a good, such a good anthem there, great synth line. And just that like punk rhythm underneath it. Dun dun dun dun dun dun. Yeah, really driving force to it.
It seems to be about men maybe accepting their limitations too easily. I kind of get that as like maybe the pieces for this album in general is kind of like, we should be exploring our freedoms more and being more, more than just men. More than Devo. Yeah. Yeah. Well, again, that my clickbait headline for Freedom of Choice is given the choice between men and Devo, this nerd picks team flower pot hat every time.
¶ Devo - Freedom of Choice
It's such a, just a unique record. I mean, there's such a weird group of guys and what they produce is like really unlike anything else going on at this time. It's still sparse, kind of like their debut record, still thought provoking lyrically, kind of reminds me of like a good sci-fi movie to some degree. Like there's like a moral behind all these songs, even though they're kind of weird.
These guys jump around in the pool of goofiness because they had the confidence to do so. And these guys do that where it's serious political theater at times as the kind of undercurrent, but it seems all. Kind of like they're making fun of it on the surface. It's all fun and games. Yeah. Yeah, it's a really interesting mix. This record to me sounds much more polished than their earlier stuff.
It's much more produced and much more in line with that sort of synth heavy sound of the period, which maybe isn't quite as exciting to me, but it does fit well with that sort of like we're not from this world sort of vibe they have going on. So all of their earlier work is a lot of covers are used. And this is really their, I believe it's their first album of all originals, which is kind of impressive because there are a lot of really original ideas out of this album.
So that kind of feels like it kind of came out of the blue. So that is pretty cool. I think this is probably their creative peak also, but it's a hell of a peak. Well said. Let's have a peek at the next track. There's still some punk rock in there. Would you say that Reezer took some cues from Devo? I never thought about it before, but listening to this record a lot of times, there were moments. It's not just the glasses. That was the obvious time. I hadn't thought of that. Maybe.
Something to think about. Yeah, I'll buy it. Same sensibility maybe and sense of humor. Well, Freedom of Choice was written by Mothersbaugh and Casale. So yeah, so it addresses the paradox of freedom and responsibility. I think people mistake it for sort of a celebration of personal freedom, but it's actually sort of talking about people often prefer to have decisions made for them because it's difficult.
And they actually use a line. In ancient Rome, there was a poem about a dog who found two bones. He picked at one. He licked the other. He went in circles till he dropped dead. And I think that's like that old fable or I think it's called Buridan's Asp paradox about the donkey who's thirsty and hungry. Hi, professor. We're going too deep here. So when you're faced with two choices, maybe you just die or you'd – I don't know where to resurrect that.
Anyway, another interesting fact about the song, when it was released as a single, there was actually no A or B side labeled. So it instructed buyers to use their freedom of choice to decide which side to listen to. I love that. That's so Devo. So Mike Clickbait headline for freedom of choice is, Rejecting Their Namesake, Devo Evolves into Radio Friendly Songsmiths. So Devo is like short for de-evolution. So yeah, I mean they show an evolution here.
As Andy pointed out, they're writing songs even though there's still the art to it, sort of this almost avant – not really avant-garde but sort of this silly satire approach. It's palatable here, right? And they've got hit songs going. Yeah, they really figured out how to make their weirdness accessible, like more palatable I guess. And visually sort of performance art as well, the energy domes. Supposedly they were designed to recirculate brain energy.
And the de-evolution philosophy I guess was inspired by a 1924 pamphlet titled, The Jocko-Homo-Heaven-Bound, which explored the idea that humanity was regressing. Yeah, fits. Well, Devo was progressing at the time. Yeah. A little bit of both. I think Steps Forward and Back is the name of the game. So some other album highlights you should check out, Girl You Want, Exploring an Obsessive Infatuation, very energetic new wave sound, Planet Earth, a warning about environmental degradation.
That's a fresh message today. These guys just have a lot to say. Yeah. And Cold War, dual critique of geopolitical tensions and interpersonal stalemates. So there's a lot going on here. It's poppy, it's synthy, it's fun, a manifesto for a world hurtling toward technological dominance from Whippet to Gates of Steel. Its tracks still resonate with the timeless mix of wit, satire and some innovation in there. So if you haven't listened to this album, go check out Devo, Freedom of Choice.
So they can choose not to? Or choose not to, yes. That would be the more Devo thing to do. Can you dig it?
¶ Diggins/Outro
Can you dig it? Can you dig it? Okay, well we dug deep all week into some new wave. What else were you digging? What did you fill your flower pot with, Andy? Let's see here. I got a couple things I can put in the upside down pyramid. First one for me is from a Los Angeles black metal group named Siviris. They have a new album out, second full length, called Maze Envy. It's a fairly punishing record, but at times there's some beauty as well. Let's hear the title track.
Are you sure this isn't called Ear Drum Splitter? It's a subtitle I think. It's an intense record, but it's very good. The next one for me, or last one for me here is well known artist Megan Thee Stallion. She has her new album out called Simply Megan. I'm not really a big fan of her. I think she's a little, I don't know, commercial for me. But this album is really good. Oh yes, it's a sell out. Yeah, she's a bit of a sell out. Let's play, this is track seven, A Taku Hot Girl.
I really want to write this album off, but it is so freaking catchy. There's so many good beats to it. I just keep coming back to it. Wow. So Megan Thee Stallion. She's a savage. Have you been digging around on? I was at a family gathering this past weekend and my nephew brought an artist to my attention. MKG, it's stylized, it's just the letters MK then a period and then G-E-E. Actually his real name is Michael Todd Gordon. He's a singer songwriter from Summers Point, New Jersey.
Album's called Two Star and the Dream Police, released back in February this year. There's a song called Onessus or Olesis. The album cover is, at least for this song, it's a little misleading. It looks like a guy shredding on an electric guitar. I'm glad you brought that up though because it's presented in this atmospheric bedroom pop style, but there's some really interesting guitar work going on, but you have to really listen to it.
Then back to the holiday theme, I'm kind of running out of these. You thought you had the easy path. Just picking a holiday record. It's getting tougher. I found one, this is actually classical, so it's duo playel yuletide treats. Basically, they're all classical pieces that are meant to be duets on the piano. This is a husband and wife team, Alexandra Nepaniashkaia and Richard Egger. They're just playing on the same piano.
They go through some more obscure pieces, then they get to Handel's Messiah and then the Nutcracker Suite. That's nutcracker-y. That's the nutcracker. Again, it's duo playel, D-U-O-P-L-E-Y-E-L, yuletide treats. What are you digging, dude? Well, something pretty similar to that actually, not at all. This is a band called Amel and the Sniffers. The album is Cartoon Darkness. Just came out this year.
They're an Australian pub rock band from Melbourne, known for their raucous energy and punk-infused sound. Let's listen to a little bit of Jerkin. Merry Christmas. So yeah, this actually reminds me a bit of The Chats, another pub rock band from Australia. I think the accent, the Australian accent really works well for this type of punk. It does. Yeah, it's more punk than even the British accent. Yeah, I don't know. It's just so hard sounding at times.
Not to reference the song at all, but anyway. Yeah, they're an interesting band. They're fun to listen to, so I recommend if you like that punk rock sound, go check out Amel and the Sniffers. For my vinyl selection, decided that stick in the new wave trajectory here with an album I've had for many years. I think I picked up one of those times when records were still pretty cheap and you could buy 20 for 20 bucks at the record store. Wow. Older records. This one's The Cars, self-titled.
Let's listen to a little bit of Good Times. A great blend of new wave pop and rock. Great melodies, catchy hooks, and just what I needed. My best friend's girl. Great songs. Great record. Fun to have and essential to any, in my opinion, vinyl collection. You can probably find it for a reasonable price. Excellent. What are you digging? Let us know. Join us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, and threads. Also, our website, AlbumNerds.com. It will be a discovery of extraordinary value.
Well, it's about that time on the show and I'm reminded of the great Irish singer-songwriter Sinead O'Connor who said, it was the case in the 70s and 80s that people believed music could change the world. But now people aren't making music just because they want to change the world. They're making music because they just want to make a ton of money. Like Megan Thee Stallion.
Yes. With that in mind, let's bring out my friend and yours, Wodbot, to see what we're talking about on next week's episode. It's time to journey back to the heartfelt, harmonious, and transformative era of the mid-century folk revival. Next time, you'll delve into three iconic albums that captured the spirit of social change, poetic storytelling, and timeless melodies shaping the soundtracks of a generation. So we're going to get hit hard with that mid-century folk revival.
Some 50s, 60s folk music. I want to get folked up. Folk you. Oh boy. All the puns coming your way next week. What's your favorite New Wave record? How about folk? Leave a comment on our website or email us at podcast at albumnerds.com. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and threads at Album Nerds. Also, please subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast app. And if you'd like to support the show, you can do so via PayPal at albumnerds.com slash support.
Thank you once again for joining us on the Album Nerds podcast. We'll see you next time when we folk around. Thanks for listening, everybody. See you then. Yes and how many roads must a man walk down Before you can call him a man Wow, that was something. What's the answer? Blowing in the wind. Right on.