This slightly tongue in cheek synth-pop track was the title track of former Tangerine Dream founding member Pete Baumann’s 1981 album ‘Repeat Repeat’. Baumann shared production duties on this record with the suave Robert Palmer, who adds a charismatic sheen and melody to the track. With its detached and slightly jaded robotic vocals and jaunty new wave groove, the results are simply hypnotic.

Peter Baumann – Repeat Repeat

As the snow falls around us, how about we get warm and cosy with everybody’s favourite Belgian anti-pop star Plastic Bertrand and his cover of 1983 new wave/Balearic classic? Oh, go on then! It’s too cold to argue.

Covering Nacht Und Nebel’s glorious leftfield classic ‘Beats of Love’, Bertrand croons in French on this slightly melancholic pop oddity.  Probably the best cover of Patrick Nebel’s most famous song, this alongside ‘Stop Ou Encore’ is probably the best thing the new wave prankster ever did (yes, that includes the ad man’s favourite).

That crazy Plastic Bertrand! He’s probably building a nice snowman outside as we speak…

Plastic Bertrand – Gueule D’Amour

The summer is not all fun in the sun for those of us who have to go to boring work, in fact Eddie Cochrane penned his classic 1958 rock ‘n’ roll anthem, ‘Summertime Blues’ to all the dispirited kids who had to work at Boots in Tamworth over the holidays (yes, that was me dear reader.). Covered by the likes of The Who, Blue Cheer, T-Rex and countless others, my favourite version of Eddie’s masterpiece is The Flying Lizards disjointed and oh-so cool version from 1978 (I also recommend Olivia Newton John’s cover if ya fancy a laugh).

The David Cunningham-fronted group slow down the song and add their renowned post-modernist nonchalance to the track, which really captures how depressing and mind-numbing it is to bloody work in a office, shop or factory over the bloomin’ summer holidays.

Anyway, for all of you that are stuck in the office today, this one’s for you.

The Flying Lizards – Summertime Blues

You may have noticed that we’ve ‘been away’ over the past few weeks due to some technical and server issues. We’ve sorted all that out now and we can continue to bring the noise (and Talkies) that you all love! Yay!There’s going to be some more fantastic changes to the site over the next few weeks to coincide with our 2 year anniversary special, but we’ll keep ya posted about that. So, in the meantime enjoy a classic Italo song from Sensitive!

Released in 1984 on Gong records, this moody New Wave meets Italo ode to automobiles is one of the most sought-after Italo disco records amongst collectors. Going for over £500(!) on Discogs, this is a sumptuous and throbbing single that’s reminiscent of Sam Fox’s classic ‘Touch Me’. But that’s a good thing. Trust me, it is. God, it’s good to be back.

Sensitive -Driving.mp3

Athens, Georgia’s finest, The B-52s, recorded this minor Surreal classic back in 1982. Taken from the Mesopotamia EP and produced by David Byrne, it saw the band delve deep into the past and travel to a mysterious post-punk parallel universe.

Alongside the title track, ‘Deep Sleep’ is one of the highlights of their much underrated EP. Deep, Middle Eastern-tinged piano stirrings stride against a dune dwelling bass back drop, producing images of a Dali-drenched desert. A dark and primitive New Wave dance classic, this is the sound of the B-52s at their most abstract and adventurous.

The B-52s – Deep Sleep

Probably best remembered for their 1983 ‘disco-not-disco’ classic ‘Love Tempo’, Quando Quango released unique and influential records throughout the early eighties on Factory Records. The musical brain child of Mike Pickering and Hillegonda Rietveld, the band were formed in 1981 and quickly became one of label’s most revered and trailblazing bands.

With their abstract mix of disco, punk, new wave, world, jazz, reggae, they were dismissed by the UK music press for being too eclectic and weird. As with the yesterday’s SOTD, they first garnered attention from New York by none other than Larry Levan. The band was even invited to play at the Paradise Garage in 1983 (which they duly did but got a lukewarm reception).

In 1985, the band released their only album ‘Pigs & Battleships’ to some critical acclaim. With the tracks perfectly complimenting the forthcoming House explosion, as well as providing anthems for the Hacienda, for whom Pickering would later become synonymous with (we’ll gloss over the whole M People thing). The band’s influence across the board cannot be underestimated.

Anyway, ‘Genius’ is a mind-spinning party song. With Latino-flavoured percussion, upbeat pianos, as well as Fela Kuti-esque guitar flourishes, producer Mark Kamins harnesses the band’s distinctive sound and delivers a near-perfect, dreamy summer song.

Genius indeed.

Quando Quango – Genius

Taken from The Stranglers’ 1979 album ‘The Raven’, this genuinely strange offering shows off the surprising  creative diversity and ingenuity from one of Britain’s most misunderstood and maligned punk/new wave bands. From the accusations of misogyny and pub-rock oafishness to concept albums about aliens and songs about heroin, no one can accuse Hugh Cornwell and Jean Jacques Brunel’s Guildford Outlaws of being boring.

‘Meninblack’ was primarily Cornwell’s concept, and introduced the idea of extra-terrestrial hit-men who silence individuals that have witness UFO landings (yeah i know, crazy or what?!).  Along side ‘Duchess’, the track is the highlight of the album. With the idea being so unusual and extraordinary, the band used it for the subsequent 1981 concept album of the same name.

This period of the Stranglers history is often overlooked (FACT: I was only introduced to it last year by a friend. Shocking I know, but true), so I urge you to go and seek the aforementioned albums and you’ll be richly rewarded with songs about crazy-ass aliens done in a pulsating, experimental punk/new wave stylee and let’s face it, who doesn’t want that?

The Stranglers- Meninblack

The Stranglers- Meninblack