Jellyfish seemingly had all the right ingredients for success -- catchy, melodic pop songs squarely in the Beatles/Squeeze mold, plus strong kitsch appeal in its retro sound and wildly colorful, clashing wardrobe. Founding members Andy Sturmer (drums, vocals) and Roger Manning (keyboards) previously played in the pop/rock quartet Beatnik Beatch;... [+] Read More

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Based in Toronto, Martha and the Muffins comprised Martha Johnson (vocals, keyboards), Martha Ladly (vocals, keyboards, trombone), guitarist Mark Gane, bassist Carl Finkle, drummer Tim Gane and saxophonist Andy Haas. The group formed in 1977 and, on the strength of their debut independent single, "Insect Love/Suburban Dream," were signed by... [+] Read More

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A key presence in the synth pop movement of the early '80s, the new romantic duo Naked Eyes formed in Britain in 1981. Comprised of former schoolmates Pete Byrne (vocals) and Rob Fisher (keyboards), Naked Eyes debuted in March 1983 with the LP Burning Bridges, reissued in the U.S. a month later (minus several tracks) as a self-titled effort. The... [+] Read More

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Thanks to the reductive onslaught of the "'80s party weekend" radio format and the numbing similarity of most '80s hits compilations, hearing the name Romeo Void instantly conjures up the phrase "I might like you better if we slept together" in most minds. The unforgettable chorus of their best-known song, 1981's "Never Say Never," the phrase on... [+] Read More

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Best known for their early-'80s new wave pop hits, particularly "I Got You," Split Enz -- after surviving a dizzying array of image and personnel changes and a full decade without any recognition outside of their homeland -- became the first New Zealand band to achieve worldwide success. Although they never reached superstar status outside of... [+] Read More

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True innovators of the punk era, the Specials began the British ska revival craze, combining the highly danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude, and taking on a more focused and informed political and social stance than their predecessors and peers.

The band was originally formed in Coventry, in 1977, as... [+] Read More

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Led by vocalist/guitarist Dave Fenton, the Vapors were a short-lived new wave guitar group that is best known for the spiky pop single "Turning Japanese." Fenton formed the first version of the Vapors in 1978, yet he was the only member to survive that lineup; in 1979, former Ellery Bops members Ed Bazalgette (lead guitar) and Howard Smith... [+] Read More

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To most new wave fans, the Waitresses are a fondly remembered part of the '80s one-hit wonder pantheon, even in spite of the fact that that one hit was a cult phenomenon that didn't even reach the Top 40. Yet "I Know What Boys Like" was the sort of daring, instantly memorable pop nugget that epitomized the era -- all cool detachment, subversive... [+] Read More

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Though he never had many hits, Thomas Dolby became one of the most recognizable figures of the synth-pop movement of early-'80s new wave. Largely, this was due to his skillful marketing. Dolby promoted himself as a kind of mad scientist, an egghead that had successfully harnassed the power of synthesizers and samplers, using them to make catchy... [+] Read More

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