Synth-pop is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic, art rock, disco, and particularly the Krautrock of bands like Kraftwerk. It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of the new wave movement of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
The Age of Plastic is the debut album by the English new wave duo the Buggles, released on 10 January 1980 on Island Records. It is a concept album about the possible repercussions of modern technology. The title was conceived from the group's intention of being a "plastic group" and the album was produced in the wake of the success of their debut record, "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979), which topped the UK Singles Chart. Most of the album's other tracks were written during promotion of the single.
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik, Ian Grushka, Chad Gilbert, and Cyrus Bolooki (drums). Longtime rhythm guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein left the band in late 2013. During their lengthy recording career, the band have released ten studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and four cover albums.
Art of Noise were an English avant-garde synth-pop group formed in early 1983 by engineer/producer Gary Langan and programmer J. J. Jeczalik, along with keyboardist/arranger Anne Dudley, producer Trevor Horn, and music journalist Paul Morley. The group had international Top 20 hits with its interpretations of "Kiss", featuring Tom Jones, and the instrumental "Peter Gunn", which won a 1986 Grammy Award.
Punk-O-Rama was the title given to a series of ten compilation albums published by Epitaph Records. The first volume was released in 1994, the second in 1996, and the rest annually from 1998 to 2005. The albums included artists from Epitaph's roster as well as from its subsidiary label ANTI- and its partnership labels Hellcat Records and Burning Heart Records. In total the series included 257 songs contributed by 88 different artists.
The Rapture is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1998. The band currently consists of Luke Jenner, Vito Roccoforte, and Gabriel Andruzzi. The classic lineup (1999-2009) added Mattie Safer playing bass and sharing lead vocal duties with Jenner. Safer and Jenner's harmonized choruses became part of the signature sound of the band, featuring on several of the band’s more well known songs.
Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Hole, released on September 17, 1991, in the United States on Caroline Records. Produced by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, and Gumball frontman Don Fleming, the album was Hole's first major label release after the band's formation in 1989 by vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson.
Stereo Type A is the second studio album by Cibo Matto released in 1999. As the group disbanded in 2001, it was their last studio album prior to their 2011 reunion. The album peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200, and also reached the top spot of CMJ's College charts.
Subterranean Jungle is the seventh studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones, released by Sire Records on February 23, 1983. Overall, the album featured a return to a somewhat more hard punk rock style compared to the band's previous two albums End of the Century in 1980, and Pleasant Dreams in 1981, which were the most pop-focused of the band's career. This direction was encouraged by guitarist Johnny Ramone. The recording sessions saw disputes between band members, mainly due to struggles with alcohol addiction by Joey Ramone and Marky Ramone, and the drug addiction of Dee Dee Ramone.
Not Without a Fight is the sixth studio album by American rock band New Found Glory. It was released on March 10, 2009 through independent label Epitaph Records. Produced by Blink-182 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus and recorded at his home based-OPRA Studios, the album was seen as a return to the band's energetic roots in comparison to its predecessor; the mellow Coming Home (2006). The gap between releases marked the longest period between studio albums in the band's career thus far, while the title is taken from the lyrics in opening track, "Right Where We Left Off".
Forever the Sickest Kids is the eponymous second studio album by American pop punk band Forever the Sickest Kids, released on March 1, 2011. It is their last release through Universal Motown Records, and also last to feature members Kent Garrison and Marc Stewart. Following the release of their 2009 EP The Weekend: Friday, the band worked on material for what was originally a continuation of the EP but instead wrote more songs than intended, and scrapped the idea to work on a second full-length record. The album received mixed reviews from critics who commended the band's attempt at maturity with diverse musicianship and catchability but found it inconsistent. Forever the Sickest Kids debuted at number 33 on the Billboard 200 and spawned three singles: "Keep On Bringing Me Down", "I Guess You Can Say Things Are Getting Pretty Serious" and "Summer Song".
Lovebubble is the fourth, and final studio album by American synthpop and electronic band Book of Love, released on June 15, 1993, by Sire Records.
Courage My Love is a three-piece rock band from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Formed in 2009 the band consists of twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn and Phoenix Arn-Horn in addition to bassist Brandon Lockwood.
Mercedes Arn-Horn is a Canadian musician, songwriter, director and actor. She is the lead singer, guitarist and keyboardist of Canadian rock band Courage My Love. She is also the lead singer and guitarist of Canadian rock band Softcult.
Bella Lune is a darkwave/dreampop band that was formed in 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The band incorporates elements of darkwave, post-punk, synthpop, shoegaze, and ethereal music to create a dreamlike trance throughout their sound. Bella Lune cites many 80s post-punk and new wave bands as influences, including The Cure, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins, New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, and Love and Rockets.
State Champs is an American rock band from Albany, New York, formed in 2010. They are currently signed to Pure Noise Records and have released three EPs and four full-length albums. They released an acoustic EP titled The Acoustic Things in October 2014 and their second full-length album Around the World and Back one year later, in October 2015. In May 2017, they released a deluxe version of their album Around the World and Back, along with a DVD of footage from their last few tours. Their 2013 full-length, The Finer Things, debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. Their third album, Living Proof, was released on June 15, 2018. On May 13, 2022, the band released their fourth studio album Kings of the New Age.
Love X Stereo is an electro duo from Seoul, Korea. Consisting lead vocalist and synthesizer player Annie Ko and guitarist and producer Toby Hwang, the duo debuted in 2011 by releasing an EP album called Buzzin'.
Underclass Hero is the fourth studio album by Canadian rock band Sum 41. It is the first of two albums by the band recorded without guitarist Dave Baksh since he left a year earlier to focus on Brown Brigade. The album was recorded as a three piece. The album was first released July 18, 2007 in Japan. It was released under the Island Records label and distributed worldwide by Universal Records, by Aquarius Records. There are no photos of the band inside the liner notes, though the front cover features a monochrome image of vocalist Deryck Whibley spitting in a hallway. In comparison to the heavy metal-inspired punk style of Sum 41's previous album, Chuck, Underclass Hero is where the band return to their famous pop punk style. The album’s lyrical content, while not written as a rock opera, is loosely tied conceptually, with the album’s lyrics focusing on subjects such as politics, religion and family life.
Pale Waves are an English indie rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. It was founded originally as Creek when lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester. The band was joined by guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood, completing the lineup. The band's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop. With their second album, however, the band began to experiment with the pop-punk genre.
"Television Romance" is a song by the English indie pop band Pale Waves, released on 16 August 2017 to promote their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). The song, written by Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran and produced by Matthew Healy and George Daniel of the 1975, was inspired by an incident in which Baron-Gracie had to bluntly rebuff a hopeful suitor who was oblivious to her disinterest. The band also released a video for the song; directed by Healy and Samuel Burgess-Johnson, it features the band performing the song in a Manchester flat.
