New York to East California

"Much new wave music was notable for its upbeat, dance-inspired tempos…an element that had largely gone missing from rock music in the 1970s when groups instead shaped their sound to fit the spectacular stadium and arena settings that defined the era. It is no accident that new wave thrived during the late 70s and early 80s in small clubs and the numerous rock discos that had begun to appear as the original disco movement itself was beginning to fade. New wave rock bands often drew on dance-related styles—whether it was disco and funk or reggae and ska in a way that few mainstream rock acts did. In doing so, new wave refused the older late 60s hippie and hard rock legacy that prevailed among groups like Foreigner and Journey."

Theo Cateforis discusses his new book, Are We Not New Wave? Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s, at the University of Michigan Press's blog.