Tag: Synth Pop
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Kajagoogoo ‘White Feathers’ (1983)
Kajagoogoo carved out their spot in the very crowded 1980s new wave scene with a shimmering blend of synth-pop hooks and a fashion sense that perfectly mirrored their sound—colorful, sleek, and unmistakably of the MTV music video age. Their breakout hit “Too Shy” off White Feathers embodied the era’s obsession with styles and weird ass…
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Thompson Twins ‘Into The Gap’ (1984)
The Thompson Twins crystallized their new-wave trance pop vision with Into The Gap. It was the album the trio would forever be known for and saw them hit both their commercial and creative zenith in one fell swoop. Known for their sleek synth-pop sheen, the group blended Tom Bailey’s knack for indelible hooks with Alannah…
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M83 ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’ (2011)
Synth pop was absolutely all the rage during the 2010’s and there’s very few songs out their that capture that feeling of youthful exploration better and more succinctly than “Midnight City” off Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. From the bizarre ass synth introduction to the massive drum fill that kicks everything into high gear to softly…
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Foster The People ‘Torches’ (2011)
When I think of Foster The People I think of Coachella and the music festival scene of the 2010’s. I never saw them live during any of their stints at Coachella, but damn do they embody the sound of that era and the feeling of being young and free. Torches is kind of a low-key…
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MGMT ‘Oracular Spectacular’ (2007)
There was a time—somewhere between the collapse of the MySpace Top 8 and the rise of ironic mustaches (guilty)—when my generation went off to college and experienced our first real taste of freedom. You know the moments. BitTorrent running 24/7 on your laptop, skinny jeans that had lived three lifetimes, bedsheets that hadn’t been washed…
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Magdalena Bay ‘Imaginal Disk’ (2024)
Magdalena’s Bay Imaginal Disk is a synth-driven exploration of dance-pop, electronic rock, and psychedelia, juiced to the gills in a maximalist production style. Put another way there’s about a million candy-coated hooks tucked in every nook and cranny of this bad boy. It’s like the layered density of shoegaze albums of old with a splash…
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Kraftwerk ‘The Man-Machine’ (1978)
The Man-Machine took me some real time to get into. I kind of regretted my decision to listen to this album about halfway through the opening track “The Robots”. The whole thing felt incredibly plodding, like it was struggling to find its purpose for existing. But the longer the song went on the sheer audacity…
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The Killers ‘Hot Fuss’ (2004)
The Killers’ Hot Fuss remains one of the most electrifying debut albums in alternative rock history, a record that blends the grandeur of synthesizer-driven melodies with the grit of heavy, intricate guitar work. Tracks like “Mr. Brightside” showcase the band’s technical prowess, with its instantly recognizable riff being deceptively difficult to play (seriously that thing…
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Savage Garden ‘Savage Garden’ (1997)
Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply” is up there for me as one of the better pop love songs of all-time for the sole reason that it came at a pretty formative point in my life. Whether you want to call it my band boy phase or something else a little less accusatory (although boy band…
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Tame Impala ‘Currents’ (2015)
With Currents, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker takes a bold step away from the introspective isolation that characterized his earlier albums, marking a profound evolution in his artistry. It manifests itself in many ways– the lyrical themes, the musical structure, and the instrumentation. Parker’s approach to this album reflects a desire to explore the complexities of…
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Chappell Roan ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ (2023)
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess reminds me a whole helluva lot of a combination of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Cyndi Lauper, which certainly makes sense considering her aesthetic and musical inspirations. Roan takes a lot from Swift’s melodic traits, blends it together with 80’s synth pop, and adds a…
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New Order ‘Power Corruption and Lies’ (1983)
New Order was formed by the former band members of Joy Division following the abrupt suicide of their lead singer Ian Curtis. With their new project they retained many of the things that made Joy Division a post-punk cult favorite (namely the repetitive drones and seemingly detached vocal style) while introducing more synth-pop and dance-rock…
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Taylor Swift ‘THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT’ (2024)
Despite being in the midst of the record-breaking Eras World Tour, an incredibly public courtship with NFL star Travis Kelce, and the release an astounding 8 albums in the past four years (which includes four of her “re-recorded albums”, a concept we previously covered with her 2021 edition of Red) Taylor Swift managed to find…
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Don Henley ‘The End of The Innocence’ (1989)
When I was young Don Henley’s song “The End of The Innocence” played a pivotal role in establishing my love for music. The thematic subject matter about getting older and losing the carefree life of being at home with your parents spoke to me in a visceral way, serving as sort of a reminder that…
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Phoenix ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ (2009)
If you went to college in the late 2000’s there was no escaping Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. This was one of those glittery boppy Indie rock albums that was custom-made for the coming-of-age college demographic, fun and carefree and subtly sophisticated in the sort of way that made you feel like a child and adult all…
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Daft Punk ‘Discovery’ (2001)
If you went to college at some point in the 2000’s you knew exactly who Daft Punk was. In the late 2000’s mash-ups were absolutely taking off, in large part to the prodigious sampling capabilities that Daft Punk brought to the dance world. Sampling of course had been a major keystone to the genre of…
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Ninja Sex Party ‘Cool Patrol’ (2018)
Ninja Sex Party’s Cool Patrol is a rollicking ride through 80’s synth pop and over the top glam metal. Their brand of juvenile comedy is fun as hell, with lead singer and narrator Dan Avidan channeling his inner Ryan Reynolds through his voice inflection and general love for obscene jokes to drive home his point.…
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A Flock of Seagulls ‘A Flock of Seagulls’ (1982)
When you think of 1980’s New Wave music the song “I Ran (So Far Away)” is pretty much required to pop into your head. A Flock of Seagulls, the British rocker’s debut album, was a defining moment for New Wave as a whole and is chock full of all the things that make the genre…
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Harry Styles ‘Harry’s House’ (2022)
Members of boy-bands going on to illustrious solo careers is somewhat of a rare bird. You have some standout examples like Michael Jackson (Jackson 5), Justin Timberlake (*N Sync), and George Michael (Wham!) who went on to be megastars that made people forget they were ever anything but a solo artist, but in general it’s…
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Roxy Music ‘Avalon’ (1982)
Roxy Music had long moved past its early 70’s art rock phase with Brian Eno by the time the early 80’s rolled around, but the band’s deep and rich history of avant garde synth pop is still present underneath all the wonderfully manicured pop sheen found littered throughout Avalon. From the sultry saxaphones to the…
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Depeche Mode ‘Violator’ (1990)
Depeche Mode’s Violator took the gothic undertones of 1985’s Black Celebration and turned it up about 11 notches to create a massive arena-ready avalanche of brooding synths that cascade throughout the entire album. We’ve mentioned this about a few bands in the past (The xx being a notable example) but Depeche Mode manages to blur…
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Robert Palmer ‘Clues’ (1980)
Robert Palmer’s transition from blue-eyed soul singer to New Wave artist was just getting started on Clues, and the album as a whole sits in this distinctly 80’s space of being multiple things all at once. You have the old-school Rolling Stones esque classic rock thump of “Sulky Girl” sandwiched in between the synth pop…
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