Spring 2026, Episode 1
15:00 - 16:00 Sunday February 8th, 2026
Ayan & Christian

WREK's only music history show is back in the studio!
Note: The last episode (which didn't get a post on the website, but took place on November 16th) was a continuation of our discussion on the History of Metalcore. It picked up where we left off in 2001 and followed the thread as far as we could into 2025.

This week, we decided to explore the foundations and origins of NEW WAVE in 1970s New York. In 1973 East Village, Hilly Kristal and his ex-wife Karen Kristal opened the CBGB & OMFUG (Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gourmandizers) music club. Two important rules for artists performing at the club were that they had to move their own equipment and that they couldn't play cover songs. Hilly refers to the band Television's first show at CBGB in March 1974 as "the beginning of new wave."

The first track we played was by Patti Smith, who was the first person to have a residency at CBGB; in March 1975 she began a two-month weekend set of shows there with Television. She released a rendition of the rock standard "Hey Joe" with Television's guitarist Tom Verlaine in 1974.

The punk rock band Ramones also frequented the club during this time. A video of them performing at CBGB in September of 1974 (which we played next) can be found in the below playlist. They then went on to play 74 shows there in 1975. During this time, the term "new wave" was often used interchangeably with "punk." That became less the case around 1977 when Sire Records chairman Seymour Stein launched a "Don't Call It Punk" campaign to push for the replacement of the term "punk" with "new wave" (punk rock was becoming increasingly portrayed as dangerous and violent).

Elvis Costello from London, while not a New York Native, opened CBGB shows for the Voidoids in 1978. Although he never applied the term "new wave" to his music, his early records (like 1977's My Aim Is True) helped define the genre "by harnessing punk's energy to a leaner, more incisive aesthetic that included pop hooks."

Afro-beats, Reggae, R&B, and African Rhythms ended up having a lot influence in what would eventually be understood as typical new wave. Bands like The Police and artists like Lizzy Mercier Descloux incorporated sounds from these genres to push punk/new wave in a funkier, dancier direction. Ayan particularly wanted to note the influence of Feli Kuti (Yoruba Music).

The culmination of 1970s New York New Wave might be Talking Heads' 1980 seminal album, Remain in Light. Here we see the further use of Afro-Beats, as well as influence from early British prog, production by Brian Eno, and King Crimson's Adrian Belew on guitar.

Next week, we're going to linger on the CBGB scene but focus instead on NO WAVE, which can be thought of as a disapproving response to new wave's acceptance of pop tendencies. We'd then like to eventually follow the intertwined threads of both and explore the ensuing history of DANCE PUNK. Thanks for listening!

Playlist

"Hey Joe" (1974) by Patti Smith

"Live at CBGB, NYC" (September 15th, 1974) by The Ramones

"Miracle Man" (1977) by Elvis Costello

"Fall Out" (1977) by The Police

"Fire" (1979) by Lizzy Mercier Dexcloux

"The Great Curve" (1980) by Talking Heads

"Optimo" (1983) by Liquid Liquid

Sources / Further Learning

[1] Wikipedia – New Wave
[2] Wikipedia – CBGB
[3] Rateyourmusic
[4] How New Wave Ruled the 1980's (Youtube video by Jukebox History)