Post-Punk

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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1977–82) The charismatic Adam Ant (b. Stuart Goddard) was a prominent figure in the boutiques and clubs of the punk scene, appearing in Derek Jarman’s film Jubilee, and releasing Dirk Wears White Sox in 1979. After his backing band became Bow Wow Wow, he started from scratch, gaining huge fame with his follow-up – 1980’s Kings Of The Wild Frontier. Powered by African-style drumming, courtesy of Merrick and Terry ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal group, 1979–83, 2005–present) Taking their name from the German architectural movement, Bauhaus were a prototype goth outfit who made their recording debut in 1979 with the nine-minute single ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead’. Peter Murphy’s brooding voice was accompanied by Daniel Ash (guitar), David J. (bass) and Kevin Haskins (drums) for four albums until the singer left in 1983. Their only Top 20 hit was a faithful cover of David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1984–95) Mick Jones followed his stint as a founder member of The Clash with the genre-hopping BAD. He enlisted filmmaker Don Letts on ‘effects’ and adventurously married punk, hip hop and electronica on 1985’s This Is BAD. The album’s single, ‘E=MC2’ scored highly in the UK. Jones recruited old chum Joe Strummer for the similar No. 10 Upping Street (1986). An excitingly innovative outfit at the outset, BAD succumbed ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1981–2001) Stuart Adamson began with Scottish punk band The Skids. His Caledonian heritage came to the fore with Big Country, as he employed guitar gizmos to create a choral ‘bagpipe’ sound. The epic, yearning songs of debut album The Crossing (1983) played well in America. The follow-up, the more political Steeltown (1984), was a UK No. 1, and singles such as ‘Wonderland’ and ‘Look Away’ fared well for Scotland’s ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 2002–09) Bloc Party – Kele Okereke (vocals), Matt Tong (drums), Russell Lissack (guitar) and Gordon Moakes (bass) – achieved massive critical acclaim for their debut, Silent Alarm (2005). The record managed to appeal to a cross section of music lovers (Okereke even guested on a Chemical Brothers’ track), but is largely remembered for its stop-start guitar anthems, such as ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Banquet’. Very much indebted to the likes of ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Experimental vocal/instrumental group, 1973–94) Founded in Sheffield by Krautrock fans Chris Watson, Richard H. Kirk and Stephen Mallinder. The trio manipulated tapes and played conventional instruments against and over them. Signed to Rough Trade in 1978, an underground hit ‘Nag Nag Nag’ emerged. The group became more interested in danceable beats, but still retained an experimental edge. 1984’s ‘Sensoria’ and 1985’s ‘James Brown’ are seen as precursors of house music. Many ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal group, 1977–90) This arty new wave outfit from Akron, Ohio, comprised Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Bob Mothersbaugh (guitar, vocals), Bob Casale (guitar, vocals), Gerald Casale (bass, vocals) and Alan Myers (drums). Devo’s influential electronic music embraced robotic and mechanical elements and is heard at its most potent on the debut album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978) and at its most daring on their deconstruction ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1978–93, 1997–present) A post-punk quartet originating in Liverpool’s thriving late 1970s new wave scene, comprising Ian McCulloch (vocals), Will Sergeant (guitar), Les Pattinson (bass) and Pete DeFreitas (drums). Career highlights include the moodily atmospheric 1980 debut Crocodiles and the lushly epic Ocean Rain (1984), but mainstream acceptance eluded them and the band split up in 1988, reforming nine years later minus DeFreitas, who perished in a motorcycle accident in ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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‘A Girl Like You’, 1995 When ‘A Girl Like You’ became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, not many remembered that Edwyn Collins used to be part of the talented Scottish pop group Orange Juice. The song was Collins’ biggest hit since Orange Juice’s ‘Rip It Up’ in 1983, and it is a standout pop tune that has allowed Collins to remain a household name. His recording career has ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 2002–present) Glasgow’s Franz Ferdinand – Alex Kapranos (vocals), Robert Hardy (bass), Nicholas McCarthy (guitar) and Paul Thomson (drums) – formed from the scene around the city’s college of art, but only drummer Thomson actually attended. Many wrongly consider their tightly suggestive brand of ‘art rock’ to be a result of years spent studying the visual arts, but it more likely stems from their obsession with music’s history. Fans of bands ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Various instruments, vocals, b. 1958) Originally recording as Tubeway Army – the name used on his first No. 1 single ‘Are “Friends” Electric?’ – Numan’s electronic music was influenced by Berlin-era Bowie and set in a dystopian future of his own imagining. The hypnotic synthesizers and emotionless vocals earned him a second 1979 chart topper ‘Cars’, which was also a smash in America. Mainstream success proved difficult to sustain but Numan ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1977–2012) Michael Hutchence (vocals), Tim Farriss (guitar), Andrew Farriss (keyboards, guitar), Garry Gary Beers (bass), Kirk Pengilly (guitar, saxophone, vocals) and John Farriss (drums) paid their dues on the Australian pub circuit. Taking elements of The Stones, Doors and funk rock, the band broke into the American market with Shabooh Shoobah (1982). 1985’s Listen Like Thieves consolidated their position, while Kick (1987) and the excitingly sleazy ‘Need You Tonight’ ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Singer-songwriter, b. 1986) London-based singer-songwriter Jamie T (Jamie Alexander Treays) fared favourably with critics since his debut in January 2007 when his frenetic, garage-cum-indie debut Panic Prevention reached No. 4 in the UK. He released second album Kings & Queens nearly three years later, which did even better. His dry and witty observational lyrics on tracks like ‘Sheila’ and ‘Calm Down Dearest’ has made him one of the most popular artists ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal/instrumental group, 1974–82, 1991) This South-East London band led by singer David Sylvian (real name Batt) traced an odd career trajectory. Starting out playing guitar-based glam, they tried to fit in with punk, but found their forte in the new romantic era. Mick Karn (bass, saxophone), Rob Dean (guitar), Richard Barbieri (synthesizers), and Steve Jansen (b. Stephen Batt, drums) completed the personnel who finally made inroads with their third album Quiet ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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(Vocal group, 1976–80) One of the UK’s most important post-punk bands, Joy Division’s often bleak and claustrophobic music continues to inspire and influence. Enthused by The Sex Pistols’ legendary first Manchester gig in 1976, school friends Bernard Sumner (guitar) and Peter Hook (bass) formed Stiff Kittens, quickly renamed Warsaw. Recruiting Ian Curtis (vocals) and Steven Morris (drums), they became Joy Division in late 1977. Working with maverick producer Martin Hannett for independent ...

Source: The Definitive Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock, general editor Michael Heatley
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