Three new releases sure to enhance your Fall foliage

After a long summer of scorching drudgery, the season of change has arrived. Everything is new again and it’s not just the weather changing. Here are three highly anticipated releases that just washed ashore on Retro Beach, on sale now at your favorite online media outlet. Given the right context of your autumn ambition, these releases are sure to spice up your pumpkin latte.

ELECTRIFYING YOUR EQUINOX

The Human League – Credo (MB3 Records):

Last week, MTV celebrated its 30th birthday honorably by replaying their debut launch broadcast on their sister station VH-1 Classic, followed by a live reunion of original VJs- one of many vocabulary contributions coined by the network, over at SIRIUS radio’s 80s on 8. Historically, the great wave of music videos was more of a ripple than a tsunami when MTV first debuted, as evident by the string of videos MTV streamed in this replay. The 2nd British Invasion was about to arrive, but until then, MTV followed the playbook of favoritism, showcasing videos by Eddie Money, David Bowie and Blondie. It was only a matter of weeks before someone with an executive chair poked programmers to broadcast a string of British short-film music videos that were in wide contrast to the template set by the American videographers. It’s still debatable whether or not video killed the radio star, but it certainly made a load of cultural icons.

The ensuing cat fights, legal disputes, & victories in the Retro Arena

Last month, the androgynous Boy George reached a milestone in his life, turning the big 5-0 with a smile on his face that read “By gosh, I made it.” With a rap-sheet now lengthening to that of George Michael’s, Boy George appears at the moment to have reached a plateau of serenity, but only time will tell. Earlier this year, Culture Club announced that all four original members (Mikey Craig, Roy Hay, Jon Moss and Boy George) had reconciled their differences and would begin working on their first new album since 1986’s From Luxury to Heartache (Epic, 1986). The announcement is proof that Hell did not freeze over as the Club joins a growing list of bands that swore off reunions. The esteemed list includes the Cars, Fiction Factory, and the Tom Tom Club -all of which have been given a phoenix chance to recreate their Eighties’ magic in 2011.

Like John the Evangelist and his disclosures in the Book of Revelation, Jeremy Kennedy has looked into the future with a pair of retro binoculars, scouting the horizon in search of nostalgia with hopes that bands from the Eighties will remember Atlanta as they map out their 2011 summer tours. Yet with disappointment, right now the forecast looks extremely discouraging. Since the mid-years of the last decade, we’ve seen a steady flow of artists bring their retro showcases into town including Thomas Dolby, the Cutting Crew, Tears for Fears and recently O.M.D. But this summer, you’ll have to curb your Eighties appetite by either settling for pricey tickets to see artists you’d expect to tour like New Kids on the Block (Philips Arena June 22nd) or embark on your own Griswold vacation and head west where a barrage of acts from alternative music’s first graduating class are appearing to reprise their catalog hits in an attempt to reclaim the territory that they once conquered 25 years ago.

Remember when our moms would correct us when we lashed out at our siblings, even bringing them to tears? “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”, my mom would say with her finger pointed in my face as I tried to downplay the words spoken from my own mouth in a weak effort of self-defense. Inarguably, this is conventional wisdom at its best. However, let’s take another approach to this quote and reexamine it more literally in terms of words under the umbrella of onomatopoeias. Words like ‘slime’, ‘scum’, and ‘zip’ are not only appropriate for each of their meanings, they are fun to say. Sometimes, band names are also comical to pronounce. The Eighties brought us dozens of band nominations that could fall into the category of onomatopoeias. Think about this. After the predictable band names from the 1960s, nearly all of which selected nouns to identify themselves (the Beatles, Led Zeppelin), artists chose names that were more creative and less personal. By the mid-70s, band names were simply boring. However, the liberality of the next decade would change all of that. I proudly sanction that it was the Eighties that invited some of the most imaginative albeit senseless names of all-time, including Scritti Politti, my favorite new wave onomatopoeia. Let me hear you say “Scritti Politti” like you mean it. Now try and say it without smiling. I stand by my affirmation. Yes, it is fun to say.

Take a moment and think back to 1984 when the Jacksons pulled their talents together, recorded an electrifying album and rolled through America on a super sell-out tour featuring space-age lasers, Jim Henson Muppets, and a team of pyromaniacs. The Jacksons, an early ’70s sensation, masterminded a model plan for the 1980s that delivered beyond the outlook of expectation. From a sales perspective, the Jacksons were priceless. Both the tour and the LP made millions and were appropriately titled “Victory”. I exemplify the Jacksons’ success to trespass on the property of their appellation. Excuse me Tito, but I need to borrow the “Victory” designation to celebrate a big win in the retro arena in 2011. According to Nielson, 2.8 million vinyl records were sold in the United States in 2010. That is the highest number since the organization began racking record sales in twenty years! With the music compact disc format declining each year by 25% since 20071 while digital albums are leveling, the wax vinyl format is now the fastest growing music format in the U.S. and Canada. Although records aren’t mobile (unless you’re a floating deejay) and they certainly require space to store, records aren’t very convenient in a microwave society. However, quality and nostalgia are overruling the drive-thru digital format. Records aren’t disposable and are more likely to travel with you throughout your life than an audio file. Additionally, the artwork of a great record sleeve is visually more gratifying than looking at a file name on a LCD screen. Agreed?

If you’re ready to break free from the house arrest as a result of one of the most brutal winters in ATL’s history and safety dance your way to Spring, allow me to lead you down the yellow brick road to retro pleasure. We’ve got concerts, releases and free stuff, oh my! If March is a foretaste of what’s coming down the pike in 2011, the Retro Beach will have to invest in more oceanfront real estate.

Here’s what’s on our Retro Radar for March:

OMD: The History of Modern Tour (The Loft, March 14th. Doors open @ 7pm). It should be noted that Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (the name OMD was adopted after British deejays abbreviated the band’s 9 syllable name to a microphonic-friendly acronym) have never headlined a concert on their own in America since forming in 1978.

Perhaps one of the most catastrophic marketing mistakes in U.S. history occurred when The Coca-Cola Company introduced New Coke, the reformulation of Coca-Cola in 1985 to replace the original formula of its flagship soft drink. I’m sure some of you remember the backlash: bottling agency law suits, counsel hot-lines to support addicts with original formula withdrawals, and let’s not forget the MLB fans that refused to purchase Coke soft-drink products in stadiums across America. The lesson was hard yet effortless to conclude: ain’t nothing like the real thing Baby.

What about the music industry? Does this rule apply? For example, would it be forgivable for the Smiths to reunite minus Morrissey? Now that I have your attention, I dare to ask: would any credible artists from the Eighties’ attempt staging a comeback without their primary members? For those of you that don’t read the retro blogs, let me confirm that yes, it is happening. As you will see the results are indiscriminate and vary on the strength of the demand, the marketing drive of a good publicist, and the quality of the re-embodiment of the artist. In some cases, earning respect as the ‘new guy’ with the band can take years to achieve. Guitarist Warren Cuccurullo spent nearly 15 years with Duran Duran yet the poor guy constantly struggled to earn respect against the ghost of Andy Taylor after the founding member split during the recording of Duran’s 1986 funky album Notorious. Worst case scenario, the fresh face can drive your dream reunion down a path of change beyond recognition.

Whereas last Christmas I presented a lengthy list of new albums available for purchase, this year I want to offer readers of the Retro Beach links to free music. Let me say first that these links aren’t highways to preview bands you’ve never heard of; quite the contrary. Oh no, these artists would be in the Eighties’ Hall of Fame if such a monumental museum existed. I’m psyched because these tracks allow us to catch up with some of our favorite bands that have been on an indefinite hiatus. Moreover, you can provide copies for your friends saving you the pain of shopping and the hardship of expanding the budget. I wonder if Clark Howard is reading this?

DURAN DURAN: All You Need is Now
The fab four (power-house guitarist Andy Taylor jumped ship again in 2006 for those that don’t read music gossip columns) need no introduction but I will tell you that Duran Duran are offering their brand new single for a limited time at iTunes to boost promotion for their forthcoming 13th studio album (eponymous of the first single). Be one of the first to hear and own it for free HERE

“Recoil was born as a way to alleviate frustrations of always having to work within a pop format,” recalls Alan Wilder, the multi-instrumentalist that transformed Depeche Mode’s synth-pop sound to a darker, more mature incarnation after answering an ad to join Depeche Mode after a post in Melody Maker magazine in late 1981. With an urgency to fill a vacancy left by Vince Clarke, London’s Depeche Mode was bound for global recognition. Alan Wilder, a classical pianist and studio assistant, needed Depeche Mode and as history has shown, Depeche Mode certainly needed Alan Wilder. By 1990, DM owned the airways, sold millions of records, and was playing in stadiums to crowds that rival Super Bowl events. After spending 14 years creating technologically-driven electronic compositions with a mission to accommodate the complex lyrics of Martin Gore and Dave Gahan, Wilder never allowed a free moment in the studio to go to waste. Like a mad scientist working secretly in a hazardous lab, Wilder took advantage of studio opportunity after-hours and positioned himself as a pioneer in the newly emerging world of sampling technology and demonstrated how he could turn the Depeche sound around to create something entirely new. Hence, Recoil was born. With over 25 years of unconventional music under his belt, Recoil has approached a retrospective milestone with the release of “Selected” (Mute Records, 2010), a double-disc collection of Wilder’s personal favorites including remixes gathered from various parts of the globe.