No Wave No New York

(Richard Hell) W/ Glasses and James Chance

The other day I picked up a book at the library about the music that happened around the same time as the Talking Heads, Television, Cramps, Blondie and Ramones started. It was music scene that I did not know about for the longest time, The scene was called No Wave, but when I found a 45 of D.N.A in the book donation bin at my local library I knew I stumbled upon something special. I had a bit of understanding on who and what the scene was and the important people that I should listen to. That single 45 with the two songs encapsulated just about everything that I could figure out from that era. The band was called D.N.A. It was a great history lesson and one thing I took away was to find more of this short four year span that changed the lives of so many people.

This odd era even made Brian Eno stand up and take notice. By the way he produced the album that we are discussing here. He wanted to know what the hell was going on. Thurston Moore stated in his book No Wave Post Punk Underground New York 1976-1980. The book was a great way to understand a scene that very little people know about. The people who do are frankly hipper then me. That 45 that got donated proved that to me the day I picked it up. D.N.A. was one of the four bands that are featured on this compilation. It was one of the oddest things that has ever graced my collection.



Around the same time I found that gem I went to New York and went record shopping with a friend who had the same taste in music that I did. He mentioned on the car ride down that I should find an album called No New York. It documents four bands including D.N.A., Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Mars and James Chance and the Contortions. All these bands lead the movement and changed the way we look at music and this music eventually lead the the important downtown scene in New York City. This music is something that should not be taken lightly. It's raw and seems not all that great, but if you understand any period of music, this explains a lot of connections to the CBGB's sound and also the Downtown scene that I love so much.


DNA: Ikue Mori, Arto Lindsay and Robin Crutchfield

There is something about a scene that can last four years and still have repercussions on what is happening now. Some of these artists still perform today and make so much great and creative music. Take Ikue Mori. She is an artist for John Zorn's many project and left the drums to play samples and electronic stuff. She is also a visual artist as well many of her artwork is shown on Zorn's Tzadik label covers. They are truly a site to see. Another is Arto Lindsay; his music is extremely important to me. His solo albums are a work of beauty and on one he covers Prince and he makes it sound like his own. Once called "Sex on a stick" his music fusion of my favorite Brazilian Tropicalia movement is really great when you hear what he does. Lynda Lunch still performs to this day and the other day I listened to her do the poetry of Jack Kerouac and it was pretty damn' good. Lastly James Chance is making music here and there and according to Wiki, he is doing a Jazz trio that plays standards.


Lance Loud of the Mumps and Lynda Lunch from Teenage Jesus and the Jerks

So I offer today this compilation of some really interesting music. Yesterday I dug out my CD and did another time machine run. I really wonder with all this great music that was going on in the 70's in New York City that the city did not blow up or start an earthquake. I really do like this stuff, it might be tough in some spots on the nerves, but the reward is there. Take a listen to this and tell me what you think. It's a bit expensive, but worth the effort to buy or find used. I went looking on E-Bay yesterday for a record edition and found it selling for $100.00. Enjoy!