Welcome to our newest blog on our ever-expanding uber media-empire known as 8bitrocket.com. Since much of our “game” sensibility comes from the stuff we played in the 80’s, Jeff and I have decided to start writing about some of the music that we listened to in our formative years. To be truthful, Jeff and I were not the most mainstream of music-fans in what I like to call “The Teflon Decade”( because, for the most part, nothing I really liked from the 80’s had any kind of “sticking” power. It all kind of hit and slid-off into an oblivion). That doesn’t mean it was not good, but it was mostly non-commercial (for the era) or “before it’s time” (curiously, something a few of our ex-classmates described Jeff and I to us at our 10-year high school reunion). You see the music we liked is hard to describe. Most of it was post-punk, but not necessarily New Wave. Most of it was “rock”, but but not hair-metal or classic rock. As well, most of it was not “adored” by critics or the the “cool” kids either. I hate the word “alternative”, but in a sense, this music really was an “alternative” to everything else. Anyway, in no certain order here is a off-the-top of my head, in-exhaustive list of some of the bands we liked that will be covered in the blog:

The Alarm, Big Country, Midnight Oil, The Smithereens, Hoodoo Gurus, Drivin’ And Cryin’, Icicle Works,The Long Ryders, Wall Of Voodoo, Lords Of The New Church, The Plimsouls, The Call, Cactus World News, Dramarama, Guadalcanal Diary, Naked Raygun,, Soul Asylum, The Goo Goo Dolls (“Hold Me Up” and before), The Replacements ,Huxton Creepers, The Johnneys, Husker Du, The Nils, Let’s Active, All, The Descendents, Big Drill Car, The Skids, The Shoes, Slade, Stiff Little Fingers, D.A.D, EIEIO, and many many more. Some of these bands got their start in the 70’s, and some of them did not reach their heights until the 90’s, but all of them touched the 80’s in some way.

Almost all of this music was guitar-based, but devoid of noodling, and much of it involved “fighting back” or had the names of girls in the song titles. Some of it was the same type of power-pop “punk” (sic) that became hugely popular in the late 90’s and into the 21st century. Some of it was the same type of alt-country that critics have whisperingly adored since the early 90s. Some of it was simply misunderstood. misplaced, or misfired rock n’ roll that in another day and age would have ripped the charts apart. No matter what the music might have been though, all of it formed the ambient background for some of our most formative years. We will be exploring the bands, the music, and the era in future blogs. However, if you want some idea of what this music was like, here are some links to a few YouTube.com videos for some of my all-time favorite songs:

The Alarm: The Stand

The Long Ryders: I Had A Dream

 

Big Country: Fields Of Fire

Midnight Oil: Hercules

Icicle Works: Whisper To A Scream

The Smithereens: Only A Memory  

 

Let’s Active: Waters Part

 

The Lords Of The New Church: Open Your Eyes

Drivin’ n’ Cryin’ : Whiper Tames The Lion/ Powerhouse

 

Hoodoo Gurus: I Want You Back

OK, that’s enough rockin’ for today. Please re-attire your knocked-off socks and re-attach your blown-off roof and we’ll see you real soon.

–Steve Fulton : steve@8bitrocket.com