After starting on the pub rock scene in England, the core line-up of The Stranglers would form in 1975, and they would release their debut album in 1977 during the British punk explosion.  During the band's early years, the aggressive and uncompromising approach of The Stranglers would result in the press and critics grouping them with the emerging UK punk rock scene. 

However The Stranglers, beyond dressing in all black outfits, were different. After the first two albums and over the following years the sound of the band would gradually shift through various genres and styles as the music matured and became more refined. 

Throughout the band’s history, The Stranglers have had multiple hit singles while releasing 18 studio albums, of which the first ten albums hit top 20 on the UK top album charts. The Stranglers are amongst the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the British punk scene, and one of the most commercially successful band from the UK punk era. 

This episode tells the story of the band through the first six albums, all by 1981 over a 4 and a half year span, including The Raven, Black and White, and The Gospel According to Meninblack.

Originally from Berkeley, California as the Warfield Foxes, this band relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-70’s and became The Motels.  

During the late 70's in L.A., The Motels became a vital part of the club circuit that helped launch the local punk and new wave scenes.  The band’s early tracks were along punk rock lines, but by the early 80’s The Motels were more new wave and alternative rock behind atmospheric sound, theatrical style, and the sultry vocals of lead singer Martha Davis.

Following their third studio album, The Motels became a fixture of the early 1980s MTV. Their music blended moody, melancholic lyrics with catchy, melodic pop-rock and synth-driven arrangements as they achieved commercial success with hit singles, "Only the Lonely" and "Suddenly Last Summer".

Led by the charismatic Martha Davis, The Motels were one of the most successful and acclaimed bands to emerge from the Los Angeles new wave scene.  The initial run of the band would end in 1987, but Martha Davis later revived the band that is currently known as "The Motels featuring Martha Davis." 

This episode will tell the story of the band from their early years through the 1980’s.

Originating from Haledon, New Jersey in 1976, The Feelies would play a post-punk, indie rock, jangle pop style of music. By 1980, The Feelies had become one of the more unique bands from the New York City underground music scene.

Arriving during the early post-punk era, the band’s debut album was 1980’s Crazy Rhythms. This trend setting and influential album combined jangly guitars with chiming and droning guitar patterns, along with fast and sharp percussive beats setting the rhythm.  

The band was not commercially successful, but The Feelies  would help shape the sound of American alternative and indie rock music in the 80’s and 90’s, influencing many artists.  

It would not be until six years after the debut when album number two would be released. That second album, The Good Earth, was co-produced with Peter Buck of R.E.M. By 1992, The Feelies would create two more studio albums before the end of their first run as a band.  

The band reunited in 2008, and released new studio albums in 2011 and 2017.

This episode tells the story of the band from formation and early years through today. 

In late 1979 following their second album, two members of Siouxsie and the Banshees departed the band leaving them without a drummer and guitarist. By early 1980, the band had added drummer Budgie and guitarist John McGeoch, which accompanied a change in musical direction for the group.

The shift began with the addition of synthesizers and drum machines on the 1980 album, Kaleidoscope. Changes continued with the fourth studio album, the seminal JuJu which featured innovative and unconventional guitar work from McGeoch. On their fifth studio album, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, Siouxsie and the Banshees shifted toward a more sensual and psychedelia style while incorporating string arrangements.

After the third album with McGeoch, they would part ways but not before McGeoch's work with the Banshees would influence many future alternative music guitarists.

This episode tells the story of Siouxsie and the Banshees through the three albums with the legendary John McGeoch, and continues the story of our earlier podcast for the band's early years through their first two albums.

The genre-defying band Radiohead was initially considered as just another alternative rock and grunge act as their debut single "Creep" from their debut album, Pablo Honey, became a global hit in 1993.  

Radiohead's music would quickly evolve beyond the early labels as they developed a more guitar driven and ballad oriented second album, The Bends.

Beyond Pablo Honey and The Bends, the band continued to experiment through the 90's to create a more complex sound on the 1997 landmark recording OK Computer, and abandon traditional rock structures with their 2000 album, Kid A.

Radiohead's experimental approach to music is credited with advancing the sound of alternative rock and changing the landscape of 90s alternative music. 

This episode will tell the story of: Radiohead’s early years after forming in 1985 in Oxfordshire, England under the name On a Friday; the debut album Pablo Honey; and through the second album, The Bends.
(Photo by Rupert Elvin for EMI)

The Birthday Party was an abrasive and chaotic band that mixed blues, free-jazz, and rockabilly to form a unique style of post-punk music.

Initially named The Boys Next Door when formed in Australia in 1977, the band would relocate to London and rebrand themselves as The Birthday Party in 1980. 

This band would provide the jump start to the career of their lead vocalist and frontman, the legendary Nick Cave. Driven by his vocals along with Rowland S. Howard's screeching guitar work, the band would create songs of unusual stories and violent tales behind unsettling and noisy soundscapes. 

Before disbanding in 1983, the band only had limited commercial success, but was very influential to many other artists that followed. 

The Birthday Party' s creative core was much more than the boys next door. Beyond Nick Cave as singer and primary songwriter, this included multi-instrumentalist and Mick Harvey, and guitarist Rowland S. Howard, all of which continued beyond to acclaimed careers. 

This episode will tell the story of the forming of The Boys Next Door through The Birthday Party years, and all their music.

(Photo by David Corio)

Following the break up of their previous band The Tourists at the end of 1980, Eurythmics were formed by the duo of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They released their debut studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 under the production of Conny Plank, but the album was not very successful.  

Eurythmics decided on a new approach for their second album, altering their sound to minimal, cold, dark synthesizer-based pop with Annie Lennox's distinct soulful vocals and a very unique visual style. 

With this came their second album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), which achieved global acclaim along with the number 1 smash hit title track. The music of this January 1983 release featured a dark undercurrent, electro-soul sound built with synthesizers, pioneering drum machines, and unconventional percussion, along with Annie Lennox's emotive lyrics. 

This was the start of a new era for Eurythmics that introduced Annie Lennox’s iconic, gender-bending visual style to the world and the MTV generation. 

This episode tells the story of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart from their early days in The Tourists through the first two Eurythmics albums, as they rose to the top of the music world in 1983. 

The Beat, also known as The English Beat in the United States and Canada, formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England. The music of this post-punk act fused various styles including ska, soul, reggae, pop, and punk rock to become one of the key and most successful bands of the UK ska revival and the two-tone scene of the early '80s.  

The Beat's songs would often include lyrics that took on socio-political themes, while the music and the danceable sound gave the band crossover appeal to go along with their message.  

The band released multiple critically acclaimed studio albums starting with their debut album of 1980, I Just Can't StopIt, along with a number of hit singles including "Mirror in the Bathroom" and "Save It for Later".  

The Beat broke up in 1983 after the third studio album before some members went on to form two other notable bands, General Public and Fine Young Cannibals. The Beat reformed in the 2000's and continues today with a new make-up behind original member and lead singer Dave Wakeling.   

This episode tells the story of The Beat from their early days through the music of their three studio albums of the early 80’s.  

During the 1980’s, Front 242 became a pioneer of Electronic Body Music (EBM) and a key artist in the development of the industrial and electronic music genres. Their music blended aggressive, relentless, danceable, electronic beats with driving basslines, commanding vocals, tense militaristic aesthetics, and innovative media sampling. 

The Belgian based Front 242 formed in 1981 in an effort to create music and graphic design using emerging electronic technology. During their early albums and releases the band developed what would come to known as EBM. After signing with the the Wax Trax! Records label Front 242 achieved international success with their 1988 fourth studio album, Front by Front. This album spawned the iconic industrial club anthem "Headhunter", and the album and this song are considered among the greatest industrial music releases. 

This episode will tell the story of the Front 242 from their beginnings as they rise to the front of the EBM and industrial music scenes by the 1990’s.

Altered Images began in 1979 after forming from a group of five teenagers in Glasgow, Scotland. The band was fronted by singer Clare Grogan with her sweet and bubbly youthful vocals as the band would go from their post-punk roots onto new wave and synth pop in the early 80’s.  

The first two singles by Altered Images as well the majority of the songs on the debut album were produced by Siouxsie and the Banshees co-founder Steven Severin, who had taken the band under his wing. This early work with Severin was dark and moody post-punk along with Grogan’s more upbeat vocals and melodies, creating a unique mixture and sound.

Martin Rushent produced the title track of the debut album, Happy Birthday , which brought the band commercial success, but was more pop sounding than the Severin produced work of the album. Rushent would remain producing for Altered Images with album number two, which was another successful LP and included the hit song “I Could Be Happy”.

This Scottish band would find success with six UK top-40 singles and three top-30 albums by 1983, before breaking up following the third album. 

More recently, Altered Images reformed in 2021 and released a fourth studio album. Clare Grogan has been the one constant member from the original formation while also maintaining a successful acting career among her many ventures.

This episode tells the story of this often overlooked band and the career of Clare Grogan, including the story of her connection to the song "True" by Spandau Ballet.