New Wave for the New Week #5

Medium Medium (via last.fm)

While many of the bands who were a part of the New Wave scene went on to have long, productive careers (The B-52s, Devo, Blondie, Talking Heads, Siouxsie & the Banshees, etc.), many, many more made only the briefest of splashes in the pond, falling under the radar of all but the most devout scenesters (The Shivvers, Insect Surfers, The Problem Dogs, and so forth). But there was also a middle ground - the bands who hit the ground running and seemed sure to succeed, but never did anything more than one great song.

One such band was Medium Medium, a British post-punk/dance band who showed up in 1981 with a truly fantastic single, "Hungry, So Angry". With a pulsating rhythm and propelled by a funky slap-bass, the single was made to fill the dance floors of clubs everywhere. It did not disappoint, even reaching the lower rungs of the American dance charts. Trying to parlay this cult hit into something more sustainable, a full album (The Glitterhouse) appeared later that year.

Immediate comparisons were made to bands like Gang of Four, thanks to the rather angular song structures and alienated vocals; more than a little bit of Talking Heads influence can be heard here as well. Given the success those bands saw, one would think Medium Medium had hit upon winning formula. It wasn't to be. A few more singles found their way to record store shelves, but that was it. No follow up, no swan song, no goodbye, nothing but this one wonderful song to remember them by.

Here, then, is your New Wave for the New Week, Medium Medium's "Hungry, So Angry":