Now Taking Requests...

Over on Twitter (where you can follow me at @berutt, if you like), I was recently given a handful of suggestions for future New Wave for the New Week entries. Some band names that were tossed around I have already written up and are sitting in my drafts folder as we speak, but others were mentioned that made me say "Great suggestion!"

I've decided to expand a bit upon that Twitter conversation. November will be "All Request Month" in the NW4NW series. Beginning next Monday, November 2, and continuing through Monday, November 30, I will be posting NW4NW entries about the artists YOU ask for! Please post your requests in the comments section below - tell me the artist you want to request, a specific song if you like, and a screen name I can use in the post to credit you for your suggestion.

You can review all of the past NW4NW entries here.

So, I turn it over to you guys - for the month of November, New Wave for the New Week is in your hands! November has five Mondays, but if response is strong enough, I will consider doing additional NW4NW posts throughout each week.

New Wave for the New Week #33

Image via Wikipedia

Despite a remarkable pedigree - being associated with American minimalist composer Philip Glass, who performed on and co-produced both of their albums - Polyrock never quite got passed the level of "historical footnote" in the history of the New Wave scene.

Formed in late-70s New York City by the Robertson brothers, Billy and Tommy, Polyrock created a fidgety, phobic, but nonetheless almost ethereal sound clearly influenced by Glass's own sparse, rigidly patterned compositions. Billy Robinson's vocals fell somewhere between Ric Ocasek and David Byrne, causing many to immediately liken the band to a more severe version of The Cars or Talking Heads. As such, they were often dismissed as derivative, when in fact the music they were making was quite cutting edge for the time.

This week's NW4NW entry is the clip for Polyrock's "Romantic Me" single, from 1980. The David Byrne comparisons come to the forefront here, both in sound and look, but pay attention to the odd burbles and scrapes going on in the music. The melody loops endlessly, wavering ever so slightly each time around the cycle to create a sound that is alienating and yet satisfying. Enjoy!