New Wave

I am 1/3 of the way through this list. There has been no Pearl Jam, no Snoop Dogg, no Alice in Chains, no Soundgarden, no Stone Temple Pilots, no Tool and yet I have to stomach third-tier BritPop garbage that sounds like Blur on clonazepam? No, man, no.

- I really liked the Auteurs. Am I gay? - Yes, but for other reasons.

Not cool enough to be pixies. Not bare enough to be pavement. Just a bit drab. Like a quite good high school band.

Gotta be honest. I had never heard of this album or this band. This is a great album. It sounds like if Oasis had the creative sensibilities of Stephen Malkmus. Gritty, somewhat dark 90’s alt/brit rock. Good stuff.

This was fine. It was okay. It'll do. Like how Chole described Franz Ferdinand as 'landfill indie', this is 'landfill 90s alt-rock'

Top 5 alternative and indie rock records from 1993 which are excluded from this list that you should listen to instead of this album: 1. Yo La Tengo - Painful 2. Stereolab - Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements 3. Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle 4. Guided By Voices - Vampire on Titus 5. Dinosaur Jr - Where You Been?

I've had enough britpop for one lifetime tysm

On the first listen, I really didn't like most of the LP. I liked the  first track but then they lost me for a while but I also liked the last three tunes.  This was somewhat bizarre since the  Spotify numbers show that nobody ever listens to (read likes) those last three tracks.  I thought I should listen  to it again and the second time through most of the songs from the dreaded middle section of the LP were OK. It kinda grew on me -kinda the way you start liking the jingle in a McDonald's commercial.  Perhaps I  was thrown by the name "New Wave" and was expecting something else. 

I love this album but I can see why others might not. It’s eccentric and peculiarly British. The lyrics are intelligent, biting, sarcastic and witty. Luke Haines is a national treasure. He rubbed up people the wrong way, refused to play the game, and was, presumably, ostracised for it. He had success, although perhaps not the recognition he deserved. His book is a riot, as is his twitter feed. This album is one of his best and is a forgotten 90s classic

In spite of arriving amid the Britpop boom of the early-mid 90s, this record has the feel of a lost classic. I can imagine how this might get lumped into that category at a superficial level, but the details and approach make me feel like those associations are more a coincidence of when this was released than an indication this was part of a scene. I'm hearing some Robyn Hitchcock in the melodic instincts, intricate arrangement, and sneering vocals. Nice variety between the more acoustic and fuzzy numbers on this one. Overall, I really enjoyed this introduction to a new (to me) artist. Favourite songs: "Don't Trust the Stars", "Valet Parking", and "Show Girl"

I don’t know... it was okay. But I feel like I’ve heard that record a thousand times before from other bands.

Similar to how I feel about vapor air when it touches my skin, it's pleasant but fades all too quickly.

If you like the beatles but shittier in every way this album is for you.

The epitome of bland. It kind of felt like eating a plain, unsalted cracker. And can you imagine giving yourself this name? Ugh.

Dynamically inventive, dark prototype of Britpop - and I love it. A perfect blend of catchy pop melodies and a wide variety of sounds (glockenspiel anyone?).

Brilliant proto-britpop, which I would have adored at the time if I had been a year or two older. Not quite sure why they didn't kick on from there, as this is better than anything Blur or Oasis were doing at the same time. But they didn't build on it, and by the time I was buying music papers each week, Luke had become a bit of a lost hero and/or a bit of a punchline whenever someone was getting (over-)excited about a new band. Tl;Dr - a great (lost?) album from the start of a genre that means a lot to me. Sounds like Suede, Nirvana and Blur fell in a melting pot - in a good way.

This is a great discovery. It's an interesting varied album. Vocally it's quite mellow and reminds me of The Monkees contrasted with some power pop (love the guitar sound). Some of the songs are quite moody ('Show Girl', Bailed Out') whereas others have a whimsical late sixties baroque-pop feel ('Junk Shop Clothes', 'Starstruck', 'Housebreaker', 'Valet Parking') with some musical colour from instruments like harpsichord, strings, celeste, piano, mouth harp. Others like 'How Can I Be Strong' have a heavier psychedelic edge. The lyrics are probably the weakest element but there's some nice melodies and arrangements to compensate. It's a bit of a quirky left field album ("critics favorite") and quite tellingly I was the only one in my group to give it a high rating. All in all, this is a very enjoyable album to play on spring afternoon, so I will definitely play it again when the weather is nicer than today!

Woaaah, what a gem this was. Never heard of them previously, but this is some brilliant stuff. Not far off from bands like Suede, and more specifically the album Dog Man Star.

Hidden gem! I’d never heard of this, prepared myself for the worst, and then found myself playing it on repeat. Will I remember it exists in a month? Not too sure.

It's easy to see why a certain British music magazine lumped in The Auteurs with an emergent scene back in the early 90s, for on New Wave they exemplify the kind of intelligent, not overtly referential compositions that was a tad bit lacking in British rock. The Auteurs, as time would go on, would only get a little more fascinating after this. Favorites: Show Girl, American Guitars, Don't Trust the Stars, Starstruck, How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother, Home Again.

I heard 'Showgirl' on The Chart Show (remember that?) At the time, my natural music buying habitat was Woolworths. To be fair, they did usually carry the top 100 albums. New Wave was not, and so they did not. Neither did Our Price. (There were two on Wood Green High St. I never quite understood why. But that's not the point. Imagine two record shops on a suburban high street.) Back then, discovering new music involved (1) listening to the radio, (2) hanging round the record shops on Berwick Street and being nice to the chaps (they were always chaps) behind the counter if you heard something nice, (3) reading a review in the NME or Q, liking what was promised and buying (metaphorically) sight unseen. A few years later, Virgin on Piccadilly Circus put in a load of digital listening stations. You scanned the barcode and got 30 seconds of each song on the album, (from 15 to 45 seconds in). I used to spend hours there. I don't really have any truck with the people complaining about Spotify ruining their music discovery vibe. I guess it is true, up to a point, but then you can listen to virtually anything you want on Spotify, your choice absolutely. All you need to do is to cough up a tenner a month and follow your own instincts. In any case, gatekeepers have, and will always exist. The nice thing about living in a democracy is that one has no obligation to pay them the slightest bit of attention. There is so much fucking great music out there, beginning to be listened to. Do the final mile and seek it out, at least occasionally. Oh. New Wave. Found the CD second hand in a charity shop in 1995, I think. I was a bit disappointed by the time – the actuality did not live up to the mythology I'd built up in my head. But I kept it, and I listen to it every now and again, and the thought of going out hunting for it (and discovering a few other unexpected pleasures along the way) still makes me smile. And now, older and a little bit wiser, I think I can say that it isn't half bad.

I bought this album aged 13. Thought it would make me look edgy and cool and intellectual and all the babes would want a piece as a result. It didn't achieve any of those goals. But it did soundtrack the beginning of years of rejection from the local female-folk. sad times.

Very good album, a little surprised at how much I liked it. Took me a couple listens to fully appreciate the album but glad I spent a little more time on it, definitely worth it Saved: Show Girl, How Could I Be Wrong, Idiot Brother

Solid album with some great songwriting that recalls bands like The Smiths.

I'm not sure how to rate this one. Good background music but I don't even really remember any specific part of any songs on the album. everything is so samey that it just sort of moves along without registering anything in my head. ok

Uneventful, forgettable, in fact, I can barely remember it a day later.

A little like Belle and Sebastian, but not as good.

Boring

Not nearly enough synth or fun to call itself new wave

Somehow I've managed to not know about this band but half way through the first song I'm loving it... although I've definitely heard this song before. I'm hearing Blur pretty strongly in here. Looking at it, it's the same year as Modern Life, makes sense. Problem is the album quickly settles into Britpop mediocrity. It's OK but it feels quite by-the-numbers. I was looking forward to later tracks because other reviews called up some of those as great tracks but they didn't break through the tedium to me. By the end of the album I just wanted it to be over. Yawn!

I couldn't tell you what songs were on this album and I just listened to it. How is that even possible? Trying to think back, it is just fog. No outlines. No impressions. Not even the curvy, fluffy edges of a cloud. Just greyish non.

At first listen, I thought this was solidly two stars; pretty standard lackluster, uninspired, typically boring mediocre indie-filler band, but not hateful. The songwriting is mediocre at best, the playing is barely average, it's poorly recorded, and the Luke Haines is a pretty shit singer. This was just forgettable proto-Britpop, overhyped at the time by the UK music weeklies (NME is especially to blame, I reckon) beyond what the actual music itself could bear. The band was runner up for the Mercury Prize (itself a marker of over-praised UK rubbish), squeezed out a few more albums and effectively disappeared, left behind by their Britpop contemporaries. A sad case of 'nearly was'. And then I started reading about Luke Haines, and I realised that I suddenly knew who this guy was. He is the pretentious bore at the party, with his slightly thinning hair and shirt unbuttoned to the waist, droning on about how great his band is (although, truth be told, he's the singer and guitarist and songwriting, so it's really all his vision), and their material is really meaningful and intelligent, not like most music these days, you know? You should really come and see us, we're playing at a dingy pub down the road on Thursday, and it'll be really amazing, you should come, Yeah, I will have another glass, thanks mate. But what was I talking about? Yeah, I'm really influenced by Rimbaud and Leonard Cohen, but I think really pick up where they left off, because they didn't really follow through on their ideas, and I really want to push the limits of what music can do, you know what I mean? Heaven forbid you actually go to the gig, because it's 8 people standing around the pub, including the band's girlfriends standing down the front trying to dance while the rest of us sip our beers and feign interest in the boring mid-tempo indie rock the band is playing, while Mr Songwriting-Genius complains about needing more vocals in his foldback. So, the generic type of pretentious git is bad enough, but Luke Haines appears to have been cursed with a fortnight of accolades, which never turned into the world-conquering success his simultaneously craved and spurned. As a result, he appears to have become twisted into a bitter, spiteful, angry, self-absorbed, troll. Pitchfork described him as "a songwriter whose shtick involves both unflagging self-admiration and utter contempt for labels, marketing, colleagues and fans." I started reading his autobiography (Bad Vibes; Britpop and My Part in its Downfall). He claims to be a recovering narcissist, but I really don't think he is over it (point of evidence: the album title: Das Capital: The Songwriting Genius of Luke Haines and the Auteurs). It's a perversely fascinating read of how much a brush with fame and the subsequent failure can create ongoing challenges for a moderately-talented egotist, who loves to bite the hands that might feed him (record labels, fans, press, bandmates, anyone who could potentially help him). I return to the eternal question of how much to conflate the artist and the art. In this case, the artist is a hateful troll and the art is blandly mediocre. Hence, I consign the Auteurs to the 1 star bin.

Forgettable

WHO MADE THIS LIST

Endlich mal wieder für mich neue, hörenswerte Musik. Ideal für Schreibtischarbeit!

Great album and great that the Auteurs are included in the list. Always felt that - together with Pulp and Suede- they were playing in a different league during Britpop, both in terms of songwriting and lyrics. The successor Now I'm a Cowboy is even better.

This was a lot of fun to listen to

5/5

This one surprised me. I liked almost all the songs. I am probably in the minority for liking all the Britpop on this list. Definitely gonna go through the rest of their stuff to see if it’s as good. Rating: 4.8

I love Luke Haines voice. And knowing he was in Black Box Recording may color this rating in a good way. I liked it a lot. I'll be coming back

This is why I’m doing the challenge: finding artists and albums that are totally new to me that click. This has a bit of a Sunday morning vibe to it that’s nice. Songwriting stands out; and while I hear a bit of George Harrison in the vocals and even the songwriting, it’s not a copy and stands out as unique. Based on this album, I’m looking forward to learning more about this group, for sure.

Didn't know them and am happy about this find. Great album.

I was adding song after song to my "Songs I liked from 1001 Albums" playlist. Eventually it became undeniable - I fucking love this album. Plan to return to it often. Who knows if I'll actually do it, but I really want to, and that's the sign of a great album for me.

I loved this! Like a cross between David Bowie and Weezer. The power guitars and the toy piano were great. Junk Shop Clothes and Valet Parking lyrics were awesome. I've already listened to the whole album twice.

Very Big Star with a Smiths and Britpop edge

I wish I would have know them in the 90. Great album, going to listen to it again.

omg amazing

LOVED IT SO MUCH.

I love 90s rock so much, this album did not disappoint!

A band I never picked up on in the 90's so these were my first time listening to them. At my first listen, I really thought after the first two songs (and especially "Bailed Out") I found a new favourite band, but after that the album dropped off. Listening to this album a few more times and also the songs further up in the album started to shine, like "Idiot Brother" and "How Could I Be Wrong." Now after my 5th listen I can see how this would be classed as a 'forgotten masterpiece.' All songs are incredibly well written, superbly melodic - there's not a sound out of place - but there's a lot of rough edges. Or 'spiky' as a friend of mine would call it. Reading up on it, this debut is apparently not even their best album. I'll be looking into the rest! 4,5*

9/10 incredibly fun I love the way it almost feels like alt-rock with its mixing and bass-heavy feel

Great 90s rock album

Loved this album.

This was amazing - never heard of the auteurs, but such a fun variety of upbeat rockin melodies.

Tästä oli tosi helppo tykätä. Soittolistalle päätyivät ainakin Bailed Out, Junk Shop Clothes, Starstruck, How Could I Be Wrong ja Housebreaker.

Awesome! Love the first track

"How Could I Be Wrong" came in and slapped me in the face for some reason. The whole album was really great. I didn't want to stop listening. I think this type of music is one of my favorite sounds of this project, to be honest.

Never heard of this band but they are a new favorite. Death Cabbish but slightly grungier.

Absolutely loved it, every song is great. Also, the singer's voice sounds familiar, even though I have never heard anything from the band

Lowkey great vibes. Big fan of the Beatles-vocals.

I loved their sound! Reminded me of the Kooks. I will return to this album again in the future.

Enjoyed.

New Wave sounds like it skipped a whole British music scene, sailing straight from the snarkiness of C86 to the glam and tribute of Britpop without even deigning to stop at the club on the way there. i will admit, sometimes the songs blend into each other if you're not paying attention, especially in the middle of what would be the CD and the end of the vinyl's A side, but i don't think it's really a record meant to be thrown on in the background. rather, you're supposed to hone in on each little line with a double entendre or bitter meaning, something to hear with headphones at home -- T. Rex for the introverts. don't wave your lighter, you'll burn the place down. i dunno why, but i feel like this album's fursona is a hooded crow.

Good stuff. Discovered a new artist

This wasn't groundbreaking, but I did enjoy it. Gave a Death Cab vibe before Death Cab.

Pretty decent album, nothing too exciting. The vocals took some getting used to.

I know there exists a 5-star Auteurs compilation - I got it from my friend back in the nineties. This particular record is strong as well but does not keep the high level throughout.

Damn fine record, quite a few bangers on here like "Idiot Brother" and "Home Again" (this one sounds extremely familiar). I got no complaints on this record it was all well done and no track over stayed its welcome

Pleasant enough. Kept a few songs.

Such excellence and so unknown – hard to fathom how this isn't better known. The terrific "Don't Trust the Stars" coulda/shoulda/woulda been a hit. It sounds fully modern – like it coulda been released last week, given the feels and vibes so many current bands seem to be seeking. Catchy, stylish and distinguished proto-Britpop or 2nd wave New Wave, with real depth and breadth. The communication between the keys and guitars are a strength on several songs. There's so much to like and nary a dog on the whole disc. They do seem more rooted in the world of New Order and Tears for Fears (say), and '90s alt and the more obvious/broader strains of Britpop left them behind. In a more just world they would be bigger than Blur, almost as big as Oasis (but really couldn't be because of the obvious/broad point) but certainly one prefers the Auteurs to either.

Pretty astounding to have anything apart from grunge in this era.

You can hear the influences clearly and how it influenced the next generation (Franz Ferdinand). I think this is a decent album, would come back to it.

Cool and going on

First, it is okay to listen to this album and secondly, it is allowed to be enjoyed. If the 90s rock/alternative genre needed an introduction, this album belongs in that origin story. The album is not spectacular for any reason. However, what the listener does get is a solid 90s rock album that is equal parts of cool and go-for-a-drive-worthy. This band is not trying to melt faces or bore listeners to death, the album is pure music fully capable of being ignored and absorbed.

One of my fav band of the era

Albumi #56, 22.09.2024 The Auteurs ei ole jostain syystä koskaan löytänyt tietään omaan levyhyllyyni. Olisi pitänyt. New Wave (1993) on The Auteursin debyyttialbumi ja varsin mainio sellainen. Löydän albumilta sieltä täältä sävellyksellisiä ja soundillisia viittauksia Pixiesiin ja sehän ei ole huono asia.

I enjoyed this album. Another one I had not heard of previously

4/5

The darker and more intelligent cousin of early britpop. It’s not without its flaws and it might also be part of the britpop fatigue this list gives birth to. It’s nonetheless both charming, funny and well written.

Rather nice.

A bizarre combination of T-Rex and proto Vampire Weekend sounds. Very nice and enjoyable but maybe not that memorable.

the way these guys sing and play their tunes is a fusion between the beatles and the pet shop boys. this is almost... indie new wave, but refined. fancy. the punk band from high school but it's a very prestigious private school. if you like your melodramatic rock like the cure and morrisey, you might get a real kick out of this one. i thought it was alright!

Never heard of the group.

me gustó. ideal para trabajar, naiss

I can't believe I've never heard this. Luke Haines has a kind of Al Stewart/Robyn Hitchcock vibe which is right in my wheel house. I almost ranked this a 5, but it's too soon--it's a 4.5, but going with 4 for now.

Quite enjoyed

That was a pretty fun listen. Kind of a bridge between late 80's indie like the Pixies to Britpop.

Good solid album of early "britpop" which passed me by at the time (I was 11). Not a bad track, elements of The Smiths, Beatles. Solid song writing good lyrics, the last track Home Again has a great indie groove. Stand out tracks: - Show Girl - American guitars - Junk shop clothes - How could I be wrong - Housebreaker - Idiot brother - Early years - Home Again

new wave the auteurs 1993 1. show girl: 9/10 2. bailed out: 8/10 3. american guitars: 7.5/10 4. junk shop clothes: 8/10 5. don’t trust the stars: 7.5/10 6. starstruck: 7.5/10 7. how could i be wrong: 7.5/10 8. housebreaker: 8/10 9. valet parking: 6/10 10. idiot brother: 7.5/10 11. early years: 6/10 12. home again: 6/10 overall rating: 7.47/10

Really like this.

I honestly don't have much to say about the technical aspect of this album's sound. This is very similar to several other records contemporaneous with this one. It comes from England, it sounds alternative, beautiful melodies, heavy sound... Nothing that I haven't heard in the Brit-pop scene of the 90s. But what caught my attention in a curious way, is that throughout the album I I can feel the sensation of coming home, from somewhere far away. And whether you know it or not, the last song on the album is precisely about that. Like I said, I can't say if it was intentional. But if it is, it's an impressive detail.

This album pleasantly surprised me. I think the production is part of what makes this album so unique. It truly has its own sound, epic songs on here too

Very vibey. I keep hoping I'll come across songs on this album that I love, but I only downloaded one - "Idiot Brother," and if anything, that was maybe more for the title. I'd listen through this album again, there just aren't any outlier songs I'd like to make a part of my daily life.

For me, Brit-pop bands are hit and miss and for many they start to sound alike and blend together in my mind. I have to admit, New Wave by the Auteurs was better than I was expecting and though there is nothing really "new wave" about the music it was refreshing and a easy listen. Many of the tracks recalled other bands and songs (the Beatles perhaps?), but what Brit-pop doesn't use the Beatles as a starting point. There is a feeling of familiarity and though they aren't breaking any new ground or pushing the limits of new music, it was enjoyable enough to listen all the way through, which isn't always automatic.

I started off thinking this album is just a little bit dull. I had no idea what this is and what it is trying to achieve. Then I really grew into it. To a point I listened to it for a second time. It picked up a little from American guitars and got much better from starstruck (great song) Home again was also a great tune. Favourite song: Home again and star struck Least favourite: the opening 2 for sure. Album artwork: nothing to say on this.

3.5

"An early, unknown classic. Sounds fully modern – like it coulda been released last week. Seems more connected to '80s than '90s. Catchy, stylish and distinguished early, even proto-Britpop. There's a lot to like and nary a dog on the whole disc; "Don't Trust the Stars" is terrific. Much better than Blur, basically. "

I had never heard of this before but I actually dug it a bit.

Hmm I don't think I know The Auteurs...Brit alt rock. Pretty good so far. It was good, I was going to give it a 3 but I'll bump it up to a 4

"New Wave" is the debut album by British rock band the Auteurs. The album is attributed to laying groundwork for Britpop. The British press named it a glam rock revival and the American press compared it to Suede. Hmmm. The Auteurs on this album were Luke Haines (guitar, piano, vocals), Alice Readman (bass) and Glenn Collins (drums). The album was shortlisted for the 1993 Mercury Prize. "Show Girls" opens the album. Drums and a melodic, poppy guitar. Actually layered acoustic and electric guitars. They do that throughout the album. Nice harmonies, definitely fitting in that Britpop genre. Haines married a showgirl and now he has to work all the time. On "Bailed Out," they add a piano to the layered guitars. A darker theme as the high life will wear you down. I like the touch of a cello at the end. They go more rockin' on "American Guitars." Great electric guitar melody. They're going after British bands who imitate American bands. That's you Bush. Yeah, usually it's the other way around. "Starstruck" slows things down. They're very good at slower songs. An acoustic guitar and a xylophone. It appears someone he knew is a star and he's not. "Early Years" begins with an acoustic strumming guitar and I thought they were covering the 1979 song "Driver's Seat" by Sniff and the Tears. Another good rock song and guitar solo. It was rough growing up in a small town. This is a really good album. It fits the bill as Britpop; I think they're closer to Blur then Suede but they're definitely their own. I'm not sure about the glam rock comparison??? Their songs are melodic both when the music is hard or soft. Haines has clever lyrics. For a first time deep dive into an Auteur's album, it makes me want to check out their other albums which I will do.