Tag: Synth Pop

I recently had the chance to video chat with Rob Withem, of indie pop outfit Fine China. The band has been active since the late 90s, and recently released the beautiful, sophisticated, elaborate I Felt Called (available on Double LP and CD, as well as digital formats via www.velvetbluemusic.com. IVM: Let’s start on a light note. Cloud has informed me that you’re an aficionado of dad jokes . . . RW: You know, that’s funny. I think he’s making that up to be funny, because I don’t think I’ve ever told a dad joke in my like.… Continued →

Fine China are back with another new wave classic in the making. Give the band’s new song “Gonna Need a Vacation” a listen below. You can also stream over on bandcamp here and pre-order the new album “I Felt Called” right here at the Velvet Blue Music website.… Continued →

This synth-pop powerhouse hailed from New Mexico, and was spearheaded by Joey Belville. They debuted in 1994 with a light, upbeat, joyful and relatively simplistic take on synth-pop with the aptly-titled Defend Your Joy. Produced by Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric, etc.), the album oozed of positivity and an almost naive optimism. And yet, it never came off as cheesy, disingenuous, or otherwise off-putting. In fact, I think the title track is a great song to kick off a new year with. I don’t know what your 2024 was like–joyful, sorrowful, challenging, rewarding, or something else–but a focus on the joy of the Lord is always appropriate.… Continued →

Not so much a new band, as a continuation of a previous one, Famous Names was essentially the same line-up as Writz. The core of the band is husband-wife duo Steve and Bev Fairnie. They had begun earlier in the 1970s as Fish Co. doing folk-pop not too dissimilar to a lot of Jesus Music of the day, before heading into a distinct punk/new wave direction in the late 70s as Writz. However, they had to change their name due to an American pop group of the same name.… Continued →

Fine China are back with a brand new album titled “Eyes In The Water” that will release on October 19th through Velvet Blue Music. From the fabulous new single “Breathtaker”, you can tell right off the bat that this will be a mesmerizing, and well, breathtaking new album. Pre-order the album right here on Vinyl, Tape, and CD.… Continued →

Our feature today comes from two brothers who started making music in their teens, first as a new wave/post-punk band called Morella’s Forest (no, not that one), and then an immensely quirky synth-pop group called Dance House Children, before parting ways and forming two of the most legendary, creative, and prolific Chrindie groups ever–Joy Electric and Starflyer 59. Yes, we are talking about none other and Ronnie and Jason Martin. In the early 1990s an independent label emerged (technically started much earlier but with very limited distribution) called Blonde Vinyl.… Continued →

Vivid Era a project that leans heavily into that synthwave-pop sound, just dropped a brand new song titled “New Praise” and it’s just as great as the first song released. Check out the new song now on all digital networks. Take a listen below right here on IVM.… Continued →

A really great ska-punk-pop band called Send Out Scuds existed over a decade ago, released an ep on Blood & Ink Records then just disappeared off into the sunset. Well some former members are back with a new group called “OHK-0” which promises to take some of that same fun and energetic songmaking into this new project with some more keys/synths and a whole new direction. Follow them on Facebook here and follow along on their twitch channel here. The band plans to release a new (debut) song any day now.… Continued →

This brilliant synth-pop band hailed from Sweden. They released one fantastic album in 1989, that hit the States the next year, then disappeared until 1994 when they re-surfaced–though just barely–with a Swedish-language album, that didn’t make much of an impact outside of their homeland. Their debut, the nearly-eponymous W.O.W., was beautiful, but sadly never got the attention it deserved. Recorded primarily in the synth-pop style, it also had hints of Europop and new wave. In short, it was too alternative to be mainstream pop or CCM, and too poppy to appeal to fans of alternative rock.… Continued →

Ronnie Martin who is best known for his cheerful synth project – Joy Electric, as well as his incredible recent solo offerings under his own name, is back with “Bells Merrily” a special Christmas collection of songs due to release on December 2nd through Velvet Blue Music. Check out the song “Lost Christmas Night”, below. … Continued →

Teddy at Night just released a fantastic new version of the Phil Collins classic that originally appeared on the “Tarzan” animated film released by Disney. Check out the cover below. … Continued →

The Echoing Green keep teasing their recording process on that next album to release. I am super pumped for this. Any other Echoing Green fans here at Indie Vision Music? Make sure to buy their latest collection of songs from 2002 to 2018 in vinyl format right here at their site.… Continued →

Most of you will know that Ronnie Martin has been making music since the late 80s (at least) with Morella’s Forest 1988, Dance House Children, and most famously Joy Electric, not to mention a host of side projects like Ronald of Orange, The Foxglove Hunt, The Brothers Martin, and so forth. While there’s a lot of history with Martin’s expertise in making quirky, electronic pop music, in a sense none of that matters. Not that the history isn’t respectable–but what we really want to know is, is this record going to be good?… Continued →

I’ve been listening to Ronnie Martin’s music since the late 80s, when he and brother Jason (of Starflyer 59 and many others) were known as the duo Dance House Children. That group reveled in synth-pop, but with a super quirky edge. There was nothing in the Christian nor secular markets quite like it. After two underrated albums, the pair split. Jason started the legendary indie rock monster Starflyer 59, while Ronnie carried on with synthesizer-created music in the form of Joy Electric. Picking up where Dance House Children left off, Joy Electric took the quirkiness to extreme new levels.… Continued →

There are so many memories of these 2 bands. C2G first started up back in 99 w/ Jeremy Dawson (who is an awesome musician). He added Chad Petree who was in a boy band called PC Quest which started in 91. C2G released 2 of my fave EDM albums of all time. Then they started releasing other projects under Slyder, RRDS & Shiny Toy Guns. STG took over & they ended up releasing their mainstream debut in 06 but was floating around as an indie release in 05.… Continued →

Synth-pop is sort of the illegitimate child of alternative rock and disco. Although it’s not obvious, its roots like in experimental forms of music like krautrock and post-punk. As new wave splintered further and further away from punk, and added more and more synthesizers, synth-pop was being birthed. In the mainstream, acts as diverse as Kraftwerk, New Order, and Pet Shop Boys were solidifying the sound. I loved 90s synth-pop, or simply “techno” as we called it then. It was fun and danceable, dark and poppy, all at the same time.… Continued →

Yes, Teddy did steal your lover but don’t cry, you have some great music to wipe away those tears and wash those blues away. The artist known as Teddy At Night just dropped his brand new song under the title “Stole Your Lover” (see what I did above?) and it is available through all digital networks and streaming sites now. It’s spicy and drenched in sugar pop, enough that it’ll be stuck in your head for hours. Check out the song below.… Continued →

Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric, Brothers Martin, Dance House Children) just dropped his 2nd single titled “Snow Like Wool” which you can take a listen to right here (or below). Pick up a CD Deluxe Version of the song along with 2 bonus tracks right here from VBM. The new full length album will be out sometime in 2022 via Velvet Blue Music.… Continued →

Not much is known at this very moment but yes, it appears a new Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric) “single” is coming soon from the folks at Velvet Blue Music. The title is “From The Womb of the Morning The Dew Of Your Youth Will Be Yours”. This single doesn’t have a release date just yet but with all things Jeff Cloud of VBM, it’s probably pretty soon. Are you looking forward to new Ronnie Martin music?… Continued →

Synth, 80’s inspired pop-rock artist known as Teddy At Night, will return this year with his first official full length. He is currently working on LP1 with a recent behind the scenes studio shot. Teddy is a drummer by trade and has worked with bands like Family Force 5, Wavorly, and more recently with for KING & COUNTRY. He sings, writes the music, and plays on the Teddy at Night music making a concoction that can only be described as hypnotizing. There really isn’t anything much in current music like him.… Continued →

Winona Ave which is a new group featuring former members of Blank Pages, will drop their 12 song debut full length on June 25th. If you’ve heard any of the previous singles released over the past year then you are in for quite a ride. This is a lively collection of songs with singular focus of offering hope despite whatever circumstance you are in or curveball life throws at you. Read the press release below and pre-order the album at this link.… Continued →

Code of Ethics hit on the Christian music scene in 1991 with their brilliant debut Visual Paradox for R.E.X. Music (later re-issued on Forefront), having already released an independent cassette demo a year prior. The album was a synth-pop triumph, taking the best of techno-pop and alternative dance and fusing them into a singular whole that was as danceable as Information Society, but as catchy as Pet Shop Boys or Erasure. I once had a chance to catch the band live, opening for The Prayer Chain.… Continued →

The Sprinkle brothers are very talented & have been very busy in the music world. Just think about all the bands the 2 of them have played in: Poor Old Lu, Demon Hunter, Rose Blossom Punch, Fair, Blank Books, The World Inside, The Wrong Mind, Serene, A Cold Vein & Transparent, amongst many others. Although most projects Aaron has worked on lean to the alt-rock genres, 2017’s Escaping Light had a synthpop indie flair. Elle Puckett from Poema & Eisley guest vocals on this SOTD.   … Continued →

Teddy at Night returns with a brand new music video for his captivating and all-too-catchy song, “Blueberry Water”. Check out the music video for the song below and make sure to follow him on all socials.… Continued →

I’m not sure how most IVM readers feel about new wave and synth-driven music. It’s extremely nostalgic for me, having grown up in the 80s. The 1980s also comprised the decade where contemporary Christian music came into its own as a marketable industry. While you could argue the merits of that, or against them, it’s a simple fact. But where there is ‘progress’ or marketability (read: money), there will also always be an undercurrent–an independent protest against the mainstream. Marc Plainguet–and his alter egos Gadget and Crazed Bunnyz–were spearheading lo-fi and experimental synth-driven music in the underground tape-trading scene.… Continued →

Not like they ever disappeared but new music on The Echoing Green front has been sort of quiet for past couple years. The Echoing Green emerged from the silence to drop a collection of of songs from 2002 to 2018 called “Violent Whispers: Songs & Stories From The Echoing Green”. This collection of songs is available right here on Vinyl (Limited to 500 copies). They are using funds generated from the sale of this album to fund a future release of NEW music. These are some of my favorite Echoing Green songs.… Continued →

Mad at the World went through at least three distinct phases throughout their history, which impressively spans across 4 decades: synth-pop/new wave, hard alternative rock/metal, and retro rock/alternative. We’ve already featured a song from their synth-pop era, and here’s one from their hard alternative phase, but one that interestingly enough hints at their retro phase that would be unleashed in 2 more albums’ time. Both of the songs I’ve chosen from the Rose brothers have spoken words of encouragement to me when I needed them. Let’s face it: 2020 has largely been crap.… Continued →

Mad at the World has had a very interesting and diverse career as a band. They started out doing somewhat dark synth-pop on their self-titled debut (in the vein of Depeche Mode, New Order, Clan of Xymox), then added guitars to their new wave sound for Flowers in the Rain. By their third album, they ditched the synths and morphed into a full-fledged alternative rock band with metallic influences. This carried on for three albums (Seasons of Love, Boomerang, and Through the Forest).… Continued →

The artist “Teddy at Night” which is actually Teddy Boldt former drummer of bands like Wavorly, Family Force 5, and For King & Country, has dropped 3 new songs in 2020 and they are a beautiful representation of a talented solo artist trying to convey inner emotion. This synth driven, newwave like 80’s revival project is actually really good. Not everyone will dig it but those that do know what’s up. Check out the new song, “Happiness”, below along with a music video for the song “Not Who I’m Not Anymore” and the previous track “Little Ones”, below.… Continued →

Eleventyseven in all their synth-pop glory have released a new music video for the track “Inside Out” which you can view below. The new album “Rad Science” is now available wherever you purchase fine music.… Continued →