Friends don’t let friends sound exactly like The Cure.

Before I start I would just like to state for the record that I really dislike the term ‘post-punk’. Mainly because it makes no evolutionary sense musically since punk never died. I’m only using the term because more people know of it. I would rather use the term ‘alternative’, since all of this music was either called that or ‘modern-rock’ in the area of California that I lived in the 80’s. The end. Carry on!

Do you have that one friend who just discovered post-punk music? Did they buy a bass and constantly listen to Joy Division in an effort to sound just like Peter Hook? Or are they a singer who can sound exactly like Robert Smith unironically? Worse, has this friend shown interest in starting a modern post-punk band because they think that their sound is unique, even though it is not? Then you may have to do an intervention. because friends don’t let friends start cookie cutter modern post-punk bands that try to sound like Joy Division or The Cure.

I can hear people asking ‘Why is it bad to sound just like The Cure or Joy Division?’. Because that sound has been done a million times before and is bringing absolutely nothing new to the table musically. Nevermind the fact that there were a lot of post-punk bands that sounded nothing like The Cure or Joy Division back in the 80’s. Off the top of my head here are a few of them: Big Country, U2, Blue In Heaven, A Flock Of Seagulls, The Smithereens, The Call, The Jesus And Mary Chain, INXS, Gene Loves Jezebel, Love & Rockets, etc…. Why aren’t any of these modern bands taking cues from any of those listed original 80’s bands? Because they are lazy as hell. It’s easier for them to grab at the low hanging fruit, rather than doing some research into the genre.

Big Country was an awesome 80’s post-punk band that didn’t sound like Joy Division or The Cure.

Why have all of these clone bands come out of the woodwork within the last few years? Because the mainstream has jumped onboard and has made it a trend. Your friend sees this and thinks that if they do the exact same thing that they will be launched into stardom; within a trend in which they sound exactly like everybody else. They may get some younglings to buy some of their music off of Bandcamp, but that is about it. They will just be stuck in the centre of that glut of bands with no means to escape their self imposed box.

What can you do for your friend to steer them in a different direction? Making a playlist for them out of the bands I mentioned is a good first step to take. You, of course, should be with them when they hear the music so that you can comfort them in their time of need. Finding out about all of this could lead them to lashing out and pretending that such bands did not exist in the 80’s. You can lead a horse to water but sometimes they won’t drink. When it comes down to it you tried your best and that is all you can do.

So, what have we learned from all of this? Modern self described ‘post-punk’ bands are a dime a dozen right now and to stand out of that pack you have to be willing to take some risks, such as not sounding exactly like The Cure or Joy Division.