Life > March 27, 2008

By Nathan Bedsole | Contributing writer

I am upset that I am forever unable to experience the decade in America known as “The ‘80s.” Sure, we’ve all seen Facebook pictures from an ‘80s party, or even vaguely remember attending one, but a bunch of adolescents wearing too-tight tank tops and too many bracelets does not capture the ‘80s experience.

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Throw in the George Michael perma-shadow and brightly colored Reeboks, and there we have it – the ‘80s.

Stereotypical? Yes.

Ill-informed? Yes.

Awesome? Totally.

Born in 1989, I am forever unable to enjoy this time. Thankfully, however, a new musical movement has resurrected a few pieces of this lost decade.

The first glimmer of hope I found is an emerging dance movement in Paris called “Tecktonik.” If you are unfamiliar, YouTube it and be thankful that it hasn’t caught on here … yet.

The scene is recognizably ‘80s: bright colors, tight pants, horrible dance music and glitter. Golly, it’s amazing.

Fortunately for all, however, the dance moves have been lost in translation across the Atlantic.

What is becoming more and more prevalent in our music scene is the bright, tight, Wayfarer-wearing electro group pumping out fun little numbers which can be both danced to and enjoyed musically. I know it sounds specific, but really, it’s happening. Yeah?

Just look at Kanye. Tight pants. Bright purple. Daft Punk samples. Jeremy Scott glasses. Yeah. Emerging from the typical dreary “indie” underground, artists such as Calvin Harris, Yelle, Neon Neon and Junior Senior are helping “intelligent” listeners do less thinking and more dancing.

Sure, we can sit down and examine how tortured and creative Kevin Barnes of the band Of Montreal is, but you just can’t dance to “The Past is a Grotesque Animal.”

This emergent electro-pop scene does not sacrifice depth for dance-ability, however.

The incorporation of various vocalists in Neon Neon’s new release, Stainless Style, adds variety and soul to the record, much like Simian Mobile Disco did earlier last year with Attack Decay Sustain Release.

Of course, this is far from being consistent throughout the scene; Muscles uses the same belting voice for every song on his fantastic 2007 release Guns Babes Lemonade.

Oh, and it seems hardly fair not to mention the near holiness of the Scissor Sisters when talking about an ‘80s resurgence.

They, thanks to Elton John’s songwriting, have contributed more than their share to this movement. Long story short, recent times have brought the dance culture of the ‘80s back to us. Sure, there may never be another “Billie Jean,” but that doesn’t mean “indie” music has to completely inhibit bodily movement.