The difference, by ear
No wave was a rejection of punk as much as of rock: by 1978 punk had a uniform and a sound, and this was the New York answer to that.
Both are shouted, but punk rock is a little faster: 160 to 200 bpm against 100 to 200. To hear the difference, play Teenage Jesus and the Jerks next to Ramones. No wave grew out of punk rock, four years later. New York appears in the origins of both.
In figures
No wave
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › No wave
In short
A total refusal of melody and standard tuning. Short-lived, extreme and hugely influential on noise rock.
How it sounds
- Random or modified tunings, with the guitar used as a percussion object.
- A refusal of melody, tonal harmony and repeatable structure.
- Screamed or spoken vocals, dissonant saxophone, primitive drumming.
Key acts
- Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
- DNA
- Swans
Start here
The pickNo New York. Four bands, sixteen tracks, one manifesto.
Full page →Punk rock
Where it sits
In short
Three chords, two minutes and zero patience for solos. A full reset of rock, and the second major source of extreme metal.
How it sounds
- Three or four chords, open position or power chords, strummed in eighths.
- Songs of ninety seconds to two and a half minutes, with no long intro and no guitar solo.
- Fast, cheap production with the vocals up front and simple drums on two and four.
Key acts
- Ramones
- Sex Pistols
- The Clash
- Buzzcocks
Start here
The pickRamones - Ramones. Fourteen songs in twenty-nine minutes, not a wasted note.
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