New Wave is - just like Post-Punk or Gothic Rock - a broad term. But if you're not a musicologist, you understand it to mean the music that originally came on the scene with the Talking Heads, The Clash, The Jam or the Ramones. Their music was related to punk, but in the course of time it also had a cold and futuristic side, as can be seen for example in the music of Gary Newman and the Tubeway Army. There was a cool distance to the audience, the music was introverted and played with electronic sounds. The lyrics had a certain depth, told stories or experiences that sent a shiver down your spine or invited you to reflect. Anne Clark was the best-known representative of mystical chanting in New Wave. Bands like The Cure are also known for their New Wave songs.
There is hardly any demarcation from post-punk. New Wave has given rise to new terms such as Cold Wave, Dark Wave, Electro Wave and many more. What they all have in common, however, is the feeling of being carried with the music into another, distant, cold world that is melancholic, sad, creepy and frightening at the same time. The bands' outfits and performances did their part. Here, the primary goal was no longer to make contact with the audience. They retreated into an introverted, detached world on stage.
