I do believe it’s more of a spontaneous generation than an empty trend—new wave smacked on the jagged boulders of garage rock, exploding in a bounty of once-buried treasure. There are several bands doing this, and doing it well. The nearest cousin to Derek would be the dearly missed Lost Sounds: science experiments gone wrong, psychosis being wrestled with, and dirty electronics used as percussion instruments then caressed back into a melody. The best of all, the songs are thickly spined and muscled into form by solid songwriting instead of mere shtick or amateurish “hey, look at me being rad by sucking”-isms. In turns, this reminds me of Gary Numan, the Reatards, Joy Division, Human League, and a male-lead Epoxies. Good stuff.
–todd (Florida’s Dying)