I still haven’t found that song I’m looking for, but here are eight other ’80s songs I’ve come across while looking for that song

I’m still looking for a post-punk song that I heard about a month ago (and I’d still appreciate any suggestions you might have). While searching, though, I’ve come across a number of cool ’80s songs and bands that were new to me, and that I thought you might also like…

1. Asylum Party: “Play Alone” (1989)

This is the opening track on their second full length album, Borderline. While obviously influenced by Joy Division, it’s still its own gothy dark wave thing:

2. Blam Blam Blam: “Don’t Fight It, Martha, It’s Bigger than Both of Us” (1981)

This is a single from their 1981 EP Luxury Length. It’s a terrific track that reminds me of Deerhunter. And the very ironic music video was either well ahead of its time, or else its time has come round again:

3. Burning Skies of Elysium: “One Afternoon” (c. 1987)

This was included as a bonus track on the 1993 CD reissue of their only LP, The Last Revolving Door, originally released in 1987. It reminds me a lot of the Chameleons, in particular that band’s second album, What Does Anything Mean? Basically (1985).

4. Dali’s Car: “The Judgement Is the Mirror” (1984)

Dali’s Car was a collaboration between the one and only Peter Murphy, Mick Karn (Japan), and Paul Vincent Lawford. This is the only single from their only album, The Waking Hour, and the video they made for it is one of the most 80’s things I’ve ever seen:

5. Minny Pops: “Time” (1982)

This is a non-album single from 1982, later included as a bonus track on reissues of their 1982 album Sparks in a Dark Room. Someone made a nifty fan video for it by pairing it with Hans Richter’s Filmstudie (1926):

6. Lowlife: “Swing” (1987)

This is from their from 1987 EP Swirl, It Swings. It was later collected along with a lot of other solid songs on the Eternity Road compilation (1995):

7. Sad Lovers & Giants: “Things We Never Did” (1981)

This is the B-side from their 1981 single Colourless Dream, and was later included on their 1996 best-of collection e-mail from eternity:

8. The Chills: “Pink Frost” (1984)

This is a non-album single that later turned up on their 1986 compilation Kaleidoscope World. According to the Wikipedia, this is a good example of “the Dunedin sound,” that being “a style of indie pop music created in the southern New Zealand university city of Dunedin in the early 1980s”:

…Enjoy!