New wave

New wave is a broad term referring to a variety of styles that saw popularity in the wake of the Punk explosion of 1976-77. Usage of the term is highly varied and depends heavily on the country and time period. The term new wave first emerged as a synonym for Punk Rock before quickly starting to develop its own genre identity. By 1978-79, it had solidified into a label for artists taking punk in a more accessible and stylish direction, such as The Jam, Blondie, Elvis Costello, and The Police, developing alongside Post-Punk and Oi! and encompassing styles like Power Pop, 2 Tone, Mod Revival, and Reggae Rock. Early Synthpop acts like Gary Numan were likewise seen as part of the genre, often deviating heavily from rock instrumentation and relying on new synthesizer technology. New wave also became associated with certain fashion signifiers like skinny ties and striped T-shirts. While the genre was not stylistically uniform at this point, some common tropes were a nervous vocal delivery, driving or jerky rhythms, and agitated guitar melodies, many of which were exemplified by bands like XTC and Devo.