[Music] Press (re)play

MANILA, Philippines – Do you share the same taste in music with your mom and dad? 

You might have shared your mp3s with your folks, but have you dug through their record collection? 

Borrow your dad’s Walkman and your mom’s stash of cassette tapes and revisit the glorious music of the ’80s. Or if they still have some vinyl records lying around, start looking for a working turntable. Then close your curtains, grab a comfy chair and press play. 

The Smiths 

Hand in glove / The Good People laugh / Yes, we may be hidden by rags / But we’ve something they’ll never have 

Probably one of the most significant icons in alternative rock, The Smiths paved the way for independent English bands in the ’80s.

The band was formed in Manchester in 1982 through the songwriting collaboration of Morrissey (lead vocals) and Johnny Marr (guitar), together with Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums. Since then, The Smiths has earned a strong cult following.

Sadly, the band broke up in 1987, quasi-depriving today’s younger generation of a taste of Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead.  

Hand in Glove is their first single released in 1983. Although it did not make it to the pop charts, it did reach number three on the UK Indie Hit Chart. 

The Cure

We sit in the same room / Side by side / I give you the wrong lines / Feed you / Accuracy / Accuracy

Performing since 1976, there is no end to The Cure’s music. 

The band has had many changes in its members; front man Robert Smith is the only one who continues to write, sing and play since the ’70s. 

Robert Smith refuses to identify The Cure as a gothic band, “We’re not categorisable. I suppose we were ‘post-punk’ when we came out, but in total it’s impossible. I just play The Cure music, whatever that is,” Smith declares. 

Three Imaginary Boys is their debut album released in 1979. Post-punk, new wave, dark, tormented – these are some of the many labels given to The Cure, but none of them seem to really capture the band in its entirety. It’s a mix of all that is good. 

The Jesus and Mary Chain

Walking back to you / Is the hardest thing that / I can do / That I can do for you / For you

The band was formed by brothers Jim and William Reid together with their friends. 

This uniquely named band was formed in Glasgow in 1983. The story behind the band’s name, however, remains to be unclear. 

Just Like Honey was used in the 2003 Sofia Coppola film, Lost in Translation. 

Thanks to the film’s success, more of today’s youth was able to rediscover the calming sounds of The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Music: a time capsule

Every decade has its own set of distinct sounds, vibes and quirks. At the end of each, these music trends don’t just die, they are preserved — like time capsules — to be passed on to the next generation. Perhaps even serving as inspiration for what’s coming next.

Some songs just never get old. All it takes are just a few visits to such musical eras that we missed because we were born either a little too early or a little too late. – Rappler.com