It's like 1983 all over again!

I just read online that the United States is experiencing the highest unemployment rate since late 1983, with 663,000 jobs lost this March alone. Very scary stuff.

And the unemployment rate is not the only thing reminiscent of 1983 (and the early 1980s). If you've watched VH1 recently you know what I mean. (Btw, VH1 is currently hyping "The 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s." I rest my case.)

Maybe there is some strange correlation between the new unemployment figures (and a crap economy) and the surge in new wave music (or what some people I know refer to as "technocrap").

Need some convincing?

Just compare this song by the Ting Tings



and/or Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"


to

the Missing Persons


and/or

Berlin



What's next, remakes of Ghostbusters, Romancing the Stone, Spinal Tap, and Footloose? (Actually, Footloose is being remade, starring Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford in the Kevin Bacon role. And the lads from Spinal Tap recently announced they were going on tour.)

I'm not sure if I want to relive the 1980s, but I can always find the time for a little Thompson Twins.



Lies, lies, lies, yeah. (They're gonna get you.)

AND NOW WE BRING YOU THIS VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: For those of us new-wave-loving fools who grew up in NYC or the NYC area in the early 1980s, there was only one radio station, WLIR, 92.7 on your FM dial, which (sadly) went off the air in December 1987, but was resurrected soon after as WDRE -- until 92.7 was acquired by Univision in 2004. However, I have just learned (okay, I'm a little slow) that WLIR lives, just on 107.1! SQUEEEE.