During the late 1970s and early 1980s, at the height of the disco backlash (remember the “Disco Demolition”?), people looking to dance to something other than a faceless diva wailing over 140 beats per minute were presented with the alternative of new wave music. As much a reaction to punk as it was to disco, new wave combined punk’s cool attire and attitude with a syncopated dance beat. A whole new generation of new wave inspired acts are surfacing and creating consistently danceable music.

The first four songs on Red Bedroom (Kemado) by The Fever, for instance, vibrate, shimmy and jerk like a guy in black peg jeans with pointy-toed Zodiac boots, a skinny leather tie and a sharkskin blazer. I could practically picture Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall dancing to “Cold Blooded”. The busy ska rhythm that haunts “Gray Ghost” would make The English Beat proud and the hypnotic “The Slow Club” may soon have listeners lining up to join. “Ladyfingers”, the disc’s tastiest track, could inspire its own dance craze. By “Put It On You” and “Hexxed”, however, The Fever appears to have overheated on its own dance fervor, although “Artificial Heart” and “Labor of Love” do revive the beat happenings of the aforementioned first third of the album.

While I certainly appreciated and admired what French Kicks was attempting to do on its One Time Bells debut, they completely won me over with the more new wave dance oriented The Trial Of The Century (Star Time). The swirling synths and compelling beats of “One More Time” drew me in instantly for more than one listen. “Don’t Thank Me” made me grateful for modern dance rock and I liked that the beat and the melody of “Following Waves” washed over me and swept me onto my feet so that I could dance. The decisive beat of “You Could Not Decide” belies the serious message of the song and “Yes, I Guess” is another consistent dance number. Album closer “Better Time” is also one of the better songs for dancing, with its synthetic beats and hypnotic and repetitive keyboards.

Recent outstanding releases by The Rapture and Tortured Soul, two bands who create live dance music, as well as the fascinating work of openly gay performer Morel, indicate that the genre’s evolution is ongoing and as thrilling as ever.

Please turn your attention to !!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk), and its second full-length disc Louden Up Now (Touch and Go), which qualifies them for membership in that club. The seven-member group, most of who have punk pedigrees, made a conscious style change, focusing on making the kind of music to which they liked to dance. These songs grab you by the collar and pull you to your feet, beginning with “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Karazee,” which recalls early the insistent bass and beats of Shriekback. “Pardon My Freedom” with its “like I give a fuck” chorus is pure punk disco, while the horns, distant train whistle keyboards and prayer within make “Dear Can” a can-do dance track. “King’s Weed” is a brief musical narcotic and it spills into “Hell? Is This Thing On?” and the answer is, yes, you bet it’s on! Both “Shit Scheisse Merde Pt. 1” (which includes a purported exchange between George W. Bush and Tony Blair) and “Shit Scheisse Merde Pt. 2” are seriously funky exercises and “Me and Giuliani Down By The School Yard (A True Story)” certainly deserved the early attention it earned for !!!.

M.L. and Nikki of Spalding Rockwell might be more closely aligned with the electroclash scene, but they have no trouble establishing an identity of their own on their full-length debut disc Kate (Defend). Having already introduced themselves to club-goers as the vocalists on Armand Van Helden’s “Hear My Name” and via their compilation track White Cotton Panties, Spalding Rockwell is more than ready to rock you well. Not afraid to name names on tracks such as “Ingrid”, “Masha” and “Nina”, Spalding Rockwell also demonstrates that they are not afraid to pack a dance floor. “Vicious” struts and pouts like vintage new wave and “Kissing” will have dancers puckering up for a k-i-s-s. “Flake” is a put-down with a great dance beat, “Bad Bad Thing” is good for dancing and the nearly orgasmic “Touch It” is an invitation you won’t want to refuse.