New Wave Revival

The new wave revival is the return of new wave as the dominant reference point for guitar and synth pop in the 2000s: angular guitars, synthesiser hooks, jerky dance rhythms and knowingly artificial presentation, revived first by the 'New New Wave' guitar bands and then, at its mid-decade apex, by synth-led acts such as *The Sounds*, *Shiny Toy Guns*, *La Roux* and *Ladytron*. Distinct from the post-punk revival beside it, the revival leaned toward pop melody, dance floors and the bright surface of 1980s chart new wave rather than its darker underground wing.