No Wave: 3 Essential Albums From the Most Mysterious 1970s Music Genre

Ever heard of no wave? No? You’re not alone there. This obscure little genre doesn’t get much mainstream love, but it really is a fascinating type of music. No wave was developed in the late 1970s in New York City and originated from punk rock and funk music. In a sense, it’s a form of avant-garde music that came to be in rejection of the then-growing new wave craze. And there are more than a few no wave albums you absolutely must hear. Let’s take a look!

‘No New York’ by Various Artists

Why not start with a compilation album of no wave songs? This record, produced and carefully curated by the legendary Brian Eno, has since become the standard documentation of the no wave scene in its early stages. No New York was released in 1978 and features contributions from Contortions, Teenage Jesus And The Jerks, Mars, and D.N.A.

‘Press Color’ by Lizzy Mercier Descloux

Let’s get a little French. Press Color by Lizzy Mercier Descloux was released in 1979 and is considered one of the finest, albeit painfully short, works from the French no wave singer. It’s a delightful little post-punk gem, complete with plenty of originals from the singer as well as a number of covers of Lalo Schifrin and Arthur Brown songs, among others. In 2003, this beloved album was reissued with more than twice the amount of material the original record boasted. Though, truly, you need to listen to the original first. 

‘The Ascension’ by Glenn Branca

This is one of the most notable albums that I kept running into while learning more about no wave. The Ascension by Glenn Branca was released in 1981 and is Branca’s debut album. A very no wave collection of songs, The Ascension has also been linked to similarly obscure genres like totalism, as well as contemporary classical music. Complete with a small backing band, Branca really made magic with this extremely unique record. But any fan of his will tell you that his recorded works were nothing compared to his live performances.

Fun fact: Lee Ranaldo was part of the Ascension Band featured on this album. You might remember him as the bassist and co-founder of Sonic Youth.

Photo by Roberta Bayley/Redferns