Some of you have been mentioning KROQ in your posts and that station took on kind of a 'legendary' status in my mind, though I was not from the west and have NEVER heard it...I'd only read about it and heard of Rodney on the ROQ, knew his compilation albums - - mostly early LA hardcore, Circle Jerks Posh Boy-label type stuff. I thought the station played that 24-7.
It sounds like my perception was wrong - - that they also played new wave, synth pop, etc etc.... What was it REALLY like???
Also, was there a Punk vs New Wave mentality? I'm reminded of a ridiculous episode of CHIPs where there was a group of quirky but 'good' new wave kids who were at odds with the trouble-causing 'punks' - - poor Eric Estrada had to sort the whole thing out for us kids at home.
I've always had Black Flag next to Blancmange and the dB's next to the Dead Kennedy's in my record collection - - how do the rest of you feel about the two genres. I think I was just so hungry for DIFFERENT music that I developed a love for it all.....