Synth and Swagger - New Wave Doppelgangers
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Synth & Swagger
New wave and '80s music authority

New Wave Doppelgangers

Part of the quick hit series
Jason D’OrazioApr 2026 • 2 min read
Four uncanny visual echoes across new wave

Robbie's best friend in Wedding Singer does the moonwalk and wears one glove, but he's actually a spitting image of Break My Stride guy Matthew Wilder
Break My Stride & Other One-Hit Wonder Songs

Brandon Flowers is a new wave revivalist...or is he new waver Falco in disguise? You never see them in the same room...
Falco: Vienna in a Tux

It's no riddle that black-and-white, stark desert backgrounds, and serious-looking musicians were all the rage in the '80s. Believe it or not, U2 were the Johnny-come-latelys.
Duran Duran Album Deepdives

Road Warrior's post-apocalyptic aesthetics were heavy inspiration for Police's Synchronicity 2 video... and then a more famous video.
The Police: Optimist in the Machine

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Coming Soon

Tuesday: Two Big Things Are Better Than One: Duran Duran Album Deepdive. Other Duran Duran deepdives
Wednesday: Two free audio commentaries - Adam Ant. Two free commentaries for Oingo Boingo vs Devo
Thursday: Video commentary: Men At Work's Down Under. Other video commentaries