I saw it in books and read it on TV

It’s a snowy Valentine’s Day here at Armagideon Time’s HQ northwest of Boston, and despite the all the sweeping, shoveling, and sanding, it’s rather nice. The wife planned for the blizzard in advance, so we’re just going to ride out the storm all snug and cozy-like. Later we’ll have a home-cooked pasta dinner and watch one of our favorite films on DVD. It might not seem that exciting, but it I think it’s damn near perfect.

In honor of the day, here’s a double dose of new wave lovin’ for your listening pleasure.

Thompson Twins – If You Were Here (from Quick Step & Side Kick, 1983) – The only Thompson Twins song I can bear to listen to is also the song that plays during the conclusion of Sixteen Candles. It’s a case of romantic-by-association, because the song’s lyrics are actually pretty glum.

A Flock of Seagulls – Space Age Love Song (from A Flock of Seagulls, 1982) – There is no futurism like 1980’s futurism. (Or 1970’s futurism, for that matter, but that topic is best avoided unless one has a fetish for the color orange or an unhealthy interest in seeing Dick Van Patten attend a Roman robot orgy.)

For those unfortunate souls that are spending this day recovering from being gutshot and left to die by Cupid, this track might be more your speed:

The Pagans – What’s This Shit Called Love? (from a 1978 single, collected on The Pink Album...Plus, 2001) - Raw, ugly, yet surprisingly melodic garage punk out of Cleveland.