by BBG

Aaron Kenyon with a current project, Djam Karet

Aaron Kenyon, a founding member of Man is The Bastard, has weighed in on the controversial appropriation of the iconic skull logo by Akron/Family, and his views differ from that of his ex-bandmates. Check out Kenyon's statement below.

If you missed it, Man is the Bastard member Eric Wood initially made his thoughts known via Facebook which in turn led to ex-member Israel Lawrence weighing in and a public response from Akron/Family as well.

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In semi-related news, Disney will no longer carry a highly-controversial t-shirt that molds the iconic Joy Division Unknown Pleasures album cover into a Mickey Mouse silhouette. Band members fell on both sides of the fence on this issue, with Peter Hook commenting to the LA Times that it was "flattering" and drummer Stephen Morris commenting that it was "horrible" and he was "quite angry".

Aaron Kenyon's statement on Man in the Bastard, below..

Continue reading "today in shirts: Disney stops carrying Joy Division design; another ex-Man is The Bastard member weighs in on Akron/Family issue"

by BBG

We typically don't like covers. And as much as we love Joy Division, we think the JD influence is overdone. Despite those two incredibly thwarting factors, the brutal reality here is that out of real life tragedy was born the most honest collection of covers we have heard. Crooked Necks leaves the spirit of Joy Division completely intact, while running it through their own highly innovative filter. -[Handmade Birds]

Crooked Necks takes the same approach on the above-referenced Joy Divison covers EP entitled Something Must Break. It's five covers of classics by the UK post-punk godfathers that expand on the impending dread that marked the releases of the ultimately doomed band. The fascinating reimagination was quickly snapped up when released on limited cassette, but is now available on vinyl for the first time. Stream it in full below, and order your copy of the LP and the EP at Handmade Birds. While you're at it, check out their split with the eclectic (and awesome) Circle of Ouroboros as well.

Those songs and more below...

Continue reading "Crooked Necks cover Joy Division on limited EP (stream it) (and check out their new LP of originals too)"

The above photo was taken of Peter Hook while he was just in NYC and visiting East Village Radio. The below video is Peter playing Joy Division song "Atmosphere" and STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE TO YELL AT AUDIENCE MEMBERS at his 'Closer' show at Gramercy Theatre. Setlist down there too...

Continue reading "Peter Hook visited NYC, played Gramercy Theatre"

by BBG

1/4 of Joy Division (aka Peter Hook) performing as Joy Division in Brest, 9th March 2011

"I first heard about this on Monday and it has taken me completely by surprise! Everyone knows that NEW ORDER without PETER HOOK is like QUEEN without FREDDIE MERCURY, U2 without THE EDGE, SOOTY without SWEEP!

On a more serious note, I do not understand the decision THE OTHER THREE have taken. I wish they had approached me first. I do not agree with the methods they have used and feel it would have been courteous and professional to have spoken to me in advance of the announcements. It is very sad.

Love PETER HOOK x Sept 2011

by Bill Pearis

Despite a general consensus that it's a not the greatest idea or use of his time, Peter Hook and his current band The Light continue to tour the Joy Division catalogue and will be in New York next Tuesday (9/13) for a show at Gramercy Theatre, a show that was originally supposed to be at Irving Plaza. Where last year's tour concentrated on Unknown Pleasures, this time the focus will be on Joy Division's second, final album, Closer. Some dates on this tour will still get Unknown Pleasures, though, and all tour dates are below indicating which album Peter Hook & the Light will be performing.

Back in May, Peter Hook & the Light released an EP of new versions Joy Division songs, including the unrecorded "Pictures in My Mind" plus three other songs with lead vocals by Rowetta who sang with Happy Mondays in the '90s and later placed fourth on the first UK season of Simon Cowell's X Factor. Videos for The Light's versions of "Atmosphere" (with Rowetta) and "Pictures in My Mind" (with Hook taking lead vocals) are at the bottom of this post.

Meanwhile, the rest of New Order are reuniting without Peter Hook, and that includes keyboardist/guitarist Gillian Gilbert who hasn't played with the band since the '90s. Gilbert was a part of the recording of 2001's Get Ready but bowed out of touring to take care of her and husband (and New Order drummer) Stephen Morris' daughter. Replacing Hook will be Tom Chapman, who plays in Bernard Summner's Bad Lieutenant. I wonder how low he slings his bass? This version of New Order play October 17 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels and October 18 at La Bataclan in Paris and both shows are benefits for ailing friend of the band Michael Shamburg who produced many of the band's '80s videos. Maybe they'll stick to songs from 1992's Republic which doesn't features much of Hook's signature bass style.

Speaking of Gilbert, she and Morris (who made records as The Other Two in the early '90s) have released a new EP, Swing, under the name Gillian and Stephen on their own Hard Cheese label, consisting of house-y instrumentals originally conceived and written as a soundtrack to Anna Blessman & Peter Saville's exhibition between October 2010 and January 2011 at the Gallerie Frac Champagne-Ardenne in France. Saville designed the sleeve.

You can stream a track off the Swing EP at the bottom of this post, which is also where you can find those Peter Hook & the Light videos and tour dates.

Continue reading "Peter Hook 'Closer' show moved to Gramercy (updated dates), the rest of New Order reuniting for charity"

Much to the displeasure of many, Peter Hook and his band The Light performed Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures on tour last year. This year, they'll do the same with Closer, though they will still perform Unknown Pleasures in select locations. The North American tour kicks off in September and hits NYC on September 13 at Irving Plaza, where they will play Closer. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (7/8) at noon. All dates are listed below.

In May, Peter Hook and the Light released their debut EP 1102/2011 on Hacienda records. The EP features three Joy Division tracks with lead vocals by The Light member Rowetta, who Hook first collaborated with when she recorded vocals for his other band Freebass. The fourth and last song on the EP is an unfinished Joy Division track, "Pictures In My Mind," with lead vocals performed by Hook. You can purchase a download of the EP here

Check out the video for "Pictures In My Mind" below along the EP album art, tracklist, and all tour dates....

Continue reading "now Peter Hook is performing 'Closer' on tour, released an EP of new/redone Joy Division songs (dates)"

Peter Hook @ the Philly show on 12/2/10 (King Taco)

As a tour repeatedly billed as "Peter Hook Presents Unknown Pleasures," it wholly delivered on the premise.

The New Order track-free set featured note-nailing impressions of Joy Division's "No Love Lost," "Leaders of Men," "Glass," and "Digital," before covering their most famous LP from front to back. All the pleasures you'd expect of Pleasures were present -- the punchy, sumptuous intro of "New Dawn Fades," guitars searing during "Shadowplay," the jagged moves of "She's Lost Control." More fleshed out than the record, even.

Hook couldn't quite mimic Curtis' authoritative vocals, but his calls were crisp and competently matched each song's tone. He particularly savored the big repeated yells that close so many Joy Division songs. They show his animated side just waiting to break out.

"Transmission" was feisty, too, which is to be expected, but then the band filled "Love Will Tear Us Apart" with an ecstatic thunder the original never touched.

Hook warmly said, "Thank you and good night. God bless you all," before the whole gang left for good, removing any doubt that he shouldn't be taking this material on. Appearances from Sumner and Morris would have been nice, yes, but no cash-in would have been so devoted to its source material. Hook didn't try to be Curtis, which was the best path he could take. -[Spin]

As Vice points out in a post entitled "SOMEONE STOP PETER HOOK" (a more popular opinion than SPIN's), a crowd member handled the vocals on "Ceremony" in Boston. Even worse, according to "Fuc 51" on Twitter, "Hook announced he had been paid $10,000" by the guy. We haven't fact checked the money transaction, but you can watch a video of the number, along with some videos from Webster Hall, below...

Continue reading "Peter Hook's 'Unknown Pleasures' tour continues (played Webster Hall & with a fan in Boston)"

by BBG

After visa issues forced Bernard Sumner project Bad Lieutenant to reschedule their first Webster Hall date, followed by a forced cancellation of their US dates in April due to volcanos, it's looking more likely that ex-New Order/Joy Division bandmate Peter Hook will appear at the NYC venue first.

Peter Hook and his band The Light will hit the road for a string of US dates including Webster Hall on December 3rd to perform (much like Deerhoof/Xiu Xiu did recently) all of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. Ticket info is forthcoming.

It's not the first time that Hooky has roped out the classic LP for a string of dates, as the 30th anniversary of Ian Curtis's death provided an impetus for a batch of UK dates:

"I went to see Ian's grave... - it was such a beautiful day I thought I'd go and say hello to him and see how he was," he explained. "It's really odd after all these years when you go and do something like that, you see all these tributes [at the grave] and it's really nice."

Hook added: "Now some people will say, like they did about this show, that you shouldn't do it and then a lot of people are thinking that you should do it. So it was nice that we had a club full of people tonight who think we should be doing it and the others can just fuck off." -[NME]

Continue reading "Peter Hook performing 'Unknown Pleasures' on US tour (dates) "

"WHY? at the waterfront was absolutely fantastic. Best time I've seen them. Fang Island shredded too!" - The Tape

"Meet Senator Chuck Schumer" @ the July 11th Pool Party (Ruthie_FF)

Pool Party champion Charles E. Schumer allowed people to ironically pose with him at the first of seven Pool Parties at the Williamsburg Waterfront on Sunday. Did you meet Chuck?

Eric White met Chuck Schumer (Erik White)

Sets of music were played by Why?, Fang Island, Pictureplane, and Xiu Xiu/Deerhoof combined to form a Joy Division cover band. Unfortunately there was no world cup viewing at the venue which definitely kept lots of people away. More photos and info on the show coming later. A few videos are below, and here's one more picture for now:

the scene backstage @ the Williamsburg Waterfront Sunday (bradwalsh)

July 18th's Pool Party will feature free sets of music by Murder City Devils, Obits, Jeff the Brotherhood and Silverghost. Some videos from July 11th below...

Continue reading "Did you Meet Senator Chuck Schumer @ the Williamsburg Waterfront Sunday? (or catch Pictureplane?)"

Xiu Xiu + Deerhoof @ Donaufestival 2010 (armin r)

In April, Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu premiered their joint cover of Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures at a music festival in Austria. On July 11th (five days from now), the bands will again perform the album as joint headliners of the first Williamsburg Pool Party of 2010. Why?, Fang Island and Pictureplane all open that free show.

In the fall, Xiu Xiu and Deerhoof will be touring together in Canada and the North East. Also on the horizon is a new Deerhoof album in 2011.

Videos from that Austrian Xiu Deervision show and all tour dates, below..

Continue reading "Xiu Xiu & Deerhoof will tour together & perform Joy Division again (in Brooklyn this weekend) "

by Bill Pearis

Bad Lieutenant, the band Bernard Sumner formed after New Order officially split three years ago, will make their New York debut at Webster Hall on November 21 -- tickets are on American Express pre-sale Wednesday, with general sale starting Friday (10/9). And according to Sumner in a Rolling Stone interview, Bad Lieutenant will also open for all four of Pixies' Doolittle shows at Hammerstein Ballroom that same week, though there has yet to be any official confirmation.

The band's debut album, Never Cry Another Tear, is out this week digitally and will be available in physical form next week. The line-up includes guitarists Phil Cunningham, who replaced founding member Gillian Gilbert in 2001, and Jake Evans who sings lead on a few of Never Cry Another Tear's songs. Live, Bad Lieutenant also features New Order drummer Stephen Morris, with Thom Chapman on bass. Sumner talked to Pitchfork about the new group:

Continue reading "Bad Lieutenant (Bernard Sumner) playing Joy Division, New Order & other songs @ Webster Hall & at all 4 Pixies shows?"

photos by Ryan Muir

Was Jeff Tweedy on edge last night at McCarren Pool (August 13, 2008)? Did he not like the crowd? I ask because of a few jabs he took during their approximately 2.5 hour mesmerizing (yes, I have a huge crush on them) set. I think he gave me a complex.

There was the "something is missing tonight" comment which after an awkward pause turned out to be about a gong that was on stage at their Cambridge Tanglewood show the night before. Jeff missed the gong, so drummer Glenn Kotche then did his best to recreate the sound of it.

Then there was the part when Jeff said something like, "Matrix [guitar tech] has heard that song we just played a lot of times, and he says we never played it that well. At least that's what I think Matrix meant when he said 'I cant wait to get out of here'. Just Kidding. He said he loved it". I can't remember the exact quote, but it was weird.

Jeff also criticized us for clapping the wrong beat to one song (which was pretty funny actually - not that the other stuff he said wasn't...) - he called the Brooklyn crowd 'free thinkers' - the term his father used for Bob Dylan (who played a show in a different section of Brooklyn one night earlier). Later Jeff told us to scream on his command because it made him feel powerful and helps him affirm what he is doing with his life (or something like that).

And last but not least there was the comment that definitely had only one meaning. That was the one when Jeff straight up dissed Brooklyn for not clapping in unison. He said something like, "Are you all too cool to clap?! Would it be better if we add the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" drum beat to it?!"" I realize Jeff is a comedian, but now there is also one person I know that considers him a mortal enemy for that one. Also, I mean, did he look at the crowd? It wasn't exactly a 'Pool Party'. This Brooklyn McCarren Pool show was definitely filled with the kind of (mostly male) people who like Wilco more than they like Joy Division (at least that's the generalization I'm going to make).

Great, packed show. Great setlist. 'Total Pros' is a good way to describe Wilco. It's also the name of Wilco's backing 3-piece horn/clarinet section that they had on tour and at this show with them. Jeff said Wilco would be back when they finished their next record. I can't wait for them to come back, and for the new record which I hope utilizes the full power of guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Glenn Kotche this time. They're working on the new album in between all this touring (that also included recent stops at the Baltimore Virgin Fest and Lollapalooza). (insert McCarren Car Pool jokes here). The Brooklyn setlist, and more of Ryan's beautiful pics below....

Continue reading "Wilco @ McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, NYC - pics & setlist"

"I know, it's so tacky!" (Exena)

Somewhere in Cheshire is a seriously melancholy thief. The gravestone of Ian Curtis has been stolen from the Macclesfield cemetery where the former Joy Division singer is buried. [Guardian]

DOWNLOAD: The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll (MP3)

Last time I posted this, it was just the song. Now here's the real video along with some behind the scenes clips where Lou Reed talks about his love for the song and the Killers...

Continue reading "Lou Reed, The Killers, Matt Pinfield - Tranquilize videos"

DOWNLOAD: Sally Shapiro - He Keeps Me Alive (MP3)

editor's note: My favorite release this week is Sally Shapiro. Also, I guess it comes out this week in the U.S. - not two weeks ago (that was Canada). Largehearted Boy....

Of all the week's releases I have heard so far, the soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There has held the most appeal. Featuring indie artists from Sonic Youth to Yo La Tengo to Jeff Tweedy, this could be my favorite compilation of the year.

The soundtrack to the Joy Division biopic Control is also out tomorrow, along with US releases of three of the band's remastered albums with bonus material, Closer, Still, and Unknown Pleasures.

Other notable reissues include two Tegan and Sara discs, If It Was You and So Jealous.

Of the remaining discs, I can strongly recommend Nicole Atkins' debut album, Neptune City and Who Goes There by Ian Ball (of Gomez).

Have I left anything noteworthy off the list? What new music releases can you recommend this week? What should I avoid? What are you picking up?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

"Ian Kevin Curtis (July 15, 1956 – May 18, 1980) was the vocalist, lyricist and occasional guitarist of the band Joy Division, which he helped form in 1977 in Manchester, England."....

Continue reading "VIDEO: "Control" (Joy Division movie) trailer"

DOWNLOAD: Joy Division - Warsaw (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: FADER issue 46 - the Grateful Dead audio (MP3)

* EMI Accepts Private Equity Bid
* When Perez Hilton talks music, people listen.
* Perez Hilton's Beth Ditto coverage
* Beth Ditto's advice column in the Guardian
* Mika & Amy Winehouse porta potties in Central Park
* Indie bands moving into mainstream
* Judge reduces domestic violence charge against Scott Stapp
* Cat Power + Norah Jones = Blueberry Nights
* Iggy Pop OK with Elijah Wood playing him
* Joy Division Biopic Control Debuts at Cannes
* Former Grateful Dead muso sues YouTube
* Issue 46 of FADER now available for free download