Joy Division Central can now be found at www.joydiv.org.

Joy Division Shadowplay, another fansite, is now www.joydiv.org/shadowplay.

Labels: Joy_Division

The new Happy Mondays album, 'Uncle Dysfunktional', which is out on Monday has been allocated the Factory catalogue number FACT 500 by Tony Wilson.

A big Triple-E cheeers to Matt for spotting.

Labels: Happy_Mondays, Tony_Wilson

Newsnight reports Tony Wilson's keynote speech at a Manchester International Festival Event on the future of the City of Manchester.

Most of the article is a potted history of AHW's FAC and post-FAC career.

Labels: Tony_Wilson

Michael Winterbottom's 2002 film '24 Hour Party People' is included today as one of The Guardian's '1000 Films To See Before You Die'.

One of the highlights of LTM's summer schedule is LTMCD 2497 'The Fruit of the Original Sin'. This is a deluxe double CD remaster of a double LP compilation originally released in November 1981 on Les Disques du Crépuscule (TWI 035).

The album features one of Benoit Hennebert's finest cover designs and a facsimile of the original insert/booklet. International in scope, the music covers post-punk, avant garde, modern composition and solo piano, as well as guests from the Factory and Postcard label rosters. The spoken word component includes Marguerite Duras, William S. Burroughs and Winston Tong. 31 tracks (including 8 bonus cuts), 120 minutes of music, readings and conversation.

Paul Ryder's new band Big Arm were shooting the video for their new single 'Flashbacks' in New York City when they had an unforeseen encounter with the NYPD, reports BBC Manchester Music.

'Flashbacks' is out 23 July 2007.

NME.com has just confirmed that the New Order split, first announced by Peter Hook, is official.

Labels: New_Order, Peter_Hook

Jim Butler in last Sunday's Observer gave the Happy Mondays' album 'Uncle Dysfunktional' a 3* review, saying "... there's no faulting the band's ambition - the music veers from country to samba to electronica - and Ryder's lascivious drawl and surreal wordplay remain intact."

The album is due out 2 July 2007.

Labels: Happy_Mondays

In last Friday's Music and Film Guardian, Peter Hook explains why he can't get his head round Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart (but how Steve Morris loves it).

Labels: Peter_Hook

Grafik Magazine has announced a new book to celebrate its 150th issue. It features contributions by 150 of today's most exciting and influential designers. Over a double page spread, each designer writes about and illustrates an idea, person, place or thing that has influenced and inspired them. Contributors include Central Station Design, Mark Farrow, Peter Saville, plus a who's who of world designers.

--

Grafik 150
304 pages
150mm x 115mm x 25mm
10.00 GBP + p&p (UK)
Buy it now

Labels: Central_Station_Design, Mark_Farrow

From the House of Tomorrow Newsletter:

"The new Magnetic Fields album is now planned for release in early 2008. The exact release date and album title will be announced shortly, as well as information on other Stephin Merritt projects.

The Magnetic Fields look forward to playing some US shows following the release of the record.

Meanwhile, Stephin Merritt continues to work on developing several new projects in theater, including a stage adaptation of Neil Gaiman's children's book, 'Coraline'."

http://houseoftomorrow.com

Labels: Magnetic_Fields, Stephin_Merritt

A good review by Nige Tassell in The Word for Colin Sharp's new book 'Who Killed Martin Hannett? The Story of Factory Records' Musical Magician'.

"[It] avoids damp-eyed nostalgia, instead favouring a mix of eye-of-the-storm reportage and a commendably objective unravelling of Hannett's complexity".

The title of this post is what Hannett used to refer to Joy Division as.

--

'Who Killed Martin Hannett? The Story of Factory Records' Musical Magician'
Aurum Press
GBP 12.99 rrp

Labels: Factory_Records, Joy_Division

From the Creative Review Blog:

"Behold, the FAC51-Y3. No, it’s not a late addition to the musical catalogue of Mancunian record label Factory Records, clearly, but a highly limited trainer from Y-3 (the brand created by adidas and Yohji Yamamoto), devised especially to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of legendary Manchester nightclub The Haçienda. The shoe’s design is a collaboration between Peter Saville (the original Factory Records graphic designer), Ben Kelly (the architect who designed the original Haçienda interiors) and Joy Division/New Order bass player, Peter Hook."

Labels: Ben_Kelly, Factory_Records, Joy_Division, New_Order, Peter_Hook

In his latest interview to promote In The City of New York (amongst other things) on Pitchfork, Tony Wilson also talks about what happened to F4 Records.

At the top of the same article, Pitchfork also confirms that Happy Mondays have cancelled their ITCoNY shows due to "temporary visa problems".

Labels: Happy_Mondays, Tony_Wilson

By Kitty Empire in The Observer today.

"Death-wish hedonism behind them, the Happy Mondays are back, alive and kicking."

Labels: Happy_Mondays

On 28 October 2007, BBC Radio 4's Today programme will be 50 years old. As part of their birthday celebrations they've been interviewing people who were born on the day the programme was first broadcast.

Oddly enough, one of the eminent members of the 'Today Generation', is New Order's Stephen Morris.

He spoke to reporter Polly Billington on the programme which went out last Tuesday 5 June. You can listen again until this coming Tuesday. As well as covering the Joy Division and New Order years he describes his early childhood.

Thanks to Neil for spotting.

Labels: Joy_Division, New_Order

Unfortunately, Section 25's US dates have all been put on hold because of continued visa delays.

Labels: Section_25

Newfoundland's Kent Burt who records as The Linger Effect has done a cover version of 'Haystack' by Kevin Hewick.

The track has Kevin's blessing and is part of a full album that's available for free download in multiple formats.

Labels: Kevin_Hewick

John Metcalfe has been invited to play the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire. It runs from 24-26 August. The date John Metcalfe will be playing is still to be confirmed. This festival is so mysterious that the exact venue is a closely-guarded secret...

www.shambalafestival.org

Labels: John_Metcalfe

Section 25 return to live action with a couple of June dates in Blackpool and Rome:

Friday 22 June 2007
BLASTED Festival
No. 1 Club
Bloomfield Rd
Blackpool
Lancashire
next to the footie ground)
8pm - 12 midnight

Saturday 30 June 2007
Circolo Degli Artisti
Via Casilinave
Vecchia 42
Roma

Support from Echoes Of Silence and Netherworld

www.inthenighttime.it

Labels: Section_25

Lars Brandle talks to Tony Wilson for The Scotsman about his fight with cancer, In The City of New York and the prospects of a New Order reunion.

Labels: New_Order, Tony_Wilson

Ian Gittins, reviewing Happy Mondays live at The Astoria in London for The Guardian, says the Mondays are "sounding tight, vital and relevant again: it may be the most unexpected comeback since Lazarus".

Setlist included: Cuntry Disco, Loose Fit, Hallelujah, Jellybean, Kinky Afro, Step On, Rats With Wings, In The Blood and proceedings closed with a "seismic, juddering" Wrote For Luck.

http://tinyurl.com/2a58oy

Labels: Happy_Mondays

Ex-FAC graphic designer Trevor Johnson, has taken over as Creative Director at Creative Lynx.

No, this is not the great man branching out into R&B guest vocals but rather an attempt by Japanese clothing retailer to revolutionise the way we buy t-shirts.

Eugene Kan at hypebeast.com explains the full story but Peter Saville is one of the designers drafted in for the initial wave which is set for launch in July.

hypebeast.com

Labels: T-Shirt

Cover artwork for Unkle Dysfunktional, the new Happy Mondays album, is now at Amazon.co.uk. The artwork, by Central Station Design natch, is similar to that which appeared in a full-page tour ad in this week' NME.

Amazon.co.uk

Labels: Central_Station_Design, Happy_Mondays

A new album entitled 'Idiot Savants' by The Durutti Column is being listed by a few online retailers with a 16 July release date. More details to follow.

There is a page in Japanese and English on the Imperial Records International website.

Thanks to Bruce L for spotting.

Labels: The_Durutti_Column

The Durutti Column have listed a new overseas gig at www.myspace.com/thedurutticolumnmcr

It's on 29 July 2007 at the Fuji Rock Festival, Fuji, Japan.

Otherwise it's all quiet, with no word of further UK gigs this year or even of the promised book of lyrics/photos.

Labels: The_Durutti_Column

Amongst his tales of DJing around the world (and elsewhere) in his latest MySpace blogpost, Peter Hook says that he and Stephen Morris are overseeing a new "Live in Glasgow" New Order dvd.

Labels: New_Order, Peter_Hook

Happy Mondays will tour the UK this coming autumn to promote their new album 'Uncle Dysfunktional' which is set for release on 2 July 2007. Support will come from The Sunshine Underground.

September

27 - Nottingham Rock City (September 27)
28 - Glasgow Carling Academy (28)

October

1 - Sheffield Octagon
2 - Newcastle Carling Academy
3 - Bristol Carling Academy
5 - Oxford Zodiac
6 - London Brixton Carling Academy
8 - Norwich UEA
9 - Southampton Guildhall
10 - Leeds University
12 - Birmingham Carling Academy
13 - Liverpool Carling Academy

Tickets on sale on Friday 8 June 2007, 10:00 BST.

Labels: Happy_Mondays

The Serif gets Peter Saville to chip in his two-pennorth on the new London 2012 Olympics logo.

He says "I find it a bit cheesy. Those rings don't sit happily within that angular form and the typographic expression of London is a little insecure and apologetic. On the other hand, it's incredibly noticeable, brave and confrontational. Designs which are effective are abrasive on our sensibilities initially, that is how they work. It doesn’t have to be nice because they are familiar, while a great design forges a new aesthetic. It's real job is to be a catalyst for awareness of the Olympics and it's doing that already".

Labels: The_Other_Two

Ian Gittins reviews The Chemical Brothers at The Roundhouse in London in today's Guardian.

Sounds like a great gig but worthy of particular highlight is the description of "turn-of-the-millennium hit" 'Out of Control' (originally featuring Bernard Sumner on lead vocals" as "a menacing throb punctuated by hand-grenade samples".

And also that "They stray into New Order's Temptation, but in truth the Chemical Brothers lack that band's bruised humanity and vulnerability: these are robust sonic squiggles drawn by a great clunking fist."

Labels: New_Order

Heads up New York Factory Records fans! DJ Shred spins a mix of new wave, post-punk, punk, and hardcore on vinyl & CD (mostly obscurities) on Saturday 16 June and every 3rd Saturday of the month 10pm to 2am (no cover, requests welcome) at:

Double Down Saloon
14 Avenue A @ Houston
New York City
NY, USA

Tel +1 212-982-0543
(F, V to 2nd Ave)

Labels: Factory_Records, New_Order

Check out LCD Soundsystem's version of Joy Division's 'No Love Lost' at CovertCuriosity. Apparently they also played it on Later with Jools Holland last week (not last night's one featuring The White Stripes).

'No Love Lost' has also been a favourite encore for Section 25 on their live dates over the last year. There's a free download on section25.co.uk.

Thanks to Winston for spotting.

Labels: Joy_Division, Section_25

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