Idolator: new order

Don't Go Buying Those New Order Reissues During Your Holiday Shopping Yet

Dan Gibson — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST

Customers have been taking to the Internet to catalog their numerous complaints regarding Rhino's recent New Order reissues, so the company has apparently pulled the discs from sale until the issues can be resolved. Peter Hook, as seems to be his current habit, blogged his ire when the reissues hit shelves in England last month, saying that the band didn't have a chance to hear the discs' final mixes. Still, the American release soldiered on Tuesday, only to have the same complaints surface here. Some of the bonus tracks sound to me like vinyl rips instead of master recordings, which is very strange unless Shaun Ryder stole the originals from some Factory vault back in the day and sold them for hash. (Hey, it's possible.) Somehow, I'd like to blame Edgar Bronfman, whose Warner Music is the parent company of re-issuer Rhino, which has made its name as a loving caretaker of music history. But regardless of who's to blame, this debacle is embarrassing to everyone involved and irritating to those who went out and purchased the discs to begin with. [Billboard]

Breaking Cheese News

Dan Gibson — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Alex James, probably best known for being in Blur and not being Damon Albarn or Graham Coxon, is now in the cheesemaking biz, although he hasn't left his love for music behind. James is beginning production on a blue veined cheese inspired by New Order, cleverly named Blue Monday. To keep the references coming, James is producing the cheese in a twelve-inch wheel, although it was not revealed if he plans to take a financial loss on each cheese sold. [Contact Music]

Who's Your Musical Sacred Cow?

Dan Gibson — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:45:00 EDT

On Tuesday, I upset a few people (well, one in particular) with a somewhat offhand remark about Elbow's lack of popularity in America, or least my perception thereof.

Similar to another unfortunate escapade this year, I guess I just pushed the wrong button with a group of fans who would be willing to fight for their favorite act to the death (or, at least, over multiple posts in a blog's comment section). Sure, it's fun to say mean things about a band and have people react to them, but in the end, we're talking about something people have an emotional attachment to in some way—a connection beyond a disc and a concert t-shirt.

What musical act would I be willing to go that distance for? I was stumped for a while before it came to me.

New Order.

My love for New Order, despite all the embarrassing sidesteps (and by this I mean, everything released following Technique not produced by the Chemical Brothers) borders on the totally irrational. I spent actual time defending the Retro box set, which I purchased on import a week before receiving a promo copy in the mail. I briefly considered choking a teenager in front of me at the Area:One festival who quipped "Who are these old guys Billy Corgan is playing with?" It's not healthy, and it defies reason, but I love New Order to that extent.

So, what's yours?

Peter Hook Promises "Freebass" Supergroup Album Or Death By March

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:45:00 EDT

Freebass, a collaboration between New Order bassist Peter Hook, Primal Scream/Stone Roses bassist Mani, and Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, has had an album in the works since late 2005. But Hook swears they will put out an album by March, or he'll guarantee its presence on the marketplace by killing himself. "It's going to be out next March or I am going to fucking top myself," he told Billboard, "I'm fucking sick of talking about it. I just want to give someone some music. I said to Mani and Andy Rourke: 'It's coming out and I don't care how rough it is. Fuck it—let's do some gigs.'" The album contains tons of alt-rock guest stars, including Mani's once and former bandmates Ian Brown and Bobby Gillespie. Morrissey and Bernard Sumner, however, may not have even been called.

Hook explained that the band, which also features Gary Briggs, the former singer with Manchester-based band Haven, have completed eight songs that, rather unsurprisingly sound like, "a cross between Joy Division, New Order, The Stone Roses, [The] Smiths, Primal Scream with a load of reggae and northern soul thrown in."

As previously reported, the likes of Liam Gallagher (Oasis), Ian Brown (The Stone Roses), Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) and Bobby Gillespie (Primal Scream) have all been previously mooted by Hook as guest vocalists for the project.

Sadly, the one Freebass live clip available, which features Badly Drawn Boy joining them for "Love Will Tear Us Apart" at a Manchester cancer benefit, doesn't give you much opportunity to discern how the bassists interlock. Still, this might wind up more interesting than a Revenge reunion. Or a Monaco reunion.

Hook Sets Freebass Release Date [Billboard.biz]
Versus Cancer 2008 - Love Will Tear Us Apart [YouTube]

The Coachella Of Tribute Acts Hits Southern California

Dan Gibson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:30:00 EDT

Sure, I guess you could insist on seeing the actual bands instead, but if you enjoy low ticket prices and remarkable simulations of your favorite '80s New Wave acts, you may want to visit the Los Angeles-adjacent Gibson Amphitheater on June 21 for the Save New Wave festival. What you're saving "new wave" from is debatable (irrelevancy? active rock?), but some of these fake bands aren't that bad.

It's hard to be partial to any concert in the greater Los Angeles area where you can get front-row tickets for around $50, but any show where you can see New Order tribute act Love Vigilantes (now featuring a Gillian!) seems too good to be true.

As previously mentioned on the site, the Smiths tribute act Sweet And Tender Hooligans is remarkably entertaining.

Blasphemous Rumours, the Depeche Mode tribute act, seems good enough, although at this point, would anyone be able to tell the difference?

Also featured: an Oingo Boingo tribute act; and a Cure tribute band that will apparently have former Cure member Lawrence "Lol" Tolhurst on drums and depression. The show's site promises more "special guests", but what more could you ask for? Besides the actual acts performing, of course.

Save New Wave Festival [Myspace]

The Bestest Song Ever? (Well, It Could Be.)

jharv — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 14:00:04 EDT

Aside from the delightful domestic abuse of The Jacksons: An American Dream, seeing Control this weekend also reminded me that I had yet to do the flip to my post on the worst song of all time. I doubt this will engender as much solidarity as you all showed in hating 4 Non Blondes. But it's a pretty friggin' good song.

I could make allowances for James Brown or the Ronettes or Pere Ubu or Al Green (all-time MVP) or any other number of personal heroes/heroines, and I do wish YouTube had the 12-inch mix kitted out with all the Shep Pettibone bells and whistles. But even truncated, I'll stand behind this as the pop song, the one I'd stand up and proclaim the best. (Unless a weapon was involved. Or unless it's actually "Temptation." It might be "Temptation.") Feel free to tell me I'm crazy and that it's really 311/Howlin Wolf/Dead Or Alive/Flying Saucer Attack/Gil Evans/the Shop Boyz.

New Order: The New Faster Pussycat?

mjohnston — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:33:38 EDT

After the glam band Faster Pussycat resolved its dispute over which members had naming rights, there was a void in the "claim to name" sphere that afflicts so many vintage outfits in these reunion-crazy times. Which band would be next to engage in an ugly war of words about who really deserves to have ownership of the name? From a posting on his MySpace blog over the weekend, it would seem that former New Order bassist Peter Hook, who's irritated by recent statements by his ex-bandmates indicating that they're going to carry on using the name without him, is ready to heed the sirens' call:

FIRST. Damning me for doing something as in not coming to you personally? and then doin the same thing , never heard of two wrongs dont make a right?

My god if i was to list my disappointments with this group id miss my plane to frisco.My first thoughts were very angry but now ive slept on it or not rather its sadness really ! this is getting political and personal so here goes......................

SECOND> never assume anything! This group has SPLIT UP! you are no more new order than i am! you may have two thirds but dont assume you have the rights to do anything NEW ordery cos you dont ive still got a third! But am open to negotiation.

THIRD. Just in case you hadnt noticed weve not had a "PERSONAL" relationship for a long time now...years in fact! whenever you contact me its through the management(like hale and pace eh?) i did exactly the same you all knew what was happening re the split! in FEBRUARY! using cannes and mojo as some excuse to at last get your own back is wrong.

FOURTH. i have never spoken on your behalf i wouldnt presume to. i spoke for myself WE HAVE SPLIT! as traceyBB would say "deal wiv it!so as one third of ex new order im off to gate 36 and pizza hut. ive got a lot to tell you all but this has worn me out for a while so normal; service will be resumed as soon as possible!

See you in court! love hookyx

Well, at least he's got some spirit about it. Perhaps he'll serve the court papers via singing telegram?

Disappointment! [Peter Hook's MySpace Blog]

Liner Notes: This New Order Rumor Doesn't Have A Whole Lot Of Substance

Brian Raftery — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:15:54 EDT

- New Order has allegedly split up, for the blimpteenth time; meanwhile, London-based children's-rock outfit Gnu Order is still available for birthdays and picnics. [NME]
- As we predicted yesterday, John Mayer will play Time magazine's "Most Influential People Or Some Shit" party in New York City next week. We can't wait for the special version of "Your Body is A Wonderland" dedicated to Beijing Communist Party Secretary Liu Qi. [Page Six]
- Prince was all set to appear on The Simpsons, but then his chauffeur got in the way. But not for any sexy reasons. [Rush & Molloy, third item]

The Vault: Stuffing Your Stocking With Mash-Ups And Cheer

mjohnston — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 11:16:52 EST

Every once in a while, we reach into our vast record-collection vaults for a feature we've imaginatively titled The Vault. Today, we're handing over the keys to friend-of-Idolator Jon Solomon, whose 19th annual 24-hour Christmas show for Princeton's WPRB begins at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. Nineteen years of 24-hour shows add up to a lot of holiday music, and he's sent us a few Christmas-themed curios: both sides of the New Order Christmas flexi, which was given away at the Hacienda's 1982 Christmas Eve party (it's stamped with Factory number 51b, for those of you keeping track); a mash-up of dialogue bits from A Charlie Brown Christmas with "Linus And Lucy"; and a tune from the Christmas catalog of the classic Jamaican label Trojan Records. Wash it all down with some egg nog.

~~New Order - Rocking Carol~~ [MP3, link expired]
~~New Order - Ode To Joy~~ [MP3, link expired]
~~DJ John - The Christmas Massacre Of Charlie Brown~~ [MP3, link expired]
~~Frank Cosmo - Merry Christmas~~ [MP3, link expired]
Jon Solomon [keepingscoreathome.com]