Feature: Highly Influential Artists with Incredibly Sparse Catalogs

Leaving behind a legacy is a tricky thing. Plenty of bands have risen to legendary status by releasing an insane amount of great music in very short periods of time. I've alway been sort of perplexed by how many albums The Beatles delivered throughout their relatively short existence. And then there are bands that have released every single thought that comes to mind, such as Sonic Youth and Guided By Voices, whose legacies are attributed to their output being so ridiculously abundant. But every now and then a band releases one or two albums and then disappears, only to watch their legacy grow far beyond what some of their more prolific peers could ever have achieved.

So here is a list of seven bands who have become extremely influential despite having a very small body of work. My only criteria for choosing artists for this were that they only released less than three studio albums and have had a remarkable influence on music that followed them.

Photos/Review: Peter Hook & The Light @ Gramercy Theatre

Peter Hook & The Light @ Gramercy Theatre - September 13, 2011
Photos: Chris / Review: Tommy Ciganko

The bass player of an iconic rock band forms a new band 30 years later with the sole purpose of performing the music of his past. Sounds destined for a Las Vegas revue. Complicating issues, the new band has to take in to account the specter of the enigmatic singer whose death ended the band in its prime, as well as the animosity of the other surviving members. Now we have the makings of a disaster.

Fortunately, Peter Hook and the Light avoided disaster and were miles from a Vegas revue with their Tuesday night performance at the Gramercy Theatre. Part revival, part cover band, Peter Hook and the Light took on the legend of Hook’s early career with Joy Division, performing the album Closer, with additional pieces as encores. Styled with a faux-hawk and Union Jack T-shirt, Hook appeared the aging punk on stage. The image was somewhat reminiscent of a latter day Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. The original members of the Sex Pistols have reunited periodically to tour, unabashedly, for the money. Hook’s post Joy Division career, a little band called New Order, likely ensures that this tour is not a money run. Peter Hook and the Light seem to be in it for the music.

To say that the Image of Ian Curtis, Joy Division’s enigmatic singer, looms heavy over the legend of Joy Division is putting it mildly. The audience at the Gramercy Theatre had a fair share of Curtis devotees. Some would consider Joy Division’s material to be sacred ground--to be treated cautiously especially by those closest to it. However, Peter Hook’s contribution to Joy Division’s unique sound is as important as Ian Curtis’s voice and lyrics. With Peter Hook and the Light, Hook could be making a case for his share of the Joy Division mystique, but he avoids that temptation by presenting the music in a straight forward fashion, giving the majority of the bass duties to his band while taking on the vocals himself. With a tight band injecting energy and passion in to the music, Hook appeared, if not loose, relaxed and engaged at the microphone. On the subject of the vocals, Hook’s performance was a balance between respect and homage to Curtis, and personal passion.

The opening of the show was a short video - part documentary, part music video – which seemed an attempt to place the Joy Division legend in to context. At roughly 20 minutes, the video was superfluous given that the audience, most of whom were born after Joy Division dissolved into New Order, knew the words to every song and the tale behind the legend. Conjuring up the spirit of Curtis was unnecessary as he is infused in to Joy Division’s music no matter who performs it. Peter Hook and the Light performed with passion and dignity, faux-hawk notwithstanding.

Below, check out a full set of photos of last night's show, in addition to a video of Peter Hook pausing "Atmosphere" midway to yell at some annoying crowd members...

This Week's Nostalgia (9/12-9/18)

Quite an exhausting week for me personally, but not exactly the fullest week for shows here in New York City. However, we did get to check out Les Savy Fav at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Tuesday, as well as the free Patti Smith show at Webster Hall on Thursday. I also saw TV on the Radio but haven’t had a chance to post my review yet (travelling to/from a wedding takes more time and energy than you’d think). There’s some interesting/weird things coming up this week though…

Blondie @ Highline Ballroom

Monday, September 12 / Tuesday, September 13

Talking Heads, The Ramones, Television… and Blondie. Those were the most popular bands that devised the NYC punk scene at CBGB’s in the late seventies. Of that school, Blondie have been the most consistent in releasing new material and touring over the past few decades, trumped only by the occasional recent Richard Lloyd-less Television performances. Honestly, the last time I saw a live Blondie performance it was on VH1 in 1999, and I was mostly watching because my friend Jamie was chosen to fill out the crowd (she dressed like a typical teenage punk girl. I assume that was just the kind of credibility VH1 was going for). So while I couldn’t tell you how good/bad these shows could be, it’s probably a safe bet that they will play “Heart of Glass” and possibly “The Tide Is High” if you clap hard enough (or not). Tickets are available for $72. Seventy-two motherfucking dollars. Um, have fun.

Peter Hook & The Light @ Gramercy Theatre

Tuesday, September 13

Moved from the original venue of Irving Plaza, Peter Hook and his new band The Light will be performing Joy Division’s Closer in its entirety on Tuesday night at Gramercy Theatre. If the idea of a bassist performing the songs of a band he was in whose singer tragically committed suicide, then you may not get a kick out of this show. But if you’re still filled with rage that you never got the chance to see Joy Division live, then this may be the next best thing for your aching heart. Reviews of the show have been surprisingly ecstatic, despite public outcry of blasphemy. And who knows, now that New Order has pissed off Hooky by reforming behind his back, he may even take a jab at his old bandmates. We can only hope. Tickets are still on sale.

Sloan @ The Bell House / Bowery Ballroom

Tuesday, September 13 / Thursday, September 15 / Friday, September 16

We were lucky enough to cover Sloan’s recent show at Bowery Ballroom in July, and I’m excited to see the Canadian rock band is back in New York City so soon. Their most recent album The Double Cross is a solid collection of anthemic power pop tunes, and a surprising later addition to their discography. Only a handful of bands can nail the late-career critically acclaimed record, but Sloan pulled it off seamlessly. Do be sure to check out The Bell House show in Brooklyn or Bowery Ballroom on Thursday, but if you’re in the mood for a more intimate setting, head over to Hoboken’s Maxwell’s on Friday for what is sure to be a memorable night. Tickets are still on sale for all three shows.

The Big Four (Megadeth, Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica) @ Yankee Stadium

Wednesday, September 14

What the shit? This is actually happening. At Yankee Stadium. Weird. You can actually still get decent seats if you don't mind dropping $134. Let us know how this goes.

Not exactly in the realm of nostalgia, but worth mentioning: Swedish indie rock trio Peter Bjorn and John are doing a tour of New York City of sorts, hitting nearly every mid-sized club in New York City (or at least the ones Bowery Presents book). Check out tickets here, the shows start tomorrow night at Brooklyn Bowl (which is sold out, with limited admission at doors).

That's all for this week. Check out our playlist for This Week's Nostalgia over on Spotify. If there's any shows you feel we missed, please let us know in the comments below. Until next week...

Mixtape: Spring 2004

By Debbie Chou

I made a mix during my senior year at University of Hartford. This was before podcasts were around and iPods were still chunky. It was just my discman and me, roaming the campus everyday, with the CD of this mix on repeat and sometimes on shuffle. This was during my final semester so I had a lot on my mind—completing works for my composition recital, competing in the regional semi-finals with my a cappella group, asking myself if there is a future with this guy I was seeing, wondering what the fuck I was going to do after I graduate. Those were bittersweet times but it was my best semester.

I graduated, then I had to pack everything and take down the photos from my wall one last time. I had that room all to myself for the entire school year. Boy, if those walls could talk… Anyway, my family helped me pack. They knew I could be slow and inefficient sometimes so they were being a little pushy. The truth was I was dragging my feet because I was too sad. Our family friend drove up from Queens in his van and took my parents and myself to his house where my boxes and suitcases would be stored for the entire summer. I would then spend the next two months in Taipei before I returned to New York for my summer job. After that, Lori and I would go apartment hunting while we submitted our resumes to whoever was hiring. That was all I knew: the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Ah, the unknown.

As we drove away from my dorm, I put my headphones on and listened to my mix once again. The opening track that gave me confidence and energy every morning now made me feel anxious and…well…FUCKING NOSTALGIC. Wow, four years go by so fast. I had great times there. Senior year rocked. Where am I going to live in New York City? What jobs can I get? What funds do I have? When am I going to see my boyfriend again? What can I do with my music? And so on. If only I could go back in time and tell myself that everything will be OK, but I think deep down I knew that already.

This is the exact order of the mix with fewer gaps. None of these songs were popular hits in 2004, so this is nostalgia within nostalgia. Yes, there are two U2 tracks. Yes, there are three songs by The Cure. Welcome to my life in West Hartford, Connecticut. I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I enjoyed my spring of 2004.

Listen to the new unreleased New Order song

Rhino Records will be releasing a compilation that features the better known tracks from Joy Division and its successor New Order entitled Total: Joy Division to New Order on June 6th. Though that’s not necessarily the most exciting news, what is pretty exciting is that a New Order outtake called “Hellbent” will be featured on the album. Though the track will be premiered today on New Order’s Facebook page, you can listen to the track over at Slicing Up Eyeballs as it leaked earlier today. Check out the tracklisting for Total below.

1. Joy Division - Transmission
2. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
3. Joy Division - Isolation
4. Joy Division - She's Lost Control
5. Joy Division - Atmosphere
6. New Order - Ceremony
7. New Order - Temptation
8. New Order - Blue Monday
9. New Order - Thieves Like Us
10. New Order - The Perfect Kiss
11. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
12. New Order - True Faith
13. New Order - World In Motion
14. New Order – Fine Time
15. New Order - Regret
16. New Order - Crystal
17. New Order - Krafty
18. New Order - Hellbent

Location:W 42nd St,,United States

Mixtape: Fucking Nostalgic #2 (Fairytale in the Supermarket)

Yesterday was Record Store Day. Unfortunately it fell on the day after my birthday so sleep was necessary. Meaning I missed all the good exclusive stuff. Still picked up some records though, all of which are included in this mix.

Fairytale in the Supermarket - the Raincoats

Rory Rides Me Raw - the Vaselines

Disorder - Joy Division

The Biggest Lie - Hüsker Dü

Dead Love - Mudhoney

Life is Shit - the Dead Milkmen

The Sprawl - Sonic Youth

Toadies/Retreat - the Minutemen

All World Cowboy Romance - Mission of Burma

Available to stream or download below...

Fucking Nostalgic #2 (Fairytale in the Supermarket) by csgersbeck