One of those Joy Division 12" singles that's definitely worth owning as a separate piece of wax – because the raw power and moody energy of "Transmission" just flows perfectly out of the fast-spinning single with its extra-deep grooves! "Novelty" is great, too – one of those dark, almost scolding Ian Curtis gems – hiding bitterness that really drives the whole thing along! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Much as we love the legendary debut from Joy Division, we love this second album even more – as the whole thing's a perfect realization of their genius – and such a strong step forward, it still pains us to remember that singer Ian Curtis was taken from us all too soon, and the group never got to fully move past this moment! Everything that made the first record great is here – but there's also a more cohesive approach to both the song structure, and the overall album presentation – so that the landscape of darkness we first viewed on Unknown Pleasures comes into even greater focus here – as the songs follow one another in a beautifully logical order, and the slight refinements in production make all the best elements of the musicianship – especially the bass and drums – even more powerful than before. Titles include "Twenty Four Hours", "Heart & Soul", "Decades", "Colony", "Passover", and "A Means To An End". LP, Vinyl record album

"Atmosphere" is the a-side, and it's a great little cut – but we'll always love this single for the fantastic "She's Lost Control" – a tune that's catchy, but also damn spooky – starting out with these cool Martin Hannett electronic pulses, then moving into this raw, building guitar line that really sends the vocals home! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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The classic debut of Killing Joke – a key set during the post-punk years, and a record that also set the tone for countless dark scenes for years to come! At this point, the group aren't too far from Joy Division – with very stark, almost stiff rhythms, topped with just the right amount of fuzz on the guitar and darkness in the production – handled pretty well by the group themselves, as if they had Martin Hannett with them in the studio! The pace picks up from time to time, almost a bit of Bauhaus too – and at this point in their career, Killing Joke are certainly very worthy comparisons to those other two groups! Titles include "Tomorrow's World", "Complications", "Requiem", "Change", "Primitive", "The Wait", and "Bloodsport". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first really catchy songs to ever come from New Order – but served up here on a single that still retains some of the moodier elements of their Joy Division years! At some level, "Everything's Gone Green" is almost a blueprint for everything that would follow – "Blue Monday" and beyond – but it's also more spare, and has the spacey guitar lines almost speaking more than the vocals! Backed here by the excellent "Cries & Whispers" and "Mesh". 12-inch, Vinyl record

"Murder" is a great statement of evolution from New Order – a track that has a title that would have been right at home in the Joy Division years, and the same sort of heavy drums you'd hear on Closer – but a more far-reaching sense of progression as the murky vocals mix with all sorts of nice guitar clusters and electronic elements! The track is backed by "Thieves Like Us" – a fantastically tuneful single from New Order – but one that also still has the group at their best pre-pop level – catchy, but moody at the same time – with really strong basswork from Peter Hook, and a keyboard line that's light and dreamy as a nice contrast! 12-inch, Vinyl record