Joy Division:

Unknown Pleasures:(1979)

Closer:(1980)

I love both of these records. They seem to come out of nowhere, possibly from some other realm. They sounded new, still sound new. And like a lot of new things, they burned bright, and flickered out with the death of Ian Curtis. I discovered Joy Division by way of U2. Hearing them cite Joy Division as a big influence made he dig back to find their records, which weren't widely repressed at the time. Like a lot of post punk, this isn't casual listening music, it demands your attention, and for me, it demands that I be alone to truly devote the attention required. Unlike most post punk, their is a real humanness to the writing of Ian Curtis that is sadly relatable. His was a great loss. It's also worth mentioning that it was through Joy Division that I began to really take notice of the photographic artistry of Anton Corbijn.