Moving Units pays tribute to Joy Division

photo: Jeffrey Jacquin

 “It was kinda like the soundtrack to the discontent of my youth,” says Blake Miller of Moving Units, about one of his musical idols, British postpunk legends Joy Division, fueling a creative storm that has resulted not only in a tribute tour celebrating the music of the seminal postpunk legends but also a companion album for release on Feb. 17 titled Collision With Joy Division.

Also that month in Texas, the LA-based dance rock band will begin a national tour: Moving Units Present the Songs of Joy Division, a live homage which will include covers as well as songs from their own oeuvre.

“I was drawn to the moody industrial sound of their debut album Unknown Pleasures when I was a freshman in college,” he continues about the band’s sultry lure. “And [late Joy Division lead singer] Ian Curtis has this ‘Frank Sinatra smacked out on valium and uppers’ vocal style I really love. I remember feeling captivated by this band while I drove around my desolate hometown in suburban Detroit.”

Putting their own spin on such important tracks as “Disorder”, “Digital”, “She’s LostControl”, “Atmosphere”, and of course, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, among others, Moving Units will lovingly recreate the Manchester band’s tragic beauty faithfully.

“I think we share a deep artistic connection with their music,” he says about the reasons behind waging such a daunting tour. “Our band was very inspired by Joy Division and similarly innovative post punk bands from that era like A Certain Ratio, PiL, Section 25 and The Fall. So when we approached the material, we decided to learn the songs note-for-note and then apply our own musical brush strokes and accents to our versions.”

The new album was produced by Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Jesus & Mary Chain) and Blake Miller. Says Miller, “I think we captured the raw impulsive attitude of their songs and their performance style in a way that both honors their legacy and breathes fresh air into the music.”

Moving Units will also play a second set each night of Moving Units originals that will span their catalog of LPs from Dangerous Dreams to Damage With Care.

Tour dates; 

Feb 21 El Paso TX Lowbrow Palace
Feb 22 San Antonio TX Paper Tiger
Feb 23 Austin TX 3TEN ACL Live
Feb 24 Dallas TX The Foundry
Feb 25 Houston TX White Oak Music Hall
Feb 27 Atlanta GA Masquerade (Hell)
March 1 Wash DC DC9
March 2 New York NY Knitting Factory
March 3 Montreal CA Bar Le Ritz
March 4 Toronto CA Silver Dollar
March 5 Detroit MI El Club
March 7 Columbus OH Basement
March 8 Cincinnati OH MOTR Pub
March 9 Fort Wayne IN The Brass Rail
March 10 Chicago IL Empty Bottle
March 11 St Paul MN Turf Bar
March 12 Omaha NE Waiting Room
March 14 Lawrence KS Bottleneck
March 15 Denver CO Lost Lake