They may have passed quietly, but I heard it. And thankfully the sound is still ringing in my ear.

New Order, one of the most enigmatic and inventive bands of the last 30 years, have finally called it quits. The band formed from the band Joy Division after the suicide of Ian Curtis. They have produced hits such as "Blue Monday," "True Faith," "Crystal," "Age of Consent" and "Bizarre Love Triangle," by far my favorite. Bassist Peter Hook announced the band's split on his MySpace blog on Wednesday:

life goes on!
http://myspace.com/180575671

well here we go again another action packed week.

i suppose it was the interview with clint boon that started it all off hed asked me for a few words on perry farrells satellite party single dogstar [which he thought was great] so i went on and lo and behold mentioned the N>O> split so i suppose because it was me sayin it it was out at last. im relieved really hated carryin on as normal with an awful secret so lets move on shall we?

It was as recently as Friday night that I was driving with Natalie rocking out to "Age of Consent" on the lonely drive back from Fresno. I've even turned her on to the band, burning her a copy of Power, Corruption & Lies, the bands seminal 1983 album that beget "Blue Monday," which still influences artists in the realm of Trance and House music.

New Order is part of my own personal trifecta of musical groups that I'm always citing: garbage, New Order and The Cure. Garbage announced Friday that their long-expected greatest hits album Absolute Garbage would be hitting stores soon and The Cure have been riding rumors of a new album since the whole of 2006. I had heard New Order was keen on releasing a new album from their Waiting for the Sirens' Call recording session, but now that is a big question.

This isn't the first time New Order has ducked from the music scene. Between the release of Republic and the recording of Get Ready in 1993 and 1998 respectively, New Order seemed a lost relic of the '80s. Hopefully they can demonstrate the resilience and fortitude to reunite and forge another album to close out the decade, or at least bring us into the next. They are talented and timeless musicians and I am very sorry I may never have the opportunity to see them play again.

For now, I'll leave you with the video for "Krafty," from the Waiting for the Sirens' Call album, which helped to rescue me from a endless, consuming depression.

"You caught me at a bad time / So why don't you piss off..." ~New Order, "Your Silent Face," Power, Corruption & Lies