An Ideal for Living

Before they became avatars of gloomy proto-Goth postpunk, Joy Division were a punk band trading in jagged guitars and aggressive beats. But even on their four-track debut EP, you can hear the germ of their future direction. The tempos are brisk, but the horrific imagery on “No Love Lost” and the political pessimism of “Leaders of Men” are natural precursors to the songs on the band’s two studio albums. That said, both “Warsaw” and “Failures (of the Modern Man)” are bracing blasts of fury, fast and raw enough to count as straight-up first generation punk rock.