I am calling bullshit on the guys at Buffalo’s Transmission Dance Party. The local crew who has made it okay for the cool kids to dance in the Queen City with their bi-monthly shindigs are clearly out of their minds.

Their supposed faceoff on October 18 is themed “New Order vs. Depeche Mode.” As if Depeche Mode stands a chance! I think Peter Hook alone could outcool and outrock Depeche with just four strings and his beard. Seriously, though: If you need proof of New Order’s greatness even into this millennium, the latest in Warner Music/Rhino’s ongoing series of New Order DVDs has it. Recorded at Glasgow’s Carling Academy in October 2006, this live set showcases an energized band tearing through New Order classics like “Ceremony,” “Blue Monday,” and “True Faith,” as well as more than just up-to-snuff newer songs like “Crystal” and “Krafty.” Most noteworthy, Live in Glasgow—after some 25 years—captures Hook, Bernard Sumner, and Steve Morris in a full re-embrace of Joy Division songs, including “These Days,” “Shadowplay,” “Transmission,” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Even for those who doubt the latter-day New Order’s ability to deliver the goods, this remains more than a curio with the inclusion of a stunning second disc of live performances dating back to their Glastonbury debut in 1981 and including a slew of legendary live moments in the 1980s. And there’s better news still: In November Rhino is releasing deluxe/expanded double disc versions of Movement, Power, Corruption & Lies, Low-Life, Brotherhood, and Technique. So suck it, Dave Gahan!

—donny kutzbach

Be there when Bill Page (in the New Order corner) mops up the Mohawk with Aaron Andrews (sadly repping Depeche Mode) on Saturday, October 18. For more info, go to myspace.com/transmissiondance.