My fellow indiegrounders, welcome back to Underground Hum, your weekly source of underground news from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Thank you so much for your positive emails.

Just keep 'em comin'! Guys and gals, I think 2009 is going to be a kick-ass year, as it will mark the 20th and 30th anniversaries of two of the most important records in the indie music realm. Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures (1979) and The Stone Roses' self-titled album (1989). Dare I say these two records significantly influenced the musical landscape that succeeded them.

I can not imagine what music would be like now without these two revolutionary releases. In that respect, I will dedicate this week's Underground Hum to Manchester - the hotbed of many influential bands -and I don't need to tell you who they are.

Let's start with this one then. Fancy a cup of news, lads?

International

According to Peter Hook (ex-Joy Division; New Order bassist), New Order is over and done with. But that doesn't mean fans won't be treated to loads of new New Order releases in the coming months, including the previously reported Live in Glasgow deluxe DVD set (due June 24 Stateside via Warner/Rhino, and out now in the UK) and a spate of expanded reissues, * la last year's Joy Division catalog clear out.

Nor does it mean the name Joy Division isn't still making headlines, what with the aforementioned reissues, a pair of recent DVDs, and even a limited edition Zune.

Following the demise of New Order, Peter Hook - Hooky as he's known -is working as a professional DJ, playing bass for the super group Freebass (whose latest prospective vocalists include Bloc Party front man Kele Okereke and Oasis' Liam Gallagher), and digging into the lost archives of Joy Division and New Order, which may well yield even more posthumous releases from both bands.

Hooky is also in the process of penning a book called How Not to Run a Club, about the days of the infamous Factory Records-run Ha*ienda nightclub.

Now, I believe it's not only me who is wishing that The Stone Roses will reform. Isn't everyone? Especially, since it was 20 years ago exactly that the self-titled LP was released, so a ref-ormation is not really too much to ask for.

However, it remains an utopian dream to see them live again as Ian Brown hasn't shown any sign he will commit.

NME reported December last year that The Stone Roses' former bassist Mani has said that he wants the band to reunite in 2009 - "Next year is the 20th anniversary of the first album. It's the ideal time to do it. It's something I would love to do before we are all fat and bald."

The bassist, who currently plays in Primal Scream, says that three-quarters of the band are happy to reunite, but that only front man Ian Brown has yet to commit.

"Me, John *Squire, guitarist* and Reni *drums* are up for doing it and Ian just needs some working on," he told internet TV site Channelbee. He encourages loyal Roses fans to start campaigning for the reunion to happen.

Perhaps, that's the only way to get Ian Brown to nod and give the thumbs up to the to grand proposal. Come on, Stone Roses fans of the world, unite!

National

Let me introduce you all to In My Room Records. It's a new refreshing net-label based in Jakarta. In My Room Rec's was launched in early 2008 by two young music enthusiasts, Ganesha and Ridwan of local electro-pop indie act Fantastic June, who worship bedroom recordings more than anything in this world.

They got their act together when they decided to release the music of "bedroom musicians" who are worth listening to but who have no access to music publishing. Different from their net-label counterparts in Indonesia, such as Yes No Wave, In My Room Rec's is primarily releasing the work of individuals who record themselves with the latest recording software and with minimal recording gear in their own rooms.

Like everyone else who is writing music, these "bedroom musicians" also have the desire to disseminate their work via the Internet. That is where In My Room Rec's comes in. So far, they have released few albums, but they are determined to become the most resourceful portal for many Indonesian "bedroom musicians" who deserve massive support.

Check www.inmyroom.us for further details on their releases and how to get them.

That's me, Ari Ernesto Purnama, signing off. Be sure to check out next week's edition of Reverb.

If you have any questions or suggestions for this column please contact The Jakarta Post's in-house music nerd at undergroundhum@yahoo.com.

For all of you indie bands or artists out there, let us know if you have a gig coming up so we can include it in Reverb. Be sure to include the name of the event you're playing, what other acts are billed, time, place, date and entry fee if any.

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