In discussing alternative music, what are common points of reference for what makes a landmark recording? Audio fidelity? Sure. Overall aesthetic/ambiance of a record? Makes sense. However, more importantly than all, great albums make their mark based on the merit of the songs that lie within.

Production tricks can only get a band and/or artist so far, as an audience will release when the songwriters have simply run out of inspiration and material of intrigue. While many of alternative’s biggest bands often designate songwriting duties to one member (The Cure, Nirvana, Oasis), time has proven that sharing primary authorship of a band’s material can result in some of the best catalogs in recorded music. 

Today, we offer five of our favorite songwriting partnerships that have made alternative & indie rock all the better.

Elizabeth Fraser & Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins)
Discussing the lasting presence of dreampop is impossible to do without paying respect to the work of Cocteau Twins. Lyricist/vocalist Elizabeth Fraser was the perfect voice to accompany the maestro of Robin Guthrie. From their goth-tinged work on Treasure and The Pink Opaque to the pure bliss of later albums Heaven or Las Vegas and Four Calendar Cafe, Guthrie always crafted the perfect instrumentals for Fraser’s ethereal vocalizations to coast over. Though many imitators have followed after Fraser and Guthrie, few (if any, really) have been successful in rekindling the sheer magic these two were capable of. Its difficult to give Cocteau Twins total ownership over the dream pop label, but they certainly worked the earliest (debut album, Garlands, released in 1982) and longest at perfecting it.
Recommended tracks: “Ivo, “I Wear Your Ring”, “Evangeline”

Ian MacKaye & Guy Picciotto (Fugazi)
Perhaps the Lennon/McCartney of post-hardcore, MacKaye and Picciotto are responsible for writing the most essential discography of the genre. The bass of Joe Lally and machine-gun precision of drummer Brendan Canty helped them get there, but the guitar and vocal interplay of this duo has earned their spot on our list. MacKaye’s low-register aggression was the perfect companion for Picciotto’s heighted wails, all cast against distinctive guitar harmonies that made Fugazi what they were. This partnership wrote the book on how to keep things interesting in a hardcore/punk rock setting, which explains why records like Repeater and In On The Kill Taker remain essentials for any underground music obsessive.
Recommended tracks: “Suggestion”, “Blueprint”, “Rend It”

Bob Mould & Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü)
If MacKaye & Picciotto earn the distinction of “Lennon/McCartney” for post-hardcore, then Bob Mould and Grant Hart are the “Simon/Garfunkel” of punk rock. While the fuzzy-mass of New Day Rising shares nothing in common with Bridge Over Troubled Water, Mould and Hart were masters of baking compelling lyrical narratives into some of the tightest records of their time. Their vocal harmonies set them apart from contemporaries that were more interested in playing fast, which has played a large part in the endurance of Hüsker Dü’s catalogue. While Mould’s efforts with both Sugar and solo ventures have their own respective highlights, his early work with Hart remains some of the best he has ever done. What are you doing reading this?! Go listen to Flip Your Wig now and see what we mean!
Recommended tracks: “Chartered Trips”, “I Apologize”, “Makes No Sense At All”

Johnny Marr & Morrissey (The Smiths)
Did you really think we would leave these two out? Writing four of post-punk’s most essential albums (plus a healthy offering of tremendous b-sides and singles) in the span of five years, the level of synchronicity and connectivity between Marr and Morrissey is an irreplicable feat. For a lyricist as immensely-detailed and profound as Morrissey to form his thoughts into comprehensible pop structure is incredible on its own. The fact that he had Marr’s melodicism and precise guitar prowess to bring it all together made The Smiths a defining band for their time. Similar to Cocteau Twins, many have tried/failed to rekindle the unique spark created by Marr and Morrissey’s partnership. Adding on that both men were only in their early twenties when they wrote the tunes that redefined the sound of alternative music, it could be argued their partnership is one of (if not the) most impressive entries on our list.
Recommended tracks: “Still Ill”, “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore”, “Cemetry Gates”

David Gauvin & Harriet Wheeler (The Sundays)
While The Sundays only released three full-length albums during their active years (1988-1997), Gauvin & Wheeler carved out a niche within the widely popular style of dream pop and guitar jangle. Reviewing standout compositions such as “Skin & Bones”, “Goodbye”, and “She”, their partnership was never afraid to incorporate unconventional song structure and off-kilter vocal rhythms into a pop-friendly format. Though Gauvin & Wheeler seemingly abandoned any public musical pursuits to build a family after The Sundays’ break-up, their collaboration yielded some of more-enduring records of this era and style. Make no mistake about it: There is a reason Sundays fans remain ravenous close to thirty years after their departure!  
Additional recommended tracks: “You’re Not The Only One I Know”, “Love”, “Homeward”

Hello, everybody! We sincerely hope you week is off to a great start.

We'll be taking this week to continue work on updating the backend of our website, so do not expect any new content this coming Wednesday (3.27). That said, you can catch a brand new episode of Out Of Circulation this Thursday on WNHU! If you missed last week's episode, it is available in our episode archive now.

Until then, join us in enjoying this fantastic Japan show from the Hammersmith Odeon! We'll see you soon.

We apologize for not providing a Monday update this week! We are diligently working on some upcoming site updates (more to come relatively soon!), but we are happy to cover one of our all-time favorite albums today:

On their sophomore album, Desperate Measures, Leeway firmly established themselves as the unsung heroes of crossover. The twin-guitar attack of AJ Novello & Mike Gibbons, the rhythmic bounce of drummer Pokey Mo & bassist Jimmy Xanthos, and the soaring vocals of Eddie Sutton culminate in one of the best heavy releases of the era.

Following their fan-favorite debut, 1988’s Born to Expire, Leeway sought to expand their brand of hardcore beyond then-conventional structure. Though Born to Expire opened with two tracks that combined into a 7-minute epic (“Rise & Fall” into “Mark of the Squealer”) and exhibited desire to incorporate hip-hop influenced instrumentals on “Catholic High School (Girls In Trouble)”, the group would cement their presence as uncopiable with the release of Desperate Measures. While many bands of the era tried to be the fastest and toughest, Leeway focused on writing ambitious compositions that encompassed a considerable amount of influences. Mike Gibbons’ Randy Rhoads-esque leadwork perfectly compliments the metallic-rhythm work of AJ Novello, as Eddie Sutton’s soul-informed vocals further color the vibrant tracklist of Desperate Measures. Though the album’s lead single, “Kingpin”, would receive rotation on MTV’s Headbangers Ball, a deeper dive into the album yields its finest moments (though we love “Kingpin”, too!).

From the opening bars of “Make Me An Offer”, the addition of Pokey Mo and Jimmy Xanthos to the band makes its presence known. The synchronicity of Mo and Xanthos allowed for Leeway to experiment with groove in a way that most heavy bands of the era could not, serving as a key asset of Desperate Measures’ appeal. Above all, a noticeable improvement in Sutton’s vocal ability makes the album unforgettable. While Born to Expire established Sutton as a charismatic voice, Desperate Measures was the record that truly introduced his prowess as a vocalist. From his rapid-fire performance on “Ball Hugger” to his dynamism on "No Heroes" and “Who’s To Blame”, Sutton certainly came into his own on this record. 

Determining favorite tracks from Desperate Measures is an insurmountable task, though we implore you to check out the album’s closer, “The Future (Ain’t What It Used To Be)”. Everything that makes Desperate Measures an essential listen is present on “The Future…”: Engaging vocals, aggressive guitarwork, and unquestionable groove. Have a listen at the stream above! 

While things have been busy at Noise Is Power Music over the last few weeks, we did find some time to head over to Records - The Good Kind (Vernon, CT)! As we waded through the endless amounts of stone cold classics that populated the shop’s record crates that day, we came across a quite familiar name: Steve Kilbey.

Affixed to a bright pink cover (complete with a portrait of the man himself), the record is called Unearthed. Released in 1986, Unearthed is the debut solo release from the frontman of Australian post-punk legends, The Church. Best remembered for their hit single “Under The Milky Way” and its parent album, 1988’s Starfish, The Church have ranked as one of our favorite bands since happening upon Starfish many years ago. While the group’s popularity may have peaked by the late 80s, the goth-tinged approach of their earlier releases (1982’s The Blurred Crusade and 1983’s Seance) made for great contributions to the then-newly burgeoning movement. By 1985, the group’s fourth album, Heyday, would introduce stadium-rock fanfare into their introspective and sparse sound. Producing wonderful tracks such as “Tristesse”, “Already Yesterday”, and “Tantalized”, we suggest this evolution in sound was for the better. Before perfecting this marriage of musical ambitions, Kilbey would quietly release Unearthed the following year.

Sharing little-in-common with Heyday or Starfish, Unearthed stands as one of the more intimate and off-beat records Kilbey has written.  

As primary songwriter for The Church, it is evident that Unearthed was a pure passion project for Kilbey to create/release. Gone are the bombastic instrumentals of The Church-circa 1985, as many instrumentals are backed by drum machine rhythms and 1-2 guitar tracks. Through the opening trio of Unearthed, (“Out of This World”, “Guilty”, “Pretty Ugly, Pretty Sad”), the minimalist instrumentation serves as interesting new accompaniment to Kilbey’s brilliant vocal performances. To offset any familiarity, a variety of beat-driven instrumentals are spliced into the album’s sequence (“Swampdrone”, “Rising Son”), introducing new sound palettes into Kilbey’s repertoire. Unearthed is an unpredictable/entertaining listen, highlighted by the lyrical wit of “Judgement Day”.

No stranger to constructing an engaging narrative, Kilbey turns in a lyric that comments on how people from different walks of life will all face an ultimate Judgement Day. From those that live to spite others (“If I beat the odds you change the dice / If I forget you memorize”) to others that save money for an undefined goal (“Poor old Matilda hoarding her stash / She shivered on top of a bed stuffed with cash”), Kilbey quips that “Some people got a lot to answer for”. “Judgement Day” is a tight, three-minute introduction to all that Unearthed has to offer. Calling this record “The lost album by The Church” is a bit of a stretch, but it is a fascinating document of one of the 80s all-time great songwriters at a creative zenith.

It's been a while! What have we been up to?!

We've been busy behind-the-scenes, working on a brand new feature of our website! We hope to have things ready for you soon, but we can assure it will be worth the wait.

Otherwise, we will catch you on 3.21 for the next edition of Out Of Circulation. Enjoy some Dinosaur Jr. from 1993 until then!

Ah, the rare Saturday update!

Nonetheless, we thank everyone that tuned into the latest broadcast of Out Of Circulation. You can now find the episode's recording within our archives! We will not be broadcasting this Thursday (3/14), but expect to catch a new episode on 3/21.

Between now and then, you can catch us checking out the latest offering from Kim Gordon, The Collective. Though Gordon made her name through providing bass and vocals to Sonic Youth's essential catalogue, The Collective redefines what Gordon is capable of as an artist, over 40 years since the band's debut release. 

Anyone coming to The Collective expecting to hear the guitar cacophonies and jangle that defined records such as Daydream Nation or Washing Machine will be sorely disappointed. Simply, Gordon has crafted an album that is forward-looking and artistically fulfilling rather than nostalgia worship. While contemporaries of Gordon/Sonic Youth have been known to rest on their legacies and "classic material", the ambition to push herself into new territory on The Collective is commendable and deserves respect. Sonic Youth made their name by pushing the boundaries of the technology/equipment that was available to them at the time, which is an ethos that Gordon has updated for the modern music landscape on The Collective. 

Through the album's tracklist, Gordon's poetic vocal delivery is adorned by a variety of manipulated industrial instrumentals. Crunchy 808s, distorted synthesizer lines, and blown-out snares define the confrontational sound of the record. Similar to how Gordon's work with Sonic Youth tested the limits of 80s alternative rock, the argument that The Collective tests the limits of modern-day electronic & hip-hop could certainly be made. Gordon's bravery to artistically reinvent herself has been met with open arms for its ambitions, as TikTok (the platform where modern music thrives) took quite kindly to the album's debut single, "BYE BYE". As longtime fans of the work that Gordon has helped create, we remain happy to see her continued interest in creating provocative music.

For those interested, you can catch Gordon on tour & stream The Collective wherever you get your music. Physical copies are available via Matador Records.  

If you caught Monday’s update, you may be asking the following: “Who is Lorelei?!” For today’s classic review, we walk you through one of our favorite recent discoveries, their 1995 debut LP Everyone Much Touch The Stove. 

Looking back on Washington D.C.’s legacy in underground music, you would be remiss to not acknowledge the presence of punk and hardcore. Unquestionably, Ian Mackaye’s early work with Minor Threat, Fugazi, and founding of Dischord Records has largely defined how D.C. is positioned in the holistic story of alternative culture. While mention of Bad Brains’ tenure in D.C. is also common reference, many sources fail to document other artistically vibrant acts from the D.C. scene.

While we will not be documenting all of them today, it is important to document what Lorelei brought to the table.

On Everyone Must Touch The Stove, this trio seamlessly melds influences of shoegaze, dub, and lo-fi to create their take on post-rock. The label of “post-rock” is one that has always come across as perplexing, but it begins to make sense after hearing Lorelei. It is clear that Matt Dingee (guitar/vocals), Stephen Gardner (bass), and Davis White (drums) are well-versed in decades of rock-oriented releases, as they have processed what they internalized from those records into something fresh. Ah, post-rock! 

Regardless of genre label, Lorelei hit upon a variety of compositional styles throughout Everyone Must Touch The Stove. Notably and oftentimes within the same track (see the epic “Throwaway” as an example), the band has an identifiable knack for putting together pieces that should not work (though they do). The angular riffs of “Today’s Shrug” segue perfectly into “Stop What You’re Doing”, which tows the line between pop-bliss and musical progression. Though Lorelei has the chops to craft tight-knit pop, they persistently challenge listeners in an entertaining way. “Stop What You’re Doing” is a prime example of this, as it is simultaneously melodic/earworm worthy without sacrificing top-notch instrumentation. The same can be said for the sprawling “Windmill”, though the dub-bass influence of Lorelei can be clearly heard through “Newsprint” and “Thigh For a Leg”. 

It may be difficult to fathom a band this talented would part shortly after the release of this album, but we should remain grateful for the fact that this material was recorded before Lorelei’s departure. Luckily, the band has reunited as recently as 2015… If only the member’s paths would cross again!

If you are interested in procuring a copy of the record, Slumberland Records has recently surfaced original pressings of the vinyl that are available here.

For the first Monday of March, we are happy to welcome everyone into a new month!

If you have not checked our latest review of Modern English’s 1 2 3 4 or have not reviewed the latest archive of Out Of Circulation, be sure to do so. Aside from our newest pieces of content, we have been working on some brand new developments behind the scenes. Not many details to share at this point, but we hope to announce within the next few months. Stay tuned!

That said, you can be sure to check out a new episode of Out Of Circulation this Thursday (3.7) from 2-3 PM EST on WNHU. Until then, start digging into our newest discovery, 1995’s Everyone Must Touch The Stove by Lorelei. For anyone into bands such as Ride and/or Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Lorelei adapts these sounds to a rougher/garage aesthetic that has kept this record in our regular rotation.
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Have a listen above & enjoy Monday!