Welcome to the start of a new week! We hope you're braving any springtime allergies wherever you're at, as they as surely rampant around the Noise Is Power offices.

Firstly, thank you to all our new readers that checked out our tribute to Leeway's Eddie Sutton last week. It was a treat to have both worked alongside such a pioneer and remembered his artistic contributions with our article. If you have yet to give it a read, it is available here.

Continuing our mission of finding and reporting on the best overlooked groups of the alternative/underground variety, we are happy to share "Lost In A Moment" from Sad Lovers and Giants' Epic Garden Music LP. A full review/retrospective will be available Wednesday, but you can dive in early by listening above.

We will have a brand new episode of Out Of Circulation premiering on WNHU on 5/2... Be sure not to miss! Until then, enjoy the start of your week.

On April 19, 2024, hardcore lost one of its brightest lights and most immense talents. Eddie Sutton (a.k.a. Eddie Leeway) passed away due to cancer, a battle that Sutton publicly fought after being diagnosed four years ago. 

While most would be crippled by such a diagnosis, Sutton bravely continued to both tour and record through it all. The touring iteration of Leeway (Leeway N.Y.C.) played their last show this past October, supporting Killing Time and Sam Black Church. Until the very end, Sutton’s passion for performance and music was never dulled by his sickness. Aside from being the voice on some of the best albums ever recorded, his fighting spirit was truly something to behold. 2024 marks the year where ⅖ of Leeway’s classic lineup (Eddie Sutton and guitarist Mike Gibbons) have departed this earth, but the lasting influence of the band’s catalog is here to stay. In the spirit of celebrating the art created by Sutton and Leeway, what follows are our picks for the best tracks off their four studio albums.

Feel free to debate our picks in the comments, but you would really be better off listening to the band’s discography yourself! When a band is as good as Leeway, picking favorites/best tracks is no easy task. That said, we have tried our best.

“Rise & Fall / Mark of the Squealer” - 1988’s Born To Expire
The year is 1988. Leeway has established themselves as a force in hardcore by being one of the best live bands of their era. Upon listening to their debut LP (Born To Expire) for the first time, the one-two punch of “Rise & Fall / Mark of the Squealer” cemented the band as masters of their craft. Though Leeway could play as fast and hard as any of their contemporaries, the rumble of Zowie’s bass serves as a perfect transitional passage to the tune’s iconic opening riff. Countless amounts of hardcore bands have opened their own sets with that riff (you know the one), though no one before or since Sutton was capable of delivering the tune’s lyric with the same conviction or vocal accuracy. Add on the brilliant leadwork of Mike Gibbons on “Mark of the Squealer” and you have a contender for one of the best album openers ever. Why bother being mad that our Born To Expire pick is technically two songs when it is this good.

"Stand For" - 1991's Desperate Measures
If you checked out our classic review of Desperate Measures, you will know that picking favorites here is no easy task. That said, “Stand For” is one of the earliest examples of Leeway showcasing their capabilities beyond standard hardcore instrumentation. The jangly lead line that introduces “Stand For” sounds like few tunes of the era, helping punctuate Sutton’s lyric that speaks to those who are self-righteous out of pure insecurity. Beyond that, “On the outside, beaten and sore / But what’s inside is the heart of the core” will forever be one of Sutton’s best lyrical quips. “Stand For” is the Leeway track that perfectly encapsulates both the hardest and melodic characteristics of their sound. Make no mistake about it: While the jangle guitars and lyricism help make “Stand For” one of the band’s best tunes, the breakdown groove is simply our favorite moment in the Leeway discography. What else can we do to convince you that this song is something special? 

"3 Wishes" - 1994's Adult Crash
The first album of the post-Mike Gibbons era, Adult Crash has always been a divisive album amongst both the band and fans alike. Sutton himself expressed some dissatisfaction with the end result of Adult Crash during a recent retrospective interview (conducted by Manny Grossman), though the album still has its shining moments. Does Adult Crash hit as hard as the first two records? You could argue no, but we do not think you can argue that this record is simply great rock music. AJ Novello’s guitar prowess comes through on “You” and “Make A Move”, but the band truly comes together on “3 Wishes”. Unquestionably, Adult Crash is the record where Sutton really begins to explore his vocal range, with “3 Wishes” serving as a phenomenal showcase of his development. If you have either dismissed or never checked out Adult Crash, it is a record that deserves to be listened to with an open mind.

"Product" - 1995's Open Mouth Kiss
Serving as the final album from Leeway, many consider this record to be the band’s redemption after falling off course with Adult Crash. While we enjoy a good chunk of Adult Crash, we definitely can agree that Open Mouth Kiss is home to some of the band’s best work. Aside from being Sutton’s favorite Leeway release, his performance across the entire album is the best document of his vocal abilities. While there were hints of his range on both Born To Expire and Desperate Measures, he fully came into his own on Open Mouth Kiss. “Product” is a tune that is rapid-fire in nature, yet Sutton figured out a way to keep things melodic and memorable. His declaration of “Life is my right and I refuse to give up the fight” was as real as it gets, as both Sutton and Leeway overcame great adversity to make their art. Whether it was escaping the hell of their Profile Records deal or performing while fighting cancer, Sutton was no stranger to doing what it took for the sake of artistic expression. 

Personally, for Noise Is Power Music, Eddie Sutton served as a mentor and example of simply believing in yourself / having self confidence when it came to making hardcore music. Carl, our owner/sole writer had the pleasure to work with Eddie on releasing a benefit cover of Leeway’s “Who’s To Blame”, which was truly a wonderful experience. We will always remember and treasure his genuine care for everyone he came into contact with.

Share your favorite Leeway tracks and/or memories in the comments! R.I.P. Eddie Sutton & Mike Gibbons.

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's to another week.

We are devastated to report the loss of Leeway's Eddie Sutton, who passed away over the weekend. Having battled cancer for the last four years, the same conviction and soul that Sutton brought to Leeway's music was always at the center of his courageous battle. It is hard to put into words how Sutton's contributions to hardcore made him a true original, but we will aim to have more to say by Wednesday. For now, you can check out our recent classic review of Desperate Measures and have a listen to "Kingpin" above.

You can expect a brand new edition of Out Of Circulation to head your way this Thursday! If you would like to catch the live broadcast, tune into WNHU from 2-3 PM EST.

R.I.P. Eddie Sutton & Mike Gibbons.

On “Starburster”, Fontaines D.C. turns in a mostly successful blend of the experimentation present on Skinty Fia with the exuberance of their early work.

Well, it is official! After heavy rumoring of new material, Fontaines D.C. have released the first single off their upcoming album. Set to release on August 23, Romance will serve as the band’s first release on XL Recordings. As longtime members of the Partisan Records roster, the jump to XL Recordings comes along with new personnel for the band as well. Romance (and its single, “Starburster”) was produced by James Ford (Blur, Arctic Monkeys), who did a great job at helping Fontaines D.C. capture precisely where the band is on record. Judging by “Starburster”, we predict Romance to be a build on some of the more abstract concepts brought forth on 2022’s Skinty Fia. Referencing back to our original review of Skinty Fia, it seems as if Fontaines D.C. are gearing up to deliver us the follow-up record that we wanted:

“[Skinty Fia] certainly has its highlights along with its missteps, which leaves me hoping that Fontaines can find a perfect balance between the new ideas presented on Skinty Fia and their previous work down the line.”

Though only one track, “Starburster” is a great early look into what our original thoughts could/likely will sound like.

While the driving post-punk instrumentals that defined 2019’s Dogrel and 2020’s A Hero’s Death have morphed into a Primal Scream-esque palette for “Starburster”, the same outward facing confidence that sold those records is back on “Starburster”. Not to say that Skinty Fia did not have its moments of defiance and confidence, but it was certainly the band’s most introspective release to date. On “Starburster”, the swagger that frontman Grian Chatten brought to his debut solo album (2023’s Chaos For The Fly, our favorite album of its respective release year) has certainly been rekindled on this track. Is Grian’s lyrical approach to “Starburster” as cinematic as anything on Skinty Fia or Chaos For The Fly? No. That said, it meshes perfectly with the semi-frantic instrumental of the tune. 

If anything, “Starburster” has accomplished its job at getting us excited for another Fontaines D.C. record. We look forward to covering any future singles and diving into another chapter of the band’s story.

As longtime fans of these post-punk revivalists, the recent activity of Fontaines D.C. has us feeling impatient!

If you are a longtime reader, you may recall one of our first reviews being for the group’s last record, 2022’s Skinty Fia. Two years since the album’s release, it remains the band’s most personal offering which houses some of the group’s strongest singles (“Jackie Down The Line” has since become a modern classic, “I Love You” is still one of Grian Chatten’s best performances). Though we became Fontaines fans around the release of 2020’s A Hero’s Death, our excitement for new activity from the band has only grown. While there is no shortage of bands today that try to rekindle the murky mysticism of bands such as Joy Division and The Sound, Fontaines D.C. have established themselves as the group to do it most authentically/best.

On 4/13/24, the band shared what appears to be behind-the-scenes footage from a music video shoot, complete with the brief caption of “Starburster”. Now, as of 4/16/24, a short The Shining-esque teaser video has been posted, all culminating with the reveal of "Romance" at the end of the video. It is heavily rumored that "Romance" is the title of a forthcoming Fontaines D.C. album, with “Starburster” being its lead single.

While we cannot offer our thoughts on “Starburster” at this time, we can assure that our thoughts will be ready for you by Friday! That said, you can check out everything that’s currently going on with Fontaines D.C. here.

As we kick off the week of 4.15, we cannot help but remain beyond excited for the forthcoming LP from Beth Gibbons!

Since its release only a few days ago, "Reaching Out" has established itself as a thrilling preview for Gibbons' debut solo LP, Lives Outgrown. The true solo debut from Gibbons has a lot to live up to (granted the legendary status of Portishead's back catalogue), but the album's two singles are giving us high hopes for the quality of the whole. If you have yet to check out "Reaching Out" or "Floating On A Moment", you will want to rectify that quickly!

In other news, the archive of Out Of Circulation has been updated with last week's episode. If you missed out, many of our favorites made their OOC debut... Definitely not an episode to miss! Be sure to catch this week's episode on 4.18 from 2-3 PM EST. Also, make sure to check out our brand new webstore... Tons of great vinyl for sale if you are into that.

For our first VersoFest and Westport Public Library experience, The Lemon Twigs played an exuberant set which doubled as a real preview to the Beatles-esque bliss of A Dream Is All We Know.

Though the joke was made many times throughout the evening (D’Addario bros. are quite funny), the point remains true: Hosting a rock show in a regular place of solitude and study seems like an obtuse concept. However, after having the pleasure to catch The Lemon Twigs on April 4, their performance reinforced exactly why the venue of a library made perfect sense. Their performance was simply a demonstration/masterclass of what can happen when power-pop influence meets modern convention, doubling as a great show and textbook education on “How it’s done” for any musicians that happened to be in the audience. While entertaining a packed crowd, The Twigs’ devout study of songcraft made their inclusion in VersoFest 2024 an unforgettable addition!

Before diving into the performance itself, a huge kudos is owed to the entire VersoFest team for curating such a fantastic and inviting event. Though we wish we could have attended the other guest speakers and panels they hosted throughout the week (Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Tony Visconti, etc.), the care that was put into compiling a wide breadth of topics/areas related to music and arts was wonderful. Simply put, it is something that Connecticut’s art scene will only benefit from in the long term! From what we were able to take in from The Lemon Twigs show, venue staff did a brilliant job at keeping things controlled and fun… Surrounded by a state-of-the-art space and palpable excitement for the Twigs' performance. In short, we highly anticipate returning in coming years.

Returning to the show itself, VersoFest 2024 served as a first date for The Lemon Twigs 2024 tour, which will ultimately become the supporting venture for A Dream Is All We Know (set to release in May). To fully usher in the A Dream Is All We Know-era touring cycle, opening the set with “My Golden Years” simply felt right. The crowd was buzzing to hear it long before the Brothers D’Addario took centerstage, with the energy levels of the room doubling by the time the tune was performed. A slew of Everything Harmony cuts continued building momentum (“In My Head”, “What You Were Doing”, “Ghost Run Free”), cementing the one defining factor of The Twigs’ live performance: Their harmonies in a live context. Being able to pull off the layered vocals that comprise many of the band’s tunes in-studio is impressive on its own, but recreating those parts in real time (With relative ease… That’s practice at work!) was a real treat to behold. As if that was not enough, the bulk of the set’s middle portion featured multiple tracks from A Dream Is All We Know that have yet to be released.

“Church Bells”, “Sweet Vibration”, and “Peppermint Roses” were among the unreleased tunes premiered during the show. While previously released A Dream Is All We Know singles were also performed (“My Golden Years”, “They Don’t Know How To Fall In Place”, “A Dream Is All We Know”), hearing them in context with album-specific tracks painted a grand approximation of what can be expected from the album’s full-release. While we plan on reviewing in-depth once the album is properly rolled-out, the post-Rubber Soul Beatles joyfulness that permeated many of these tracks pleased many (if not all) in attendance. While it may be slightly premature, we are comfortable venturing a guess that The Lemon Twigs’ upcoming album will serve as their true “breaking point”, though only time will truly tell!

Returning to familiar territory, a note-perfect rendition of fan-favorite “Any Time Of Day” paired perfectly with early track “Queen Of My School”. Interestingly, many of the band’s earlier work was reinterpreted, sporting qualities that felt more skiffle-based than their groove-laden studio recordings (“Queen Of My School”, “Tailor Made”). To us, this conscious change kept energy levels high throughout the evening… We approve! The charm The Lemon Twigs exude is hard to deny as well, as the whole band shared genuinely amusing banter and traded instruments many times. To call The Lemon Twigs a “gimmick” that simply coast along on retro aesthetics is inaccurate… Any naysayers can consult footage from the very show we attended (linked above, special thanks to lordazuretwentyfive on YouTube for that). It really takes a lot to impress us with live performances these days, but The Lemon Twigs attention-to-detail while making things appear effortless sealed the deal for us.

If you can make it to an upcoming show, be sure not to miss it! The remainder of their upcoming schedule can be found here. 

Were you at this show? Did you attend any piece of VersoFest 2024? If so, let us know your experience in the comments!

Greetings! Hoping all is well with everybody.

​If you have yet to do so, please check out the BRAND NEW Noise Is Power webstore via the "Store" tab on this page. We have a great selection of secondhand vinyl and CDs up for sale, ranging from affordable alternative classics to sought after first pressings. We aim to add new inventory when possible, but there are tons of great titles available now.

Be sure to stay tuned this week & catch Out Of Circulation this Thursday from 2-3 PM EST on WNHU. 

Love vinyl like us?! Check out our new webstore!

While we have mainly concentrated our recent efforts on publishing reviews and retrospectives, Noise Is Power Music began as a means to share our library of secondhand vinyl with all of you. That said, we are proud to present our brand new webstore! Featuring a variety of quality secondhand titles (some rare first pressings are up for sale!), we highly implore you to check it out. Please explore via the "Store" link at the top of our site.

Lots of love everybody... Thank you for supporting this next step in our development!

Hope all is well! Today, we got something a bit different to discuss:

Though we don’t often cover news and/or large-scale media headlines, we felt compelled to talk about the concept of “Manufactured Scarcity” in the realm of vinyl collecting after Billie Eilish’s recent Billboard commentary. Discussing the common practice of most major label releases consisting of several “limited” colored-vinyl variants, Eilish offered the following criticism: 

“I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is. It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right… Some of the biggest artists in the world making fucking 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more. It’s so wasteful, and it’s irritating to me that we’re still at a point where you care that much about your numbers and you care that much about making money.”

While many have been quick to jump to conclusions, stating Eilish is just as guilty of trendhopping as anyone else (Her latest LP, Happier Than Ever, has been released on a variety of different “limited” color variants), she has gone on to clarify her criticism via Rolling Stone, drawing awareness to the fact that this is an industry-wide issue at large (supposedly forcing Eilish to partake in said trends to remain competitive). Speculation of if Eilish can/should buck trends to back up her statements can be endless, but this entire media debacle has gotten us to ask the following question: Why does the modern-day vinyl collector respond to Manufactured Scarcity?

As longtime vinyl collectors, curators, and archivists, we here at Noise Is Power Music have often gravitated towards seeking out particular pressings that have genuine historical value or rarity (i.e. early issues of Big Star LPs, as few were made in the 70s due to commercial failure). Though the occasional new issue on colored vinyl is nice, it will/has never served as a deciding factor in regards to making a final purchase. At the end of the day, physical media exists to be listened to; To serve as tangible representation of a collection of songs. In an era where the prevalence of streaming services are unavoidable, we cling to the ownership/experience of interacting with vinyl, CDs, and tapes as a means to enjoy our music. That said, it cannot be denied that there is a percentage of the current market that enjoys the concept of colored variants: Otherwise, large record companies/corporations would not be making them.

Last year, Forbes reported that new vinyl record sales were up 14%, with Taylor Swift accounting for 7% of all vinyl records sold within the year. Swift’s monopoly over the pop landscape takes partial credit for this statistic, though we suspect it is the manufacturing (and eventual purchasing) of too many “collectible” colored vinyl releases to blame. A quick look at Swift’s webstore shows various albums from her back catalog that have been pressed on a multitude of different colorways. That said, why do/should underground music listeners/fans care?

Reason being, is the expenditure of both time and resources that Eilish called out last week. Unnecessary colored vinyl releases (Whatever happened to focusing on a standard black vinyl release & maybe one colored variant?!) have clogged up the few remaining vinyl pressing plants, making it quite difficult for independent artists to schedule and plan releases for their fanbases. We believe this is partially responsible for recent growth in CD sales, as they have served as a physical medium that is not subject to long production-time delays and inflated costs. For those of us that still want to support independent artists (via purchasing physical media) without navigating the turbulent waters of the modern vinyl industry, CDs are looking to be our meal ticket.

In 2024, we are happy to report that production-delays have improved in regards to years past, though they have persisted. If you (the reader) are still looking for ways to build your vinyl library in 2024, consider exploring the realm of secondhand/older pressings to discover bands you have yet to hear! Within the time you have fallen in love with a record that is new to you, we can assure that your favorite current artist’s vinyl release will be available (regardless of egregious cash-driven re-releases). 

While we can recommend Discogs as a great first-foray into the world of purchasing second hand vinyl online, the best recommendation we can make will be available to you by the end of the week (stay tuned)!