User:Wjustinmiller/sandbox

Noi!se is a four-piece street punk band from Tacoma, Washington. The band consists of rhythm guitarist and vocalist Nate Leinfelder, bassist and vocalist Matt Henson, lead guitarist Justin Miller, and drummer Kenny Dirkes. Noi!se has released several recordings to date, and has shared a stage with various significant acts such as Sick of It All and The Business and Pressure Point.

The band started in 2009 when Leinfelder started a music project with original drummer Miko Mueller while the two were working together at a tattoo parlor in Tacoma. Leinfelder had experience as a musician and songwriter in previous projects, and Mueller had played drums for a few bands previously. The two began working on a four-song demo when Leinfelder contacted Henson whom he had heard in a previous band, and asked him to play bass. A four song demo was recorded in a rod and bike fabrication shop with plans to make a real record in the future.

It was at this time that Miller introduced himself to Henson at a local bar after recognizing him from a previous band. The two began discussing music, and Miller mentioned his guitar playing experience and his desire to start playing in a band again. After a successful audition at Henson's apartment, Miller was in the band. They recorded their first record, Walk Beside Us, shortly thereafter. The Walk Beside Us 7" was followed months later with This is Who We Are, a 10" EP that was met with an overwhelmingly positive response among street punk fans worldwide. This is Who We Are was recorded in relative haste due to upcoming professional obligations on Henson's part. With this in mind, the band also recorded three additional tracks for future release. As a result, while Henson was absent, the band managed to release a split 7" with fellow street rockers The Gestalts, and ended up on two significant compilations-Oi! This is Streetpunk on Pirates Press Records and 30 Years of Oi! by veteran scene fixture, author, and musician Gary Bushell.

Mueller and the band parted ways amicably in 2011, due to Mueller's desire to focus more on his family and his career as a tattooer. He still designs merchandise and album art from time to time for the band, and tattoos members regularly. Mueller was replaced by Kenny Dirkes, a veteran musician in the hardcore and punk scenes in the NW. Mueller actually recommended Dirkes, a regular customer at the shop.

The band's sound is both dark and uplifting, and reflects a balance of the more straight-forward and driven writing style of Leinfelder with the more melodic and complicated writing style of Henson. Miller's contributions are largely aesthetic, based on the guitar tone and lead style that he brings to the band. The band's songs tend to be a combination of high intensity dirge-like progressions during verses, which are then followed by more positive choruses full of upbeat progressions and gang vocals.

Currently, the band is set to open The Warfield in San Francisco for Rancid and Cock Sparrer, as well as the 2012 iteration of 2000 Tons of TNT in Connecticut. Various local shows and possibly a west coast tour are also in the works, pending no further professional obligations (Henson and Miller-both currently serving on Active Duty in the United States Army-are subject to occasional training and deployments).