Standing in the Way of Control dropped in the US on January 24, 2006 via Kill Rock Stars. Twenty years later, it’s still stomping across sweaty dance floors and queer hearts.
The band? Beth Ditto (vocals), Brace Paine (guitar/bass), and Hannah Blilie (drums) from Olympia, Washington — the scrappy DIY capital that birthed riot grrrl and a whole wave of underground punk.
Beth Ditto wasn’t just singing to us — she was one of us. Raw, fearless, and unapologetic, she led the charge for alternative queer kids who needed a soundtrack that matched their fire. This was Ditto at her sharpest, her loudest, her most uncompromising.
The title track? A barnstorming indie‑electro‑disco stomper written in direct response to U.S. debates over same‑sex marriage. It became a queer anthem and a defining cut of the 2000s indie dance scene, blasting out of clubs alongside The Rapture, Franz Ferdinand, and LCD Soundsystem. (The Le Tigre remix only doubled down on its club‑ready snap.)
📀 Track Listing (Standard Edition)
- Fire with Fire – 2:49
- Standing in the Way of Control – 4:16
- Jealous Girls – 3:39
- Coal to Diamonds – 4:00
- Eyes Open – 2:10
- Yr Mangled Heart – 4:22
- Listen Up! – 4:18
- Holy Water – 2:43
- Keeping You Alive – 3:47
- Dark Lines – 3:27
(Bonus editions included Here Today Gone Tomorrow, Sick with It, and remixes like the Soulwax Nite Version.)
🌍 Chart Performance
- UK Albums Chart: Peaked at #22
- UK Indie Chart: Hit #1
- French Albums Chart: Peaked at #34
- Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders): Peaked at #68
- UK Year‑End Chart (2007): #114
- Certification: Gold in the UK (187,270 units sold)
Produced by Guy Picciotto (Fugazi) and Ryan Hadlock, the album fused garage grit with dance‑punk swagger. It hit No. 1 on the UK indie chart and went Gold in Britain, proof that Gossip’s sweaty urgency translated far beyond underground clubs.
And Beth Ditto? She didn’t just lead Gossip — she opened the door for other big voices who came after her. From Florence Welch to powerhouse indie vocalists across the 2010s, Ditto’s unapologetic stance made space for women to be loud, commanding, and unfiltered.
Twenty years on, Standing in the Way of Control isn’t nostalgia. It’s a reminder of how music can galvanize communities, carve out space for the marginalized, and still sound like a neon‑lit revolution.
Re-live the era with us below!
For more on the band Gossip visit Ready for Gossip?
Drop your thoughts below — were you stomping to Gossip back in ’06, or did you discover Beth Ditto later? Tell us how Standing in the Way of Control hit you.
