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Arms Aloft

Interviews • June 23, 2025

Remember Election Day 2024? Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you've blocked it out. That's fair, but there was one pleasant surprise that day: a new EP from Wisconsin's Arms Aloft. It took a while to claw out of the darkness in November, then Year End 2024 coverage took over the Scene Point Blank editorial calendar but now we caught up with Seth Gile of the band to get the story of how Red Lanterns came to be. Given that much of the conversation is about being particular, it seems fitting to run this interview six months later. The EP is streaming now. Will it be released on vinyl? Keep reading for more cryptic answers. Scene Point Blank: It's been a chunk of time since the last LP and I don't see you playing as many live shows locally either, though maybe that's just my own post-covid homebody lifestyle. How do you describe the band's approach or activity level these days? Seth Gile: Oh, I’d say you’re absolutely right. We’ve slowed down, more than a little bit… but it’s also been 8 years or whatever since What A Time came out. We were super busy for a couple of years and then, yeah. COVID hit everybody who does anything pretty hard, and we were no exception. Then everybody gets increasingly busy with real life. Lauren moved out west a while back, Jack’s had some sick guest spots all over, tattooing… and so on! Cool stuff but makes it harder to schedule Punk … Read more

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a … Read more

Ilya Arbatman (Rotary Club)

Book store co-owner

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • May 13, 2025

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not … Read more

Guest List: Steven Fairweather (Gob) – The Gateway And The Getaway

Music / The Set List • May 13, 2025

Steven Fairweather is a Canadian musician, radio show host, and comic book writer. He is best known as the bassist … Read more

Latest album reviews browse all

Painkiller

The Great God Pan
Tzadik (2025)

Painkiller, the trio of John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and Mick Harris shows no signs of slowing down. The Great God Pan is their third full-length, since their reunion in 2024, and in many ways it is an unexpected offering. In keeping with their interests in the metaphysical realm, Painkiller find inspiration from the famed Arthur Machen horror novella. Here, the … Read more

Painkiller

The Equinox
Tzadik (2025)

Painkiller sees three absolute masters of extreme music join forces. John Zorn of Naked City and a billion other projects, Mick Harris who transcended from Napalm Death drummer to illbient guru with Scorn, and producer extraordinaire Bill Laswell. Their first two records, Guts of a Virgin and Buried Secrets are strange meditations traversing between free-jazz, grindcore and dub. Still hungry … Read more

Dauber

Falling Down
Dromedary Records, Recess (2025)

The lazy approach would be to call Dauber "ex-Screaming Females," but that barely scratches the surface. If I had to pick one band to namedrop a comparison to, it would be labelmates Night Court. They play a familiar style but with a lot of quirks that set it apart from the genre standard-bearers. It's driving and energetic -- more importantly, … Read more

Aesop Rock

Black Hole Superette
Rhymesayers (2025)

Aesop Rock has a reputation for esoteric and abstract raps. It's certainly an earned reputation, but that background makes it interesting when you peel off the layers of his latest, Black Hole Superette and realize that many of these dense songs are actually about the mundane: walking the dog, cohabitation... hell, even fishkeeping. While there's a lot of day-to-day routine … Read more

Additional album reviews

Circuit des Yeux

Halo On The Inside
Matador (2025)

Haley Fohr's artistic vehicle, Circuit des Yeux, defies categorisation. Stamping the indie folk label on her was superficial, something dispelled easily once you have experienced the lo-fi distortion of "The … Read more

ZEPHR

Past Lives
Dumb Ghost, Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Sometimes you can just hear the passion in a voice. ZEPHR is one of those bands. They defy convention a little bit, in that I associate gravelly voices with harsher, … Read more

Kreiviskai

Motinai
Infinite Fog Productions (2025)

Kreiviskai's origins are deeply rooted in the neofolk sound and ethos. Their debut record, Zemmis : supnãi, focuses on the musical lineage of Tver, embracing the traditional instrumentation to produce … Read more

Miller Lowlifes

Pinch Hitters
ADD Records (2025)

The debut album from Florida punk band Miller Lowlifes features a vintage baseball theme, best enjoyed with a can of cheap domestic beer in hand. The metaphor fits, as Pinch … Read more

Art Brut

Sorry, That It Doesn't Sound Like It's Planned! Battling Satan, 2009 - 2020
Edsel Records (2025)

I’ve never reviewed a box set before but Art Brut released my favourite sprechgesang anti-art-punk album of the early aughts so I figured I’d give it a go. 2005’s Bang … Read more

The Slow Death

No Light To See
Don’t Sing Records (2025)

Few bands have as fitting a name as The Slow Death. They play forlorn, self-deprecating punk that’s heavily influenced by lonesome country. The music itself is more driving and punchy, … Read more

Golden Shitters

Brutal Planet
Ugly Pop (2025)

People in the indie punk scene in Canada can usually be linked by six degrees of separation. I’ve never met Golden Shitter guitarist Matt Ellis IRL but I became acquainted … Read more

Raging Nathans

Room For One More
Rad Girlfriend Records (2025)

The Raging Nathans are a unique band. They play '90s influenced punk that checks a ton of familiar boxes. It will appeal to fans of the old "EpiFat" sound, as … Read more

News headlines browse all

Get more Neckscars

Posted in Records on July 2, 2025

Neckscars, the post-hardcore band from has just announced Unhinged, their latest album, coming on August 1 via Sell The Heart Records (U.S.) and Engineer Records (U.K.). As is the modern way, along with a new album announcement, the band also has a new single: "Dancing In The Stars." "This song … Read more

American Standards: one last flush

Posted in Splits on July 1, 2025

American Standards just released their swan song album, Future Orphans, released 13 years to the date after their debut, Still Life. The new record came out on June 20 and … Read more

Why Patterns: 16 minutes of Screamers

Posted in Records on July 1, 2025

Noise-grind trio Why Patterns fron London has a new album on the way. It's the band's second album and it has a fitting title: Screamers. The album is 16 minutes … Read more

Gibby Haynes, Evicshen and The Thunes Institute of Musical Excellence

Posted in Tours on July 1, 2025

This summer, a unique European tour put together by Scott Thunes (Frank Zappa) will feature Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers) as vocalist with a backing band The Thunes Institute of Musical … Read more

Leatherface: The Peel Sessions

Posted in Records on July 1, 2025

Little Rocket Records is now available in the US, with ADD Records handling distribution. The first record to reach these shores is an archival collection from Leatherface, The Peel Sessions. … Read more

Problem Patterns announces Boring Songs For Boring People

Posted in Records on July 1, 2025

Problem Patterns of Belfast has just announced a new EP, out this fal. The first single is "I'm Fine and I'm Doing Great" from Boring Songs For Boring People, coming … Read more

Electric Jaguar Baby

Posted in Records on July 1, 2025

French fuzz-rock duo Electric Jaguar Baby is back, announcing their third album, Clair-Obscur, which will release on Sept. 5 via Majesetic Mountain Records. The most recent single is “Heroine,” which … Read more

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