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The Arrivals

Interviews • April 12, 2026

The Arrivals have been a band for 30 years -- though they’ve made us wait 16 years for the follow-up to 2010’s Volatile Molotov. While a ton of time has passed and the band has moved, literally in some cases, and raised children in others, their sound is still the same: thoughtful and timeless DIY punk, rooted in foundational rock ‘n’ roll. We sat down for a group phone call with half the band last month to learn more about the making of their brand new album, Payload. Scene Point Blank: It's been 16 years since Volatile Molotov. You kind of paused, roughly a decade ago. What happened between then and now? Dave Merriman: I got a I got offered like a jobby-job, doing graphic design and I wasn't able to tour as much. It stomped on our momentum. And soon after, Isaac moved to California. Isaac Thotz: Paddy had [a child] right around then as well. It was a lot of things happening all at once. Dave Merriman: And then Isaac started Treasure Fleet and that picked up some steam. That was a few of those years. Scene Point Blank: You did some Christmas shows in Chicago and stuff like that, right? Did you consider yourself inactive or on hiatus or just, like, life getting in the way? Isaac Thotz: We definitely didn't talk about taking a hiatus. It just kind of happened that way. Dave Merriman: There was always a show here and there. We did the show … Read more

The Gits

Interviews • April 11, 2026

Almost three decades after their original run, The Gits remain a vital part of Seattle’s punk rock history. Their raw … Read more

The New York Dolls: Reflections and Legacy

Music • March 30, 2026

I first discovered the New York Dolls in the mid-to-late 1980s, just as I was beginning to stretch the boundaries … Read more

East End Redemption

Interviews • March 24, 2026

Punk’s never been about polish. It’s about passion, sweat, and the grind it takes to keep going when most people … Read more

Latest album reviews browse all

Sweat

Tear it on Down
Vitriol (2026)

Tear It On Down is the third record from Sweat and it picks up where the last two left off. It's aggressive hardcore punk, but with a playful groove or swagger that really makes it feel uplifting, even when the content is not. Case in point: "Surveillance State," which rolls kind of like a call-and-response song, except that lead vocalist … Read more

Latchkey Kids

Years Of Summers
Pathetic Pinky Party (2026)

Growing up is rarely cinematic in real time but when you look back, it can feel mythic. On Year Of Summers, New Jersey’s Latchkey Kids frame heartbreak, identity, and grief through something closer to epic storytelling than simple emo confession. It’s a record that understands the drama of youth without romanticizing it. Frontman Hanny Ramadan positions the album as a … Read more

Mental Gymnast

Mental Gymnast
Say-10 (2026)

Recipe: Mental Gymnast Self-Titled Creator: Mental Gymnast Cookbook: Say-10 Recipes Copyright: 2/27/26 Ingredients: 1 Very Ripe Adam Gecking on Vocals 1 Stick Unsalted Erica Clayton on Bass 2 Slices Scotty Sandwich (1 Slice Guitar, 1 Slice Drums) 1 Dash Chris Ruckus on Synths Directions: *Preheat the recording studio to 65 degrees. Add all of the ingredients together in “One Big … Read more

The Crosses

Outlier
Rushmor Records, Spectragram Records, Triple Eye Industries (2026)

There’s always a risk when a band forms out of legacy. Especially one tied to something as influential as Die Kreuzen. Lean too hard on the past and it becomes nostalgia. Push too far away and you lose the thread entirely. On Outlier, The Crosses manage to thread that needle, delivering a debut EP that feels less like a revival … Read more

Additional album reviews

Sealer

Sealer
The Ghost Is Clear Records (2026)

Some bands aim for controlled chaos. Sealer sound like they’re actively trying to lose control and then figuring out how to weaponize that moment right before everything collapses. Their self-titled … Read more

Palette Knife

Keyframe
Take This To Heart Records (2026)

There’s a fine line between being a quirky emo band with scene references and something that actually sticks. On Keyframe, Columbus trio Palette Knife don’t just flirt with that line … Read more

The Downstrokes

The Furious Hours
Independent (2026)

There is a specific kind of sultry, salty sweat that only happens in a room with low ceilings and a tube amp screaming a warm hum for forgiveness. You can … Read more

The Arrivals

Payload
Recess (2026)

It's been a short lifetime since the last Arrivals record, Volatile Molotov, but in many ways the new Payload picks up exactly where the last one left off. It straddles … Read more

UDDER

Self Titled
Depose Records (2025)

Some records feel like they were carefully constructed. Others feel like they were barely contained. Udder’s three-song 7” on Depose Records lands firmly in the second category with a short, … Read more

Various Artists

Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Independent (2026)

Gary Young wasn’t just a drummer; he was a beautiful, unpredictable glitch poking a hole in the sky where other lovable misfits could enter and leave this universe they’d grace … Read more

Mrs. Magician

High Resolution b/w Dead Alive
Swami (2026)

Mrs. Magician is back! For those unfamiliar, Mrs. Magician is a garage punk band based in San Diego, CA. They formed in 2010 and between then and 2016, they managed … Read more

Amy Beth And Thee Creeps

Shitheel EP
Chaputa! Records (2026)

Sometimes I like to come into a record as a blank slate. Amy Beth And Thee Creeps sent me a short email with their latest EP, Shitheel. It's a 4-song … Read more

News headlines browse all

SPB featured stream: Cut-Rate Druggist - Blistering

Posted in Records on April 1, 2026

We're pleased to bring you a full stream of Blistering, a new full-length album from Cut-Rate Druggist of Oakland, CA. Out on April 7, this is your spot to hear it early and often, courtesy of the band, DCxPC Records, and Scene Point Blank. Rules are made to be broken, … Read more

See You Next Tuesday and Chop X 7 are Brothers

Posted in Records on April 18, 2026

See You Next Tuesday and Chop X 7 have a new collaborative EP out on Monday, Brothers. It releases physically on April 20, then digitally on May 15 via Sundown … Read more

Fictional Days by Birth (Defects)

Posted in Records on April 18, 2026

Noise-rock band Birth (Defects) recently shared news of a live cassette on Anathema Editions and now another collection is on the way: Fictional Days. Fictional Days is slated as the … Read more

Armor For Sleep w/ Spanish Love Songs & Flycatcher

Posted in Tours on April 18, 2026

Armor For Sleep will be on tour this summer, playing US dates with Spanish Love Songs and Flycatcher. The band released There Is No Memory recently on Equal Vision. Read … Read more

Si Dios Quiere EP

Posted in Records on April 18, 2026

New Morality Zine just released a new 3-song EP from Si Dios Quiere of Chicago, IL, a self-titled EP with multiple guest spots too. You can stream the short-play metallic … Read more

Meet A-100s

Posted in Bands on April 18, 2026

A-100s are a new band with familiar faces from Flogging Molly and Throw Rag -- specifically Matt Hensley (accordionist of Flogging Molly) and Sean Wheeler (vocalist of Throw Rag) -- … Read more

There's a "New Jesus" online this week

Posted in Records on April 17, 2026

Noisy Canadian band Truck Violence just announced the release of their second album, which has the lengthy title of The weathervane is my body. It will release on June 26 … Read more

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