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
Almost three decades after their original run, The Gits remain a vital part of Seattle’s punk rock history. Their raw … Read more
I first discovered the New York Dolls in the mid-to-late 1980s, just as I was beginning to stretch the boundaries … Read more
Punk’s never been about polish. It’s about passion, sweat, and the grind it takes to keep going when most people … Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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 have a new collaborative EP out on Monday, Brothers. It releases physically on April 20, then digitally on May 15 via Sundown … Read more
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 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
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
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
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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