Loren

Here in Scene Point Blank Land, I sometimes get lost in the inbox of endless submissions and new music. I find things I like, but the great digital expanse still makes the records feel, well, a little too distant. Music is supposed to be personal, even if I'm not standing in the front row of a dimly lit room soaking … Read more

It was about a year ago I discovered Unseemlier, shortly before the release of I Have A Screw Loose, Somewhere. It's a wordy title and a somewhat unwieldy band name -- and I’ll use that “a lot going on in a little space” metaphor even further to talk about the band's "heavy emo / soft punk" sound. It's singsong at … Read more

It feels like a lifetime ago when Mitt Romney referenced a "war on women" during the 2012 presidential cycle. A lot has changed, a lot has stayed the same -- but a new politically-charged band formed in the aftermath of that comment, calling themselves War On Women. Now, roughly 14 years later, War on Women are releasing their fifth full-length … Read more

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 … Read more

The less I say about 2025 the better. Well, except to say that Scene Point Blank's 2025 Year End coverage is in development so, actually, I'll be talking about the year a lot. Search/Play/Repeat is a sporadic playlist feature that's just about sharing music though, instead of hitting some topical … Read more

It's been a while since I put another playlist up. I actually had this 99% done a couple of months ago, but everything went haywire and the list went on hold. This edition of Search/Play/Repeat is a quick play, running about 30 minutes in total. Enjoy! Read more

Visual Learner, BlackDots, City Mouse, Couch Potato Massacre Cloudland Theater Minneapolis, MN May 7, 2025 I’m embarrassed that I haven’t covered any shows at Cloudland for SPB previously. It’s a relatively new addition to the Minneapolis scene and a welcome addition that feels as much like a community space as … Read more

Sometimes I get all introspective and ask myself why I do this. Not very often, but the answer is always because I like music. It's that simple. I like to discover new stuff and I like to share it. Every year, the staff at Scene Point Blank sink a ton … Read more

It's our pleasure to share Midnight City, the third album from Austin, TX based Drakulas. The band features members of some well-known bands, namely Riverboat Gamblers and Rise Against, but this project takes a new turn with protopunk meets early new wave that describes a dark underbelly of a world … Read more

Italian hardcore punk band Tornado Lobster Killer shared a new single called "Pay to Play," the first glimpse of new music off the upcoming full-length album titled Lobsteria. Fittingly, given its take on the music industry's exploitative pay-to-play system, the single was entirely self-produced by the band. Specifics about Lobsteria … Read more

Spanish doom metal project Pylar has announced a new record this July 10: Delyrio, releasing via Cyclic Law/Cavsas. The first glimpse is streaming below. Read more Delyrio Track Listing: 1. Aροτεοsis 2. Adoración 3. Enajenación 4. Enardecimiento Read more

Label Cyclic Law has announced a collaborative record featuring Sutekh Hexen and Hissing, coming out on cd and digitally. The two bands as one concept goes by SH:HS (Sutekh Hissing Arkestra), and is a recording from two separate performances in 2017 and 2019, later revisted and rehaped by the bands. Read more