Loren

For those who follow the site, I've been to Fest a lot -- like, I lost count of how many times but it all started at FEST 6, which I think was in 2007. It's certainly about the music first, and I saw approximately 61 bands over 4 days, 3 of which were part of the official event with a … Read more

It's almost FEST time, and you know what that means: SPB has dived in to speak to a bunch of bands and artists playing this year's event. Some are FEST veterans with tips and highlights for newcomers, and others are FEST newbies with their own plans for the week. Read on to hear from a bunch of our favorite musicians … Read more

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene … Read more

Did you know it’s been 10 years since Anathema Editions put out its first release? To make the moment, we reached out to founder Terence Hannum to share some label history. In keeping with our “History 101” concept, SPB asked for anecdotes about 4 of the label’s releases and then Hannum picked out 4 more. As he tells it: Ten … Read more

Heavens To Betsy, Tuffie, Scrunchies Fine Line Minneapolis, MN October 16, 2026 photo by Loren Green I'm still a little confused that this show didn't sell out, but I imagine that brand recognition is a real thing here. Heavens To Betsy, for those who don’t know, were an Oregon duo … 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

Scene Point Blank is excited to share a love song to danger, the debut album from DC-based punk band little a. It was recorded between June 2023 and July 2024, then mixed in the fall of 2025.The band play "no-frills" punk with a message, drawing influence from the classic DC … Read more

San Francisco "grind-pop" band P.E.E. (aka Pee aka Potentially Egregious Error) returned to action aerlier this year, now booking a run of dates in the western US. The band was formed by Jim Stanley and Kelly Green, joined by Andee Connors (J Church/A Minor Forest), and Tiber Scheer (Lowercase). A … Read more

A special 2xLP 40th anniversay deluxe edition of the Beastie Boys' License To Ill, first released on Nov. 15, 1986, will come out on March 18, 2027. The updated versionAs described, "Pressed on 180-gram black vinyl LPs with lacquers cut from a high resolution digital transfer from the original 1986 … Read more

Released yesterday, Necklace of Johannesburg has a new album called Manual Breather. The 6-song release is the first LP from the band, out on Slovenly Recordings. The lead single, "Idol," included below paints a hypnotic and ominous tone with post-punk vibes and raw garage production. Read more NECKLACE | BRAZIL … Read more