Loren

Pure Joy The 23rd FEST in Gainesville, Florida recently wrapped up. Scene Point Blank has been to the majority of them over the past two decades, beginning at FEST 5. I've personally attended roughly half of them. And at FEST 23, I saw 44 bands in 3 days (an even 50 if you count the pre-shows I attended). I took … Read more

FEST 23 takes place later this month, from Oct. 24-26 in Gainesville, FL. Something like a billion bands are driving, flying, canoeing, and snowshoeing to the festival from across the country -- many of them for the first time and many come back to play nearly every year. Scene Point Blank has traveled to “over half” of them (we’ve lost … Read more

Are you ready for The Fest!? While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, FL, we’ve got some Fest games for you to play, including a few samples from this year’s performers. Click here to play FEST LIBS -- like a fill-in-the-blanks word game about all things Fest! We have 8 different options to … Read more

For close to a quarter-century punk fans have flocked to Florida for The Fest. Boasting a lineup of 300+ bands and roughly a dozen venues these days, the festival has grown, shifted and evolved. For several years the main stage has been in a large downtown park called Bo Diddley Plaza, named for the influential musician and one-time Gainesville resident. … 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

Vices, outlets, escapes... I'm not sure where things are at here in November of 2024. But as we battle our demons and look for meaning, or escape, music is a blessing. Here's a new playlist. Many of these artists have been covered at Scene Point Blank, mixed in with tracks … Read more

Epiphone has announced a new limited edition bass made in partnership with Mike Dirnt of Green Day. The new edition takes his Gibson Grabber G-3, with added features specific to his playing style. Read more Its features: Crafted with a double-cutaway maple body and a 34-inch scale three-piece maple neck, … Read more

French screamo/post-hardcore band Gros Enfant Mort shared the song “Merci les cendres” this past week, the first single from a new album called Le Sang des Pierres, out Jan. 23 via Moment Of Collapse Records, No Funeral Records, Fireflies Fall Records, and Spleencore Records. The band cites Daïtro, Amanda Woodward, … Read more

Italian instrumental trio ZU i sback, sharing "A.I. Hive Mind" from this winter's new double album Ferrum Sidereum, out on Jan. 9 via House of Mythology. The title translates to "Iron of the Stars" and is album #17 from the band (including collaborative records), formed in 1999. Read more Ferrum … Read more

Two Alan Vega solo records will be reissued in early 2026: his first solo albums, Alan Vega and Collision Drive, plus a companion deluxe edition with remastered audio, demos, photos, and more. The reissues are part of a collaboration between The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones Records. The two … Read more