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2024: A Year In Review

Music / Year End 2024 • January 13, 2025

It's a new year – hooray. And things are off to a fine start, too. If the thought of corrupt governments, AI domination, unmoderated social networks and endless war is causing you to retreat into the past, we don't blame you. In fact, we encourage it! Our writers have summed up the best things about 2024 across a range of areas: album artwork, demos, photography, EPs and singles, books, and more. Read on to discover what we enjoyed most about last year and catch some things you may have missed – or the music your girlfriend recommended that you really should have paid attention to... Read more

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2024)

Music / Year End 2024 • January 4, 2025

It's 2025, somehow. When did this happen?! Okay, okay, four days ago. But honestly. It feels like 2012 was only … Read more

Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2024

Music / Year End 2024 • January 4, 2025

It's a SPB tradition to formally "pass the mic" to our artist and label friends to tell us about their … Read more

999

Interviews • January 4, 2025

I'm alive and so are 999! They formed in London in 1976 and quickly became one of the favourites of … Read more

Latest album reviews browse all

Chat Pile

Cool World
Flenser (2024)

The great American experiment has a wide range of experiences, but it tends to focus on the coasts. There are countless dystopian pieces of art, often culling from a Warriors-esque concept of urban grit. Chat Pile play dystopian, brutal noise-punk, but from a distinctly middle American point of view where instead of civilians shadowed under dense skylines, their anonymity instead … Read more

The Anomalys

Down The Hole
Slovenly (2024)

If I have to give the elevator pitch, I’ll call The Anomalys garage rock with an ear for surf and psyche rock -- turned up to 11 and blasted through blown out speakers in an old 1980s sedan. It’s high-energy, no-frills rock ‘n’ roll with attitude. While it’s short, loud and fast, there’s also quite a bit of nuance and … Read more

Pinhead Gunpowder

Unt
1-2-3-4 Go! Records (2024)

Pinhead Gunpowder began in 1990, recording a 7” in 1991. The band last released a 7” in 2008… Until late 2024 when the band returned with the 14-song full-length Unt. So congratulations if you had “we get a new Pinhead Gunpowder record before a new D4 record on your bingo card. (These two bands released a split 7” in 2000 … Read more

The Cure

Songs of a Lost World
Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal (2024)

It's been sixteen years since The Cure released their last album. I don't know if anyone really knew what to expect, but it's one of the most influential bands in history so expectations were high. The Verdict? Those expectations were met. It'd be silly to say Songs of a Lost World is a "return to form" as the band and … Read more

Additional album reviews

City Mouse

So Far Out
Brassneck Records, It's Alive (2024)

There are few bands that hit with the mix of raw emotion and musical talent as a live City Mouse show. There are even fewer bands that can capture that … Read more

Machine Girl

MG Ultra
Future Classic (2024)

Ideally, I would be a bit more interested in art. In visual art- paintings, sketches, MS Paint monstrosities- whatever. I wish I knew more about the meaning of a brush … Read more

Ekko Astral

pink balloons
Topshelf (2024)

Their music is for people “who are struggling, who are at their absolute lowest". That’s a quote from vocalist and guitar player Jael Holzman talking to The Washington Post. Am … Read more

Build Us Airplanes

All Things Expire
Sell The Heart Records (2024)

Build Us Airplanes covers a lot of ground on this 9 song LP, All Things Expire. It’s melodic punk for the most part, but with distinct elements of emo, post-hardcore … Read more

Lustmord

Much Unseen Is Also Here
PELAGIC RECORDS (2024)

Lustmord, the reluctant pioneer of the dark ambient scene has returned with another expansive work of existential dread in Much Unseen Is Also Here. His arsenal of industrial components, field … Read more

Økse

Økse
Backwoodz Recordz (2024)

Økse is a gathering of brilliant, creative minds. The project's roster is pristine, with avant-jazz phenoms Mette Rasmussen on saxophone, Savannah Harris on drums, and Petter Eldh on bass/synths/samplers joining … Read more

Final

What We Don't See
Room40 (2024)

Justin K. Broadrick's prolific output keeps giving, and may it never stop! The latest release is one of Broadrick's earliest projects, Final, which started in the power electronics tradition but … Read more

Bambies

Snotty Angels
Spaghetty Town Records, Wanda Records (2024)

The digital files I’ve been listening to as I write this review are all tagged to begin with the band name, e.g. “Bambies Teenage Night,” “Bambies Love Bite,” etc. It … Read more

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SPB stream: ASkySoBlack - Touch Heaven

Posted in Records on January 31, 2025

I've spent my entire life falling out with myself, this record was largely written during a time in which despondent self-loathing culminating in the loss of a decade long friendship and love. Touch Heaven is an admission of guilt, a failure to change, and a cry for help in the … Read more

Monk time

Posted in Records on February 13, 2025

Monk, a hardcore band from Los Angeles, CA, has announced a new EP called Dark Side of the Mind, coming out on April 25 on Dine Alone Records. Today the … Read more

Is this the year of Converge?

Posted in Tours on February 13, 2025

Converge, who recently announced a set at Fire in the Mountains festival in July, have also just booked and confirmed a run of May dates in the USA, with dates … Read more

Coming Down with Curve

Posted in Records on February 13, 2025

Coming Down, a Rochester, NY band with former members of Like Wolves, Surroundings, Achilles, Standfast, and more, has announced the band's debut LP, Curve. The band play dynamic, textured, yet … Read more

Alex Okami is As Strange as Angels

Posted in Records on February 13, 2025

Darkwave post-punk artist, Alex Okami, will self-release his debut full length album, Strange as Angels on March 20th. You can pre-order the vinyl and/or pre-save the album on Bandcamp now! … Read more

PUP Wonder Who Will Look After the Dogs

Posted in Records on February 13, 2025

PUP have announced their new album, Who Will Look After the Dogs? -- available May 2nd via Rise Records and Little Dipper. You can check out the new track, "Hallways" … Read more

Silkworm's Developer reissue

Posted in Records on February 12, 2025

Comedy Minus One will release Developer, the fifth album by Silkworm, in 10 days. The new vinyl reissue comes out on Feb. 21 and features the complete original album from … Read more

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