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 about how they manage FEST, and anything else going on with them. The Bouncing Souls The Bollweevils The Copyrights Christy Costello Tired Radio Tides The Bouncing Souls Photo: Josh Casino On tour this year to celebrate the new Born To Be, The Bouncing Souls has also been playing songs off three of their classics, which are celebrating milestone anniversaries Maniacal Laughter (30), How I Spent My Summer Vacation (25), and The Gold Record (20) in 2026. We caught up with vocalist Greg Attonito to discuss how making records has changed for the band over their 30+ year career. Scene Point Blank: How did Bouncing Souls approach songwriting and recording when the anniversary albums were made vs the new Born To Be? Greg Attonito: For roughly the first 20 years we wrote songs in the jam room together...usually rocking out at full volume. Later we realized it was sometimes good to hash out ideas on an acoustic before getting loud. It could go either way. The biggest difference between that time and writing/recording Born To Be was having Will Yip, our producer, involved in the process. For Born To Be we … Read more
Are you ready for The Fest!? While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, … Read more
The musical landscape is ever changing. New genres are popping up, new hypes burst out of nowhere and die out … Read more
By 1981, the Red Rockers were famously branded "The American Clash" by Lester Bangs -- a tag that carried both … Read more
There's a particular challenge facing bands that came out of the late '90s and early '00s emo scene. You can recreate the sound people remember and risk becoming your own nostalgia act, or you can abandon it entirely and risk losing whatever made the band matter in the first place. Time Spent Driving choose neither on Lost Leaves. More than … Read more
EP HIGHLIGHTS – “5/4” & “I Killed Uncle Ben” Those who haven’t heard of Alien Chicks by now are sorely missing out. The Brixton trio have been consistently dropping singles and EPs since at least 2022, with funky frenetic energy and a sonic nebula of art punk, jazz, math rock, rap and a whole lotta noise. Released on 2nd October … Read more
Upon first listen, those close to my age and who may share similar musical tastes may suspect that Drink Deep might be a band from Washington, D.C. For starters, the band takes its name from a Rites of Spring song, wears its influences on its literal sleeves (a brief glance at their social media presence will reveal members wearing official … Read more
Stoner rock is one of the most astounding and incredible genres emerging in the rock scene today. It's a global phenomenon with countless bands across the world, plus various subgenres such as desert rock, stoner doom and psychedelic (heavily influenced by the original psychedelic bands of the '60s and '70s). At the forefront of this genre and in the vanguard … Read more
Available in a black and white print gatefold sleeve, this is a 2-band, 6-song split 7". The gate fold is a nice touch to a classic split 7", complete with … Read more
What strikes me foremost about this record are the vocals. As the father of a 13 y.o. daughter I feel qualified to say that this person could be a pop … Read more
ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS – “Mam w sobie diabła”, “Zombie”, “Listopadowa noc”, “Porque te vas” Fancy some Polish psychobilly punk? Well, you’re in luck. This is for anyone who takes their classic … Read more
The chemicals are rushing right out of the gate on this one. You start with a cigarette and dive straight into Diphenhydramine (Benadryl, to the lay person) to calm your … Read more
Syrup Moose Records will cease at the end of 2026, but they’re going out with a series of late releases including the third album from MEGAFAUNA, a self-titled follow-up to 2025’s I Owe This Land A Body. It also keeps the project’s streak of a record per year intact, as … Read more
Austin, TX based band Social Dissonance has joined Angry Tooth Records. Formed in 2020, the heavy band straddles many genre lines including grunge, punk, metal, and alternative rock with politically … Read more
Z2 is partnering with Descendents for a fittingly titled new graphic novel called Descendents: Milo Goes To Comics. The story is written by Bill Stevenson, Milo Aukerman, and Annie Zaleski, … Read more
A new 9-disc box set of Peter Murphy's work is forthcoming: Laying on New Waves: The 2000s Collection, out Dec. 4 on Madfish. The massive collection pulls from Murphy's solo … Read more
Destroy Boys shared "Hysteria" today, announing a new full-length album out next year, Foie Gras, releasing on Epitaph Records. “This album is the culmination of everything Destroy Boys is and … Read more
Temporary Residence Ltd. has added MIZU to the roster, the first new label signing in nearly five years. MIZU shared the new track "Overture" along with the announcement. “Overture” is … Read more
Aesop Rock and Blockhead have a new collaboration, the forthcoming Nov. 13 release of an album called Trouble Mountain. The new record features 17 tracks in total, leading things off … Read more
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