Latest features — browse all

The New York Dolls: Reflections and Legacy

Music • March 30, 2026

I first discovered the New York Dolls in the mid-to-late 1980s, just as I was beginning to stretch the boundaries of my musical journey. Up until then, my exposure to music had mostly come through my parents, aunts, and uncles. They planted the initial seeds, and those seeds quickly grew, fueled by my insatiable curiosity for new sounds -- and, admittedly, by the limitations of a thin wallet. Back then, LPs were more affordable, and I often found myself trading records just to explore more of the music that captivated me. My first real brush with punk came through two neighbours who had attended boarding school somewhere in Ol’ Blighty, giving me a direct link to the early UK punk scene. Meanwhile, the radio was dominated by new wave, and I found myself drawn into the infectious energy of The Cars, Devo, Blondie, The Vapors, The Monks, Boomtown Rats, and any other catchy, rebellious sounds that punctuated the airwaves. But my musical journey didn’t stop there -- it was, in a sense, reborn. I began diving deeper into punk, hardcore and metal, and it was through this exploration that I finally encountered the New York Dolls. From the very first note, I was hooked. Their music struck me like a lightning bolt. I became a fervent, almost rabid fan, hunting down whatever I could afford, to the point where I once seriously considered buying Jerry Nolan’s pink drum stool. On June 19, 1991, I attended Johnny Thunders’ memorial show in … Read more

East End Redemption

Interviews • March 24, 2026

Punk’s never been about polish. It’s about passion, sweat, and the grind it takes to keep going when most people … Read more

Post Office Experiences

Music • March 10, 2026

In a different world, which we think was shortly before COVID and MAGA and all things bad and in ALL … Read more

Spite House

Interviews • March 7, 2026

There’s a quiet weight to Spite House that doesn’t rely on volume or spectacle. Their songs sit in the uncomfortable … Read more

Latest album reviews — browse all

Various Artists

Louder Than You Think: A Lo-Fi History of Gary Young & Pavement (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Independent (2026)

Gary Young wasn’t just a drummer; he was a beautiful, unpredictable glitch poking a hole in the sky where other lovable misfits could enter and leave this universe they’d grace with their presence. While Hendrix kissed the sky, Young merely bit a hole right through it. While Pavement was busy inventing the 1990s slacker blueprint for the masses, Gary was … Read more

Mrs. Magician

High Resolution b/w Dead Alive
Swami (2026)

Mrs. Magician is back! For those unfamiliar, Mrs. Magician is a garage punk band based in San Diego, CA. They formed in 2010 and between then and 2016, they managed to release 6 singles, 2 albums and 1 B-sides collection. Both of their full lengths were released on Swami Records, the label helmed by legendary San Diego guitar slasher/voice crasher, … Read more

Amy Beth And Thee Creeps

Shitheel EP
Chaputa! Records (2026)

Sometimes I like to come into a record as a blank slate. Amy Beth And Thee Creeps sent me a short email with their latest EP, Shitheel. It's a 4-song garage-punk ripper that's easily under 10 minutes. I just checked: it's five and a half minutes. With no bio, the music speaks for itself and this is rhythmic, pulsing garage … Read more

Jet Black Maps

6 Years Overnight
Independent (2026)

There’s a certain kind of melodic punk record that doesn’t try to prove anything. There’s no scene positioning, no trend chasing, no desperate grab for relevance. 6 Years Overnight, the debut EP from Binghamton, NY trio Jet Black Maps, lives comfortably in that space. It’s the sound of three musicians who have already done the work, already played the shows, … Read more

Additional album reviews

Vial

Hellhound
Trout Hole Records (2026)

I was really into the last Vial record, a quick burst of peppy and pointed brat punk. The early singles off Hellhound lean way more grunge, so I was curious … Read more

Mauled

When Your Eyes Are Shut
Silverback Gorilla Records (2026)

Deathcore has spent the last decade mutating into increasingly technical, polished, and theatrical territory. Some bands chase symphonic grandeur. Others lean into hyper-technical brutality. The Indianapolis wrecking crew named Mauled … Read more

DMZ

The Lost Studio Sessions-1978
Crypt Records (2026)

The Lost Studio Sessions 1978 finally sets the record straight. This is the raw, ugly power the band’s debut never touched. For years, the DMZ legacy has been misunderstood because … Read more

Mal Thursday Quintet

Mods & Gods
Chunk Archives Recordings, Teen Sound Records (2026)

Mods & Gods, the 2026 release from the Mal Thursday Quintet, is a full-throttle blast of Farfisa-driven energy and playful garage primitives. Mal Thursday has spent decades scraping the rust … Read more

Tigers Jaw

Lost on You
Hopeless (2026)

Tigers Jaw was formed in 2005 in Scranton, PA by high school friends. After a brief hiatus in 2013, the band is once again carefully crafting and delivering a sound … Read more

N.E. Vains

Running Down Pylons
Big Neck Records (2025)

N.E. Vains’ Running Down Pylons delivers that kind of glorious, basement-level destruction. You know, back in the ’70s when every basement had those flimsy swinging room-dividing doors, and your skinny … Read more

Poison The Well

Peace In Place
Sharptone (2026)

There’s no way to talk about Peace In Place without acknowledging the shadow it steps out from. Poison the Well isn’t just another reunited band dusting off an old name. … Read more

Bitter Branches

Let's Give The Land Back To The Animals
Equal Vision (2026)

Sometimes when you think of a town you think of a certain sound. Philadelphia is not one of those cities for me, as the bands I know from the area … Read more

News headlines — browse all

SPB featured stream: Cut-Rate Druggist - Blistering

Posted in Records on April 1, 2026

We're pleased to bring you a full stream of Blistering, a new full-length album from Cut-Rate Druggist of Oakland, CA. Out on April 7, this is your spot to hear it early and often, courtesy of the band, DCxPC Records, and Scene Point Blank. Rules are made to be broken, … Read more

Siyahkal announces فاسد EP

Posted in Records on April 4, 2026

Out on May 29, Siyahkal will release a new record, the band's second release in the past year. The EP features 5 songs and is titled Corrupt / فاسد. Sung … Read more

Sincere Engineer gives us Probable Claws

Posted in Records on April 4, 2026

Sincere Engineer of Chicago, IL just released the new single "Twist My Tongue" along with news of the band's fourth album, Probable Claws, which comes out June 26, again on … Read more

It's Straight Ahead

Posted in Records on April 4, 2026

Revelation Records has announced a reissue from NYHC band Straight Ahead. Recorded in the mid 1980s, members went on to play in Sick Of It All, Youth Of Today, Agnostic … Read more

Cut A Silhouette with Sparta

Posted in Records on April 4, 2026

Sparta has announced a new J. Robbins-recorded studio album, Cut A Silhouette, coming out on May 29 via Equal Vision Records / Dine Alone Records. “This is a love record,” … Read more

Recess Romp 5 w/ D4, OWTH, TTK, and bands without acronymns

Posted in Shows on April 4, 2026

The now-annual Recess Romp returns to The Sardine in San Pedro, CA, taking place August 13-16 this year with a stacked lineup that will include Dillinger Four, Off With Their … Read more

Palmar de Troya "Shakes in Hates"

Posted in Records on April 4, 2026

Palmar de Troya, an alt-punk band out of Spain, has shared the new single "Shakes in Hates" from their upcoming III EP, out on April 10 on Reptilian Records. The … Read more

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