The infrequently-updated site blog, featuring a range of content including show reviews, musical musings and off-color ramblings on other varied topics.
Death from Above 1979 @ SummerStage
New York, USA
July 2, 2025
Death from Above 1979 tore through SummerStage with pure, unfiltered energy. The Toronto duo delivered a thunderous set packed with fuzzed-out bass, pounding drums, and raw vocals that had the crowd thrashing from the first note. From classics like “Romantic Rights” to newer bangers, the band was tight, loud, and relentless. A sweaty, electric night in the park—punk rock perfection under the New York sky.
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.
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 a club. In other words, it’s clean instead of dingy, I guess. Anyway, last week I hit up the space to see two touring bands with sets sandwiched between two locals.
Couch Potato Massacre play poppy sloppy punk with a TV theme, raised on late night cable movies with low budgets. It’s fun and energetic and the band knows that, while the music matters, so do the vibes. It was a fun set and my first time seeing them in person
photo by Loren Green
I know City Mouse aren’t a household name or anything, but I’m still mildly surprised they played second -- not that order of bands matters in any way unless you’re stuck in traffic. I’m not even sure how many times I’ve seen Miski and co. play, but this was the first non-festival set and it ripped and roared with the same urgency, but with that more personal element you get when the band knows you’re there for them, specifically (and they aren’t on a rigid set schedule). Even will a fill-in bassist, it was an emotional, evocative set lead by the dueling guitars of Miski and Davey Tiltwheel. While City Mouse has been a project for several years, there are only two full-lengths, and the set leaned into last year’s So Far Out but included a healthy dose of the near-decade old songs from Get Right too. Simply put, you can hear the passion in Miski’s voice on every note and, live, you can see it too. It’s been a while since I saw a band work up a good sweat on stage and that was definitely the case during City Mouse’s set – and continued for two more bands.
photo by Loren Green
BlackDots are another band that doesn’t play in Minneapolis all that often (or maybe I’m out of the loop). They play poppy, somewhat minimal, straight-up punk. Or that’s what I’ve always thought on record. Live I get more of a country rhythm behind it, which makes sense as the band is from Denver and that Western lifestyle. It’s chill punk: smooth, cool and laid back instead of fierce and angry. What really struck me was how much the band smiles as they play. It’s infectious and it highlights how just a simple thing can manifest into a greater experience for the whole room. I’d complain that the set was too short, but the band really only has a couple albums’ worth of songs, mostly released via EPs, so that explains that. Besides, always leave ‘em wanting more, right?
Visual Learner popped only my radar last year. After three…how shall I word this?...after three “older” bands, Visual Learner brought more physical energy to the stage with constant movement and even more sweat. Their brand of noise-rock fueled punk rawk was a nice dissonant contrast to the melodic focus of the other bands and it built to a climactic mood of chaotic noise – even if the band were repeatedly joking (or not) about it being their bedtime as the early show wrapped up.
HORSE the Band are on the road celebrating the 20th anniversary of their sophomore album, The Mechanical Hand. Joining them for the first leg of the tour was Pomona locals, Othiel, Flake from Wichita, Kansas, and LA's "melodic crust" quartet, Lagrimas. It's an odd feeling to remember being at the record release show for this album back in 2005. I still remember when the band brought out a cake and handed out "pieces" to the crowd. I remember Erik taking the stage in his revealing Lord Gold outfit. I remember Nathan throwing up on stage a foot away from me, but most of all, I remember being youthful, full of life, and able to sing along to every song without getting winded. Now, I'm back in the front seeing Horse the Band for the first time in probably 16 or 17 years at The Glass House, and not much has changed. Nathan is still cracking jokes and bantering back and forth. The band is still hopping around like they're 25. Ed Edge is still the greatest triangle performer in "Nintendocore." You can check out a gallery of photos from the show below and be sure to catch the band on the second leg of The Mechanical Hand 20th Anniversary Tour this June when they hit up the Midwest and East Coast.
Comprised of Maynard James Keenan, Mat Mitchell, and Carina Round, Puscifer has released a digital collection that spans the band's 18 year career thus far. The collection pulls from albums and EPs, serving as a primer as the band preps for a fifth studio album in 2026. New songs will …
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Slow Joy has announced a tour with Texas Is The Reason this September. The new tour comes afyter the release of the band's debut album, A Joy So Slow At Times I Don’t Think It’s Coming, and precedes another tour with Inoha. Dates below. Read more LIVE DATES September 5th …
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Aitis Band will release IV, which is the band's fourth album, on Oct. 10 on Ernest Jenning Record Co. The new record from the band, which includes members of Joan Of Arc, and Love Of Everything, was produced by former bandmate Nate Kinsella (who also mixed their last album, III). …
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Long out of print, Whipping Boy's Muru Muru is to be reissued by Blackhouse Records on Sept. 5, reworked and retitled as Dysillusion: A Muru Mury Remix. Originally recorded by Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys), the reissue has been remixed by producer Joe Chiccarelli with new artwork by Aaron Turner. The …
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Instrumental post-rock band Les Dunes of Norway will release the new From Etne To The Edge Of Space on Sept. 5 via Kapitän Platte. Members of the band have also played with The Low Frequency In Stereo, Undergrünnen, Lumen Drones, Helldorado ,and Action & Tension & Space. The new 7-track …
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Dark Sky Burial, the dark ambient project from Shane Enbury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept, Burjeria), has announced a new LP out this fall -- sharing the single "Mask of Illusion" this past week, a collaboration with producer Ross Russell. “At the beginning rhythms for this tracks were around for a …
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Bonginator just shared "Pizza Time," a TMNT tune with help from Vinnie Castellano (Belushi Speed Ball) and one of 12 songs on the band's forthcoming album, Retrodeath. The new record combines the band's love of death metal and weed with a strong 1980s note that nods to their youth. It …
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The Beths have shared the new song , "Mother, Pray For Me” from their ANTI- debut, Straight Line Was A Lie, out on August 29. The album's release will be followed by an international tour. “[The single is] not really about my mother, it's about me -- what I hope …
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Coming on LP and CD soon, English noise rock band IRK will release their second record, The Seeing House, available Sept. 26 courtesy of Nefarious Industries. Nefarious Industries presents The Seeing House, the thundering second LP from English experimental/noise rock trio, IRK, now confirmed for release this September. Formed in …
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Negative Progression Records will release a split 7" with Pulley and Fire Sale on Sept. 5, a four song limited released called Split Personality. Pulley formed in 1994 and has released records on Epitaph Records, SBAM, and Cyber Tracks, while Fire sale features former members of Face to Face, No …
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Los Angeles, CA based fuzzy indie rock band Fime shared the sine single "Soft Sicence" last week, an early taste of the upcmoing Just Can't Win, which will release on Sept. 5. The band, featuring East Bay transplants Beto Brakmo (vocals/guitar), Maxine Garcia (vocals/bass), and Eric Promani (drums), plus guitarist …
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Two long-running punk and hardcore bands will hit the road later this year on a co-headlining tour that aftures Bane and Hot Water Music, spanning parts of the US Midwest and East Coast. The two bands are labelmates with recent records issued on Equal Vision. Read more TOUR DATES: NOVEMBER …
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Marking the 20th anniversary of Wake The Dead, Comeback Kid will head to Australia in January-February 2026 with support from Gridiron (USA) and Phantoms (Sydney, AU). Originally released in 2005, the album is considered a core record in the group's expanding discography. Read more 2026 AUSTRALIAN WAKE THE DEAD ANNIVERSARY …
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Skatepunk Edmonton trio Broken Yolks just shared the single "Misery" from their upcoming album, out this coming Friday, August 8: The View of the Bystander, releasing via High End Denim Records. The single, "Misery," is about trauma and the ongoing challenge as it resurfaces time and time again. Read more
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Strawberry, the latest from Prayer Group, will release on August 29 via Reptilian Records as a 10" vinyl with 7 tracks. The noise-rock band from Richmond, VA shared a single earlier this week, "Plagiarism," which you can hear below. Reptilian Records presents Strawberry, the corrosive new 10” MLP from Richmond, …
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Poppy punk band Sleep Pod Two just announced a debut EP on the way, Rehearse Your Future, coming on Mindpower Records on August 29. The band formed in 2022 and features a number of long-time friends tied tot he 1990s southern California punk scene: Todd Trout (Gameface), Guy Julian (The …
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Yowie will soon release their fourth album, now including Daniel Kennedy (Cleric) and J ack Tickner (Basil's Kite, Wollongong) in addition to founding member Defenestrator. The band will released Taking Umbrage on Oct. 3 via Skin Graft Records. The tightly composed project blends elements of math rock, prog rock, extreme …
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German punk band Melonball just announced plans for a new album in 2026, beginning with new sing "Garbage Day." “This song is about taking out the trash -- confronting lies, hate, and the social decay they cause,” vocalist Oli Barth-Jurca says in a press release. “We’re not backing down, and …
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UK noise punk band Volk Soiup has shared “Reptilian Brain,” the first single from their upcoming debut full-length, 10p JAZZ, available Oct. 3 via Dipterid Records. It also releases on cassette via Cruel Nature. The Leeds-based band formed in 2020 just before the pandemic, then regrouping for their first live …
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Roughly one decade after releasing a covers album together, Iron & Wine have once again teamed with Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) for a follow-up covers collection, this time a new EP called Making Good Time, out Sept. 12. The first single is a new take on "Luther," originally by …
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