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.
It's true, we have a new episode of The Scene Point Blank Podcast, out now. This time around we feature DFMK, Drakulas, Billy Liar and more. Listen to the episode here or via your preferred podcasting apps. Read more Subscribe on iTunes.
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We're back with our first featured stream of 2026, a new 7-song 7" from Clockface out now on Dropping Bombs. Based out of Detroit and Chicago, think "90s Victory Records with a bit of 00s Lockin' Out attitude," to steal a succinct description from the label. It's hardcore with a …
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Australia hardcore band Iron Mind, just wrapping up a handful of dates this week, also shared a new video for "Intro / More Pain". The Melbourne-based band of nearly two decades last released Test Of The Iron Mind (Flatspot/Last Ride). The video features the first two tracks from said year-old …
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Noisy punk band Foreign BOdy, out of Brooklyn, NY, has joined Brutal Panda Records for their upcoming second album. Specifics are still unannounced, but the band shared the single “Strung Out” to announce the news. Formed in 2022, the band released Fixed in 2023 via Malaysian label Menora Recordings in …
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Norway noise-rock band Barren Womb has announced a UK tour, beginning in late March. A band for 15 years, the 11-date tour marks their first visit to the UK. Read more UPCOMING SHOWS INCLUDE: 26.03 UK Nottingham, Billy Bootleggers 27.03 UK London, Endeavour 28.03 UK Bristol, The Old England 29.03 …
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Now That's What I Call Heartbreak is back for 2026. This year the DIY compilation features 39 tracks including Little Low, MK Naomi, Box Elder, Unseemlier, and many more. “Every year I wonder if this benefit comp has run its course, and yet every December I’ll inevitably get DMs and …
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Sugar Horse has announced Not A Sound In Heaven, the third album from the Bristol-based expermental band. The new record comes via Fat Dracula Records on April 10, leading with the new single "Secret Speech" now. Read more Tracklist 1. Fire Graphics 2. Secret Speech 3. Ex-Human Shield 4. History’s …
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Sparta just premiered Scenic Drive, a "literal and figurative" documentary that follows Jim Ward en route back to his home in El Paso, TX. The 40-minute piece preludes the band's next studio album, expected to be announced soon. Scenic Drive is available via Veeps.
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Following last year's tour of the same name, Melvins and Napalm Death have teamed up as a hybrid group to release the upcoming Savage Imperial Death March, coming out on April 10 via Ipecac Recordings. The two bands jointly toured together in 2016 and 2025 using the above moniker and …
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Kim Gordon is set to release her third solo album, Play Me, out March 13 on Matador Records. The release will be followed by UK and European tour dates. Gordon also shared "DIRTY TECH" from the labum. “I was kind of musing about, is my next boss going to be …
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Fifteen years after their formation, San Francisco, CA based punk band The Poor Luckies have announced their debut full-length, out "this spring," titled Wrong Way. “Wrong Way is the next step, sharper, louder and true to our vision,” vocalist Danny Cuts says in a press release. “Each song is a …
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Long Island's punk troupe, Koyo, have announced their sophomore album Barely Here -- available May 8th via Pure Noise Records. You can check out their new single "Irreversible" below: Read more Koyo will be touring all around the world through February to June. Dates below: Koyo on Tour: 02/12 Liverpool, …
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The reanimated Poison the Well, about to release Peace in Place, will be touring in Australia this year, joined by Haywire who recently released a split with Dropkick Murphys. The new record, out March 20, is the band's first new material in 16 years. Stay tuned to the site for …
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Have you heard the news? American Football -- the emo band -- has a world tour booked for 2026, beginning in May and covering parts of the United States, Europe, UK, and Canada (at present). Confirmed dates are shared below. Read more 2026 Tour Dates 05/15 - Denver, CO @ …
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Brendan Kelly (The Lawrence Arms, The Wandering Birds, The Falcon), has announced a Birmingham, AL show dubbed "The War On Easter," a twist on the annual Riot Fest party in December in Chicagoland each year. Kelly be tour down south with Tightwire and The Handsome Scoundrels en route, then later …
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No entering 21 years as a label, Give Praise Records (and skateboards) has shared a free new sampler on bandcamp, Better Hand Plant Than Dead. The 27-track compilation has too many artists to name in an easy to read fashion here, so just hit the link and sample it for …
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Celebrating 25 years of operations, Graveface Records has announced the subscription based Graveface Revival Series, a year-long proejct that will issue "unreleased, unissued, and vinyl-absent recordings from Graveface’s 25-year history," the label says. "The series includes albums that were completed but never pressed, titles previously available only on CD or …
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Merge Records has announced plans to reissue Reigning Sound's Time Bomb High School, first released in 2002. The new edition comes on March 6, available on vinyl and remastered with new cover art by Greg Cartwright. The limited edition repressing is sold exclusively through Bull City Records of Durham, NC.
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Pool Kids, following last year's Easier Said Than Done album (Epitaph), have posted an Audiotree Far Out session with two live tracks from the album, as welel as some karaoke moments at Sidekick's Entertainment Lounge & Restaurant in Chicago, IL. The band heads to the UK and Europe soon, followed …
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Tsunami Bomb has announced a Pacific Northwest tour this April, playing four dates in Everett, Seattle, Bremerton, and Portland. They will play with Crimewave 66 (feat. Matt Freeman of Rancid), Nasalrod, Berzerk, The Rat Utopia Experiment, Fleamale, The Scoffs, 3rd onPike, Altar Girl, The Wreck’d, and The Filthy Traitors at …
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