Features / Interviews

Scott in July 2012 (photo by Keith Allison) Most musicians have day jobs – and not just to pay the bills. Jobs provide new challenges, personal fulfillment and, yes, some rent or gas money. And usually when somebody is writing a new record or scheduling a tour, they have to … Read more

When two bands come together on a split release, it’s more than just sharing music on vinyl. It’s a conversation in sound. Pulley and Fire Sale recently teamed up for a split 7" through Negative Progression Records that showcases both of their unique voices while still feeling like a cohesive … Read more

Punk Under the Sun – Interview with Joey Seeman and Chris Potash Some music scenes become legendary — New York, London, Los Angeles — but others almost vanish without a trace. South Florida’s early punk underground is one of those nearly forgotten worlds: sweaty, chaotic clubs that appeared and disappeared … Read more

Ramona Jan has a storied career as a pioneer who established herself as an audio engineer in an industry largely dominated by men. With Ramona’s connection to Mediasound, she orchestrated her band at the time -- the Comateens (in 1979) -- to record their first single, “Cool Chick/Danger Zone” on … Read more

No band this year has moved me the way Ramparts has. Anthony Anzaldo delivers Greg Ginn-meets-Aaron Melnick fury while former All Bets Off vocalist Sammy Winston has written some of his finest lyrics to date. Ramparts set the bar high with their Tramps Like Us demo released earlier this year … Read more

Rebecca Foon is a prominent member of the Montreal experimental music scene. Having participated in acts like Set Fires to Flames, Thee Silver Mt. Zion and Esmerine, she embarked on her own with her project Saltland, releasing its first album, I Thought it Was Us But It Was All of … Read more

Scene Point Blank recently spoke with Jim Tramontana from the band Red Hot Rebellion, their mix of punk and classic rock and roll can be counted on to get a crowd moving. Hailing from the city of Dayton in the great state of Ohio, they are part of a strong … Read more

By 1981, the Red Rockers were famously branded "The American Clash" by Lester Bangs -- a tag that carried both the weight of massive expectations and the raw power of a band exploding out of the New Orleans humidity. Decades before they became MTV fixtures with the polished pop hooks … Read more

Scene Point Blank's Michael caught up with Red Sparowes' Josh Graham and Greg Burns at the Cleveland stop of their US tour. While situated in a quaint park cattycorner to the venue, they discussed the origins of the band, what we can expect in terms of new material, and how … Read more

In the never-ending drama of the hardcore scene, one of the recent flare-ups has concerned a website named RetiredArtists. Smattered with shots of energetic live shows and boasting a "love of music," you'd think it'd be along the lines of a booking agent or record label, right? In fact, RetiredArtists … Read more

How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene Point Blank looks at how musicians split their time, and how their careers influence their music (or how their music provides escape). In this edition, we chat with … Read more

Belgium. The first thing that springs to my mind is their waffles. The second? I think they make lots of beer, though I think they spell it "bier." Anyway. It might seem a bit out of place for the same location to offer the likes of Rise and Fall. The … Read more

After the success of their recent record "The Sufferer and the Witness", the melodic punk/hardcore scene's favourites, Rise Against, continue to promote their political ideas with a keen emphasis on provoking thought rather than sloganeering and preaching. Our man Graham put together some questions for frontman Tim McIlrath; here's what … Read more

Rise Against have steadily risen in popularly from their punk and hardcore roots into a major label backed group that nearly topped the Billboard charts. In spite of their success the band has continued to set forth a political-minded assault on the music world. Scene Point Blank corresponded with vocalist … Read more

If you don't mind, let's go back in time. More specifically, to the early 80's when hardcore was fresh and submerging from the murky depths of the vaginal passage of birth. In the beginning, SST and Dischord were the majors of hardcore, but as time passed, so did their popularity … Read more

Luxembourg has always been a country that has tried to reinvent its own future, not unlike Rome, a sovereign act that is based in the landlocked country which has not only reinvigorated what is commonly and generically referred to as "neofolk," but has never ceased to reinvent itself with each … Read more

Music is often a vessel in which ideas not easily described can be laid out and processed in ways other than conversation. For Luxembourgish dark folk band ROME, that is certainly the case, as founder Jerome Reuter explains to us in the following interview. Disclaimer: the interview was sent at … Read more

      This interview from Scene Point Blank's infancy has been removed at the request of Jeff Casazza of Run for Cover Records.   Read more

Music lovers first took notice of the stellar guitar playing and pounding rhythms on Russian Circles 2006 release ?Enter.? Earlier this year, with ?Station,? and those same fans and many more became enamored the awesome sounds that Russian Circles put to tape. Scene Point Blank recently spoke with guitarist Mike … Read more

Pre-historic creatures and zombies kick a lot of ass. When the two are combined, a situation arises where the ass has been kicked so hard all that exists is the lack of ass. Sabertooth Zombie is that black hole you've been waiting for. But if you're really into ass, instead, … Read more