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Music
Album streams, our Set List "top five..." features, our year-end "best of" lists and other music-related miscellany.
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Music
Only Death Is Real #6
Posted March 15, 2020, 3:55 p.m.2020 has only been upon us for three short months, yet the outlook for the rest of the year looks as bleak as it has ever been. Pandemics, floods, ineffective governments, dysfunctional rulers..... the list could go on but I fear that life is depressing enough already. The music contained within this edition of Only Death Is Real goes some way to speak out against the hardships that many people face daily and propagate the idea that music itself, can be a great sense of comfort and a powerful force in this fight. Ancst - The Darkening (Yehonala Tapes/Lifeforce Records) Germany’s Ancst are usually quite a prolific band so it speaks volumes to their personal situation when the last ...
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Music Table Talk #1 – What I learned about last year
Posted Feb. 14, 2020, 3:27 p.m.To me this is the most exciting time of the year. It is also a very expensive time of the year. Yeah, I spend a ...
Music 2019: A Year In Review
Posted Jan. 7, 2020, 1:58 p.m.It's the end of a decade, and what a final year it's been. In this last piece of our 2019 feature series, we ...
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Feature categories
One Question Interviews
Quite literally, a one question interview. Also known as 1QIs, we post these first to our social media on a near-daily basis, with the archival piece here. Check 'em out.
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Interviews
An in-depth discussion with a band or artist, generally in the form of a straight Q&A – no editorializing.
» Browse 359 features
Music
Album streams, our Set List "top five..." features, our year-end "best of" lists and other music-related miscellany.
» Browse 177 features
Regular Columns
Contributions on a range of topics from a range of industry figures: musicians, filmmakers, editors and more.
» Browse 65 features
Other Reviews
A melting pot of mixed content: movie, book and even video game reviews. Updated sporadically, but eclectically.
» Browse 12 features
Upcoming Talent
A semi-regular column exploring new and rising local bands and artists deserving of attention.
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From the archive...
Music
GSET: Nahko and Medicine for the People
Posted Sept. 25, 2016, 1:30 p.m.Nahko Bear is a multi-instrumental, multi-talented, musician born in Portland, Oregon. Nahko’s songs are categorized as world fusion, and while those words are generally a meaningless catch-all for anything slightly outside Western music, for the singer and his collective Medicine for the People, the term applies. Nahko is of Apache, Puerto Rican, and Filipino descent. He was adopted at a young age and grew up in a white conservative home. The singer brings all of these experiences to his writing and the result is a sound that is unique as Nahko’s background. While initial comparisons start at singer-songwriters ...
More recent features
Music Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2019)
Posted Jan. 1, 2020, 3:16 p.m.The end of a year and the end of a decade – 2019 is done and it's over to SPB ...
Music Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2019
Posted Dec. 17, 2019, 4:53 a.m.As the year ends, it's time once more for us to hand over to the artists and record labels ...
Music Bloodshot Records: History 101
Posted Dec. 2, 2019, 2:29 p.m.As 2019 comes to a close, we caught up with Bloodshot Records, a Chicago-based label that was founded in 1994 ...
Music Forever Unclean's First American Tour... Diary
Posted Nov. 24, 2019, 1:43 p.m.This past October, Denmark punks Forever Unclean participated in The Fest - a 4-day DIY music extravaganza in Gainesville FL. The ...
Music Ipecac Recordings 20th Anniversary
Posted Nov. 24, 2019, 1:35 p.m.In the 20 years since Ipecac Records spewed its way into the public consciousness, it has achieved the impossible. It ...
Music The Fest 18
Posted Nov. 12, 2019, 3:34 p.m.The Fest is a massive undertaking. It's 400+ bands over 3+ days. It's summer in October, as a ...
Regular series
We post a variety of features in recurring series – click below to browse them.
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What's That Noise?
One-question interviews with artists where we find out about the gear and equipment they use to achieve their sound. Browse 29 features
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The Set List
A collection of items grouped by topic, eg. "Top 5 Worst Beatles Songs" or "Top 10 best '77 punk releases". Browse 20 features
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Beyond Casual Observation
A wide-ranging guest column written by BJ from Ancient Shores, mainly covering film but extending into philosophy and aesthetics too. Check out BJ's work on the A389 podcast. Browse 15 features
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era vulgaris
Guest column by T of Vegas Browse 13 features
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Only Death Is Real
There’s so much music released, whether physically or digitally, that keeping up with what’s going on becomes almost like a full time job. With Only Death Is Real, the aim is to bring you something new. Browse 6 features
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Remember that one time...?
A life lived and lessons learned by Eddie Spaghetti of Supersuckers. Browse 4 features
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Fest 12
Our annual roundup from Gainesville, FL's famous Fest. Browse 4 features
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Year End 2013
It's the end of 2013, so here's our best-of roundup for the last twelve months. Browse 4 features
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Fest 13
SPB's coverage of the annual festival in Gainesville, Florida. Browse 4 features
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Year End 2014
Our annual round-up of the best music of the year 2014. Browse 4 features
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The Greatest Story Ever Told
A brief but englightening chat with an artist who reveals an interesting or unexpected story from their career Browse 4 features
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Year End 2015
Our annual round-up of the best music of the year 2015. Browse 4 features
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Year End 2016
Our annual round-up of the best music of the year 2016. Browse 4 features
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Fest 11
A roundup of coverage of the annual punk rock festival held in Gainesville, Florida Browse 4 features
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Year End 2018
Our summary of the best music (and more) of 2018. Browse 3 features
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Year End 2019
Our wrap-up of the best music and more from 2019 Browse 3 features
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Year End 2012
A collection of coverage rounding up the year 2012, covering our favorite albums, shows, bands, and more, as well as asking record labels and bands about their past twelve months in music Browse 3 features
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Feast with the Famine
A cookery column by Nick, vocalist with metal band The Famine. Veggie/vegan friendly! Browse 3 features
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Year End 2017
Our annual round-up of the best music of the year 2017. Browse 2 features
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Against Orthodoxy
A regular series by Robert F. Browse 2 features
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Don't Quit Your Day Job
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, alternately &ndash Browse 2 features
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Fest 16
Our coverage of the annual Fest extravaganza. Browse 1 features
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Table Talk
Discussing the state of the music business at the kitchen table Browse 1 features
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Scene Point Local
A semi-regular column where we choose a specific area and give a local scene report. Browse 1 features
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- 2004: A Year In Review
- 2005: A Year In Review
- 2006: A Year In Review
- 2007: A Year In Review
- 2008: A Year In Review
- 2009: A Year In Review
- 2009: SPB's Top EPs
- 2010: A Year In Review
- 2011: A Year In Review
- 2012: A Year In Review
- 2013: A Year In Review
- 2014: A Year In Review
- 2015: A Year In Review
- 2016: A Year In Review
- 2018: A Year In Review
- 2019: A Year In Review
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- A389 Recordings VIII Anniverary Bash
- Album stream: Night Fever - New Blood
- Audio = ground zero
- Austin City Limits Music Festival 2015
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- EP Stream: Power - Death Haunts
- EP Stream: Raindance - Love Under The Sun
- Exclusive: Stream Honest Abe's debut EP
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- Fest 10th anniversary: Fests 1-3 remembered
- Fest 10th anniversary: Fests 4-6 remembered
- Fest 10th anniversary: Fests 7-9 remembered
- Fest 12
- Fest 13
- Fest 16
- Field Studies Album Stream
- Forever Unclean's First American Tour... Diary
- Fun Fun Fun Fest 2015
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I
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- Levitation 2015 / Austin Psych Fest
- Lollapalooza 2009: Photo Diary
- Looking Forward to The Fest 16
- Looking Forward to The Fest 17
M
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- MOFO 2016 Festival
- MONA FOMA Festival
- MONA FOMA Festival 2018
- More to a Picture Than Meets the Eye: Kurt Cobain in Film
- Music History: Beginner's Blues (I)
- Music History: I Was A Teenage Headbanger (II)
- Music History: Seminal Moments in History (III)
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- Pass The Mic: Artists and 2007
- Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2017
- Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2018
- Pass The Mic: Artists and labels on 2019
- Pass The Mic: Artists on 2013
- Pass The Mic: Artists on 2014
- Pass The Mic: Artists on 2015
- Pass The Mic: Artists on 2016
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and 2006
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2008
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2009
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2010
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2011
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels and Artists on 2012
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels on 2013
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels on 2014
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels on 2015
- Pass The Mic: Record Labels on 2016
- Pitchfork Music Festival
P
R
- Record Store Day 2015: our recommended local record stores
- Red Scare 10th Anniversary Show Review
- Refused (are fucking alive)
- Remembering Elliot Smith
- Remembering Erik Peterson
- Review: Iron & Wine (Sydney Opera House)
- Review: Riot Fest 2015
- Riot Fest 2019: our personal highlights
- Riot Fest Toronto 2014
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- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (August 2005)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (August 2006)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (August 2007)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (August 2009)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2004)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2008)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2011)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2012)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2013)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2014)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2015)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2016)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2017)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2018)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2019)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (June 2003)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2003)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2004)
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- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2005)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2006)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2007)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2008)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2009)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2010)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2011)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2012)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2013)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2014)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2015)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2016)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2017)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2018)
- Scene Point Blank's Favorites: Year End (2019)
- SPB at the DNC
- SPB Hits The Fest 8
- Swans: our favorite songs and records
- SXSW 2015 Wrap-Up
- SXSW 2016
- SXSW 2017
- SXSW 2018
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- The Fest 7
- The Fest 9
- The Fest Wrap-Up
- The Greatest Story Ever Told: Felix Hagan
- The Greatest Story Ever Told: Frank Turner
- The Horror
- Theologian Album Stream
- Top 10 Acts Worth Mentioning at Riot Fest 2017
- Top 10 Songs From the New David Bowie Boxed Set “A New Career in a New Town”
- Top 5 Album Closers
- Top 5 Bands That Never Topped Their Debuts
- Top 5 Covers That Are Better Than the Original
- Top 5 Elliott Smith Songs That'll Choke You Up
- Top 5 Most Iconic Post / Math Rock Album Covers
- Top 5 Most Unforgettable Video Game Themes
- Top 5 Progressive Album Covers
- Top 5 songs by Nick Lowe
- Top 5 Songs Under 30 Seconds
- Top 5 Songs Whose Meaning Eluded Us
- Top 5 TV Themes
- Top 5 whoa-oh songs
- Top 5 Worst Beatles Songs
- Top 5: Albums/Songs/Video Games/People/Events/Shows - The Year So Far (June 2003)
- Top Five Acts We're Excited About at Pitchfork 2017
- Top Ten Acts We're Excited About at Riot Fest 2017
- Two years without Hydrahead
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