Jon McKiel
SPB: Do you get nervous before you play a show?
McKiel: Yes, but it really depends on whether I've played the room before, how much practice the band has had leading up, whether or not the sound check was ok, or the PA even exists! Sometimes we sing through our amps and improvise a whole lot, so that keeps things pretty light. We can't do anything but go out and play and if we're making it up as we go there's no expectations, at least from a playing perspective.
In a different world, which we think was shortly before COVID and MAGA and all things bad and in ALL CAPS occurred, Scene Point Blank had the idea to write a comprehensive piece about mailorder experiences from the people who dedicate their free time to sending you records, cds, tapes, … Read more
There’s a quiet weight to Spite House that doesn’t rely on volume or spectacle. Their songs sit in the uncomfortable space between anger and reflection, carrying emotional honesty without turning it into a performance. Their growth is shown on Desertion, their most fully realized material to date. Preparing for an … Read more
Courtney Ranshaw (Black Adidas) SPB: Is there an instrument that's central to "the Black Adidas sound"? Ranshaw: I’d like to showcase an instrument that’s central to one of the songs on the record and has made its way onto a few songs of ours over the years. This is our … Read more
Al (Dromedary Records) SPB: What keeps you interested in running a record label as time passes and your own life changes? What keeps you motivated? AL: I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and there have certainly been times where it slowed way down or I took breaks, … Read more
Greg Norton (Ultrabomb) SPB: Has the current political climate affected Ultrabomb and did it influence lyrical content? Norton: Yes, absolutely. I’d say 80% of the lyrics for this album were written last summer as Trump was rolling out his gestapo squads, and the media’s lack of response to accurately reporting. Read more
An old, black-and-white photo depicts five dilapidated homes slowly crumbling away on an island in the middle of a vast, dismal ocean; the sea's endlessness and archaicness adds a sense of sentimentality to the picture. With such a glum album cover, it’s a dazzling surprise once the effervescent, action-packed “New Tracy (I Will Learn To See)” - opening song on … Read more
So it's finally summer, and that usually means an overload of new music. I can't name the number of songs or albums that remind me of a specific summer in my life. Something about the change of pace and warm weather that just makes music attach itself to memories. What does this have to do with this album? I'm just … Read more
Courtney Ranshaw (Black Adidas) SPB: Is there an instrument that's central to "the Black Adidas sound"? Ranshaw: I’d like to showcase an instrument that’s central to one of the songs on the record and has made its way onto a few songs of ours over the years. This is our … Read more
Al (Dromedary Records) SPB: What keeps you interested in running a record label as time passes and your own life changes? What keeps you motivated? AL: I’ve been doing this for more than 30 years, and there have certainly been times where it slowed way down or I took breaks, … Read more
Greg Norton (Ultrabomb) SPB: Has the current political climate affected Ultrabomb and did it influence lyrical content? Norton: Yes, absolutely. I’d say 80% of the lyrics for this album were written last summer as Trump was rolling out his gestapo squads, and the media’s lack of response to accurately reporting. Read more
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