Stars are Falling
The Consequence of Revenge
Blood & Ink (2007)
Sacramento's Stars are Falling are yet another in long line of bands coming out of California and inking a deal with Blood & Ink Records, an imprint of Facedown Records. So you basically know what you are going to get here even before you listen to it. Yup, you guessed it more Jesus loving metalcore that today's sleeveless t-shirt camo … Read more
Stars are Falling / Skylines
Split
Blood & Ink (2005)
Is this what you kids call "screamo" nowadays? I don't know and I don't care. As far as I'm concerned all music should be split into two genres: the one I like and the one I don't. This album would then fall under the second category, well the first band at least. The album is a split between two bands: … Read more
Stars of the Lid
And Their Refinement of the Decline
Kranky (2007)
When it comes to currently running ambient acts, they do not get any more prolific than Stars of the Lid. Having released material since 1995, the duo made up of Brian McBride and Adam Wiltzie have relocated since releasing their last album and absolute masterpiece The Tired Sounds Of... and found themselves living more than 6,000 miles apart. This distance … Read more
Starter Jackets
Dead Malls
Rad Girlfriend Records (2022)
Starter Jackets are a throwback. That’s no surprise given that they’re named after one of those brands that the jerks in my high school wore in the ‘90s. I was more a baggy skater jeans dude, but I’m old enough to get the joke. Moving to the present, with that nod to the past, it’s not surprising that the band … Read more
State Lines
Self Titled
Tiny Engines (2012)
Hailing from Long Island, NY, State Lines come from a long list of notable punk bands who call the area home. They have been quick in establishing themselves as a talented, young band with strong potential. Last year’s Hoffman Manor was a clinic in catchiness with a raw, familiar sound that garnered comparisons to Tigers Jaw and Brand New, but … Read more
Stateside
Phonograph
Action Driver (2004)
Imagine if Limbeck and My Morning Jacket got together for a jam session and you'll be close to how Stateside sounds. Hailing from Tennessee, frontman John Paul Keith has played with heart-throb Ryan Adams, played in The Nevers, and co-founded The V-Roys. Sure the latter you probably know nothing about(shit, neither do I) but you get the point. Phonograph is … Read more
Static Radio (NJ)
An Evening of Bad Decisions...
Black Numbers (2008)
Here's another band that's right up my alley. I know.. I love fellow SPB writer Zach and how he pigeonholes himself with review after review of singer-songwriter types that used be in punk rock type bands - and those bands usually have beards. Nice well groomed beards of awe and lore. I have a beard. One time I was sitting … Read more
Statistics
Leave Your Name
Jade Tree (2004)
Denver Dalley is all over the place. After Desaparecidos went on hiatus, Dalley started to flesh out his own songs in his spare time. He released a self-titled EP in June 2003, and then there was talk of a Desaparecidos reunion. An album and a slot in the 2004 Plea for Peace tour were in the works but schedules clashed, … Read more
Steamachine
City of Death
Records Workshop (2023)
City Of Death is the third album from Polish noise makers Steamachine. Having dabbled in a few metal styles over their career, City Of Death has a heavy carnival influence to it which I have to say I really like. It's interesting just how much more sinister things sound when you pump eerie, jingly circus sounds amongst very dark, heavy, … Read more
Stebmo
Stebmo
Southern Lord (2008)
This is the first solo record from Steve Moore; no this is not the same Steve Moore that is half of the soundscape group Zombi, but rather this is the multi instrumentalist that one can hear and see with Earth since their "comeback" album Hex: Or Printing in the Infernal Method. Stebmo is Steve Moore's first solo album after working … Read more
Stencil
The Dead Lie Golden
Independent (2007)
Hailing from Seattle, Stencil comes with their debut album The Dead Lie Golden. They have touted themselves as an orchestral indie band which draws stylistically from established artists such as Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Really now, if your band could successfully draw from all those artists, your band would be a musical juggernaut, maybe even revolutionary … Read more
Stereotyperider
Songs in the Keys of F & U
Suburban Home (2009)
I've had a long-standing career of completely ignoring Stereotyperider even though friends have made valiant attempts to reassure me that I would like this band. I kept hearing whispers of Samiam, Seaweed, and other great rock bands from the 90's. So when I saw a promo for Songs in the Keys of F & U was available for review I … Read more
Steve Adamyk Band
Dial Tone
Dirtnap (2014)
This is Dirtnap Records.Not to pigeonhole anybody, but man does Steve Adamyk Band hit on that pop structure, garage chaos element that defines the label.Dial Tone is the fourth full-length out of Canada’s Steve Adamyk Band and I reviewed Third a while back. This time around, the band continues their well-crafted, energetic and generally positive vibes in the same fashion. … Read more
Steve Adamyk Band
Third
Dirtnap (2013)
Sometimes calling something the “[insert record label]” sound is meant in a derisive way. Before the clichés came home, however, it was also used to complement a label’s stable for having some unique defining qualities. That’s where Steve Adamyk Band fits with their Dirtnap Records home. The general style that SAB plays can be summed up in a few distinct … Read more
Steve Hackett
Genesis Revisited II
Inside Out (2012)
This (entirely too long) review is part of my coverage of the 2013 Progressive Music Awards, on 3 September. I fully admit, before I even listened to this album, I actively disliked it. For one, musical sequels are rarely as good as the original (as I've mentioned before). For another, it's a covers album--and we at Scene Point Blank are … Read more
Steve Reich
WTC 9/11
Nonesuch (2011)
Steve Reich occupies a weird place in modern music. He's one of the most-respected modern classical composers and right on the cusp of the avant-garde, winning prestigious accolades like a Pulitzer and a Grammy. Yet at the same time, he's something of a rock star in the classical world. He writes pieces that successfully connect with a younger generation of … Read more
Steve Von Till
A Grave is a Grim Horse
Neurot (2008)
For those who do not know who Steve Von Till is, Von Till is a guitarist and vocalist in the seminal outfit Neurosis. And while that band is one of the heaviest bands on the planet, Von Till's solo records are dark, folk-esque experiences which are stark portraits into a different side of the man that produces them. His solo … Read more
Steve Von Till
A Life Unto Itself
Neurot Recordings (2015)
I had always found it amazing how both Scott Kelly and Steve Von Till were able to separate the different musical modes that defined. Obviously at the top of the pyramid, for both guys, stands Neurosis, being the focal point of the experimental mindset. But both Kelly and Von Till had other projects throughout the years that would allow them … Read more
