Loren

FEST 23 takes place later this month, from Oct. 24-26 in Gainesville, FL. Something like a billion bands are driving, flying, canoeing, and snowshoeing to the festival from across the country -- many of them for the first time and many come back to play nearly every year. Scene Point Blank has traveled to “over half” of them (we’ve lost … Read more

Are you ready for The Fest!? While we’re pretty sure you’re already counting down days until your trek to Gainesville, FL, we’ve got some Fest games for you to play, including a few samples from this year’s performers. Click here to play FEST LIBS -- like a fill-in-the-blanks word game about all things Fest! We have 8 different options to … Read more

For close to a quarter-century punk fans have flocked to Florida for The Fest. Boasting a lineup of 300+ bands and roughly a dozen venues these days, the festival has grown, shifted and evolved. For several years the main stage has been in a large downtown park called Bo Diddley Plaza, named for the influential musician and one-time Gainesville resident. … Read more

Remember Election Day 2024? Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you've blocked it out. That's fair, but there was one pleasant surprise that day: a new EP from Wisconsin's Arms Aloft. It took a while to claw out of the darkness in November, then Year End 2024 coverage took over the Scene Point Blank editorial calendar but now we caught up with … Read more

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. Enjoy! Read more

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 … Read more

Sometimes I get all introspective and ask myself why I do this. Not very often, but the answer is always because I like music. It's that simple. I like to discover new stuff and I like to share it. Every year, the staff at Scene Point Blank sink a ton … Read more

Vices, outlets, escapes... I'm not sure where things are at here in November of 2024. But as we battle our demons and look for meaning, or escape, music is a blessing. Here's a new playlist. Many of these artists have been covered at Scene Point Blank, mixed in with tracks … Read more

Bay Area bands Piss Mist and Sterile Eyes will release a split 7" next month, out on Nov. 14 with a release show scheduled at The Rat Backwards Warehouse in Berkeley, CA on Nov. 15. Piss Mist is described as hardcore with some metal flourishes, whereas Sterile Eyes, on the … Read more

December 1 is the release date for Blessing of the Damned, the debut album from Swedish doom-metal trio Hexjakt -- a heavy and sludge-leaning band that formed a year ago and released an EP in early 2025. The new full-length will release on Majestic Mountain Records / Burning Skull Records. … Read more

Weakened Friends are bringing their live show the the West Coast, with the band announcing a 2026 run that will be in partnership with The Ally Coalition (TAC) -- donating $1 per ticket to the LGBTQ+ youth organization. The band released Feels Like Hell earlier this year on Don Giovanni … Read more

Reunited Cleveland, OH punk band Whatever... just announced a run of dates throughout California in October-November. Along with the announcement but band also unveiled a video for "Our Decline," which appears on the band's Darker Days album released this May (Dr. Strange Records. Originally active from 1991-1997, the band reformed … Read more