Loren

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. 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. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene … 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 caught up with Chuck Ragan, known as the gruffest voice of Hot … 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 Kevin Purcell (guitar/vocals) of Retirement about running Portland bike shop … Read more

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. 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. How an artist spends their time by day will influence the creative process at night. In Don’t Quit Your Day Job, Scene … 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

I think I've lamented on this in the past, but one thing I really miss about the tape/cdr era is mixtapes. Playlists offer something similar, fortunately, so I can keep it going when I want to mix things up from writing reviews. This list collects a bunch of stuff I've … Read more

Sonor Dolorosa released a limited bonus EP, Aurora, in tandem with the release of Mond. Now, the band has returned to that EP, issuing a widespread, re-recorded format. Aurora is now streaming with a series of YouTube visualizers (below). Via press release, Andy Julia explains: We made up our minds … Read more

Swedish death metal band Grand Cadaver is back, sharing the single and title track off their new EP, The Rot Beneath. The EP will release on August 15 on Majestic Mountain Records. Majestic Mountain will also offer a limited reissue of the band's debut full-length, Into the Maw of Death, … Read more

Minus the Bear, already planning a 20th anniversary tour for their album Menos El Oso, has added an upcoming vinyl reissue on 2XLP with a 24-page photo journal, coming courtest of Suicide Squeeze Records on August 22 this year. Check out a demo version of "Hooray" from the reissue below. … Read more

The ever-inventive Merzbow has a new album coming out in June, Sedonis, available June 27 via Signal Noise. The Tokyo-based artist has been releasing music until the Merzbow name since 1979. Sedonis is notable created with the same set-up of computer, modular electronics, and homemade instruments used with the Nine … Read more