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Retirement

Bike Shop

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • March 23, 2025

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 Golden Pliers and how that world intersects with his outlet. Retirement will release Attention Economy this spring (Iron Lung Records) and will tour along the North American west coast (dates below). Scene Point Blank: First, what is your job title? Walk us through an "average day," if such a thing exists. Kevin Purcell: Co-Owner/Lead Mechanic An average day at Golden Pliers consists of checking folks in for any repair needs, listening to the customer's concerns and assessing their bicycle for the repair at hand, and making suggestions (if needed) for any additional work. I answer emails, order items for our inventory or for custom builds, field questions and concerns from our staff, research new vendors, and do a lot of front-facing customer service stuff like fixing flats or helping someone pick out the right lock or lights for their bike. Scene Point Blank: You mostly do repair, right? Then sell a few bikes and have an in-house drink counter? Kevin Purcell: Yes, we mostly do bicycle repair, but we are also known for our custom bike builds and stocking a variety of fun/non-traditional bike shop stuff like knives, slingshots, used … Read more

Sumu

Individual Coach

Interviews / Don't Quit Your Day Job • February 28, 2025

There are a lot of misconceptions about the life of a musician. Most musicians have day jobs – and not … Read more

Peter Jesperson

Interviews • February 28, 2025

There is perhaps no bigger music fan than Peter Jesperson. His passion for music translated to jumping feet first and … Read more

Channel 3's Mike Magrann

Interviews • February 28, 2025

What's not to love about driving across North American highways in a well-used van, drinking copious amounts of beer, blaring … Read more

Latest album reviews — browse all

Deseos Primitivos

Lineas de Muerte
Shadowplay Records (2025)

Some reviews are written after years of listening to a band and knowing nearly everything about them. Sometimes I listen to a record on repeat for weeks before I even look up the correct song titles – Deseos Primitivos (Primitive Desires) is the latter. This promo came to SPB as literally a one sentence quote about the band and its … Read more

The Men

Buyer Beware
Fuzz Club Records (2025)

I wanna say the first time I heard Brooklyn NY’s The Men was back in 2010, ironically around the time I moved back to Vancouver, Canada from Brooklyn. I don’t recall having seen or heard of them when I lived there but that is not surprising. One of the reasons I moved back was that I wasn't going out much. … Read more

Detention

Dead Rock ‘N’ Rollers
Left For Dead Records (2024)

Life ain’t so easy in the detention home- Dead Boys. Emerging from the underbelly of Jersey, made up primarily of three brethren. Raised on rock and roll and sipping from the chalice of early punk rock stalwarts like Da Bruddahs from Queens, Hey Ho! and the Pistoleros of Sexual Nature screaming banshees from across from the large pond. Thus forging … Read more

Nightfreak

Nightfreak
Big Neck Records (2024)

Semi-feral punk outfit NightFreak are back with a self-titled LP filled with breakneck riffs and 70s metal bombast. The Chicago group haven’t slowed down since 2022’s Speed Trials but they have filled out. NightFreak the album is lousy with warm back beats and melodic guitars; although, hardcore vocals and tight drums still reign supreme. Album opener “Blackout” is dead serious … Read more

Additional album reviews

Death By Unga Bunga

Raw Muscle Power
Jansen Records (2025)

I’m pretty sure I became aware of Mike Krol when The Whiffs posted about playing some shows with him. Krol is a bit of an anomaly. Not only is he … Read more

200 Words Or Less

Celebration Summer

A Little Less Numb
Den of Wax (2024)

I get a lot of music here at SPB and, unfortunately, my memory isn’t perfect. But I consider it a good sign when my first thought on hearing a new … Read more

Gus Baldwin & The Sketch

The Sketch
Permanent Teeth (2025)

When The Sketch opens, I find myself quickly thinking of “Got The Time” by Joe Jackson. For the most part, that comparison fades by the time the power chords kick … Read more

Chat Pile

Cool World
Flenser (2024)

The great American experiment has a wide range of experiences, but it tends to focus on the coasts. There are countless dystopian pieces of art, often culling from a Warriors-esque … Read more

The Anomalys

Down The Hole
Slovenly (2024)

If I have to give the elevator pitch, I’ll call The Anomalys garage rock with an ear for surf and psyche rock -- turned up to 11 and blasted through … Read more

Pinhead Gunpowder

Unt
1-2-3-4 Go! Records (2024)

Pinhead Gunpowder began in 1990, recording a 7” in 1991. The band last released a 7” in 2008… Until late 2024 when the band returned with the 14-song full-length Unt. … Read more

The Cure

Songs of a Lost World
Capitol, Fiction, Lost Music, Polydor/Universal (2024)

It's been sixteen years since The Cure released their last album. I don't know if anyone really knew what to expect, but it's one of the most influential bands in … Read more

City Mouse

So Far Out
Brassneck Records, It's Alive (2024)

There are few bands that hit with the mix of raw emotion and musical talent as a live City Mouse show. There are even fewer bands that can capture that … Read more

News headlines — browse all

SPB stream: Righteous Propaganda/Mycelium Cloak

Posted in Records on April 1, 2025

Just released in February, SPB’s featured stream for the month of March is a fierce and heavy split LP between Illinois bands Righteous Propaganda and Mycelium Cloak, out now -- released jointly by the two bands. Righteous Propaganda formed in 2016 in DeKalb and play brutal hardcore befitting of their … Read more

The Blackburns relive their experience at "Video Den"

Posted in Bands on April 12, 2025

A year after releasing debut album The Blackburns (Sell The Heart), Philadelphia, PA band The Blackburns is back with anew single "Video Den." The band, featuring current/former members of Plow … Read more

Dirty Nil dates (+ a Stooges cover w/ Alexisonfire)

Posted in Tours on April 12, 2025

Toronto's The Dirty Nil has announced a US tour, joined by Heart Attack Man, Carpool, and Dear Seattle, kicking things off on June 4 in Pittsburgh, PA. The band also … Read more

Temporary Residence tour dates: Mogwai, EITS, MONO +

Posted in Labels on April 12, 2025

Temporary Residence Limited has shared a listing of upcoming tours from the label roster, including Mogwai, Young Widows, Explosions In The Sky, Party Dozen, Grails, and Pinback with (separate) dates … Read more

It's a Miracleworker

Posted in Records on April 12, 2025

New Brunswick, NH band Miracleworker has shared a new 2-song EP, Set Your Aim, out as of April 10. The indie-punk band features members of Banquets, Ensign, (Damn) This Desert … Read more

A 10-pack of Miller Lowlifes

Posted in Records on April 12, 2025

Miller Lowlifes just released the new record Pinch Hitters, just in time for baseball season. The record came out on April 8 on A.D.D. Records, described by the label lovingly … Read more

Kuma No Motor update

Posted in Tours on April 12, 2025

Long-running Kuma No Motor has shared a new video for the song "Haize Kontra", from Baiona zikina (2003, Dispear Records). While the song itself is not new, the band does … Read more

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