Band Spotlights

The realization hit somewhere in the middle of Ikana’s recent homecoming show in San Diego. The room already moved like people understood something bigger was happening. Bodies crashed into each other in the pit while others (including me) screamed every word back toward the stage, completely locked into the moment. It did not feel like […]

Pennsylvania’s The Preps are back with their new EP, Unstoppable, on Fool Records. The Preps have been making melodic hardcore for thirty years and this latest release, their first in over fifteen years is a great addition to their discography. Knocking out six songs in fifteen minutes, Fatlou and crew have put together a record […]

Waverly Cayo spotlights local Chicago punk band YABAI — the new generation of hardcore.

It gets pretty busy here at Dying Scene and sometimes we forget that we have cool things like our Band Spotlight segment where we highlight lesser known, emerging bands that our readers need to know about. Then a band like Circa 40 comes along and they’re so fucking good that it reminds us that we […]

Rounding out our band interviews for HOOF we have The Daddy Sisters, frequent Dying Sceners Sweetie, The Cell Phones and Second City Seance who graciously hopped on the bill at the last minute! Be sure to check out our interviews with Sparkling Urbana, Carnivore Mommy and Peach Vomit plus an in-depth interview with Boybrain! Sweetie […]

I was recently able to sit down with Chicago-based punk band Boybrain, who happen to be tied for the number one spot on my favorite local bands list. The band has a new single, “Ratmouth,” coming out this October; watch for it on your favorite streaming services. You can see them perform at Hands Off […]

In anticipation for H.O.O.F., the one day music festival celebrating the women, femmes and thems of the Chicago punk scene, we are interviewing and spotlighting some of the awesome bands playing this year. We have Sparkling Urbana, Peach Vomit and Carnivore Mommy today! If you are in the Chicago area we better see you there […]

Happy Friday, friends! There’s a lot of awesome new releases out today, but I’ve made the executive decision to shine the spotlight – the Dying Scene Band Spotlight, that is 😉 – on one record in particular. That record is Hurry Up and Wait! This is the third full-length entry in Canadian pop-punk band Wasting […]

Ian MacDougall is best known as a member of Riverboat Gamblers and Band of Horses. However, another of his bands, Broken Gold will be releasing new music in 2024. Per the band’s press release: “The record is a real ATX affair, with Ian being backed by members of Alejandro Escovedo’s band, Black Books, and Del-Vipers, […]

Sweetie is a Chicago-based lipstick-punk band with a femme fatale ferocity and a French influence. Voted a Top 5 Punk Band in the Chicago Reader two years in a row, Sweetie has found a niche in playing shows in the punk scene and drag shows alike, including venues such as the Metro, Green Mill, The […]