For a band that’s played fewer than 20 gigs in their 15-year existence, scoring an interview with the vocalist for Bosse-de-Nage was quite the get for yours truly. Bryan Manning spoke about the eight-year gap between the experimental black metal band’s last album and their new record Hidden Fires Burn Hottest—and shared what his dream concert would entail. Read my short-but-sweet interview with Manning at FLOOD.
Have you noticed an extra bounce in your dog’s step today? Chalk it up to them hearing the news about the firing of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The first Trump regime to be fired in his second term is an avowed dog killer, a corruption queen, a cosplay doofus and an all-around nitwit.
The sociopathic Noem also relished joining ICE as they invaded cities and terrorized residents. In honor of her outrageously sickening and shameful acts, here are 10 songs that likely aren’t on her Spotify list and provide a fitting sendoff to Noem:
1. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (Stooges)
One of the most curious, foreboding and even alarming trends that arose and continues to metastasize amid the Trump regime’s incalculable atrocities can be summed up in one sentence: Where are all the punk bands?
The bread and butter of punk music is – or at least was – an anti-establishment sentiment shared by young people who galvanized to fight en masse against injustices like racism, sexism and class warfare. In fact, the punk movement was so furious, potent and desperate for social and political change that they almost indisputably played a critical role in the last quarter of the 20th century.
From the Sex Pistols publicly taking the piss out of Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher due to the latter’s ruthless rule to railing against bobbies to figuratively spitting on conservative politicians, punk bands played an integral role in transforming their stomping grounds into a more accepting, and therefore freer, version of itself.
American punks also impacted their own culture around the same time as the Brits were fighting the good fight – look no further than Black Flag, Misfits and Circle Jerks for proof. Instead, look at what’s happening today, during one of the most horrific and terrifying periods in the last decade of American history.
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Piqued to learn more about how Puma Blue went about putting together their latest record, FLOOD handed the mic over to main man Jacob Allen so he could shed some light on each Croak Dream song.
Gaupa’s Fyr is a masterwork of an EP that aims impossibly high and yet achieves a stratospheric stature rare for a short-player. Now, that may seem antithetical that it’s more difficult to craft an EP, given that they tend to be about half as long as their counterparts. Authors face a similar conundrum: can anyone who avidly reads literature claim with a straight face that there are more perfect short stories than there are novels? Of course not, and any argument to the contrary is effectively a denial of an objective truth. Read my full review of Gaupa’s Fyr on Veil of Sound.
Gently playful with a fire burning underneath, singer/songwriter Mirah’s first record in seven years signifies her devotion to the craft of making music, whether the light in her career is burning bright or dim. Read my full review on FLOOD.
The Bad Penny revolves almost entirely around music – the intended goal of this website upon its launch many, many years ago. But with politics having now infiltrated every aspect of our lives, that lofty goal seems utterly unrealistic. To that end, we debuted a series called On Tyranny, in which musicians share their feelings, concerns and fears about how fascist rule could eventually lead to targets on their backs.
Today, we bring you an essay by yourself truly that may seem intangible to Trump’s fascist takeover but actually applies to all artists and fans thereof. Thanks to the top-most coordinators of Idaho 50501 – each of whom are waaaay smarter than this writer – the bold and ambitious community-organizing effort is growing exponentially and passionately.
To that end, go to Idaho 50501’s website to read an essay I wrote fairly recently to support the cause: “Trump: The Most Destructive Baby Ever.”
(Full disclosure: This writer is a proud member of Idaho 50501, and the group initially published this essay on Jan. 18.)
Astute listeners, after hearing the entirety of this Remember Sports album, will realize they just heard 12 songs with 12 choruses; and that they weren’t subjected to anger, fear or really any ill feeling on The Refrigerator—just joy, thoughtfulness, happiness and reflection. Read my full review via Treble.
Cat Power is the real deal, and she’s achieved what every artist should aspire to: letting their work speak for itself. Of course, Cat Power (a.k.a. Chan Marshall) isn’t the only artist playing in a league of artists who eschew placating the masses in favor of staying true to themselves, but what makes Cat Power so irresistibly charming is her lyrics, musicianship, live performances, and the cleverness that she lets linger below the surface. Redux (The Greatest 20th Anniversary) proves that theory to be correct. Read my full review of the compilation courteously of Post-Trash.
The Bad Penny (beta) 