The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Queen, The Police, R.E.M. and dozens more artists (except Coolio) were cool with, and sometimes even flattered by, “Weird Al” Yankovic parodying their songs. But perhaps no musician was more delighted by the comical accordion player and singer parodying one of his songs than Kurt Cobain.
Continue reading‘Weird Al’ Yankovic Could’ve Parodied Lots More Nirvana Songs After Spoofing ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’
Posted in Comedy, Features, Videos with tags Kurt Cobain, Nirvana, Weird Al, Weird Al Yankovic on 06/03/2026 by Kurt OrzeckTwo Cent Review: Black Lung’s ‘Forever Beyond’
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Black Lung on 06/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
With Forever Beyond, the title of which alludes to their limitless ambitions, Black Lung have fully embraced their psychedelic proclivities. In doing so, their experimentalism reaches greater heights than ever before; such exploratory tendencies are one of the main characteristics of psychedelic music. Somewhat similar to Jason Spaceman embellishing and expanding his vision for Spiritualized with each successive album, Black Lung incorporated not only the aforementioned add-ons but also the bouzouki and cello on Forever Beyond.
Continue readingTwo Cent Review: Elder’s ‘Through Zero’
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Elder on 06/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
With their seventh LP, heavy psych-rockers Elder demonstrate what experimental majesty a band can create when they’ve spent two decades working to play together on the same wavelength.
Continue readingDoppelgängers: Robert Plant and Pink Mountaintops’ Stephen McBean
Posted in Doppelgängers, Features with tags Led Zeppelin, Pink Mountaintops, Robert Plant, Stephen McBean on 06/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
I mean, kinda, right?
Exclusive: Nightrage Chief Reflects on Deceased Friend Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates: ‘I Still Have Him in My Heart’
Posted in Exclusives, In Memorium, Interviews with tags Anders Friden, At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Exhumation, In Flames, Marios Iliopoulos, melodic death metal, Mikael Stanne, Nightrage, Tomas Lindberg on 06/01/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Nine months after his shockingly sudden death, tears are still being shed for Tomas Lindberg, frontman of massively influential Swedish metal band At the Gates. One of the most well-read, warmhearted and respected musicians in melodic death metal – regardless of country – his skills remain unparalleled and might not be bested for quite some time. In the months subsequent to his passing, metal icons who – like Lindberg – were instrumental in giving birth to MDM in Scandinavian have publicly professed their sadness over his loss.
The latest member of MDM royalty to join the chorus and sing the praises of Lindberg is Greece’s greatest contribution to melodic death metal: Marios Iliopoulos. He helped develop the subgenre during his nine years playing lead guitar for Exhumation, then developed even more acclaim for his subsequent band Nightrage, which he co-founded with Gus G of Firewind in the same year that Exhumation split: 2000.
Continue reading10 Best Swedish Heavy Bands Ever, According to Native Sons Prime Creation
Posted in Interviews, Lists, Videos with tags Arch Enemy, At the Gates, Candlemass, Evergrey, In Flames, Meshuggah, Opeth, Prime Creation, Yngwie Malmsteen on 06/01/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
When we rolled out our list of the top 20 melodic death metal bands from Sweden in mid-December, little did we know that had opened up a Pandora’s Box that released a “spirited” debate among fans of heavy music from Scandinavia. That led us to release a “10 Best Finnish Melodeth Bands Ever” rundown several months later. But around the same time, we interviewed red-hot Finnish hard-rockers the Feral Kids, and they gave us their own list of the best metal bands that Finland has ever produced.
It was at that point that we came to our senses: top 10 lists are all the rage these days, and that fine and dandy – but the people putting together those lists should be the ultimate authorities on what they’re ranking. Ergo, we have reached out to bands from foreign lands to learn from them which musical acts from their home countries really belong on GOAT lists.
Today, Swedish progressive power-metal band Prime Creation pipe up with what they consider to be the best heavy bands that originated from their homeland, with comments from drummer Kim Arnell. While many of the selections on their list overlap with the groups we named as our favorite Swedish melodeth acts, Prime Creation’s list contains a few bands that belong to a different subgenre – and one that isn’t even considered to be a metal band (hint: Their biggest song was also the favorite tune of Gob Bluth in Arrested Development.)
1. In Flames
They have their own style and act as a bridge between death metal and heavy metal. Irresistible growls, unforgettable songs – and they make 60,000 people jump up and down at the same time.
2. Candlemass
Masters of doom. Unique sound. So dark and heavy. Nightfall is one of my favorite records of all time.
Future Islands’ ‘From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Future Islands on 06/01/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Synthpop outfit Future Islands celebrate 20 years together by propping up their lesser known material, affirming the value of these cutting-room-floor songs that the band knew they had all along.
Continue readingBest New Music Videos (May 2026): José González, Aaron MF Olson, Hayley and the Crushers, Downtown Boys
Posted in Lists, Videos with tags Aaron MF Olson, Bad Stuff, Bed, Downtown Boys, Fatal Vision, Hayley and the Crushers, José González, Julia Wolf, NOVA Riot, TVOD on 05/31/2026 by Kurt OrzeckEnjoy The Bad Penny‘s latest roundup of the best music videos that caught our eye over the course of this month. They feature animatronic robots, cartoons of dogs, a psychedelic swirl of colorful flowers, a seven-minute short film and flashy costumes galore.
1. José González‘s “Losing Game (Sick)“
2. Aaron MF Olson’s “Who Do You Think You Are I Am?”
26 Free Bandcamp Downloads #13 (Steroid Edition): Multiple DLs From Gottlieb, Nequient, Thou, Malevich
Posted in Lists, MP3s with tags Fireball Ministry, Fuzz Evil, Gottlieb, Malevich, Mos Generator, Mothership, Nequient, Ripple Music, Thou, Wino on 05/30/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
We injected steroids into the 13th and latest installment of our Bandcamp Freebies series. Let us explain: Whereas the installments typically feature one pay-what-you-want single, EP or LP by each of the 10 bands featured in them, this time we’re providing between two to 11 downloads per artist. But because one post can only swell so much before it becomes unwieldy, we’re only spotlighting five great artists this time around. Nonetheless, this is still the meatiest edition in the series, so let’s not waste any more time and get to it.
(Note: If you’re financially capable of supporting any of these artists and/or labels, please consider doing so.)
1. Gottlieb
Of all the artists who have participated in our On Tyranny series, anarcho-punk band Gottlieb proved themselves to be hyper-informed about the threat of fascism and the importance of staving off its spread in the U.S. Their motto is “Get active or get out of punk,” and we couldn’t agree more.
Continue readingFrom the Vault: That Time USA Today Quoted Me in an Article About the Music Industry’s Freakout Over Downloads
Posted in Esoterica with tags USA Today on 05/30/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
I have a strict policy against telling anyone reading this website that I am 47 years old. (Oops.) But my age is relevant to this post because I recently stumbled across a USA Today article in which I was quoted a music editor with a finger on the pulse of the industry. (In reality, I was more of an authority on where to score grocery coupons than on music.)
The USA Today article discussed the music industry’s attempts to ward off music downloading, which at the time was a new phenomenon catching on like AI has in recent years: at hyper-speed, with even the music industry powers-that-be having no idea where the new technology would lead us.
Here is the article in full.
Continue reading
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