Top 10 Most Hilarious Louis C.K. Bits Ever (Well, as of 2017)

Posted in Comedy, Lists with tags , , , , , on 04/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Louis CK, without doubt one of the funniest people on the planet

Whether you love or loathe Louis C.K. – a comedic entertainer so polarizing that there isn’t much room in between – no one can dispute his status as one of the biggest comics of the 21st century. For proof, look no further than how he survived a sex scandal that would’ve put the nail in the coffin of just about any other comic’s career.

Supplying more evidence that his equally raunchy and philosophical sense of humor renders him a teflon comedian, Louis C.K. will notch one of the biggest milestones of his career next month. As he notified subscribers to his email newsletter on Thursday, the ultimate comic’s comic will headline the Netflix Is a Joke festival showcase at the 17,500-capacity Hollywood Bowl. His missive also revealed that he has a new comedy special, Louis CK: Ridiculous, coming at a to-be-determined date this summer.

“My show at the Hollywood Bowl on May 5th will be the very last show of this tour which has taken me around the world and will likely be my last full-scale comedy headline type show for a looong time. I hope you can make it,” Louis C.K. said in a rare instance of sincerity devoid of any wise-crackery.

With that in mind, this writer dug up an out-of-print 2017 list of Louis C.K.’s best routines, non sequiturs and one-liners that preceded the controversy that became ubiquitous in conversations about comedy a mere five months after Monsters & Critics published the piece. Today we’re resurrecting it for your amusement – or disgust, in which case you don’t have to click “continue reading.”

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On Tyranny: Germany-Born Leader of Psych/Shoegazers Lukka Sees Similar Berlin Wall Era Speech Restrictions in US

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , on 04/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Franzi Szymkowiak – vocalist, guitarist and synth player for psych/shoegazers Lukka – joins The Bad Penny to share her unique perspectives of how tyranny is taking root in the U.S. similar to how it did in Germany, where she was born before the Berlin Wall fell. In addition to remembering how the German people were “manipulated by Russian propaganda” after World War II, she recalls stories from her ancestors about even more atrocious acts committed by Hitler against intellectuals and artists.

“Hitler was going against people who could see through his whole ideology and who could think more intellectually about [his regime, philosophy and actions] and convince people that was not the way to go,” Szymkowiak states. “It was way worse at the time because people got executed for raising their opinion against the establishment.”

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Puma Blue Walks Us Through ‘Unnatural’ Processes Behind New LP ‘Croak Dream’

Posted in Interviews with tags , , on 03/28/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Rather than compiling a double album or reimagining material into acoustic form, Puma Blue’s Jacob Allen created two entirely separate albums from the same creative spark. Released a year apart nearly to the day, last February’s antichamber and this past month’s Croak Dream are something of a yin and yang to each other. “antichamber was all about what’s nestled inside you that you’re not ready to look at, whereas Croak Dream feels like an explosion of letting it all hang out and being free—less curated and sheltered with you exposing your soul,” Allen explains.

Read my full interview with the band via FLOOD.

On Tyranny: Voidhämmer Bassist/Vocalist Says ICE Atrocities Backfired, Hardened His Resolve to Be a Better Citizen

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 03/08/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Roger Herrera, bassist/vocalist for Los Angeles’ Voidhämmer, checked in with The Bad Penny on Sunday to talk about Noxious Emissions, the four-song EP that the new death-metal/grindcore band put out in January. When our conversation inevitably turned toward the topic of federal agents invading L.A. Angeles last summer to terrorize and harass residents – regardless of their citizenship or legal status – Herrera seemed equally proud of his neighbors as he is proud of his bandmates.

“If you look at the news for so long, it is definitely maddening,” he said, noting the social strife that is ripping American society apart. “You can become overwhelmed and distraught by everything that’s going on. So you do have to shut that out so you can just go about your day.”

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Who’s the Boss of American Experimental Post-Black Metal? Bosse-de-Nage, That’s Who

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 03/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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.

On Tyranny: Dropkick Murphys Headlining Free ‘Abolish ICE’ Concert in Minneapolis Tonight

Posted in Concert Previews, Essays, Features, News, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , , , , on 03/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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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Top 10 Songs About Dogs: A Tribute to Kristi Noem

Posted in Comedy, Lists with tags , , , , , , , , , , on 03/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Dog Noem GIF by GIPHY News

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)

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On Tyranny: ICE’s Fear Tactics Are Failing, Guitarist for Hardcore Punks Sweat Insists

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , on 03/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

It’s premature to say “don’t sweat ICE”; after all, the masked thugs continue to terrorize American cities and their residents without impunity. But on Wednesday night, The Bad Penny caught up with Justin Smith – guitarist/vocalist for hardcore-punk band Sweat – who alleviated some of our concerns, if only for the time being.

In a relaxed and reasonable conversation, Smith reflected on some of the lame acts of wanna-be aggression he witnessed when agents invaded Los Angeles, where he and his Sweat-y bandmates live. Smith also stated that “I don’t think the U.S. has a stomach for another forever war,” which we all need to hear as the increasingly demented lunatic living on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. involves our country in a criminally absurd war with Iran.

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Puma Blue Says New LP, ‘Croak Dream,’ ‘Feels Like an Explosion of Letting It All Hang Out and Being Free’

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 03/04/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 03/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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.