Among those who belong on indie-rock’s Mount Rushmore, J. Robbins – Jawbox frontman, hardcore godfather and one of the most prolific rock producers of all time – is an undeniable front-runner. Respected by all and disliked by none, the workaholic legend graciously carved out some time to participate in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series.
He touched on what a bummer it is to share the same birthday as Donald Trump; how tech bros are aiding and abetting – if not puppeteering – the fascist takeover of America; and, in true hardcore DIY fashion, reminded musicians and fans alike that the war can be won if we empower ourselves to rise up and topple those terrorizing this country.
Amid an ongoing hiatus by his primary band, post-grunge noisemakers Metz, Alex Edkins spends Hoopla staying laser-focused on addressing the emotional roller coaster that is a failing romantic relationship, the breakup itself and where exes then find themselves. The result is a Weird Nightmare record far more honest, direct and intimate.
The 12th and latest installment of The Bad Penny‘s Bandcamp Freebie series features our strongest offering of free music to date. In addition to pay-what-you-want releases by a handful of artists that the site has featured (and thus recommended) in various posts, there’s only two singles among the bunch. The rest are full-lengths and short-players that the bands we’re featuring deserve hi-fives for posting for no cost on Bandcamp. So, without further ado, let’s dig in.
(Note: If you’re financially capable of supporting any of these artists and/or labels, please consider doing so.)
Ahead of the Tigers Jaw’s North American tour supporting their new LP, Lost on You, vocalist/keyboardist Brianna Collins shares how the pop-punk band continues to blaze new trails after 20 years together.
Earlier today, we introduced you to Helsinki’s brand-new, red-hot hard-rockers the Feral Kids, who gifted us with their first video interview with an American music journalist. We dug a little deeper into the band by then running their list of the 10 Best Finnish Bands Ever, in the Kids’ estimation.
The Bad Penny couldn’t resist sharing its own two cents, lest we neglect and even betray our decades-long love for about a dozen bands that hooked and reeled us in over the past two decades. They’re in descending order below. (We narrowed our list to melodeth bands; rank what you know, right?)
Now that you’ve become acquainted with Helsinki’s brand-new, red-hot hard-rockers the Feral Kids – courtesy of The Bad Penny delivering their first video interview with an American music journalist – let’s dig a little deeper and get to know what other bands from their homeland of Finland really make them tick … or rock. Per The Bad Penny‘s request, the band submitted their list of the 10 Best Finnish Bands Ever, which is featured below.
Surprisingly, many of The Bad Penny‘s favorite Finnish acts who call(ed) the country home are not represented on the list: But hey, who are we to say, still having never set foot on the gnarly Nordic country.
Thus, without further ado, here’s the list that the Feral Kids passed along:
In their first video interview with an American music journalist, Helsinki’s brand-new, red-hot hard-rockers the Feral Kids talk about how they came together, what matters most to them as a band, and which Guns N’ Roses song rules above all the rest. The Feral Kids consist of Anti (vocals), Renko (guitar), Wuffe (guitar), Krisu (bass) and Rudy (drums).
If your tastes in music are liberal and erudite enough to encompass Khanate and Yakuza, you are living in sin with each passing moment you fail to avail yourself to Kilter. The instrumental metal-jazz trio from Paris and Brooklyn is counting down the hours till Kilter’s new album, Ten Billion Years, arrives via Excursus Production on June 19.
“A concept album depicting nothing less than the birth and death of our solar system, Ten Billion Years unfolds with cosmic-level grandeur, its instrumental compositions exploring spaces between the sounds of John Coltrane, Sunn O))) and Meshuggah,” reads a statement in press materials about the release. That jibes with us; does it for you?
If you’re sold, mark your calendar for a week from today, when Bandcamp hosts a Ten Billion Years listening party a week from today at 1 p.m. ET. And with that sneak preview still a week away, The Bad Penny is casting the spotlight on the burgeoning band by featuring them in the latest installment of our Favorite Films series. If the title doesn’t give it away, the ongoing feature allows musicians to share their favorite movies ever (and we usually publish it on Saturdays).
Buckle up (especially in the case of the first selection) for the picks that Kilter’s Laurent David (electric bass, production); Ed Rosenberg III (bass and tenor saxophones); and Kenny Grohowski (drums) handpicked for their installment of Favorite Films.
Definitely more horror than comedy, Sam Raimi nonetheless made an indelible mark in a short film that was part of master-of-the-macabre John Carpenter’s 1993’s anthology, Body Bags. (Raimi made a couple of cameos in it; keep yer eyes peeled. Horror king Wes Craven also makes a cameo, and one of the main roles.)
“Stranger,” the new song and video by Dexter and Six Feet Under actor Michael C. Hall’s band Princess Goes, is out today – and The Bad Penny has the honor of debuting it. The track is the first selection from the upcoming full-length by the band, which also features multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Matt Katz-Bohen (Blondie, Cyndi Lauper) and drummer Peter Yanowitz (Wallflowers, Natalie Merchant).
“Stranger” will be available for purchase on all major music providers tomorrow.
The three musicians founded Princess Goes in 2018 after vocalist/lyricist Hall met Katz-Bohen and Yanowitz as they all participated in performances of the acclaimed rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
After forming, the group put out two LPs and an EP. Their third full-length is due later this year and will be preceded by the release of additional singles.
Katz-Bohen touched base with The Bad Penny on Tuesday to exclusively discuss Princess Goes’ new song.
The Bad Penny (beta) 