On Tyranny: The Who Asserted ‘We Won’t Get Fooled Again.’ By Re-electing Trump, We Sure as Hell Did

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

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.)

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Ratboys Are ‘Singin’ to Bigger Rooms

Posted in Interviews with tags on 03/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

After a tour with The Decemberists and a prominent song sync, Chicago indie rockers Ratboys talk dealing with more exposure upon the release of their new LP, Singin’ to an Empty Chair. Read my full FLOOD feature article here.

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On Tyranny Exclusive: ‘Extremist’ Ex-Belarus Musician Discusses Exile in a Warning to All US Artists

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , on 02/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Federal agents scavenging around musicians’ residences in the hopes of finding “extremist materials” so they can imprison them. Government officials branding critics of the president as “terrorists.” Police creating blacklists of musicians and targeting them for harassment, abuse and even worse.

Where are those activities taking place? That we have to stop and think about whether it’s the U.S. or another country should give pause to all American residents. Those anti-democratic measures have been and still are  taking place in Belarus, which dictator Alexander Lukashenko has ruled with an iron fist since July 1994. No other current leader has ruled a European country as long as he has.

In this video, we link up with vocalist, flutist and lyricist Katsiaryna “Nokt Aeon” Mankevich, who recently escaped her Belarus homeland after a court decided music and concert videos by her metal band, Dymna Lotva, were “extremist materials.” The resulting punishment was lifelong banishment from Belarus and potential imprisonment if she returns there.

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Gaupa’s ‘: 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.

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Mirah’s ‘Dedication’: Two Cent Review

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

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.

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Remember Sports’ ‘The Refrigerator’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 03/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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.

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Cat Power’s ‘Redux (The Greatest 20th Anniversary)’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , on 03/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

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.

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Meet Frontman of ‘Egg-Punk’ Band Tacoblaster in His First Interview With an American Rock Critic

Posted in Interviews, Videos with tags , on 02/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

What do exploding tacos, France’s Bordeaux region and a trio of musicians who play so-called “egg punk” music have in common? Well, a five-year-old band called Tacoblaster, of course. 

Based in Bordeaux, the project is led by Tom Caussade — for whom the mere word “multi-instrumentalist” doesn’t do justice to the 11 instruments he plays on his band’s just-released fifth album, Digital Fun-Zone! (Howlin Banana Records). 

In his first interview with an American music journalist, Caussade recalls how the colorful and wacky band came together, and how he landed on the smile-inducing name for it.

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On Tyranny: Lucid Express Singer Says Hong Kong Band’s Parents Are ‘Worried’ About Them Touring U.S.

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , on 02/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

We’re now at a point in American history when we’re no longer wondering if authoritarianism might take hold in the U.S. It already has. Thusly, the conversation is beginning to shift to how our authoritarian government measures up to others around the world in terms of stifling free speech, quelling protests and hijacking the voting process.

Remarkably, The Bad Penny had the unique privilege of interviewing Kim Ho, vocalist and synth player for Hong Kong dream-pop band Lucid Express, to shed some light on those matters and more.

Watch this clip from our recent conversation with the first musician from the Chinese musician to take part in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series and decide for yourself which country is treating its artists better: “democratic” America or China, which is ruled by an authoritarian dictatorship.

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On Tyranny: Minneapolis Still ‘Under Violent Occupation’ Despite ICE Drawdown, Taxpayers Singer Says

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , on 02/16/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

In The Bad Penny‘s first interview with a Minneapolis band since ICE, CBP and other feds invaded their city, we touch base with Rob Taxpayer, a multi-instrumentalist for Minneapolis punk-rock band the Taxpayers. He insists the Trump regime, the media and bad actors on social media are deceiving the general public into thinking the city is back to normal. But in reality, the city looks so much like a war zone that Rob has to frequently remind himself that he is indeed still living in America, he says.

“This federal government is more willing to do stuff without worrying about the consequences of it,” he says. “That’s the difference between the first Trump administration and this one: [Now] They say, ‘Fuck you, we’re going to do this anyway. Fuck the courts. Fuck public opinion. Fuck America. We’re gonna do what we fucking want.'”

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