Creativity is the driving force in the musical works created by Boise rock musician Tyler Schlagenhauf of Mylo Bybee. He recently checked in with The Bad Penny to talk about Trump’s Authoritarian America and the fear that is sweeping across the country (and even the world). Schlagenhauf shares one of the more positive outlooks in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series. “My North Star is that It can’t get to the point where it’s crushing artists’ creativity, because it is that outlet that we’ve seen over and over again can bring people together,” he says.
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On Tyranny: Top 20 Protest/Activist Musicians, From Marvin Gaye to Billie Eilish
Posted in Features, Lists, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Bono, Dolly Parton, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Tom Morello, Woody Guthrie on 02/10/2026 by Kurt OrzeckOn Tyranny: ‘It Feels Like the Deck Is Stacked Against Us … I Wish We Could All Just Get Along,’ Band VTB Says
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags VTB on 02/10/2026 by Kurt OrzeckIt’s true and well-known that most Americans don’t know the nitty-gritty of government and politics. But we can distinguish between what is moral and not, and for that reason, we must fight for what we believe is right. VTB make a case for that claim — which every American should know –– during part of an interview The Bad Penny conducted on Wednesday with the grungy alt-rock-with-a-smattering-of-noise-and-post-punk.
Continue readingOn Tyranny: Fuck Money Drummer Tells ICE and Billionaires to Fuck Off
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags Fuck Money on 02/05/2026 by Kurt OrzeckThere are three types of artists in this world. A small minority refuse to talk about current events, politics and social matters altogether. Another set acknowledges crises and problems happening in their immediate vicinity and/or in other countries. And then there are those who speak out vociferously and take action against clear injustices, especially when they’re occurring locally.
Take a wild guess as to which bracket Austin, Texas’ extreme, iconoclastic, loud-as-hell, 10-on-the-Richter scale band Fuck Money falls into. The four-piece band formed in October 2021, less than a year after Trump’s thugs committed insurrection against our country, and immediately declared their opposition to oppression, fascism and capitalism. For that reason alone, Three One G artists Fuck Money should be lauded at time when American musicians are more cowardly than ever to speak out against the atrocities that the federal government is committing against even its own citizens. After all, taking a position could alienate some of their fans and hurt sales of their concert tickets, records and merch, right?
Fuck Money don’t give a fuck about that shit and are ardent fighters in the resistance. For proof, watch the above interview that The Bad Penny conducted with Fuck Money drummer Alton Jenkins on Monday.
Continue readingOn Tyranny: South American Post-Punks Pilgrims Worried About Touring US Amid ICE Atrocities
Posted in Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags Pilgrims on 02/03/2026 by Kurt OrzeckImagine emigrating with your partner from Chile to Boston, only to witness fascist horrors unfolding in the U.S. similar to those implemented by Augusto Pinochet, the dictator who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. In the latest installment of The Bad Penny’s ongoing series On Tyranny, we talk with the impossibly kind and commendably upbeat Juls Garat and Claudio Marcio of post-punk band Pilgrims (formerly Pilgrims of Yearning) about why they’re unsure touring the States would be safe for them, their new album Gemini (due Feb. 13) and getting a thumbs-up from Robert Smith of The Cure.
On Tyranny: Anarchist Art Collective INDECLINE’s List of Essential Reads
Posted in Features, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, What You Readin' For? with tags authoritarianism, fascism, Hannah Arendt, Indecline, Jaques Ellul, Marshall McLuhan, Michel Foucault, Naomi Klein, On Tyranny, tyranny on 01/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Earlier this week, we brought you an epic conversation with anarchist art collective INDECLINE, who have collaborated with Sleater-Kinney, Cursive, Deaf Club, Rise Against and many more indie luminaries. In addition to chatting us up, INDECLINE shared a list of essential reads for those currently fighting fascism or are curious about the war being waged across the globe.
Continue readingOn Tyranny: An Epic Conversation With Anarchist Art Collective and Cursive Collaborators INDECLINE About Fascism And How You Can Fight It
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags authoritarianism, Cursive, fascism, Indecline, MAGA, On Tyranny, tyranny on 01/12/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
The Bad Penny is embarrassed to admit that we only discovered INDECLINE, an American Anarchist art collective whose work has had tremendous impact on the underground and even the mainstream, for more than 20 years. We caught wind of the group, whose members wish to remain anonymous, after they collaborated with Cursive for their video “The Avalanche of Our Demise,” which the Tim Kasher-led indie-rock band released last month. Upon further investigation into INDECLINE, it became obvious that they would be a boon to On Tyranny, for they would certainly introduce new ideas and perspectives in the series we launched roughly a year ago.
And boy did they ever. Formed in 2001, the decentralized group of musicians, graffiti artists and others have fearlessly devoted themselves to bringing attention to the evils of capitalism, the death of democracy in America – and, on a more positive note, how we can build a better society. INDECLINE’s most prominent works of public art include statues of Donald Trump in the buff, glued to sidewalks; and their “Ku Klux Klowns” installation that served as a response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
We could expound a great deal further on INDECLINE’s history and accomplishments, but much of that information is covered in the longest, boldest and most informative installment in our On Tyranny series. So, without further ado, here is the epic conversation
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