Brendan Sloan is a visionary multi-instrumentalist who refers to himself on his Bandcamp page as “once gadigal, then kaurna, now graciously living on unceded wurundjeri land, so-called australia.” The man behind the best one-man death-metal band in The Land Down Under touches base with The Bad Penny in the latest edition of our ongoing series, On Tyranny.
The extremely well-informed Sloan provides a university-grade lesson on the history of his country’s genocide against indigenous farmers, encroaching fascism and antisemitism, and threats posed by growing fascist-right and techno-fascist movements in his homeland.
Ever run into a stranger wearing a T-shirt of a band you like, strike up a conversation and realize how much you have in common? That maybe they’re your doppelgänger, even? And then, the deeper you get to know that person, it dawns on you that their taste in music is actually superior to yours? But at that point you’ve already exchanged phone numbers and promised they’ll be your +1 at an upcoming gig you both really wanna see and then you get so nervous about meeting up with them at the show because you know you’ll be distracted from the band’s performance and instead obsess over your inferiority complex to your new amigo to the point that you second-guess whether it was even worth attending said show because it’s induced more anxiety than excitement in the marrow of your bones?
Does that ever happen to you?
We had a hunch Maneka (a.k.a. Devin McKnight of Speedy Ortiz and Grass Is Green) was onto something cool way back in 2017, when we got our mitts on a copy of their debut, Is You Is. Admittedly, we gave it a listen after reading that a description that touted the release as “future-space alien-dream-post punk.” Five years later, Maneka dropped Dark Matters, in which the artist “deftly explored the anxieties of working as a Black man in majority white indie rock spaces,” according to his press materials.
Progressive metalcore marauders Oathbound played along with The Bad Penny earlier this year by participating in our ongoing series Favorite Films. And in that same conversation, the Seattle band provided us with some insights into their new album, Colors In Grey, recently released by Eclipse Records.
Today, we’re rolling out that portion of the interview, as the band gears up for a tour beginning June 18 in Eugene, Oregon. (See the full tour itinerary below,)
“Writing for this album actually started before we released our EP [Until It’s Gone, in September 2024], so there’s some overlap with how Oathbound sounded [then compared with] the evolution of Oathbound post-EP,” guitarist Taylor Harper said.
An aspiring authoritarian regime typically silences dissent gradually over the course of its rule over a country and its populace. But the inverse appears to be occurring with the Trump administration. In yet another sign that the autocratic ambitions of the president and his goons – particularly White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance – are backfiring, more and more artists are publicly denouncing them and their sociopathic ambitions.
In doing so, artists are challenging not only the federal government’s threats of Soviet-style retribution (blacklists, harassment, even imprisonment) but contemporary music fans who bemoan entertainers for voicing their political opinions; a corporate music industry that profits from encouraging their clients to remain politically agnostic, anodyne and antiseptic; and supplicating media moguls, editors and publishers in a shrinking and increasingly conservative-dominated field.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
Los Angeles post-hardcore Nuzzle belong to a very exclusive and special contingent of bands that only made one proper album but left an indelible footprint nonetheless. The band’s releases are limited; three of the four are a live recording, a collection of non-album tracks and a split single. But the fourth, Nuzzle’s first and only proper full-length, was so impactful that it warranted a 30th anniversary edition reissue late last year. The new version of Follow, for Now features a remixed sound that makes even more clear why the band made its mark despite its short lifespan.
Much to our delight, Nuzzle’s bassist – Simon Fabela – expressed interest in participating in The Bad Penny‘s ongoing Pet Sounds series. A cat lover through and through, take a gander at smile-inducing pics of his cats, Butter and Stormy, as well as some commentary Fabela provided in the form of answers to questions we sent him.
