Archive for the Interviews Category

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On Tyranny: Fuck Money Drummer Tells ICE and Billionaires to Fuck Off

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags on 02/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

There 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.

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Pet Sounds #78: Ponte del Diavolo’s ‘Mascot’ Dog Passes Out at Metal Shows, Pees on Pillows

Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags , , , on 02/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Doom/black metal band Ponte del Diavolo are about to gift the world with their second full-length, De Venom Natura, a week from tomorrow. But perhaps even more meaningful to the Italian crew is their beloved English Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Spettro. As a spokesperson for the band who is part of the Season of Mist family, Spettro’s hobbies include sleeping in bed with his human parents, running in the mountains, shaking his butt, eating cat food, Harry Potter, cooking and supervising Ponte del Diavolo’s load-ins at venues.

We caught up with Krhura Abro, one of the band’s bassists, to discuss the big bugger.

How did Ponte del Diavolo cross paths with Spettro?

Spettro (translated “Ghost”) came into our lives about 10 years ago. He belonged to a guitarist friend of ours (who currently plays with the metal band Strega) and is part of a litter of six. He was adopted by our singer Erba del diavolo, who I was living with at the time. After almost five years, when I moved into another flat, he came to live with me. Shortly after, we formed the band and from the very beginning Spettro became our rightful mascot.

Given Spettro’s human-esque hobbies and preoccupations, does he pay rent?

Absolutely yes, payment in kisses.

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On Tyranny: South American Post-Punks Pilgrims Worried About Touring US Amid ICE Atrocities

Posted in Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags on 02/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Imagine 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.

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Favorite Films: Dummy Give Thumbs-Up to ‘Psycho Goreman,’ ‘Megan,’ ‘Creep,’ ‘Nosferatu’

Posted in Favorite Films, Features, Interviews with tags , , , , , , , , , on 01/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Last March, we had the pleasure of catching up with L.A.-based psych-pop band Dummy ahead of their set at Treefort Music Fest in Boise. In addition to talking about their second album, Free Energy, and accompanying remix LP, Bubbelibrium DLC, Alex Ewell and Joe Trainor – each of whom plays multiple instruments – talked about their favorite movies. We present you with that portion of our conversation, if you’re looking for something worth watching this weekend.

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Serpent Column Commander Almost Ended Band Due to Injury, Now Recoils at Idea of Quitting

Posted in Interviews with tags on 01/16/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“Born out of and in homage to the necessity of irrational purposive activity, the still-pregnant and inadequately mapped labyrinths of absolute idealism, the tragic potential of human Dasein, and the Promethean flame inherent in all acts of creativity.”

That’s a lofty way to describe Serpent Column’s Aion of Strife, a statement presented on the Detroit-are project’s Bandcamp page. But it’s well-earned, as anyone with two functioning ears will discover upon listening to the record, which is equal parts transcendent and terrifying. (Fun fact: Snakes don’t have ears!) The ringleader of the black metal band, who goes by “JH,” has honed his music and writing skills over the course of Serpent Column’s nine-year existence.

The group’s vocalist, Mike Tibbits, has a great deal to say, as evidenced by today‘s release of Aion of Strife. Turns out so does JH, with whom The Bad Penny had the good fortune to converse about a month ago. He says Serpent Column on the whole addressed “an ancient brain creature in a modern civilization.”

Here’s The Bad Penny‘s full interview with Serpent Column:

For more info on Serpent Column, and to get yerself a copy of Aion of Strife, go to its Bandcamp page.

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Pet Sounds #77: The Truth About Thrill Jockey Publicity Director Mike Boyd’s Cats And Dogs

Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags , , , , , , on 01/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

The eminently likable Mike Boyd isn’t just the Director of Publicity at arguably Chicago’s strongest indie-rock label, Thrill Jockey, founded in 1992. Nor is he only the vocalist/guitarist for heavy trio Stander. He also plays guitar at live performances by experimental black metal band Genital Shame. Oh, and he two cats and a dog to boot.

Drilling into the nuts and bolts, Nikola is a gray and white tabby, whereas Mugen is an orange tabby.

“They’re brothers, and they’ll be turning 14 this year,” Boyd told The Bad Penny. “My dog, Saoirse, is a pit bull, and I am unsure about her actual age. But. based on the estimates from when I rescued her, I would guess she’s about 9 years old.

Without further ado, let’s take a gander at Boyd’s three adorable amigos.

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Eugene S. Robinson: The Outsider of All Outsiders

Posted in Interviews with tags , , , on 01/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

In early September, we presented part of an extensive interview with Eugene S. Robinson, one of the most uncompromising, forthright and no-bullshit rock musicians around. That piece mostly revolved around his decision to leave the United States for Spain; if you want to know the reasons why, go here.

But today, Post-Trash published the conversation in virtually its entirety, covering Robinson’s plethora of music projects, his strict adherence to a set of principles and practices, and how he envisions his future unfolding. Read the lengthy interview with Robinson – whose credits include Buñuel, Oxbow and Whipping Boy – here.

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On Tyranny: Singer/Songwriter Gail Swanson Is Folking Sick About ICE Brutality, King Trump

Posted in Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , , , , on 01/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Our parents and grandparents had Thurgood Marshall. Now it’s looking like we’re going to have martial law.

Earlier today, Gail Swanson – a cool, collected but also furious folk artist – participated in The Bad Penny’s tragically ongoing series called On Tyranny. As has been the case with almost every edition we publish, it seems like the Trump administration and MAGA have just terrorized or are about to terrorize the American populace with a calamity, catastrophe or cataclysm that may take decades, centuries or even longer to repair.

But while the majority of us seem to be in despair over our powerlessness, not just over the fascist regime that now rules over us, Swanson is refusing to give in to hopelessness and galvanize herself into action more than ever before.

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Shearling’s Elizabeth A. Carver Finds Glimmers of Hope in America’s Decline

Posted in Interviews, Videos with tags , , on 01/14/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Praise be the wind

And the filth on it’s back

Paint the inside of my hallow body in holy mural

Like a gunshot wound crater

Like a Rothko

Like a fox pissing in a ditch

Her lungs inundated

She will try to cut the back of the wind she rides

Singing out…

Elizabeth A. Carver’s “I Commit to You God”

Consider for a moment how many songs and albums musicians create every single day or every single year. To put a twist on an the oft-used idiom, “finding a needle in a haystack” is almost laughable compared to finding musical gems in today’s infinite galaxy of songs (largely because the vast majority of them can be streamed or purchased for free).

But to cop from another cliché, great music can still bubble to the surface, if it’s remarkably captivating, if the artist takes pride in their craft and if they work hard enough chiseling it to perfect. Oh, and there’s that small matter of working hard too. Even amid the Internet Apocalypse, which continues to be sold to us as a means allowing every musician of however negligible quality to “make it big,” there are still glimmers of hope that transcend the terrible, trendy trappings of the modern era and give us hope that maybe, just maybe, every facet of creative endeavors isn’t rigged.

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On 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 , , , , , , 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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