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.
Brooklyn, New York, has no shortage of bands – specifically, ones considered to be of the indie-rock or post-punk persuasion. But while it’s tough to stand out among the crowd, LAPêCHE do so with catchy, addictive songs matched with impressive intellect. That goes for vocalist Krista Holly Diem – who initially incepted LAPêCHE as a solo project 10 years ago – guitarist Drew DeMaio, drummer Colin Brooks and bassist Dave Diem (Krista’s husband).
Enthusiastic about participating in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series, Diem’s critical thinking skills were on full display in a Zoom conversation that took place a month ago. The interview began with Diem providing some background on LAPêCHE and commenting on the band’s their third LP, the recently released Autotelic (Tiny Engines). (The album title implies having a purpose in and not apart from itself, according to Merriam-Webster.)
The interview then segued into Diem waxing philosophical and sharing his profound-yet-crystal-clear beliefs about art:
“Music and art connects us, brings us together, so I think that creating art is an overtly political act, a form of radical compassion,” he said. ” ‘Radical acceptance,’ to me, is being mindful and responsive to a situation rather than being reactive. Acceptance … is really being honest and truthful about the situation, and then taking [the next right] action [that] keeps in mind yourself and how you impact others.”
Dallas trio Temptress – which feature Andi Cuba on drums and vocals, Kelsey Wilson on guitar and vocals, and Christian Wright on bass and vocals – have come a long way since forming seven years ago. The trio have cranked out two LPs (SEE in March 2023 and hear in January of this year) as well as an EP (Temptress in June 2019) that coherently and rivetingly mash up their love of old-school metal, alt-rock and post-rock into a distinct sound that’s all their own.
Perhaps even more impressively, Cuba, Wilson and Wright – all of whom were already tour vets when they formed Temptress – have developed a marathon-runner-esque endurance for spending time on the road. Already deep into a long series of dates supporting hear, the band makes a pit stop at Realms Arcade in Boise tonight for what will be, as anyone who’s seen them before will attest, a spellbindingly smashing good gig.
In anticipation of the concert, we caught up with Wright yesterday as the band was between gigs in Spokane, WA, and Moscow, ID.
Of all the musicians that have participated in The Bad Penny‘s ongoing On Tyranny series, two musicians with whom we spoke on Thursday seemed to be the most informed, smartest and amped-up when it comes to fighting fascism. If you’re seeking the most educational videos in this 125-plus-part series, don’t miss this interview with Gottlieb.
After forming in L.A. way back in 2000, the anarcho-punk band finally released their first full-length, The Far Fallen Fruit, on Friday via Quiet Panic. Gottlieb continuously prove they’re not going to be intimidated by the authoritarian forces who now have a stranglehold over the American citizenry. They’re also not afraid to share their political beliefs; in fact, discussions about fascism and other political matters surface in virtually every song on The Far Fallen Fruit.
Vocalist Andrew Pescara and bassist Dylan Marquez carved some time to talk with The Bad Penny for On Tyranny – and boy did they ever. The Gottlieb bandmates didn’t mince words, placate or pull punches during the wide-ranging conversation, which included discussion of fascism, socialism, ICE atrocities and the economic disaster facing all of us who aren’t in the top 1 percent of richest Americans.
Hot off the recent release of their latest album, Bad Luck, Banshee Tree are returning to Boise this evening to showcase their new material and reconnect with the many friends they’ve made here. Based in Denver, the band is starting to tour in support of Bad Luck with six shows – including one at Treefort Music Hall in Boise.
We touched base with saxophone and keyboard player Jesse Shantor yesterday to get the skinny on what Banshee Tree have in store for their show, to try to understand his ability to play those two instruments simultaneously – and much more.
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