Archive for the Interviews Category

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On Tyranny: Hip-Hop MC TINO Says of His New Trans-Rights Song: ‘[They] Just Want to Be Loved Too’

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 04/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

No Kings 3, which took place last week and drew an estimated 8 to 9 million participants – exceeding the turnouts of the first two protests – provided more wind in the sails of the pro-democracy movement that is barreling toward a critical juncture at the November midterm elections.

Red-hot MC TINO – who hails from Dayton, Ohio – didn’t make it to the protest. But since the early 2010s, the hip-hop high-achiever has kept his mind trained on educating and galvanizing his audience with socially conscious messages while ensuring his lips are trained on spitting transcendent rhymes.

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On Tyranny: Germany-Born Leader of Psych/Shoegazers Lukka Sees Similar Berlin Wall Era Speech Restrictions in US

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , on 04/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Franzi Szymkowiak – vocalist, guitarist and synth player for psych/shoegazers Lukka – joins The Bad Penny to share her unique perspectives of how tyranny is taking root in the U.S. similar to how it did in Germany, where she was born before the Berlin Wall fell. In addition to remembering how the German people were “manipulated by Russian propaganda” after World War II, she recalls stories from her ancestors about even more atrocious acts committed by Hitler against intellectuals and artists.

“Hitler was going against people who could see through his whole ideology and who could think more intellectually about [his regime, philosophy and actions] and convince people that was not the way to go,” Szymkowiak states. “It was way worse at the time because people got executed for raising their opinion against the establishment.”

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Puma Blue Walks Us Through ‘Unnatural’ Processes Behind New LP ‘Croak Dream’

Posted in Interviews with tags , , on 03/28/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Rather than compiling a double album or reimagining material into acoustic form, Puma Blue’s Jacob Allen created two entirely separate albums from the same creative spark. Released a year apart nearly to the day, last February’s antichamber and this past month’s Croak Dream are something of a yin and yang to each other. “antichamber was all about what’s nestled inside you that you’re not ready to look at, whereas Croak Dream feels like an explosion of letting it all hang out and being free—less curated and sheltered with you exposing your soul,” Allen explains.

Read my full interview with the band via FLOOD.

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On Tyranny: Voidhämmer Bassist/Vocalist Says ICE Atrocities Backfired, Hardened His Resolve to Be a Better Citizen

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 03/08/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Roger Herrera, bassist/vocalist for Los Angeles’ Voidhämmer, checked in with The Bad Penny on Sunday to talk about Noxious Emissions, the four-song EP that the new death-metal/grindcore band put out in January. When our conversation inevitably turned toward the topic of federal agents invading L.A. Angeles last summer to terrorize and harass residents – regardless of their citizenship or legal status – Herrera seemed equally proud of his neighbors as he is proud of his bandmates.

“If you look at the news for so long, it is definitely maddening,” he said, noting the social strife that is ripping American society apart. “You can become overwhelmed and distraught by everything that’s going on. So you do have to shut that out so you can just go about your day.”

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Who’s the Boss of American Experimental Post-Black Metal? Bosse-de-Nage, That’s Who

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 03/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

For a band that’s played fewer than 20 gigs in their 15-year existence, scoring an interview with the vocalist for Bosse-de-Nage was quite the get for yours truly. Bryan Manning spoke about the eight-year gap between the experimental black metal band’s last album and their new record Hidden Fires Burn Hottest—and shared what his dream concert would entail. Read my short-but-sweet interview with Manning at FLOOD.

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On Tyranny: ICE’s Fear Tactics Are Failing, Guitarist for Hardcore Punks Sweat Insists

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , on 03/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

It’s premature to say “don’t sweat ICE”; after all, the masked thugs continue to terrorize American cities and their residents without impunity. But on Wednesday night, The Bad Penny caught up with Justin Smith – guitarist/vocalist for hardcore-punk band Sweat – who alleviated some of our concerns, if only for the time being.

In a relaxed and reasonable conversation, Smith reflected on some of the lame acts of wanna-be aggression he witnessed when agents invaded Los Angeles, where he and his Sweat-y bandmates live. Smith also stated that “I don’t think the U.S. has a stomach for another forever war,” which we all need to hear as the increasingly demented lunatic living on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. involves our country in a criminally absurd war with Iran.

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Puma Blue Says New LP, ‘Croak Dream,’ ‘Feels Like an Explosion of Letting It All Hang Out and Being Free’

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 03/04/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Piqued to learn more about how Puma Blue went about putting together their latest record, FLOOD handed the mic over to main man Jacob Allen so he could shed some light on each Croak Dream song.

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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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‘Your Pussy Is Powerful … and Amazing Things Come Out of It!’ Thunderpussy Says

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 03/02/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Thunderpussy bring the rock, Def Leppard-style

Check out a lengthy, comprehensive Q&A I conducted with Seattle rock band Thunderpussy during their stay in Boise for the March 2017 edition of Treefort Music Fest. Drowned in Sound originally published the interview, but it went out of print after DiS closed its doors. Today we resurrect the out-of-print feature for your reading pleasure.

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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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