Enjoy, amigos.
7.24.26
Atarashii Gakko! – From Tokyo With Love (88Rising)
The Avalanches + Karen O – “Blue Shadows” single
Bayside – Battle Scars single
Black Blood – Holy Man single (Scream for Existence)
Bleached Cross – Wrath (New Morality Zine)
Body Type – Tally (King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard’s p(doom) Records)
In anticipation of the 20th anniversary of the debut of Tim and Eric‘s Awesome Show, Great Job!, one of the few TV shows that we make some space to cover and discuss, here’s a partial rundown of musicians who appeared on the sketch show. The very best and strangest cameos are up top, the right-up-there picks are right up there on the list, and the last ones are last.
1. “Weird Al” Yankovic (seven episodes total)
2. Josh Groban
Last we checked in with Meltt – Vancouver’s greatest psych-rock band this side of Black Mountain – we tried to channel their excitement over playing Boise’s Treefort Music Fest shortly before they graced the annual event three years ago. Fast-forward to 2026, and the duders were once again in good spirits, still giddy over the release of their fourth full-length, Pathways (Nettwerk), last month.
As much as we recommend you snag Meltt’s new release, when they graciously granted The Bad Penny the chance to catch up with them for a second time, we all agreed to mix it up and rope the band into our consistent-ish ongoing Saturday series, the self-explanatory Favorite Films. Each band member generously participated in the exercise – and, wouldn’t ya know it, The Bad Penny would’ve raved about many of the same flicks were the tables turned.
But, of course, this story is not us. It’s about Meltt, Pathways and movie recommendations that might inspire you to take a hop, a skip and a jump during your weekend. Scratch that: These selections might prompt you to pick up a chainsaw, commune with an octopus underwater or reminisce about Star Lanes (RIP) instead.
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Welcome to the 16th installment of The Bad Penny‘s Bandcamp Freebie series, in which we handpick our favorite free songs on the platform and dish them up for your consumption. We deserve lotsa high-fives this time around, because all 10 picks are full-lengths – of the highest quality, naturally – which makes us the most benevolent music outlet on the website. And which, in turns, explains we’re so unimaginably financially destitute that Merriam-Webster needs to adopt a new phrase for it.
(Go here for the 17th installment of Bandcamp Freebies, featuring songs by Restless Spirit, Meltt, Florist, Nòtt and Délirant; and Couch Slut covering Fugazi.)
(Note: If you’re financially capable of supporting any of these artists and/or labels, please consider doing so.)
1. Alienatör’s Pariahs (September 2019) and Regrets (November 2002) (self-released with help from the Canada Council for the Arts)
Hailing from Thunder Bay, Ontario – the municipality where Paul Shaffer also famously (?) grew up – Alienatör held the noise-rock torch between the years they released their two full-lengths. Whether Brad King (vocals, guitar); Sean Skillen (bass, vocals); and Simon Paquette (drums) threw in the towel after those two marvelous migraine-inducers is unclear. The three guys might also have a new album on their hands – but we say that without a shred of certainty, as there’s no mention of it on Alienatör’s Bandcamp page, and their Instagram account is still hyping Regrets. Isn’t that like two newlywed parents getting strangers to kiss their baby in Target because it’s a newborn? Perhaps the Target redshirt on duty can answer our questions. More likely, though, questions, critiques and the like will melt away upon taking Alienatör’s Pariahs and Regrets out for a test drive.
2. Side-Line Magazine‘s United 1 – The Freya Files and United 2 – The Odin Files by various artists (Side-Line)
If you’re even somewhat aware of The Bad Penny‘s devotion to democracy and whole-scale rejection of fascism, it’ll come as no surprise to you that we included these two comps – both released Friday – in our latest Bandcamp Freebies roundup. In fact, we just published an illuminating conversation with Bernard Van Isacker, the Belgian magazine editor and music fan who helped see these Ukraine-supporting collections to fruition. Learn a thing or two about the Ukraine/Russia war that could determine the fate of democracy in that part of the world, and throw down (as little or as much as you want) for these two darkwave compendiums.
Continue readingEnjoy The Bad Penny‘s latest roundup of the best music videos that caught our eye over the course of this month. They feature costumed people walking in the city, people tossing back shots in a vintage saloon, Walter Goggins, interstellar space scenes, a harpist – and Joe Pera!
1. Shaboozey’s “Cowgirl”
2. LA Priest’s “Ever No”
3. Whitmer Thomas’ “Candy Corn”
Seven years after their last full-length album, German death-metal deacons Fleshcrawl slithered out of hibernation earlier this month with a new record, Epitome of Carnage, on Reigning Phoenix Music. The quintet surprised everyone with their 12-song collection of gospel songs that preach the word of God and aim to convert their fanbase, which until now has largely consisted of heathens, into devout worshippers of the one and only Lord.
Kidding, of course. Epitome of Carnage lives us to its billing, providing no respite from torturous riffage and brutal blast beats during its 48-minute duration. From the merciless “Grave Messiah” to the punishing “Orphan God” to the blood-curdling “Heralds of Death,” torture is the name of the game on the relentless rampage of sacrilegious slaughter.
Because the record pretty much speaks for itself, when we were given the opportunity to check in with Fleshcrawl about their sick and twisted newborn record, we declined to bore them, ourselves and you with the same old rote questions. Instead, we used the opportunity to ask the band – which started 35 years ago, although almost all its current members weren’t there from the beginning – what they consider to be the greatest German metal bands of all time. After all, they have slightly more authority on the matter than we do, considering we’re not German, aren’t in any bands and are younger than they are (we’re pretty sure).
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Welcome to the 15th installment of The Bad Penny‘s Bandcamp Freebie series, in which we handpick our favorite free songs on the platform and dish them up for your consumption. We deserve lotsa high-fives this time around, because all 10 picks are full-lengths – of high quality, of course – which makes us the most benevolent music outlet on the website. And which, in turns, explains we’re so financially destitute there needs to be a new phrase for it.
(Note: If you’re financially capable of supporting any of these artists and/or labels, please consider doing so.)
1. Verdun – Abyssal Womb
You likely won’t remember – because it’d be weird if you did – that a Verdun song was feature on a compilation issued by our favorite most-generous record label, Transcending Obscurity, in January of this year. If you remember liking that song – we’ll say it again, you must have some kind of brain disorder or you’re wicked smaht, because we have zero recollection of it ourselves – then download Abyssal Womb immediately. They’re French. They traffic in the scummiest strains of metal: doom, blackened sludge, all the components of a healthy diet of despicable debris for the ears. Why aren’t you listening yet.
2. The Austerity Program – Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn
Yours truly interviewed The Austerity Program for Treble 13 months ago, and it was a good time. The better man participating in the conversations was fast-talking Justin Foley, one-half of the noise-rock duo, who works full-time as a union organizer as well. The band just posted their 2010 record, Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn, for free on Bandcamp. It’s the latest sign that Foley and his bandmate, bassist Thad Calabrese, are far more badass than the rest of us heathens ever will be.
3. Variant Cause – Hit Songs Vol. 1
Variant Cause are one of those bands that were so cool it’s like their speed was set to hyperdrive and we could only marvel at them zooming over our heads like that Empire Strikes Back scene in which Han, Leia, Chewy and C-3P-lame-0 witness something like that happening. Spokane’s Variant Cause were a revered anti-grunge band before the movement even started in Seattle; somewhat ironically, the most important grunge studio wizard, Jack Endino, has worked his magic on these Variant Cause tracks, and the results are righteous.
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Earlier this week, we brought you a long-overdue but hugely rewarding interview with Fireball Ministry co-founder and guitar virtuoso Emily Burton. The conversation revolved mostly around the desert-rock band’s big win in regaining the rights to their record The Second Great Awakening, which they then recently reissued in conjunction with their current label, Ripple Music (based in San Ramon, California).
Today, we focus on the series in which the reissue is part of: Beneath the Desert Floor, a program that Ripple Music President/CEO Todd Severin launched in January 2024. Best of all, said discussion revolves around an interview with – can you believe it? – Severin himself. Join us as one of most important figures in the world of heavy psych comments on each installment of the treasured series.
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It’s a preeeeety safe bet to say that Dan Swanö belongs on the Mount Rushmore of Swedish melodic death-metal musicians. Not only did he help engender the extreme-metal genre with his bands Edge of Sanity, Nightingale, Unicorn, Pan-Thy-Monium and about two dozen more (see for yourself), his knowledge of the musical strain is unparalleled. To put it simply, without Dan Swanö, there probably wouldn’t be melodic death metal (and all its latter-year torchbearers, like At the Gates, In Flames, Dark Tranquillity and the like).
We connected with Dan “The Man” Swanö after publishing our 20 Best Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal Bands of All Time feature in mid-December. Little did we know that posting the piece would result in a reaping of dividends like communicating and collaborating with some of the most revered musicians in the metal underground, not to mention other enthusiasts concocting their own best-of lists and sending them to The Bad Penny so we could, in turn, share them with you. (After finishing this read, check out some of the other submissions from true, authentic metal musicians like Swanö. They’re listed at the end of the article.)
Swanö was so generous in providing us with loads of memories, thoughts and commentary about how he fell in love with music, his coming-of-rage years and how he became so well-versed in Sweden’s distinct brand of metal that we will likely run a sequel story in the not-too-distant-future. (So long as you engage in the conversation with us by submitting comments, sending in your own lists and the like, that is.)
And with that, let’s hear from the immortal Dan Swanö about the bands and songs that helped make him the metal god that he became and continues to be to this day.
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