Archive for the On Tyranny Category

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On Tyranny: Silver Jews and Lambchop Collaborator William Tyler Takes a Fierce Stand Against Fascism

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , on 04/08/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

“The real deal” is a phrase that gets bandied about often – excessively and sloppily so when it comes to singer/songwriters. But listen to Nashville musician William Tyler say five words, and you’ll immediately identify his Achilles’ heel: bullshit. Tyler has no reason to bloviate when he’s spent so much of his decorated career recording and touring with a litany of other sacrilegiously overlooked yet irrefutably talented musicians of the indie-folk, Americana and cosmic country varities. Tyler had membership in Silver Jews and Lambchop, made a record five years ago with Marissa Anderson, and counts Bonnie “Prince” Billy as one of his multitudinous collaborators.

Over the course of his three-decade career, the immediately disarming and infectiously kind Tyler’s list of credits runs longer than one featured at the end of a Sergio Leone film. And yet occasions in which Tyler overtly tackles topical issues or shares his beliefs about politics and the like are rare. Which is why The Bad Penny took note of Tyler’s participation in a recent compilation co-produced by indie filmmaker Rick Alverson called Passages: Artists in Solidarity with Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers. A description accompanying the Western Vinyl release stated: “Passages is both an acknowledgement of work in progress and an invitation to do more. Our representatives need to see us. Our families need to hear from us. Our neighbors and local organizations on the front lines of this crisis are ready for us to join them.”

Curious to learn more about the collection and its participants, we reached out to some of the contributors. One of them curiously rebuffed our invitation to participate in On Tyranny, saying “I really don’t feel like any of my troubles are the real burden of this moment.” But as the days, weeks, months and years in the still-nascent fascist regime taking hold of this country are proving, none of us will be untouched by the shock, awe, pain and lament that is growing like a cancer inside our collective civic body.

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On Tyranny: Russian Alt-Metal Musician Urges U.S. Artists to Resist America From Turning Into Her Fascist Homeland

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 04/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

As if any of us needed any more convincing that Authoritarian America is increasingly resembling Russia, thanks in part to Donald Trump modeling himself after his hero Vladimir Putin, this latest installment of The Bad Penny‘s ongoing series On Tyranny will demonstrate how chillingly similar life in the two countries has become. And for this we have a musician named n0 trixx to thank: The Russian artist is unwavering in her conviction that those who call themselves artists must be uncompromising, courageous beyond dispute and speaking truth to power.

At a time when more American musicians are finally speaking out about the full-scale assault on democracy that Trump and his band of sycophants and sociopaths effectively began launching a decade ago, artists in the U.S. still have much, much more to learn. If there’s an upshot to the pillorying of musicians here, it’s that they have learned, are learning or soon will learn that making art is not simply an exercise in entertainment: It’s a critical activity that ensures the circulatory system of democracy is in good shape.

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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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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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On Tyranny: Dropkick Murphys Headlining Free ‘Abolish ICE’ Concert in Minneapolis Tonight

Posted in Concert Previews, Essays, Features, News, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , , , , on 03/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

One of the most curious, foreboding and even alarming trends that arose and continues to metastasize amid the Trump regime’s incalculable atrocities can be summed up in one sentence: Where are all the punk bands?

The bread and butter of punk music is – or at least was – an anti-establishment sentiment shared by young people who galvanized to fight en masse against injustices like racism, sexism and class warfare. In fact, the punk movement was so furious, potent and desperate for social and political change that they almost indisputably played a critical role in the last quarter of the 20th century.

From the Sex Pistols publicly taking the piss out of Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher due to the latter’s ruthless rule to railing against bobbies to figuratively spitting on conservative politicians, punk bands played an integral role in transforming their stomping grounds into a more accepting, and therefore freer, version of itself.

American punks also impacted their own culture around the same time as the Brits were fighting the good fight – look no further than Black Flag, Misfits and Circle Jerks for proof. Instead, look at what’s happening today, during one of the most horrific and terrifying periods in the last decade of American history.

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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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On Tyranny Exclusive: ‘Extremist’ Ex-Belarus Musician Discusses Exile in a Warning to All US Artists

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , on 02/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Federal agents scavenging around musicians’ residences in the hopes of finding “extremist materials” so they can imprison them. Government officials branding critics of the president as “terrorists.” Police creating blacklists of musicians and targeting them for harassment, abuse and even worse.

Where are those activities taking place? That we have to stop and think about whether it’s the U.S. or another country should give pause to all American residents. Those anti-democratic measures have been and still are  taking place in Belarus, which dictator Alexander Lukashenko has ruled with an iron fist since July 1994. No other current leader has ruled a European country as long as he has.

In this video, we link up with vocalist, flutist and lyricist Katsiaryna “Nokt Aeon” Mankevich, who recently escaped her Belarus homeland after a court decided music and concert videos by her metal band, Dymna Lotva, were “extremist materials.” The resulting punishment was lifelong banishment from Belarus and potential imprisonment if she returns there.

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On Tyranny: Lucid Express Singer Says Hong Kong Band’s Parents Are ‘Worried’ About Them Touring U.S.

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , on 02/17/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

We’re now at a point in American history when we’re no longer wondering if authoritarianism might take hold in the U.S. It already has. Thusly, the conversation is beginning to shift to how our authoritarian government measures up to others around the world in terms of stifling free speech, quelling protests and hijacking the voting process.

Remarkably, The Bad Penny had the unique privilege of interviewing Kim Ho, vocalist and synth player for Hong Kong dream-pop band Lucid Express, to shed some light on those matters and more.

Watch this clip from our recent conversation with the first musician from the Chinese musician to take part in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series and decide for yourself which country is treating its artists better: “democratic” America or China, which is ruled by an authoritarian dictatorship.

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On Tyranny: Minneapolis Still ‘Under Violent Occupation’ Despite ICE Drawdown, Taxpayers Singer Says

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , on 02/16/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

In The Bad Penny‘s first interview with a Minneapolis band since ICE, CBP and other feds invaded their city, we touch base with Rob Taxpayer, a multi-instrumentalist for Minneapolis punk-rock band the Taxpayers. He insists the Trump regime, the media and bad actors on social media are deceiving the general public into thinking the city is back to normal. But in reality, the city looks so much like a war zone that Rob has to frequently remind himself that he is indeed still living in America, he says.

“This federal government is more willing to do stuff without worrying about the consequences of it,” he says. “That’s the difference between the first Trump administration and this one: [Now] They say, ‘Fuck you, we’re going to do this anyway. Fuck the courts. Fuck public opinion. Fuck America. We’re gonna do what we fucking want.'”

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