Archive for the Lists Category

Top 10 Most Hilarious Louis C.K. Bits Ever (Well, as of 2017)

Posted in Comedy, Lists with tags , , , , , on 04/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Louis CK, without doubt one of the funniest people on the planet

Whether you love or loathe Louis C.K. – a comedic entertainer so polarizing that there isn’t much room in between – no one can dispute his status as one of the biggest comics of the 21st century. For proof, look no further than how he survived a sex scandal that would’ve put the nail in the coffin of just about any other comic’s career.

Supplying more evidence that his equally raunchy and philosophical sense of humor renders him a teflon comedian, Louis C.K. will notch one of the biggest milestones of his career next month. As he notified subscribers to his email newsletter on Thursday, the ultimate comic’s comic will headline the Netflix Is a Joke festival showcase at the 17,500-capacity Hollywood Bowl. His missive also revealed that he has a new comedy special, Louis CK: Ridiculous, coming at a to-be-determined date this summer.

“My show at the Hollywood Bowl on May 5th will be the very last show of this tour which has taken me around the world and will likely be my last full-scale comedy headline type show for a looong time. I hope you can make it,” Louis C.K. said in a rare instance of sincerity devoid of any wise-crackery.

With that in mind, this writer dug up an out-of-print 2017 list of Louis C.K.’s best routines, non sequiturs and one-liners that preceded the controversy that became ubiquitous in conversations about comedy a mere five months after Monsters & Critics published the piece. Today we’re resurrecting it for your amusement – or disgust, in which case you don’t have to click “continue reading.”

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Top 10 Songs About Dogs: A Tribute to Kristi Noem

Posted in Comedy, Lists with tags , , , , , , , , , , on 03/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Dog Noem GIF by GIPHY News

Have you noticed an extra bounce in your dog’s step today? Chalk it up to them hearing the news about the firing of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. The first Trump regime to be fired in his second term is an avowed dog killer, a corruption queen, a cosplay doofus and an all-around nitwit.

The sociopathic Noem also relished joining ICE as they invaded cities and terrorized residents. In honor of her outrageously sickening and shameful acts, here are 10 songs that likely aren’t on her Spotify list and provide a fitting sendoff to Noem:

1. “I Wanna Be Your Dog” (Stooges)

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On Tyranny: Top 20 Protest/Activist Musicians, From Marvin Gaye to Billie Eilish

Posted in Features, Lists, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 02/10/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

1. Woody Guthrie

2. Bob Marley

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Best New Music Videos (January 2026): Crippled Black Phoenix, Gaerea, Crooked Fingers, Puscifer, More

Posted in Lists, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 02/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

We hear ya here at The Bad Penny: We cover too much metal, not enough metal, etc. One common denominator across all genres is that artists are capable of creating captivating, innovative, original, hilarious and harrowing music videos regardless of genre. With that in mind, here are the clips we enjoyed the most in the month of January, two thousand whatever.

1. Taroug’s “Cicada”

2. Crippled Black Phoenix’sRavenettes

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Veil of Sound Shares Bad Penny’s Favorite LPs, Gigs, More From 2025

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

The Bad Penny‘s friends at Veil of Sound have assembled a nifty 2025 recap that encompasses the records, concerts and other highlights that the German website’s 10 contributors enjoyed the most last year. Check it out here.

10 Best Free Bandcamp Downloads #8: Gridfailure, Glorious Depravity, Be Nothing

Posted in Lists, MP3s with tags , , , , , , , , , on 01/15/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

1. Be Nothing – Be All the Nothing You Can Be EP (September 2023)

“This follow up to the trio’s 2020 self-titled album offers more of their signature riff heavy, sarcastic punk,” label Strange Mono said in a statement.

2. Gridfailure – Live Improv at the Kingsland – Brooklyn, NYC – 09/07/2024 (March 2025)

“Entire improvisational set from The Kingsland (RIP) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY on September 7th, 2024,” label Strange Mono said.

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Bad Penny’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , on 01/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Dark Tranquillity (with chief Mikael Stanne in the center)

The title of this post tells it all. But some of the bands on “The Bad Penny’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2025” might surprise you.

1. The 20 Best Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal Bands of All Time

2. On Tyranny: An Epic Conversation With Anarchist Art Collective and Cursive Collaborators INDECLINE About Fascism And How You Can Fight It

3. Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their Top 10 Lists of 2025 Best Albums

4. On Tyranny: Nightrage Guitarist Scolds Complicit Public for ‘Looking the Other Way’ as Democracy Dies

5. Pet Sounds #76: Cat Lovers Psychic Pigs Named Their Band as a Derogatory Slur Jabbing the Police

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10 Best Free Bandcamp Downloads #7: Floating, Coilguns, Skyjoggers, In Lieu, Gift, Porch Coffin

Posted in Lists with tags , , , , , , , on 01/09/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Strapped for cash but hungry for great music? Don’t worry, The Bad Penny has your back. Here’s a rundown of 10 rad releases, most of them recently issued, that we came across on Bandcamp this week.

(Note: If you do have some green to spare, please show your thanks to these deserving artists and labels.)

1. Various Artists’ Transcending Obscurity 2026 Label Sampler

Mumbai, India-based Transcending Obscurity, which The Bad Penny profiled extensively last year, has outdone itself with this year’s edition of its annual label sampler. The freebie corrals 26 blistering songs by extreme-metal bands from across the world, not the least of whom are Veilburner, Haxprocess, Endspace, Verdun and Death Obvious.

2. In Lieu’s Failing in the Right Direction

Our ears are still ringing from listening many times to Hooligan, the solid record that Minneapolis noise-rock band In Lieu unleashed upon the masses in October. In delving deeper into the group’s catalog, we discovered their debut record, Failing in the Right Direction, which the band made when it was only a two-piece. Sure, it’s not as well-crafted as Hooligan, but given that vocalist/guitarist Nicole Post and drummer/bassist Lucas Margulies were basically kids when they made the record, it tickles and titillates.

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10 Videos of Musicians Falling Offstage Mid-Performance: Dave Grohl, Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo, Axl Rose, Pink, Demi Lovato

Posted in Lists, Videos with tags , , , , , , , on 01/09/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Presented without explanation or shame because nothing matters anymore.

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Best New Music Videos (December 2025): Earl Sweatshirt, Nothing, Darsombra, Zenith Passage

Posted in Lists, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 01/08/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

We’re a bit late with The Bad Penny’s collection of best new videos this month. (Thanks a lot, Obama Santa!) That said, viewers who grew increasingly anxious awaiting our Best New Music Videos for December should be most pleasantly surprised, now that the post is finally live.

This week, we cobbled together 10 new and – for the most part – zany clips by Earl Sweatshirt, Nothing, Darsombra, The Zenith Passage, Ponte del Diavolo, Juni Habel, Gavial, Infinity Knives x Brian Ennals, Prune Carmen Diaz and Florence Road.

Happy viewing!

1. Prune Carmen Diaz’ “Arcadia”

2. Darsombra’s “Mellow Knees”

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