Big Takeover #97: Too Much Joy Says ‘Nowadays, It’s as Good as It Ever Was’

Posted in Interviews with tags , on 12/21/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

The newest print edition of The Big Takeover – for which its publisher, editor, and perhaps the best person on earth, Jack Rabid, has graciously allowed me to contribute for 23 years – is now available for purchase. If you believe in punk rock and for which it stands, buy it. Among my 10 contributions is an interview with Too Much Joy, who are having the times of their lives after reuniting 10 years ago. (Read their installment in my On Tyranny series here.) Buy the damn mag; it’s 170 pages long, a work of art in its own right and only costs seven bucks.

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Magic Fig’s ‘Valerian Tea’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/21/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

With their second record, Valerian Tea, Magic Fig incorporated mellotron, glockenspiel and percussion into a trippy affair, albeit one mitigated by thee band leaning and scratching deeper into the surfaces of soft rock and prog that they mostly traipsed over the last time around. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review of Valerian Tea for the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.

Don’t miss these two other roundups either:

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

• Boise Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their 2025 Top 10 Lists

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Post-Trash Publishes Bad Penny’s List of 2025’s Top 20 Best Records

Posted in Lists with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/20/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Thanks to Post-Trash for posting my top 20 favorite records of the year as part of its staff picks roundup.

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Favorite Films: Jacob the Horse Singer Digs Russ Meyer, Nolan, Tarsem Singh, William Friedkin

Posted in Favorite Films, Features, Videos with tags , , , , on 12/20/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Aviv Rubinstien, singer for Los Angeles indie punks Jacob the Horse, reveals which movie scene inspired him to want to become a filmmaker, explains how Russ Meyer influenced his band video for “666 Chicks” and defends William Friedkin’s divisive movie “Sorcerer.”

The interview took place on December 14, 2025, less than two weeks before Jacob’s Horse dropped “666 Chicks” – and ahead of the March 20 release of their new album, At Least It’s Almost Over.

Also, don’t miss our conversation with Rubinstien as part of The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series.

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The Bad Penny’s Top 50 Best LPs of 2025, Pt. 4: Wode, Floating, Jason Isbell, Glare, Havukruunu

Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/20/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

A lot of fucked-up up shit happened in the U.S. this year. Way, way too much of it. For many of us Americans who actually carry values in our hearts instead of bloviating about them or slapping bumper stickers on our monster trucks, it was almost too much to bear.

Fortunately, 2025 also saw the release of a staggering number of stellar records, which made the year a little more … well, bearable. Hence, for the first time ever, The Bad Penny is deviating from its usual annual tradition of limiting out favorite listens to just 10 and breaking them into a five-part series containing 10 records per installment.

What follows is the fourth batch. (Go here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #21 through #30; here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #31 through #40; and here for The Bad Penny‘s favorite albums, #41 through #50.)

11. Wode – Uncrossing the Keys (20 Buck Spin)

• Wode’s ‘Uncrossing the Keys’: Two Cent Review

12. Floating – Hesitating Lights (Transcending Obscurity)

13. Jason Isbell – Foxes in the Snow (Southeastern)

• Jason Isbell’s ‘Foxes in the Snow’: Two Cent Review for Treble’s Best Albums of 2025

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The 20 Best ’90s American Grunge Bands of All Time

Posted in Lists, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/20/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Disagree if you dare.

1. Nirvana

2. Melvins

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Liquid Cross’ ‘Don’t Think’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags on 12/19/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

The titular instruction of Liquid Cross’ 10-minute whiplash Don’t Think is worthy of a smirk, as the three-piece punk band – just formed this year – doesn’t even provide the listener with such an opportunity over the course of these five fiery yet fleeting tracks. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review of Don’t Think for the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.

Don’t miss these two other roundups either:

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

• Boise Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their 2025 Top 10 Lists

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Boise’s Prize Fight Fest to Feature 14 Bands; Tix for All-Ages Show Cost Just 15 Bucks

Posted in Concert Previews, News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 12/19/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

In case you haven’t heard – and really, God bless you if you haven’t – the president of the United States of America and Dana White are planning to stage a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn on June 14 as part of a “celebration” of Trump‘s birthday. Well, Boise’s music scene is planning a vastly more enjoyable, safer and morally legit event of its own: an all-ages battle of the bands referred to “Prize Fight Fest,” happening Jan. 16 at the Shrine Social Club.

“The event commemorates the turning of a new leaf for Mount Orange Records to re-launch as a sister-label of Mishap,” the event organizers said in a statement, noting that it will also serve as a label showcase of sorts. “[We’ll] be ringing in the new year with several new artists and releases, many of which are performing on the following lineup.”

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New Releases 12.19.25: Blood of the Wolf, Monster Magnet, Olde Outlier, Starscourge (UPDATED 12 p.m. MT)

Posted in Lists, New Releases with tags , , , , on 12/19/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Alien Orchestra – Under My Pale Skin EP (Rockshots)

Amigo the Devil – New Kind of Lonely single

Appian – Finding Moments (Sound as Language)

Blood of the Wolf – V: Indomitable (Horror Pain Gore Death)
• Exclusive Song Premiere: Blood of the Wolf’s ‘Oath of Supremacy’

Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso – Top of the Hills

Claire Guerreso – I Won’t Give Up single

Club 8 – Daydreams single

Flints – Cold of You single (Nettwerk)

Florence Road – Georgia single

Lisa Hilton Quintet – Extended Daydream (Ruby Slippers Productions 1031)

Imperatore – Lionspirit (Rockshots)

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

Posted in Interviews, Lists, News, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , , on 12/18/2025 by Kurt Orzeck

Little did The Bad Penny expect that a feature called “The 20 Best Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal Bands of All Time” that we published five days ago would become the most popular post in the history of this 15-year-old website in its entire existence. But that’s exactly what the headbangers ordered, and it’s spurring us to run some spinoff articles about bands made the cut on the list but that we’ve never had the pleasure of interviewing.

Reaching out to the bands on the list that aren’t as popular as your In Flames, Amon Amarth and Dark Tranquillity, we were reminded that Gothenburg is the historic city that birthed more than just three MDM bands. Nightrage guitarist Marios Iliopoulos said he was both flattered to be recognized and that their artistic output is just as strong as many of the other bands included on the rundown.

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